1800 The first soup kitchens for the poor of London began.

1815 The British, led by General Sir Edward Pakenham, were defeated at New Orleans in the last battle Britain fought against the US.

1824 Wilkie Collins, English pioneer of the detective and suspense story, was born in London. He wrote The Woman In White (1860) and The Moonstone (1868).

1832 Bell's New Weekly Messenger published the first cartoon to appear in an English newspaper.

1889 Dr Herman Hollerith of New York patented an electrically-operated computer to process data. The company he formed to market his invention evolved into the giant IBM.

1921 David Lloyd George became the first British Prime Minister to occupy Chequers, a country mansion in Buckinghamshire, presented to the nation as a gift by Lord Lee of Fareham.

1935 Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, the survivor of twin boys.

1940 Sugar, bacon and butter were rationed in Britain.

1982 Spain ended its siege of Gibraltar and reopened the frontier. In return, Britain ended its opposition to Spain joining the EEC.

1989 A British Midland 737 crashed into an embankment alongside the M1 near Kegworth, Leicestershire, killing 47 people.

1997 Kevin Keegan quit as manager of Newcastle United after five years in the post.

ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: London recorded its largest snowfall for 12 nearly years as wintry weather spread across the country.