1066: The Battle of Hastings was fought at Senlac Hill, in Sussex, at which William of Normandy defeated Harold of England to claim the English throne.

1644: Quaker leader William Penn - founder of the state of Pennsylvania - was born in London.

1890: Dwight D Eisenhower - "Ike" - Second World War military leader and 34th US President, was born in Dension, Texas.

1893: The first performance of The Gaiety Girl, considered the first musical comedy, took place in London.

1913: Britain's worst pit disaster took place at Senghenydd, Glamorgan - 439 died after an explosion.

1939: The Royal Navy battleship Royal Oak was torpedoed and sunk in Scapa Flow with the loss of 810 lives.

1944: Rommel the "Desert Fox" took cyanide tablets and died within minutes - before he could be arrested for his part in the plot to kill Hitler.

1947: Chuck Yeagar in his Bell XI rocket plane became the first man to break the sound barrier.

1969: The 50p decimal coin was first issued in Britain, replacing the 10 shilling note.

1990: Five days after announcing his retirement through ill health, conductor Leonard Bernstein died.

On this day last year: Liverpool football manager Gerard Houllier was on a ventilator in an intensive care unit after 11 hours of emergency open heart surgery.

BIRTHDAYS: Roger Moore, actor, 75; Ralph Lauren, fashion designer, 63; Sir Cliff Richard, singer, 62; Christopher Timothy, actor, 62; Roger Taylor, tennis player, 61; Justin Hayward, singer/musician, 56; Steve Cram, former athlete, 42; Yvonne Murray, athlete, 38; Steve Coogan, comedian, 37; Matthew Le Tissier, footballer, 34; Michael Duberry, footballer, 27; Shaznay Lewis, pop singer, 27; Usher, R&B singer, 24.