1909 – Representatives from England, Australia and South Africa met at Lords and formed the Imperial Cricket Conference. It was renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965. The ICC has 105 members including 10 Full Members that play official Test matches.

1911 – The birth of the Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry, English Anglican cleric, railway enthusiast, and children’s author. He was the creator of Thomas the Tank Engine, the central figure in his acclaimed railway stories. Awdry was born at Ampfield vicarage near Romsey and his father was vicar of Ampfield church.

1928 – The House of commons voted to fix the date of Easter. However, a clause in the Bill allowed the consideration of the opinions of all the major churches and the Act was never put in force.

1929 – British made Bentleys occupied the first four places at the finish of the Le Mans 24 hour race in France.

1940 – World War II: Operation Ariel began and allied troops started to evacuate France, following Germany’s takeover of Paris and most of the nation.

1971www.beautifulbritain.co.ukOpposition grew to Education Secretary Margaret Thatcher’s plans to end free school milk for children over the age of seven and some Labour controlled councils threatened to put up the rates in order to continue supplying free milk.

1993 – James Hunt, English racing driver and 1976 Formula One world champion died from a heart attack, aged 45. His charisma and charm both on and off the track brought a whole new fanbase to the sport of Formula One.

1996 – An IRA bomb, the biggest ever to go off on the British mainland, devastated the centre of Manchester. Miraculously no-one was killed but 200 people were taken to hospital. The explosion caused £100 million worth of damage.

1998 – Britain introduced a £2 coin.

2013 – Twenty-seven people were treated in hospital after an amphibious tourist craft sank in Liverpool’s Albert Dock (Note: – the dock was given Royal status on 6th June 2018). It was the second sinking involving one of the vessels. Six days later the firm (Yellow Duckmarine) went into administration. In 2012 the Queen and Prince Philip had been given a tour of the dock on one of the vehicles during her Diamond Jubilee tour.

2018 – Prof Stephen Hawking’s ashes are interred in Westminster Abbey between Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. On the same day, Glasgow School of Art burns down four years after a previous fire.