1613: The original Globe Theatre was destroyed by fire. A spark from a cannonball fired in one of the first performances of Shakespeare's last play, Henry VIII was the cause of the blaze.

1905: The Autombile Association was founded.

1927: A total eclipse of the sun was seen in Britain for the first time in 200 years.

1956: Playwright Arthur Miller married Mariln Monroe.

1961: Del Shannon was top of the pops with his classic hit Runaway.

1966: The first credit card was introduced in Britain. The highest ever credit card transaction was £1.6 million when a Los Angeles art collector bought a Roy Lichtenstein painting. It earned her a total of 2.5 million air miles.

1986: Argentina won the World Cup after Diego Maradona's "hand of God" incident.