Swindon

1951: Riders from both the Swindon and District Road Club sections spent the day crossing rivers and valleys of the Cotswolds, but the early birds cyclists went one lap further - all the way to Stratford Upon Avon. The normal section of the club spent the day cycling the lanes through Stanton Fitzwarren on the way to Fairford and stopping at North Leach for tea before heading home.

1951: Mr C R Kelly, a member of the British Intelligence Service, told tales of a notorious woman spy working for the Germans during the 1914 to 18 war, when he visited the Swindon Rotarians. He said the Intelligence Service formed part of the general staff of the Army - and there was no such thing as a ‘secret service.’ 1961: The Walcot British Legion Teenager Club held its first social night during the branch’s recruitment drive. One hundred people attended, including some parents and dancing was to the music of The Jokers, a rock ‘n’ roll group.

1961: Jean Sneddon, 17, said that she entered a beauty contest just for fun, at the Park South Tenant Association dance. Jean, from Queen’s Drive, Swindon, was chosen from four contestants to become the Park South Estate Queen.

1971: Two Swindon volunteers, Sister Ann Hawkes and Dr Barbara Anderson flew out from Brize Norton to India, with a medical team, to help fight the cholera epidemic among refugees from East Pakistan.

1971: Wroughton villagers packed the streets to see Lady Godiva, not completely naked because she wore a flesh coloured bikini, rode up on her white horse. She was leading the motley crew of fundraisers in fancy dress and the Carnival Queen, June Griffiths, in the Wroughton Carnival parade. The teenage Lady Godiva was really Kathy Maher.

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.

ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: David Cameron rejected fresh calls to ban zero-hours contracts amid anger over Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley’s admission he paid workers below the minimum wage.

BIRTHDAYS Ray Illingworth, former cricketer and ex-chairman of England selectors, 85; Nancy Sinatra, singer, 77; Colin Baker, actor, 74, pictured; Julie Driscoll, singer, 70; Mick Hucknall, singer, 57; Nick Rhodes, musician, 55; Julianna Margulies, actress, 51; Shilpa Shetty, Indian actress, 42.