1675: King Charles II laid the foundation stone of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich.

1787: Mozart completed "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik".

1889: The screw bottle top was patented by Dan Rylands of Hope Gas Works in Yorkshire.

1911: British MPs voted to receive salaries for the first time. They were set at £400.

1927: Astronomers claimed that the universe was 192 quadrillion miles wide.

1928: Britain emerged as the biggest cigarette smokers in the world. Consumption was 3.4 pounds of tobacco per head.

1965: The Queen cancelled Soviet spy Kim Philby's OBE.

1976: "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" by Elton John and Kiki Dee was top of the hit parade.

1984: Mary Decker was tripped by Zola Budd in the Olympic 3,000m final.

1985: Duran Duran's Simon Le Bon was airlifted from his yacht, Drum, after it overturned during a race.