1891: The submarine, Monarch, laid the first underwater telephone cable.

1905: Chelsea FC was founded.

1939: The longest ever Test match was abandoned after 12 days because the English had to catch their boat home. The total playing time was 43 hours and 16 minutes.

1951: Dennis the Menace made his debut in The Beano.

1952: The British kite mark was introduced.

1963: Gerry Marsden of Gerry and the Pacemakers was fined £60 for attempting to evade customs duties on a German guitar.

1964: For the first time, the UK top ten was made up entirely of British acts.

1964: Jack Ruby, the killer of Lee Harvey Oswald, was sentenced to death for the murder.

1978: Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights was Britain's number one tune.

1985: Lionesses in Singapore Zoo were put on the pill to halt the escalating lion population.