March 28

Swindon:

1953: Corporal Jim Titcombe of Leicester Street, Swindon, an electrician in the REME, was flown home from Canal Zone where he was stationed, for his wedding in London. Corporal Titcombe was the son of Fred Titcombe, the well known mace bearer to Swindon Town Council. Corporal Titcombe, 22, served in Cyprus before being posted to Egypt.

1953: Known to the trade unions as Boilermaker KC, Mr Alfred James Hands, of Swindon, was to retire as an officer of the Boilermakers, Iron and Steel Shipbuilders Society, having served for more than 50 years as a trade union official. In Swindon Mr Hands had been both vice president, president and secretary of No 3 Branch.

1963: Pilot officer Charles Grant Chisholm. of Chiseldon House, Chiseldon, was up for top RAF Cadet at a passing out parade at RAF Jurby, Isle of Man. It was officers in both the RAF and WRAF who passed before the Air Marshall, Sir Augustus Walker, Air Officer Commanding of Flying Training Command, who took the salute at the march past.

1963: It was reported that Swindon was to stage the Baden Powell Guild Wessex Region annual rally with 1st Swindon BP Guild as host. Plans for the rally were discussed at the annual meeting of the guild at the 1st Rodbourne Cheney Scout HQ, and it was decided to hold the rally at Lydiard Park.

1973: The corporation study of Gorse Hill's eastern area to be assessed for improvements proposed a complete facelift following talks with residents. The Swindon Corporation proposed to build a centre for shopping and community facilities in Cricklade Road. It stated the improvements would be implemented before the Environment Minister's decision on the route of the proposed Cricklade Road relief road was decided.

1973: Wroughton Silver Threads celebrated their 21st birthday with a party at the County Junior School. Mrs C V Berry, secretary, outlined the history of the club, which started in 1952 with 48 members rising to 105. A surprise gift of a silver rose bowl was presented to Mrs Berry by Mr E Middleton in recognition of her work for the club.

The world

1800: The Irish parliament passed the Act of Union with England.

1854: The Crimean War began after the United Kingdom and France declared war on Russia.

1868: The 7th Earl of Cardigan, who led the Charge of the Light Brigade to disaster at Balaclava in the Crimean War, died. He is now best remembered for the woollen garment named after him.

1890: Paul Whiteman, American jazz bandleader, was born in Denver, Colorado.

1920: Douglas Elton Ullman wed Gladys Smith in Hollywood. The couple were better known as screen stars Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford and their marriage was described as "Hollywood's first royal wedding".

1930: Turkey's capital city Constantinople changed its name to Istanbul.

1939: Madrid surrendered to Franco to end the Spanish Civil War.

1942: British commandos destroyed the U-boat base at St Nazaire.

1964: The pirate station Radio Caroline began transmitting from a ship in the North Sea.

1965: Nearly 25,000 people joined Dr Martin Luther King on the steps of the state capital of Montgomery, Alabama, to highlight black grievances.

1979: There was a radiation leak alert at Three Mile Island nuclear station, near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, when the atomic core began to melt down.

1991: A jury returned a verdict of accidental death at the end of an inquest into the deaths of 96 Liverpool football fans who died in the Hillsborough stadium disaster in Sheffield in 1989. In December 2012, The High Court quashed the original verdicts and ordered fresh inquests.

2018: Sea turtles are adept at using their flippers as hands, despite the fact that the spade-like limbs only evolved for swimming, new research showed.

BIRTHDAYS: Michael Parkinson, journalist and TV personality, 84; Mario Vargas Llosa, novelist, 83; Neil Kinnock, former Labour Party leader, 77; Mike Newell, film director, 77; Richard Stilgoe, TV presenter, songwriter, lyricist and musician, 76; Dianne Wiest, actress, 71; Lord (John) Alderdice, politician, 64; Chris Barrie, actor, 59; Nasser Hussain, former cricketer, 51; Julia Stiles, actress, 38.