SWINDON...

1947: The Great Western Railway brought into use the first of the 14 additional oil storage plants put up in connection with the Ministry Of Fuel and Power scheme for the conversion of a number of locomotives to oil burning.

1957: Extension of the Market Square car park, a site for a block of offices and public garden leading to the Lawn were being planned for Swindon. The scheme was agreed in principle at a meeting of the Town Council.

1977: Secret plans to reduce the number of Swindon further education centres from ten to six were forced into the open at the Wiltshire County Council Further Education sub committee meeting.

2013: Kimmerfields was announced as the new name for Swindon’s £350m business improvement district, formerly known as Union Square.

 

THE WORLD...

1882: American Old West: Jesse James was killed by Robert Ford.

1895: The trial in the libel case brought by Oscar Wilde began eventually resulting in his imprisonment on charges of homosexuality.

1948: President Harry S Truman signed the Marshall Plan, authorising $5bn in aid for 16 countries.

2004: Islamic terrorists involved in the 11 March Madrid attacks were trapped by the police in their apartment and killed themselves.

 

BORN...

1783: Washington Irving, American historian and author (d. 1859).

1893: Leslie Howard, English actor, director, and producer (d. 1943).

1924: Doris Day, American actress and singer.

1924: Marlon Brando, American actor (d. 2004).

1925: Tony Benn, English pilot and politician, Postmaster General of the United Kingdom (d. 2014).

1946: John Virgo, English snooker player and sportscaste.r

1961: Eddie Murphy, American actor, director, and screenwriter.

1964: Nigel Farage, English politician.

1985: Leona Lewis, English singer-songwriter.

 

DIED...

1897: Johannes Brahms, German pianist and composer (b. 1833).

1990: Sarah Vaughan, American singer (b. 1924).

1991: Graham Greene, English author, playwright, and critic (b. 1904).

1999: Lionel Bart, English composer (b. 1930).