1737: Antonio Stradivari, violin-maker, died in his nineties at Cremona, Italy. The secret of his violins was said to be in the varnish

1865: The United States officially abolished slavery with the ratification of the 13th Amendment

1912: The Piltdown Man was discovered in Sussex. It was claimed to be the fossilised skull and remains of the earliest known European. In 1953 it was proved to be a hoax - the skull was that of an orangutan

1919: Sir John William Alcock, English pioneer aviator who flew the Atlantic non-stop with Brown, died in an air crash

1946: Labour MPs triumphantly sang The Red Flag as the House of Commons voted to nationalise the railways, road haulage and ports

1952: The Flower Pot Men (pictured) were first seen on BBC TV, with the ubiquitous "little weed

1969: The death penalty for murder was formally abolished in Britain.

1970 Divorce became legal in Italy.

1979 Stanley Barrett became the first man to break the sound barrier on land, driving in California at 739.9mph.

ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: Transport Secretary Stephen Byers was facing the prospect of being sued by Railtrack after the company announced big half-yearly profits.

BIRTHDAYS: Rosemary Leach, actress, 67; Keith Richards, Rolling Stones guitarist, 59; Steven Spielberg, film-maker, 55; Bill Nelson, rock musician, 54; Brad Pitt, actor, 39; Les Ferdinand, footballer, 36; Keifer Sutherland, actor, 36; Keith Piper, cricketer, 33.