this is the week that was

21 August:

1923: The City of Kalamazoo, Michigan, forbids dancers to stare into their partners' eyes.

1928: Joseph Schenk, the head of United Artists Corp, says that the talkies are just a fad and won't last.

1964: Three British women are convicted of indecency for wearing topless dresses in public.

1976: Mary Langdon becomes Britain's first female fireman.

22 August:

1928: The nomination of Alfred E Smith for US President becomes the first televised news event.

1960: Two Russian dogs return safely after three days in orbit.

23 August:

410: The Visigoths sack Rome to end the era of civilisation.

1977: Bryan Allen makes the first mile-long manpowered flight.

24 August:

Feast day of St Bartholomew, who was flayed alive then beheaded in the first century. One of his arms was given to Canterbury in the 11th century by Emma, wife of King Cnut. He is patron saint of tanners and shoemakers and may also be invoked against nervous tics.

1906: Kidney transplants are performed on cats and dogs at a Toronto medical conference.

1946: At Newquay, Maisie R Dunn becomes the first person to wear a bikini on a UK beach.

1975: Annabel Hunt becomes the first actress to appear nude on British television, when she sings the opening aria of Ulysses at Glyndebourne.

25 August:

325: The General Council of Nicaea decides the rules for computing the date of Easter.

1875: Captain Webb is the first to swim the Channel.

1925: Albert Szalardi of New York patents the Camera Gun Clock, a device that lets police shoot at criminals while simultaneously taking a photograph of them and recording the time.

26 August:

1346: The Battle of Crecy sees the first use of the longbow in a European war. Also the first use of the two-finger gesture as English bowmen scorn French threats to sever their fingers.

1920: Percy Fender scores a century in 35 minutes for Surrey against Northants.

1987: A sex-crazed elephant runs amok in Bangkok, killing two and flattening a radio centre before being shot.

27 August:

1900: Britain's first long-distance bus service begins: London to Leeds in two days.