1918: The infamous Bloody Red Baron, the scourge of World War 1 fliers, was shot down and killed. Manfred von Richthofen's bright red Fokker tri-plane was attacked in the air by Captain Roy Brown but he managed to glide to the ground under heavy fire from Australian gunners. Only when he made a perfect landing did the Red Baron draw his last breath.

1926: Queen Elizabeth 11 was born at 2.40am. Ten years later she became heir-apparent when King Edward abdicated and fulfilled her first official function at the age of 16 as the Colonel-in-Chief of the Grenadier Guards.

Happy Birthday M'am.

1859: The first public drinking fountain was turned on by the Archbishop of Canterbury's daughter, Mrs Wilson.

1972: A £200,000 washing powder campaign in Saudi Arabia went down the drain on this day. A big launch to sell the new detergent was opened by the display of posters. Beneath the product's headlined name were three simple pictures, On the left, filthy washing. In the middle, its immersion in the new powder's suds. On the right, the same washing, gleaming bright white. However, orders of the new powder were cancelled and nearly came to halt. Marketing staff realised the reason for the slump: Arabs read from right to left.