1746 Spanish court painter Francisco de Goya was born in Fuendetodos.

1840 Regency dandy George Bryan

Beau' Brummell died a pauper in France.

1842 Ether was used as an anaesthetic for the first time, by American surgeon Dr Crawford Long.

1853 Artist Vincent van Gogh was born in the Dutch village of Groot-Zundert.

1867 Alaska was bought by America from Russia for 7.2 million - less than two cents an acre.

1880 Playwright Sean O'Casey was born in Dublin.

1964 The seaside resort of Clacton was the scene of pitched battles by gangs of mods and rockers.

1981 US President Reagan was wounded in an assassination bid outside Washington's Hilton Hotel.

1986 James Cagney, American tough-guy actor, died aged 86.

1987 Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh was sold at auction by Christie's for £24,750,000.

1991 Seven million people in Sudan were faced with starvation after drought and crop failure.

ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother died peacefully at the age of 101.

BIRTHDAYS: Rolf Harris, entertainer, 73; Warren Beatty, actor, 66; Eric Clapton, guitarist, 58; Sue Cook, broadcaster, 54; Robbie Coltrane, actor, 53; MC Hammer (Stanley Kirk Burrell), rapper, 41; Tracy Chapman, singer, 39; Piers Morgan, editor of The Mirror, 38; Donna D'Errico, actress, 35; Celine Dion, singer, 35.