Swindon

1951: Rodbourne Cheney’s bellringers visited the grave of Winston Churchill’s father at Bladon’s churchyard during a one-day ringing tour of Oxfordshire and Berkshire. The party, which included ringers from other Swindon churches, rang the bells at churches in Sunningwell, Cowley, Kidlington, Bladon and Eynsham during the day, and made a short stop at Faringdon on the way home.

1961: Malcolm Johnson, 13, of Northern Road, in Swindon, won a prize in a national competition run by the SOS Children’s Road Safety Club, which asked young people for their suggestions to improve road safety. The ones made by Malcolm, a pupil of St Joseph’s Roman Catholic School, included changing the driving test to include night driving and introducing a medical fitness test for all drivers.

1971 Gloomy skies and a chilly wind kept the expected big crowds away from the jubilee gala organised by Swindon branches of the Royal British Legion at the Polo Ground. The gala was opened by the Mayor of Swindon, Alderman Arthur Palmer, who read out a telegram of congratulation from RAF Lyneham. The best also sent two of its Hercules aircraft to fly low over the venue during the opening ceremony.

The World

1485: The Battle of Bosworth Field was fought in Leicestershire and Richard III was killed as he vainly tried to reach the usurper Henry Tudor. He was the third King Richard to die by violent means and cautious monarchs have avoided the name since.

1639: Madras - now Chennai - India, is founded by the British East India Company on a sliver of land bought from local Nayak rulers.

1642: The Civil War in England began, between the supporters of Charles I (Royalists or Cavaliers) and of Parliament (Roundheads), when the King raised his standard at Nottingham.

1893: Dorothy Parker, pictured, author, wit and theatre critic, was born in New Jersey. Her reviews were often short and to the point. ‘’The only thing I didn’t like about The Barretts Of Wimpole Street was the play.’’ 1862: Composer Claude Debussy was born in St Germain-en-Laye, France.

1922: Michael Collins, Irish politician and revolutionary, was assassinated by extremist Republicans in an ambush in Ireland.

1933: BBC TV televised a boxing match for the first time.

1960: Beyond The Fringe, one of the most influential satirical revues staged in Britain, opened in Edinburgh.

1962: Fifteen terrorists attacked General de Gaulle in the 22nd of 31 attempts on his life. Despite being sprayed with a volley of 150 shots, the General was only superficially cut by flying glass.

1985: A British Airtours Boeing 737 burst into flames at the end of the runway at Manchester Airport when take-off was aborted. Although 80 escaped, 55 died in the flames and fumes.

1989: Lord Hill of Luton, BBC’s Radio Doctor who gave medical advice to families in the Second World War, died aged 85.

2004: Edvard Munch’s iconic painting The Scream was stolen at gun point from the Munch Museum in Norway.

2016: Singer Paloma Faith announced she was pregnant with her first child.

BIRTHDAYS Valerie Harper, actress, 78; Steve Davis, former snooker player, 60; Roland Orzabal, pop musician, 56; Tori Amos, singer/songwriter, 54; Mats Wilander, former tennis player, 53; Howie D, former pop singer, 44; Kristen Wiig, actress, 44; Sheree Murphy, actress, 42.