NEWS

1786 - The first potato arrived in Britain. It has been brought from Colombia by Sir Thomas Harriot.

1898 - Cornflakes were invented.

1929 - Pope Pius X1 became the first Pope to leave the Vatican since 1870.

1953 - The Korean War ended.

1964 - The American satellite Ranger 7 sent back the first close-up pictures of the moon.

1965 - Cigarette advertising was banned on British television.

1984 - Russian cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya became the first woman to walk in space.

1992 - Women in Afghanistan were banned from appearing on television.

2005 - The IRA formally ordered an end to its armed campaign and pledged to pursue exclusively peaceful means.

SPORT

1948 - The 14th Olympic Games opened in London. It was the first in 12 yeas, due to World War II.

1966 - Florence Nangle was granted a licence to train racehorses. She was the first woman to be allowed to do so, but the fight had taken here 20 years, so she was 70 when the ruling was made.

1985 - Steve Cram set the mile world record at three minutes and 46 seconds in Oslo.

1996 - After being 3-1 down in the Olympic football semi finals, Nigeria beat Brazil 4-3 on a 'golden goal'.

1998 - Centrally heated football boots were launched.

ENTERTAINMENT

1928 - The lion's roar was heard for the first time at the beginning of MGMs first talking motion picture, 'White Shadow of The Seven Seas'. The lion featured was from Dublin Zoo.

1940 - Bugs Bunny made his official debut in 'The Wild Hare'.

1949 - The first regular televised weather forecast was broadcast by the BBC.

1935 - The first 'Penguin' paperback books went on sale in Britain.

1998 - The Beano celebrated its 60th birthday.

MUSIC

1954 - The first press interview with 19 year old Elvis Presley was published in the 'Memphis Press Scimitar'.

1959 - Cliff Richard achieved his first UK number one with 'Living Doll'.

2006 - The last ever episode of Top of the Pops was screened on BBC 2.

2000 - The John Lennon tunic which inspired the Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover was sold at auction for £100,000.

NUMBER ONES

2006 - Shakira Ft Wyclef Jean: 'Hips Don't Lie'.

2005 - James Blunt: 'You're Beautiful'.

2002 - Gareth Gates: 'Anyone Of Us (Stupid Mistake)'.

1999 - Ricky Martin: 'Livin' La Vida Loca'.

1993 - Take That" 'Pray'.

1983 - Paul Young: 'Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)'.

1978 - The Commodores: 'Three Times A Lady'.