1956 - Queen Elizabeth II laid the foundation stone of the new Coventry cathedral. The new building was built next to the remains of the 14th-century cathedral that had been destroyed in the 2nd World War.

1997 - Comet Hale-Bopp made its closest approach to Earth in the skies over the northern hemisphere. Hale-Bopp was visible to the naked eye for about 18 months, making it one of the most-viewed comets in history. The comet’s next pass is predicted for the year 4300.

1990 - A demonstration in London against the poll tax became a riot. More than 400 people were arrested. During the early months of 1990, over 6,000 anti-poll tax actions were held nationwide, with demonstrations in England and Wales drawing together thousands of protestors.

1999 - British balloonist Brian Jones and Swiss physicist Bertrand Piccard became the first to fly a hot-air balloon non-stop around the world. They eventually landed in the Egyptian desert after a 45,755-kilometer (28,431-mile) flight lasting 19 days, 21 hours, and 47 minutes.

2009 - The UK's largest haul of Anglo-Saxon treasure was discovered buried in a field in Staffordshire. Terry Herbert, who found it on farmland using a metal detector, said that it was a metal detectorist's dream.