SWINDON

1952: One of the new Fordson Major tractors which drew so much attention at its first public appearance at the Smithfield Show in London has now gone on display at the local Fordson dealers Messrs H C Proctor Ltd of Princess Street, Swindon.

1952: Nine Swindon railway men were chosen to take part in the British Railway (Western Region) Boxing Championships at Southall in Middlesex. Entrants were received from more than 40 contestants. Champions in each weight would represent the Western Region in the national quarter finals of the inter-regional tournament at Cardiff.

1962: More than 70 members and visitors attended the final weekend of Florence Street Christian Brethren Society at the Mission Hall in Swindon. The address was given by Mr H Steedman who spoke on continuity. The Florence Street Brethren had entertained visitors from Cardiff, Calne, Marlborough and other Swindon societies.

1962: British Rail made sweeping changes in a bid to save £250,000, including cancelling 800 local trains that served the Bristol district which stretched from Swindon to Taunton. Also 30 of the smaller stations including Wootton Bassett, Calne and Pewsey were closed after 7.30pm each night.

1972: Deborah Church, 10, of Wood Street, Wootton Bassett, was chosen to be featured on the current issue of the National Brownie Magazine as a Brownie Smile from Wiltshire. Deborah has been a Brownie for three years and she was in the final year at Noremarsh County Junior School. She received a small gift from the Girl Guides Association for being the Brownie Smile.

1972: A band of travelling players have been giving performances at Swindon College, sponsored by the students, Christian Union. The group of six call themselves The Street People. They live in their transport, a converted coach, as they travel the country singing, dancing and playing guitars and piano in a pageant.

THE WORLD

1665: Queen Anne, last Stuart ruler, second daughter of James II, was born in London.

1685: The "merry monarch" Charles II died. Some say his last words to his brother James were: "Don't let poor Nellie starve" - a reference to his favourite mistress Nell Gwyn.

1783: English landscape gardener Lancelot 'Capability' Brown died. Kew Gardens and the grounds at Blenheim Palace are examples of his work.

1788: Massachusetts became the sixth state of the United States.

1838: Sir Henry Irving, English actor, was born in Somerset. He was the first actor to be knighted.

1918: The Representation of the People Act received Royal Assent, granting the vote to women over 30.

1927: A boy violinist in short trousers, aged 10, caused a sensation in Paris when he performed Symphonie Espagnole. The child prodigy was Yehudi Menuhin.

1952: King George VI died during the night at Sandringham, aged 56. His daughter, on safari in Africa at the time, succeeded as Elizabeth II.

1958: Seven Manchester United footballers - the Busby Babes - were killed when their plane crashed in thick snow at Munich airport. An eighth, Duncan Edwards, died 15 days later in hospital.

1983: Nazi fugitive Klaus Barbie was charged in Lyon, France, with crimes against humanity.

1997: A widow was allowed to be inseminated with her dead husband's sperm by the Court of Appeal in a historic judgement.

2001: Ariel Sharon, leader of the right-wing Likud party, became the new prime minister of Israel.

2017: Prime Minister Theresa May offered her congratulations to the Queen on her Sapphire Jubilee, hailing her as "truly an inspiration to all of us".

BIRTHDAYS

Denis Norden, former broadcaster, 96; Rip Torn, actor, 87; Jimmy Tarbuck, comedian, 78; Kevin Whately, actor, 67; Axl Rose, rock singer, 56; Rick Astley, singer, 52; Alice Eve, 36.