A look back at events in history on October 8 with Mike Badham

1361: In a strange variant of trial by combat, a dog fought his master's murderer. After a man called Aubrey Montdidier was killed, his dog sought out the killer and attacked him. The dog won and the killer confessed.

1754: Henry Fielding, author of Tom Jones died. He also wrote plays, became a magistrate and organised London's first detective force.

1871: The Great Fire of Chicago started. Traditionally said to be caused by Mrs O'Leary's cow kicking over a lamp, it burned for three days and made 100,000 homeless.

1898: Ten thousand women who had bought abortion pills by mail order received letters threatening to expose them. The blackmailing pill pedlars got 30 years. 1905: The first perm took place in Charles Nessler's London hair salon. It cost £10.10s and took six hours.

1918: Sergeant Alvin York fought so well in France that his platoon captured 130 German soldiers. He was awarded America's highest medal and his exploits were commemorated in a 1941 film. York was played by Gary Cooper, who won an Oscar.

1925: The first race where a female jockey came in first was won by Eileen Joel, daughter of millionaire Solly Joel. She and five girlfriends entered the Newmarket Plate, open to amateurs but with no stipulation about gender.

1967: A breathalyser was used for the first time on a driver in Somerset.

1967: Ernesto "Che" Guevara, the charismatic communist was captured by Bolivian soldiers and US Special Forces. They shot him.

1973: Britain's first commercial radio station, LBC, started broadcasting in London.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.