Swindon

1951: James Trotman, 81, first started cabinet making 66 years ago, and he still works for a Swindon firm as cabinet maker. He was born in Haydon Wick, and went to King William Street School. For three years during the First World War he worked in aircraft firms at Brighton and Yeovil, before returning to Swindon. He married his second wife at the age of 76. He had a gramophone business in Victoria Road for 30 years before the advent of the wireless but says he still listened to the radio every day.

1951: Draped under a Union Jack, the coffin of Private Brian Webb, 19-year-old son of Mr and Mrs L C Webb of Beatrice Street, Swindon, was wheeled into Florence Street Mission Hall, where he went to Sunday School, by two comrades from the 15th Bn. RAOC Bicester. He died at Wheatley Military Hospital from injuries received in an accident at his unit.

1961: More than 500 people, including housewives and young children, crowded round the entrance of Jays Furniture Store in Bridge Street, Swindon, when Ted Ray, the star of stage, screen and radio, opened the firm’s Meet-The-Maker exhibition. He signed more than 300 autographs and first in the queue was James Murphy, 11, of Manchester Road.

1961: Bill Griffin of Purton entered the World Go Kart Championships in Banbury but his engine seized up during the first test and needed to be rebuilt. He said that he got within seven seconds of a lap record on a damp surface, travelling at 70mph. His Go Kart was the only one with suspension and he designed the kart himself. Mr Griffin was one of Cooper’s racing drivers in the training division.

1971: Sergeant and Tiny, two Swindon tortoises, the pets of Mr and Mrs A Francis of Surrey Street, Swindon, produced three eggs, which Sergeant the female buried in the corner of the garden. Mr Francis put the eggs in a tin of sand in the airing cupboard hoping they would hatch.

1971: Brian Trubshaw the man who usually flies Concorde 002 at twice the speed of sound took a back seat with the RAF Red Arrows during an aerobatic display. He joined Sqd Ldr Bill Loveseed for a 16-minute flight with the team in the blue skies over RAF Kemble.

The world

1157: King Richard I was born in Oxford, third son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He was later known as Richard the Lionheart. Although he reigned for nearly 10 years, he was only in England twice - a grand total of 160 days. He was away mostly on crusades.

1504: Michaelangelo unveiled his statue of David in Florence.

1664: The Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam was seized by the English and re-named New York, in honour of James, Duke of York, the future King James II.

1886: Siegfried Sassoon, pictured, First World War poet, was born in Brenchley, Kent.

1888: The first English Football League matches were played.

1944: The first German V2 flying bombs fell in Britain.

1966: The Severn Bridge was officially opened by the Queen.

1991: The Republic of Macedonia becomes independent.

2016: More than 3,000 people were barred from voting in Labour’s leadership contest by the party.

Birthdays Michael Frayn, writer, 84; Anne Diamond, journalist/TV presenter, 63; Victor Ubogu, former rugby union player, 53; David Arquette, actor, 46; Martin Freeman, actor, 46; Richard Hughes, musician (Keane), 42; Pink, pop singer, 38; Avicii, DJ, 28.