1356: The English, led by Edward, the Black Prince, defeated the French at the Battle of Poitiers in the Hundred Years' War.

1839: George Cadbury was born. He expanded his father's chocolate business and established a model village for his workers at Bourneville.

1876: The first carpet-sweeper was patented by Melville Bissell of Grand Rapids in Michigan.

1881: James Abram Garfield, 20th US president, died of wounds suffered when he was shot in July.

1888: The world's first beauty contest took place in Spa, Belgium.

1928: The first cartoon talking picture, Walt Disney's Steamboat Willie, featuring Mickey Mouse, was shown in New York.

1945: Wartime traitor William Joyce - Lord Haw-Haw - was sentenced to be hanged after his trial at the Old Bailey.

1960: Chubby Checker's The Twist - a cover of an original Hank Ballard song - entered the US charts and launched a dance craze.

1975: The first episode of Fawlty Towers was broadcast by the BBC.

1985: Thousands died when an earthquake devastated large areas of Mexico City.

On this day last year: Hope all but disappeared that anybody could be found alive in rubble of the World Trade Centre after a week since the last survivor was rescued. More than 5,000 people were feared to have perished.