SWINDON

1952: The bright yellow flying disc seen near Bishopstone, many believed to be a UFO, was thought to be nothing more than a missing model aeroplane, which the winds had played tricks with. The orange-winged, diesel-engine model was released by Mr D P Skinner at his home in Penhill, Swindon. It was its second flight and it had a wing span for 4ft.

1952: Miss M le Beaumont of Shalbourne Manor near Marlborough, won the Challenge Cup at the British Show Hack and Cob Association championship and a rosette for her exhibit Honeysuckle, judged to be Best Hack In Show at the floodlit session of the Royal Windsor Horse Show attended by the Queen.

1962: A party of Swedish Scouts who had been staying in the Swindon area for 10 days, were entertained to tea by the Mayor of Swindon, Coun A E Cochram. With a few of their host Scouts, the Swedish boys and their scoutmaster were taken on a tour of the Civic Offices and given an illustrated guide to Swindon, autographed by the mayor.

1962: Mr F R Evans of F R Evans Leeds Ltd flew south to attend a sale of Air Ministry property which Dennis Pocock and Sons, Marlborough conducted. Visibility was not good enough to land at Membury, so Mr Evans touched down near Newbury. He won his bid to buy the 240ft x 120ft Membury Hangar for £30,000.

1972: Marlborough artist Karen Stanilad has just completed the mammoth task of drawing every child in one of the town’s playgroups.The drawings were charcoal sketches of 28 children, which were surprise presents for the parents of St Mary’s Playgroup in Marlborough.

1972: Blue-eyed student nurse Christine Figes was chosen as Miss Thamesdown. Christine beat 11 other girls to take the title at the Thamesdown Carnival Ball in the Brunel Rooms, Swindon. She paraded with the other girls in evening dresses and swim suits while radio personality Pete Murray compered the event. Christine is based at the Princess Margaret Hospital.

THE WORLD

1694: The Bank of England was founded with government backing.

1866: The Great Eastern arrived at Heart’s Content in Newfoundland, having successfully laid the transatlantic telegraph cable.

1890: Artist Vincent Van Gogh went to the spot where he had painted Cornfield With Flight Of Birds and shot himself. He died two days later, aged 37.

1921: The first insulin was isolated by Canadians Sir Frederick Banting and his assistant Charles Best, providing an effective treatment for diabetes.

1949: The de Havilland Comet, the world’s first jet airliner, made its maiden flight.

1964: Sir Winston Churchill made his last appearance in the House of Commons.

1980: The deposed Shah of Iran died of cancer in Cairo.

1988: Mercury Communications opened its first non-British Telecom payphones at Waterloo Station.

1989: The Common Cold Research Centre in Salisbury closed after giving colds to 30,000 people over 43 years.

2017: The Duke of Cambridge paid a personal tribute to the nation’s emergency services, speaking of his “profound respect” for its men and women, ahead of his final air ambulance pilot shift.

BIRTHDAYS

Jack Higgins, novelist, 89; Baroness (Shirley) Williams, politician, 88; Bobbie Gentry, singer, 74; Allan Border, former cricketer, 63; Christopher Dean, former Olympic ice-skater, 60; Jo Durie, former tennis player, 58; Jonathan Rhys Meyers, actor, 41; George Shelley, former Union J musician, 25.