1492: Columbus had his first sight of land in the New World. He called it San Salvador.

1823: Charles Macintosh began selling raincoats.

1901: American president Theodore Roosevelt renamed the Executive Mansion as The White House.

1934: The cheeseburger was invented at Kaelin's Tavern in Kentucky.

1948: The first Morris Minor, designed by Alec Issigonis, was produced at Cowley in Oxfordshire.

1962: The Beatles were one of the opening acts for Little Richard at a concert in Liverpool.

1965: Eight Soviet soccer players were banned from playing for life, for being "drunks".

1970: Jesus Christ Superstar debuted on Broadway.

1978: Nancy Spungen, the girlfriend of Sex Pistols' Sid Vicious, was found dead in the couple's apartment. Vicious was charged with her murder, but committed suicide before the case went to court.

1981: Prince Charming, by Adam and the Ants, held the number one spot in the hit parade.

1984: The IRA bombed the Tory party conference the Grand Hotel in Brighton.