swindon

1952: Swindon Civil Defence workers were told that an atomic powered submarine was to be completed in the United States of America this year. The speaker was Sir Arthur L Dixon, former principal assistant Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office. Sir Arthur was the author of Atomic Energy For Laymen.

1952: Maureen Hedges, a young Swindon dancer, competed at the Bristol Eisteddfod and gained several successes in the eight-year-old classes. She came second in the solo, duet and girls’ dancing classes and third in character classes.

1962: The combined three choirs of the Swindon Baptist Tabernacle, All Saints Church and the Ferndale Road Methodist Church sang the Easter music of Maunders Olivet to Calvary at Trinity Methodist Church, Swindon. The choir was conducted by Mr A Ford and accompanied by Mr N Little.

1962: The commemorative stone at the site of Swindon’s £500,000 Park Neighbourhood Centre was laid by Mrs Evelyn Donington, chairwoman of the new and expanding Town Committee of London County Council. At the ceremony Mrs Donington referred to the close friendship and very happy association that existed between the LCC and Swindon Council over the years.

1972: More than 500 people signed a petition protesting against aspects of schemes which could affect public access to White Horse Hill, Uffington. The petition was launched at Uffington and Woolstone and support came from people in neighbouring villages. The scheme being objected to was that agents for Mr David Astor, who owned most of the land including the White Horse Hill, proposed to charge an entry fee.

1972: Organisers of the Swindon Festival ran out of medals when the adjudicator awarded equal third place to three girls in the Girls’ Folk Song solo classes. Dr Douglas Hopkins had already awarded two silver medals for second place in the pianoforte solo.

the world

1653: Oliver Cromwell dissolved the Long Parliament which had governed during the Civil War.

1657: The Spanish fleet at Santa Cruz Bay was destroyed by the English under Admiral Blake.

1770: Captain James Cook discovered New South Wales, Australia.

1841: The Murders In The Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe, considered to be the first modern detective story, was published in the USA.

1887: The world’s first motor race took place along the banks of the river Seine from the centre of Paris to Neuilly.

1889: Adolf Hitler was born in Austria, the son of a customs official who changed his name from Schickelgruber.

1893: Harold Lloyd, bespectacled comedian famous for his stunt scenes, was born in Nebraska.

1929: The first Italian parliament made up exclusively of Fascists led by Benito Mussolini was opened by Victor Emmanuel III.

1945: Soviet troops entered Berlin.

1972: Apollo 16 landed on the moon.

1989: Scientists said that the Earth narrowly missed being struck by a passing asteroid weighing 400 million tons.

1999: Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 13 people and injured 21 others before committing suicide at Columbine High School, Colorado.

BIRTHDAYS

Leslie Phillips, actor, 94; George Takei, actor, 81; Peter Snow, TV reporter, 80; Ray Brooks, actor, 79; Michael Brandon, actor, 73; Jessica Lange, actress, 69; Louise Jameson, actress, 67; Nicholas Lyndhurst, actor, 57, Carmen Electra, model and actress, 46.