1904 – A provisional agreement was signed in Manchester’s Midland Hotel by the Hon. Charles Rolls, seller and repairer of motor cars, and Henry Royce, electrical engineer and builder of a single motor car. In 1907 the Rolls Royce Silver Ghost was the first of their many luxury models.

1923 – The birth of Eric Sykes, radio, television and film writer, actor and director whose performing career spanned more than 50 years. He frequently wrote for and / or performed with Tony Hancock, Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers.

1945 – World War II: The North Germany Army surrendered to British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery.

1953 – The Duke of Edinburgh was awarded his pilot’s ‘wings’ during a private ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

1966 – Harold Wilson’s government agreed to increase doctors’ and dentists’ salaries by up to 30% after fears that thousands of GP’s would leave the Health Service for private practice.

1979 – The Conservative Party won the general election, making Margaret Thatcher Britain’s first woman prime minister.

1982 – Twenty sailors were killed when the destroyer HMS Sheffield was hit by an Argentinian Exocet missile during the Falklands War. The Falklands National Monument in Cardiff bears the names of the 255 sailors, soldiers and airmen who died on the UK side.

1984 – The death of Diana Dors, the English equivalent of the blonde bombshells of Hollywood. She described herself as, ‘The only sex symbol Britain has produced since Lady Godiva.’

2000 – The London Mayoral contest ended in victory for Ken Livingstone, an independent candidate and MP expelled from the Labour Party.

2014 – Science students at the University of Leicester concluded that the wooden puppet Pinocchio (who was prone to telling tales and whose nose would double in length for each lie) could only have told a maximum of 13 lies. After 13 lies it was concluded that the nose would be 140 metres long and the force exerted downwards would cause his neck to snap.

2017 – Buckingham Palce announced that the 95 year old Duke of Edinburgh would be retiring from royal duties in the autumn. At the time of the announcement the Duke was Patron, President or a member of over 780 organisations, with which he would continue to be associated, although he would no longer play an active role by attending engagements.