SWINDON

1952: The annual local exams of the Swindon Poetry Society were taken in the Town Hall in Swindon. Teachers entered more than 120 pupils for various classes and there were also four teams from Clifton Street Junior and Pinehurst Secondary Modern Schools who took part in choral speaking examinations.

1962: A stainless steel spade was the farewell gift presented to Mr A Dix at a meeting of the Walcot (Swindon) and District Allotment and Gardening Society held at the Walcot Common Room. Mr Dix was emigrating to Australia and the presentation was made by Mr R H May, Neighbourhood Worker of Walcot. Mr Dix had been the founder secretary of WAGS.

1972: Mrs Florence Nutt of Ridgeway Road, Stratton St Margaret, was helping out at a summer fete in aid of Swindon and District Society for the Mentally Handicapped Children. She hung her raincoat on the back of a chair when she was working on the cake stall. When she went to go home she found that her coat had been sold for £1.

THE WORLD

632: Mohammed, founder of the Islamic religion, died in Mecca.

1376: Edward, the Black Prince, son of Edward III of England, died.

1924: George Mallory, on his third attempt at conquering Everest, was seen for the last time at a point 800ft from the summit.

1926: Australian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba, 65, gave her final stage performance at Covent Garden, singing Mimi in La Boheme.

1929: Margaret Bondfield became the first British woman Cabinet minister when she was appointed Minister of Labour.

1959: Liberace defended himself when he successfully sued William Connor, “Cassandra” of the Daily Mirror, for libel.

1968: James Earl Ray, wanted for the murder of Martin Luther King, was arrested in London travelling under an assumed name with a Canadian passport.

1969: Spain closed the frontier with Gibraltar, hoping to cripple its economy after Britain’s refusal to hand over the colony to Spain.

1978: Naomi James arrived back at Dartmouth in her Bermuda sloop Express Crusader after 267 days, to become the first woman to sail around the world via Cape Horn.

1988: Russell Harty, British broadcaster and writer, died aged 53 from hepatitis.

2017: A diamond ring purchased at a car boot sale for £10 was sold for £656,750 at auction.

BIRTHDAYS

Ray Illingworth, former cricketer and ex-chairman of England selectors, 86; Nancy Sinatra, singer, 78; Colin Baker, actor, 75; Julie Driscoll, singer, 71; Mick Hucknall, singer, 58; Nick Rhodes, musician (Duran Duran), 56; Julianna Margulies, actress, 52; Kanye West, US rapper, 41.