1796: Robert Burns, national poet of Scotland, died in Dumfries, aged 37, from encocarditis induced by rheumatism.

1809: Famous fattie Daniel Lambert died, weighing out at 52 stone 11lb. He passed away in a ground floor room at the Wagon and Horses Inn at Stamford, Lincolnshire, and a wall and window had to be demolished to get him out.

1868: Harry Relph, English music hall star better known as Little Tich, was born. He was 4ft 6in tall and had six digits on each hand.

1896: The first Royal Command Film Performance was held at Marlborough House, London, when an assortment of 20 films was shown to 40 guests on the eve of the wedding of Princess Maud.

1897: The Tate Gallery in London was officially opened, built on the site of the former Millbank Prison.

1904: The Trans-Siberian railway was finally completed. The 4,607 miles of track took 13 years to lay.

1960: Francis Chichester - later Sir - docked in New York in Gypsy Moth II, setting a new record of 40 days for a solo Atlantic crossing.

1962: The Rolling Stones made their first appearance, at the Marquee club in London.

1969: "One small step for man, one giant step for mankind," said Neil Armstrong when he emerged from the Eagle lunar module to take man's first step on the Moon.

1984: The man who popularised jogging, James J Fixx, had a heart attack and died while out running in Vermont. He was 52.

LAST YEAR: Lord Archer was reunited with his wife as he was freed on parole after serving two years in jail for perjury.