1876: Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone.

1900: A fire at Buckingham Palace destroyed part of the roof.

1908: Women were declared unfit to drive in Cincinnati.

1912: French aviator, Henri Seimet, made the first non-stop flight from Paris to London.

1946: The British Medical Association set up a £1 million fund to oppose the establishment of the NHS.

1964: The Dave Clark Five record, Bits and Pieces, was banned by several dance halls. They claimed that the stomping beat encouraged dancers to stamp along to the rhythm, which would damage their floors.

1969: The Victoria Line opened on the London Underground.

1988: Sex kitten Kylie Minogue was at number one with I Should Be So Lucky.

1992: The England rugby union team won their second successive Grand Slam title.