SWINDON...

1947: Crowds assembled in the neighbourhood of Faringdon Road and Fleet Street, and lined the roadway along the route of Swindon’s Carnival Procession, in aid of the Victoria Hospital. The procession was preceded by the Sea Cadets Band and took 20 minutes to pass. It included various other bands, the fire brigade and colourful tableaux.

1957: A fancy dress contest, adults and children’s races and a carnival procession were amongst attractions at Chiseldon British Legion Show. Awards in the horticultural section were numerous, and entries in the carnival procession included a novel Do It Yourself Operating Theatre, staged by the Chiseldon Women’s Institute – it won the comic entry class.

1977: A country flavour would be added to this year’s Miss Thamesdown Contest by TV comic Squire Ronnie Hayward who would be host and compere at the beauty contest held at Blunsdon House Hotel.

2013: Teenagers on the National Citizen Scheme presented their fundraising ideas to a Dragons’ Den panel at New College. Five teams of 16- and 17-year-olds from all over Swindon, who had never met before, presented their ideas to raise money for some of the area’s smallest charities.

THE WORLD...

1858: Australian rules football was founded and the first match was played between Melbourne Football Club and Scotch Grammar. The Melbourne Football Club (the oldest remaining sporting club in the world), was also founded on this day.

1985: The White House Farm murders took place near Tolleshunt D’Arcy, Essex.

1998: The United States embassy bombings in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya kill 212 people

BORN...

1924: Kenneth Kendall, broadcaster (d. 2012)
1945: Kenny Ireland, Scottish actor and director (d. 2014)
1952: Alexei Sayle, comedian, actor and author
1958: Bruce Dickinson, singer and guitarist (Iron Maiden and Samson)
1960: David Duchovny, actor
1963: Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, American son of John F. Kennedy (d. 1963)

DIED...

1893: Alfredo Catalani, Italian composer (b. 1854)
1957: Oliver Hardy, actor 
(b. 1892)
2004: Red Adair, American firefighter (b. 1915)