1921 – The formation of the British Legion by Earl Haig (known as ‘Butcher of the Somme’). It brought together four National Organisations of ex-Service men that had established themselves after the Great War of 1914-1918 and it is the UK’s leading Armed Forces charity. It provides practical, emotional and financial support to all members of the British Armed Forces past and present, and to their families.

1957 – Britain’s first hydrogen bomb was exploded on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. The effect of the radiation on some of the British soldiers who watched the test only came to light many years later.

1981 – The birth of Zara Phillips, daughter of Anne, the Princess Royal and Mark Phillips.

1987 – The birth of Andy Murray, Scottish tennis player. In 2011, Murray became only the seventh player in the Open Era to reach the semi-finals of all four Grand Slam tournaments in one year. On 7th July 2013 he won his first Wimbledon title and ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a men’s champion, with a straight-sets victory over world number one Novak Djokovic.

1990 – Home produced beef was banned in UK schools and hospitals as a result of concern over ‘mad cow disease’ (BSE).

1995 – The British Police Federation voted against the routine arming of police officers.

2008 – The death (aged 51) of Thomas “Tommy” Burns, Scottish professional football player and manager. He was also a Scotland international, winning eight caps between 1981 and 1988 whilst a Celtic player.

2010 – Lydia Eva, the world’s last surviving steam-powered herring drifter steamed back to Great Yarmouth for the first time in many years. Built in 1930 she was purchased by the Maritime Trust in 1971 and , until 1986 she was part of the Maritime Trust exhibition at St Katherine’s Dock next to London’s Tower Bridge.

2016 – A ‘suspect device’ is found in one of the toilets at Old Trafford before Manchester United’s last game of the season against Bournmouth, The ground was evacuated, the match was called-off and a controlled explosion carried out It is later found that the device was a dummy bomb which had been used in a security training exercise which had been left at the ground by mistake.

2021 – Shoppers flocked to the last remaining 28 Debenhams stores ahead of their closure today. The company had traded for than 240 years but went into administration in 2019 after several years of falling sales. At its height, there were more than 150 Debenhams stores across the UK. The Debenhams brand will continue to trade online after it was bought by the fashion retailer Boohoo for £55m in January.