SWINDON

1952: A team of Wiltshire dominos players - all of whom were blind - played a team from Southampton, who were also blind and drew 3-3. Ald A J E Beck (president of the Association for the Care of the Blind Swindon branch) and Mrs Beck accompanied the party along with home workers from the county. They were welcomed at the Blind Welfare Centre in Southampton and given tea. The day finished with community singing.

1962: A Swindon girl Miss Brenda McDermott gave a Piano Interlude on the BBC West Region radio. She was the daughter of Dr S McDermott of Lissadell, Lakeside, Swindon and was educated at Stoner near Melksham. She gained her performers LRAM when she was 18 and studied at the Royal Academy of Music. She had appeared on commercial TV and radio.

1972: The man who was to run Swindon local TV station Swindon Viewpoint was named as Cambridge graduate Mr Richard Dunn who had worked in the film industry for the last six years. He was executive producer of EMI Special Film Unit. The new station was due to go on air for seven hours a week but no date for the launch was fixed.

THE WORLD

1825: The Stockton and Darlington Railway, the world’s first public passenger service - built by George Stephenson - was inaugurated.

1888: The Central News Agency in London received a letter which began “Dear Boss, I keep on hearing the police have caught me, but they won’t fix me just yet...” It was signed Jack the Ripper, the first time the name had been used.

1930: Bobby Jones of the US won the US National Amateur Championships to complete the first golfing grand slam.

1938: The 80,000-tonne liner Queen Elizabeth was launched at John Brown’s Yard in Clydebank.

1940: Imperial Japan signed a 10-year military and economic alliance, known as the ‘axis alliance’, with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.

1960: Bank Underground station in London opened the first travelator, or

“moving pavement”, in Europe.

1968: The rock musical Hair opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London, the day after censorship in the theatre was lifted.

1979: Dame Gracie Fields, English comedienne, singer and music hall

entertainer, died in retirement at her home on the Isle of Capri, Italy, aged

81.

1979: BBC’s Question Time was broadcast for the first time, with Robin Day in the chair. He stayed with the show for 10 years.

1987: The Great Britain and European Ryder Cup Team defeated the US for the first time on US soil to retain the trophy.

2017: A lucky metal detector enthusiast’s breathtaking find was a first in British history, according to archaeologists.

BIRTHDAYS

Nicky Haslam, interior designer, 79; Denis Lawson, actor, 71; Meat Loaf, rock singer and actor, 71; Barbara Dickson, singer, 71; Michele Dotrice, actress, 70; Diane Abbott, Labour MP.

, 65; Gwyneth Paltrow, actress, 46; Avril Lavigne, singer, 34.