Swindon

1951: Wounded soldiers from Korea were among casualties from the Far East flown in to RAF Lyneham by Hastings air ambulance. There was 14 sitting cases and nine stretcher cases including English, Belgium and French. After resting in the station sick quarters, the patients were taken to RAF Hospital Wroughton.

1951: About 130 children were taken to Weymouth by the Evening Advertiser. The seaside trip was run on similar lines to those organised before the war. When war broke out and the outings ceased the balance remained in the Evening Advertiser outing fund, so £250 was spent on the Weymouth trip.

1961: One of the most glorious of Britain’s old steam locomotives, the Swindon-built Caerphilly Castle, was given a permanent resting home in the science museum at Kensington. And it was at the Swindon works that the old retainer was restored to her pristine condition for the ceremonial handover at Paddington Station.

1961: Vocalist with the Gordon Talbot Orchestra, Mr E C Strange of Manchester Road, Swindon has been successful in a Radio Luxembourg Tape Recording contest. His recording was one of eight broadcast on Radio Luxembourg in the Make A Tape programme.

1971: A cake made by the Mayoress, Audrey Palmer, was the prize for a contest run by the Swindon Goddard Townswomen’s Guild at their meeting in the Town Hall. Mrs Palmer attended for the first time as mayoress. Her cake-making skills had already won her first prize in the Wiltshire TG Handicrafts Show.

1971: Students and teachers at the Lawn Evening Centre had a busy week, beginning with holding a senior citizens party at the centre, at which Al John Pass was a guest. He was there again at a presentation evening when a cheque was given to Shelter as a result of a 24-hour sponsored dance. Finally several hundred people visited the centre for a five-a-side exhibition by Swindon Town’s Anglo-Italian squad, followed by Peter Noble receiving his Evening Advertiser Player of the Year award.

The world

1740: The Marquis de Sade, French aristocrat whose lifestyle gave rise to the word sadism, was born in Paris.

1840: Thomas Hardy, English novelist and poet, pictured above, was born in Higher Bockhampton, Dorset, where his father was a stonemason. Most of his stories are based in Dorset (Wessex) and his dog was called Wessex.

1857: Composer Sir Edward Elgar was born in Broadheath, Worcs.

1868: The first Trades Union Congress was held in Manchester.

1896: Marconi patented his broadcasting system using electromagnetic waves.

1938: Robert and Edward Kennedy, youngest sons of the American Ambassador to London, opened the children’s zoo in Regent’s Park. Children were charged sixpence to watch chimpanzees have a tea party.

1941: Clothes rationing was introduced in Britain and not lifted until 1949. Some 60 clothes coupons were allowed each year for all except baby clothes. One dress used 11 coupons, and a man’s suit took 26.

1946: Italy abolished its monarchy and became a republic.

1953: Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in Westminster Abbey on a dull, showery day. It was the first coronation to be televised.

1954: Lester Piggott, at 18, became the youngest jockey to win the Derby when he rode Never Say Die to victory at Epsom. The colt, a 33-1 outsider, won by two lengths.

1997: Timothy McVeigh was convicted on 15 counts of murder and conspiracy for his role in the 1995 Oklahoma bombing.

Birthdays Sally Kellerman, actress, 80; Stacy Keach, actor, 76; Charlie Watts, Rolling Stones drummer, 76; Joanna Gleason, actress, 67; Tony Hadley, singer (Spandau Ballet), 57; Mark and Steve Waugh, former cricketers, 52; Jon Culshaw, comedian, 49; Zachary Quinto, actor, 40; Dominic Cooper, actor, 39.