Anniversaries

Births: Sophia, Electress of Hanover, 1630; James II, King of Great Britain and Ireland, 1633; William Penn, Quaker founder of Pennsylvania, 1644; Sir Edward Sabine, astronomer, 1788; Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin, novelist, 1879; Eamon De Valera, statesman, 1882; Dwight David Eisenhower, 34th US president, 1890; ee cummings (Edward Estlin Cummings), poet and painter, 1894; Allan Jones, actor and singer, 1907.

Deaths: Harold, King of the English, killed in battle 1066; Helen de Guerry Simpson, novelist, killed in a London air raid 1940; Dame Marie Tempest (Mary Susan Etherington), actress, 1942; Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel, general, committed suicide 1944; Errol Flynn, actor, 1959; Dame Edith Mary Evans, actress, 1976; (Harry Lillis) Bing Crosby, singer, 1977; Keenan (Francis Xavier Aloysius) Wynn, actor, 1986; Leonard Bernstein, conductor and composer, 1990.

On this day: the Battle of Hastings was fought at Senlac Hill, Pevensey, Sussex, 1066; William I acceded to the throne of England, 1066; Mary, Queen of Scots was tried, 1586; the trial of Marie Antoinette took place, 1793; bread riots took place in Hyde Park, London 1855; Oxford degrees were first conferred on women, 1920; Germany left the League of Nations, 1933; 50p coins were issued to replace the 10-shilling note, 1969; the first close-up television pictures of Mars were transmitted to Earth by the US Mariner 9 spacecraft, 1971.

Today is the Feast Day of St Angadriama, St Burchard of Wurzburg, St Callixtus I, pope, St Dominic Lauricatus, St Justus of Lyons, St Manaccus and St Manechildis.