2010 - Large parts of the UK were brought to a standstill by the early freeze. Temperatures plunged again overnight to -16C (3F) in the Scottish Highland after one of the coldest starts to December in more than 20 years.

1934 - The steam locomotive Flying Scotsman (Engine No. 4472) became the first to officially exceed 100mph. She recently underwent major restoration at the National Railway Museum in York.

1907 - British nurse Florence Nightingale, aged 87 (at the time of her presentation), was presented with the Order of Merit by Edward VII for her work tending the wounded during the Crimean War.

1935 - The Miles quadruplets (Ann, Ernest, Michael and Paul) were born in Cambridgeshire and were the first British quads to survive infancy.

1976 - The four millionth ‘Mini’ car left the production line. More than ten million Minis have been built and sold worldwide since 1959 and almost as many of the new ones have been built in the last 27 years under BMW.

1865 - Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” novel was published. It would become one of the most famous works of English language fiction.

1984 - The cream of the British pop world including Bono, George Michael, Boy George, Paul Young and Sting gathered to record the historic Do They Know It’s Christmas? as Band Aid.

1991 - Queen frontman Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara) died at the age of 45, following complications from the AIDS virus. His death came just one day after he announced his diagnosis. Mercury co-founded Queen in 1970, and remained the band’s frontman throughout his life.

2014 - Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton wins the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit to clinch his second Formula 1 World Drivers Championship.