1921 – The birth of Donald Malcolm Campbell, son of the former world land and water speed holder, Sir Malcolm. He was in awe of his father and was determined to carve his own name as a world speed record-breaker which he did, on numerous occasions. Donald Campbell is buried in the new parish churchyard at Coniston. 

1929 – Dr. Roger Bannister, the first person in the world to run a mile in under four minutes was born. His world beating record time was 3 min 59.4 sec

1956 – Queen Elizabeth II laid the foundation stone of the new Coventry cathedral. The new building was built next to the remains of the 14th-century cathedral that had been destroyed in the 2nd World War.

1966 – The first official meeting between the Catholic and Anglican churches for 400 years took place when Pope Paul VI and Dr. Ramsey, the Archbishop of Canterbury met in Rome.

1981 – Mike Hailwood, 9 times World Champion motor cyclist died (aged 40), along with his 9 year old daughter Michelle, following a motoring accident in Warwickshire.

1984 – Sarah Tisdall, the young British civil servant who tipped off the Guardian newspaper that Cruise missiles were on their way to Britain, was sent to jail for six months.

1985 – Ben Hardwick, Britain’s youngest liver transplant patient at just three years old, died in hospital. He inspired a national fund raising campaign.

1987 – More than 30 people were injured when a car bomb exploded at the UK Army headquarters in Rheindahlen, West Germany.

1991 – Prime Minister John Major issued his Citizens’ Charter. Failing public service providers would be forced to offer customers cash refunds or face government budget cuts.

2011 – Dame Elizabeth Taylor, one of the 20th century’s biggest film stars, died in Los Angeles at the age of 79.

2015 – 89 year old British D-Day landings veteran Ted Turner was presented with the Legion d’Honneur (France’s highest honour) at a ceremony at the Royal Marines Museum in Southsea for his role in the Normandy invasion in the Second World War.

2016 – Ferrybridge C coal fired power station near Knottingley produced its last electricitiy after 50 years in service. SSE said that a projected loss of £100m over the following five years made it no longer economical.

2020 – The prime minister, Boris Johnson, addressed the nation and told the public that they were only permitted to leave their homes for essential needs, in an attempt to reduce the spread of the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

2021 – A minute’s silence, held at midday, was part of a day of reflection to mark one year since the first coronavirus lockdown. One year on, the UK’s official death toll had risen from 364 to 126,172.