SWINDON

1952: After watching the performance of Alex Worster in Westcott Youth Centre’s production at the Arts Centre as part of Swindon’s Drama Festival, the adjudicator, John Bennett, said Alex was one of the finest amateurs he had seen. Alex had also designed all the colourful medieval costumes which the company had made themselves.

1962: Faringdon was set to be put on the map by one of its youngest organisations - the Archery Club. The club was started in 1961 and now hoped to host the National Archery Championships at Charney Bassett where the club holds its outdoor shoots. The club had about 30 members.

1972: All tickets for the Syd Lawrence Orchestra concert at the Wyvern Theatre in Swindon sold out in the first two hours. People started queuing outside the theatre at 8pm and when the box office opened at 10am there were 200 people waiting.

the world 1568: The death sentence was passed on an entire country when the Netherlands was condemned for heresy by the Spanish Inquisition.

1959: Fidel Castro became prime minister of Cuba after overthrowing the regime of Fulgencio Batista.

1990: Royal Navy wives marched through Plymouth and Portsmouth to oppose a Ministry of Defence decision to allow Wrens to go to sea.

BIRTHDAYS Ian Lavender, actor, 72; Peter Hain, politician, 68; LeVar Burton, actor, 61; Ice-T, rapper and actor, 60; John McEnroe, former tennis player, 59; Andy Taylor, rock musician (Duran Duran)