Happy Anniversary: Bitten by a penguin

Here are some of the historical anniversaries of the coming week that you might otherwise have missed:

30 August:

Traditional Feast Day of St Rose of Lima, the first American saint. She took a vow of virginity, lived in a hut in the garden, and died at the age of 31 in 1617.

30BC: Death of Cleopatra.

1860: Britain's first tramway opens in Birkenhead.

1881: First stereo system patented by Clement Ader of Germany.

1901: First vacuum cleaner patented by Hubert Cecil Booth of Britain.

31 August:

1888: Mary Ann 'Polly' Booth becomes the first victim of Jack the Ripper.

1900: Coca-Cola goes on sale in Britain.

1963: A hot-line telephone is established between the Kremlin and the White House.

1 September:

1830: Sarah J Hales publishes the poem 'Mary Had a Little Lamb'.

1878: Emma Nutt, of Boston, becomes the world's first female telephone operator.

1951: Britain's first supermarket opens in Earl's Court, London.

1971: The old penny and threepenny bit cease to be legal tender.

1988: A report by the New York Health Department says that in the past year 8,064 people have been bitten by dogs, 1,587 have been bitten by people, and only one attacked by a penguin.

2 September:

1858: The song 'The Yellow Rose of Texas' is copyrighted in New York. Its writer is identified only by the initials 'J K'.

1932: The International Rugby Board condemns modern scrummage methods.

3 September:

1752: This day becomes 14 September as the Gregorian calendar is adopted in Britain.

4 September:

1733: The first lioness in Britain dies of old age at the Tower of London. The post of 'Keeper of the Lion Office' had been created for her minder.

1909: The first Boy Scout Rally is held at Crystal Palace.

1955: Richard Baker becomes the first television newscaster.

5 September:

1960: Cassius Clay wins boxing gold medal at the Rome Olympics.