1964 - British speed pioneer Sir Donald Campbell set a new land speed world record of 403.10 mph in his car, Bluebird on Lake Eyre in Australia. This record was for wheel-driven vehicles and stood until 2001.

1945 - The Manhattan Project: The world’s first nuclear explosion occurred, when a plutonium implosion device was tested at a site located 210 miles south of Los Alamos, New Mexico. It was led by the United States with the support of the United Kingdom and Canada.

1381 - Poll Tax Triggers the Peasants’ Revolt: John Ball, a leader in the Peasants’ Revolt, is hung, drawn and quartered in the presence of Richard II of England.

1951 - Ferrari secured its first Grand Prix victory at the British Grand Prix at the Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire. The winning Ferrari 375 was driven by Argentinian racer, Jose Froilan Gonzalez.

1943 - The Battle of Kursk, the largest tank battle in history between the forces of Germany and the Soviet Union, involving some 6,000 tanks, 2,000,000 troops, and 4,000 aircraft, ended in defeat for Germany.

2013 - A military funeral was held for 25-year-old Fusilier Lee Rigby at Bury Parish Church in Greater Manchester. He was killed on the 22nd May 2013 outside Woolwich Barracks by Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale.

1900 - Charlotte Cooper from Ealing in Middlesex won a gold medal in the women’s tennis singles tournament in the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. She also won a gold medal in the mixed doubles, making her the first individual female Olympic champion.

1940 - World War II: The first in a long series of German bombing raids against Great Britain, as the Battle of Britain, which lasted three and a half months, began.

1984 - A significant fire, initiated by a lightning strike, caused substantial damage to York Minster, with estimated repair costs exceeding £2.25 million. The fire, which began in the early hours of July 9th, ravaged the south transept, requiring over four years for restoration.