1845: The Portland Vase, a Roman cameo glass vase dating from the 1st century BC, was smashed by a drunken visitor to the British Museum.

1924: Helena Normanton became the first woman barrister to practise at the Old Bailey.

1943: Americans were restricted to buying three pairs of shoes a year to save leather.

1947: The Dead Sea Scrolls, dated 150BC-AD68, were found in caves west of the Jordan River.

1964: the Beatles arrived in America for the first time.

1968: Manfred Mann were at number one with Mighty Quinn.

1971: The Swiss referendum awarded the vote to women.

1986: Linda Chamberlain, who claimed her baby had been taken by dingos in the Australian outback, was freed. New evidence undermined her conviction for murder.

1989: Bjorn Borg survived a drug overdose.

1991: John Major and his senior cabinet ministers escaped an assassination attempt when the IRA fired three mortar shells at 10 Downing Street from the parked van.