SWINDON...

1947: Miss Mary Sansum conducted the choir in a performance of Stainer’s Crucifixion at Methodist Church Hall, Swindon, during the evening service. Soloists were Morris Dunscombe and William Evans.

1957: The glorious combination of Christ Church and Bath Road Methodist Church choirs singing at Christ Church made an interesting vehicle for oratorio in the abridged version of Handel’s Messiah. Arthur Walter conducted.

1977: Moredon Secondary School now had its own indoor swimming pool in use at a cost of £36,000, raised by school efforts and a loan of £14,000 from Wiltshire County Council.

2013: A lifelong Swindon Town football fan, Lance Tucker won the opportunity to feature in with his footballing heroes, midfield maestros Tommy Miller and Gary Roberts, in a new advert for Marlborough Park, an award-winning local development.

THE WORLD...

1889: The Eiffel Tower was officially opened in Paris.

1909: Construction of the ill-fated RMS Titanic began.

1990: Approximately 200,000 protestors took to the streets of London to protest against the newly introduced Poll Tax.

BORN...

1596: René Descartes, French philosopher and mathematician

1621: Andrew Marvell, English poet and politician

1685: Johann Sebastian Bach, German organist and composer

1732: Joseph Haydn, Austrian composer

1926: John Fowles, English author

1934: Richard Chamberlain, American actor

1938: David Steel, British politician

1943: Christopher Walken, American actor

1948: Al Gore, American politician, 45th Vice President of the United States

1948: Rhea Perlman, American actress

1952: Dermot Morgan, Irish comedian and actor. Famous for playing Father Ted

1955: Angus Young, Scottish-Australian guitarist with AC/DC

1971: Ewan McGregor, actor

DIED...

1837: John Constable, English painter

1855: Charlotte Brontë, English author

1980: Jesse Owens, US Olympicn sprinter and long jumper

2011: Edward Stobart, English businessman