October 20th – Birthdays and Events
1946 - ‘Muffin the Mule’, a wooden puppet operated by Annette Mills (sister of actor Sir John Mills) first appeared in a children’s television programme on BBC TV.
October 19th – Birthdays and Events
1781 - The American War of Independence came to an end when British commander Lord Cornwallis surrendered his 8,000 troops to George Washington at Yorktown, in Virginia, after a three week siege.
October 18th – Birthdays and Events
1995 - Red Rum, three times winner of the Grand National at Aintree, died at the age of 30, an exceptional age for a horse. He was buried by the Aintree winning post where his grave is marked by an engraved stone, listing his Grand National record.
October 17th – Birthdays and Events
1860 - The world’s first Open Golf Championship was held at Prestwick Golf Club, in Ayrshire, Scotland. Until his death in 1859, Allan Robertson was regarded as top golfer in the world.
October 16th – Birthdays and Events
1979 – Comedy sketch show “Not the Nine o’Clock News” debuts on BBC2, starring Rowan Atkinson, Mel Smith, Gryff Rhys Jones and Pamela Stephenson.
October 15th – Birthdays and Events
1956 - The last RAF Lancaster bomber was retired from service. Built by Armstrong Whitworth, Lancasters served in the RAF from February 1946 until December 1953 and were officially withdrawn in a ceremony at St. Mawgan, Cornwall.
October 14th – Birthdays and Events
1929 - The world’s largest airship, the R101 (an experimental British airship), made its maiden voyage. At the time of this achievement, it was the world’s largest flying vessel, clocking in at an astonishing length of 223 meters (731 feet).
October 13th – Birthdays and Events
2014 - 176 people took part in the 48th World Conker Championships at Southwick, in Northamptonshire. Competitors came from overseas, including the United States, Mexico, and Italy.
October 12th – Birthdays and Events
1969 - The opening of Preston Bus Station, one of the largest in Western Europe. Threatened with demolition since the year 2000, campaigns and applications were made numerous times to save the building.