1644: Sir Thomas Fairfax was victorious at the Battle of Selby in the English Civil War.

1689 William III and Mary II were crowned joint monarchs.

1713 Gibraltar and Newfoundland were ceded to Britain by France in theTreaty of Utrecht.

1814 Napoleon was forced to abdicate - but allowed to retain his title ofEmperor - and banished to the island of Elba.

1929 Popeye made his first appearance as a supporting character in a cartoon strip in Hearst's New York newspapers.

1951 President Truman relieved war hero General Douglas MacArthur of his command in the Far East in a row over Korea.

1961 Bob Dylan made his first public appearance in Greenwich Village, New York.

1983 Richard Attenborough's Gandhi won eight Oscars.

On this day last year: The Prime Minister led national concern for David Beckham's injured foot - and England's World Cup dreams. The captain's broken bone, sustained in last night's Champions League clash with Deportivo La Coruna, put Beckham's hopes of playing in Japan in doubt.

BIRTHDAYS: Joel Grey, actor, 71; Jill Gascoine, actress, 66; Robert Fripp, rock musician, 58; Peter Riegert, actor, 56; Jeremy Clarkson, TV motoring expert, 43; Lisa Stansfield, singer, 37; Cerys Matthews, singer, 34.