Richard III
1483 Richard, Duke of Gloucester, began to rule England as Richard III, having deposed his nephew, Edward V. Edward and his brother, Richard, Duke of York, were soon afterwards murdered in the Tower of London.
Brother Branwell
1817 The birth of Branwell Brontë, painter, poet, the only son of the Brontë family, and the brother of the writers Charlotte, Emily, and Anne
By Jove
1830 George IV died. His brother, William IV ascended the throne.
62 Victoria Crosses
1857 The first investiture ceremony for Victoria Cross awards took place in Hyde Park, London. Queen Victoria presented 62 servicemen with Britain’s highest military honour.
V & A
1909 London’s Victoria & Albert Museum opened to the public
A Wedding in France
1937 Britain’s Duke of Windsor married American divorcee Wallis Simpson in France following his abdication as King Edward VIII.
No.10000001
1939 Britain’s first National Serviceman, Private Rupert Alexander, signed up for the Middlesex Regiment. His service number was 10000001.
United Nations Charter
1945 Delegates from nations around the world signed the United Nations Charter, designed to help ensure future world peace. The first meeting of the U.N. General Assembly occurred in London early the following year.
A Marriage See-Saw
1974 British actor Richard Burton divorced his wife, American actress Elizabeth Taylor for the first time. They remarried on 10th October 1975 and divorced for the second time on 29th July 1976.
The Killing Spree
1977 Peter Sutcliffe (the Yorkshire Ripper) killed 16 year old Jayne MacDonald in Leeds. She was the fifth of his 13 victims. Her murder changed public perception of the killer, as she was the first victim who was not a prostitute. In 1981 Sutcliffe was convicted of murdering 13 women and attacking seven others. He is currently serving 20 sentences of life imprisonment in Broadmoor Hospital.
The Maguire Seven
1991 After campaigning to prove their innocence for 15 years, the ‘Maguire Seven’ were cleared by the Court of Appeal of running an IRA bomb factory in England.
Diana’s Dresses
1997 Dresses belonging to Diana, Princess of Wales were auctioned for more than £2million in New York.
