On this day
7:20am Saturday 27th June 2009 in News
1450: Jack Cade, Irish-born physician, led an insurrection march of 40,000 through Kent to London to protest about laws of Henry VI. He was later beheaded.
1746: Fresh from his defeat at Culloden, Bonnie Prince Charlie escaped over the sea to Skye, disguised as Irish maid Betty Burke. Flora MacDonald was with him.
1844: Joseph Smith, the American founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) in 1830, was killed in Carthage Jail in Illinois.
1859: Mildred Hill, teacher and composer of Happy Birthday To You, was born.
1954: The first nuclear power station opened at Obninsk in Russia.
1967: Britain’s first cash dispenser was opened by Barclay's Bank in Enfield.
1971: The first national Scrabble competition was held in London and was won by teacher Stephen Haskell.
1976: Six Palestinian terrorists highjacked an Air France Airbus from Athens and forced it to fly to Entebbe in Uganda.
1990: In Brussels, the European Commission ordered the Government to force British Aerospace to repay £44.4 million of “sweeteners” tied to the sale of the Rover Group.
ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: A one-man presidential run-off was held in Zimbabwe after Robert Mugabe’s rival pulled out due to fears of violence, with many coerced to vote.
BIRTHDAYS: Tommy Cannon, comedian, 71; Shirley Ann Field, actress, 71; Catherine Walker, fashion designer, 64; Vera Wang, fashion designer, 60; Mary McAleese, president of the Irish Republic, 58; Isabelle Adjani, actress, 54; Tobey Maguire, actor, 34.
