1963 – Britain and the USA signed the Polaris missile agreement. Polaris was a submarine launched, nuclear tipped weapon designed as a nuclear deterrent.

1965 – The British Government announced the cancellation of the TSR-2 aircraft project. Only one airframe flew. It was the victim of ever rising costs and inter-service squabbling over Britain’s future defence needs.

1974 – Swedish pop group ABBA won the 19th annual Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton, Sussex, with ‘Waterloo’. The Swedish version single was coupled with ‘Honey, Honey’, while the English version featured ‘Watch Out’ as the B-side.

1975 – During ‘Operation Babylift’ a plane carrying 99 Vietnamese orphans, victims of the war in Vietnam, landed at Heathrow airport.

1984 – The 17-year-old South African barefooted, long and middle distance runner, Zola Budd, was granted British citizenship by Home Secretary, Leon Brittan, after only a matter of weeks, enabling her to compete as a British citizen in the Olympic games. The decision provoked considerable controversy.

1989 – The government announced it was to abolish legislation which guaranteed ‘jobs for life’ for more than 9,000 dockers.

1990 – Married women in Britain became independent entities for income tax purposes for the first time, making them responsible for their own tax declarations. Their income was no longer assessed with that of their husbands.

1993 – Following public disquiet, Queen Elizabeth II began paying income tax.

2012 – A ban on tobacco displays was announced in England, with other parts of the UK planning similar action to drive down smoking rates. Cigarettes and other products are to be kept below the counter in large shops and supermarkets, while small outlets are exempt until 2015.

2014 – Polish MP Artur Debski arrived in London to live as a migrant on £100 a week, in an attempt to see why so many Poles prefer Britain to their homeland. Poland has one of the EU’s most successful economies; nevertheless, 72% of Poles living in the UK intend to stay and 40% are thinking of applying for British citizenship.

2020 – Prime Minister Boris Johnson remained in hospital after being admitted yesterday evening with persistent coronavirus symptoms. Mr. Johnson, aged 55, tested positive for coronavirus 10 days ago and had been self isolating at Downing Street.