SWINDON

1952: A special train brought 600 schoolboys from Paddington to Swindon, where they split into groups for tours of the railway works. The boys were members of the Ian Allen Locomotive Spotters group, an organisation which promoted what was then a hugely popular hobby. The special train displayed a board bearing the group's insignia, which was made at the Works.

1962: A magistrate at Swindon Juvenile Court dealt with ten boys, aged between 10 and 14, who had committed various shoplifting offences. Swindon police officer Inspector GG Nokes said: "We have found in the last few months this kind of offence is increasing in this town." Chairman of the bench Mr WJ Lewis said: "We feel serious consideration should be given by these firms to the ways in which they could assist in the prevention of this type of crime."

1972: Toymaking firm Lewis Marx showed off its what it hoped would be big Christmas sellers to retailers in Swindon. New wares included Rabbit Hunt, which consisted of a clockwork rabbit and a gun used to fire darts at at. It was expected to cost £1.50.

THE WORLD

1689: Death - in the Tower of London - of the despised Judge Jeffreys, who sentenced more than 300 to death at his "bloody assizes".

1775: American patriot Paul Revere made his famous ride from Charleston to Lexington to warn of the British Army's advance.

1906: San Francisco was devastated by a massive earthquake.

1934: The first launderette opened in Fort Worth, Texas. It was called a Washateria.

1946: The League of Nations was formally dissolved, its assets passing to the United Nations.

1949: The Republic of Ireland Act came into force as Eire became a republic and withdrew from the British Commonwealth.

1954: Colonel Gamel Abdal Nasser became prime minister and military governor of Egypt, having seized power while President Neguib was away from the capital.

1955: Death of physicist Albert Einstein.

1966: The Sound Of Music won an Oscar after receiving an almost universal panning from the critics. It grossed $60 million in its first year.

1968: London Bridge was sold for $1 million to oil tycoon Robert McCullough. He had it rebuilt at Lake Havasu in the United States.

1980: Rhodesia became the independent nation of Zimbabwe with Canaan Banana as the country's first president.

2017: A new method of combating breast cancer was discovered by scientists after they pinpointed a key driver for its growth and spread, reports revealed.

BIRTHDAYS: Hayley Mills, actress, 72; James Woods, actor, 71; Rick Moranis, actor, 65; Jane Leeves, actress, 57; Eric McCormack, actor, 55; Graham Rowntree, former rugby union player/coach, 47; Melissa Joan Hart, actress, 42; Kourtney Kardashian, 39; America Ferrera, actress, 34.