1902: Captain Charles Lindbergh, US pioneer aviator and the first to fly solo across the Atlantic, was born in Detroit.

1929: The first area of Green Belt' was approved, five miles of land near Hendon, Middlesex.

1945: The Yalta Conference between Allied leaders Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin opened in the Crimea.

1948: Ceylon became a self-governing dominion within the Commonwealth. It later changed its name to Sri Lanka.

1953: Sweet rationing ended in Britain.

1962: The first colour supplement was published by The Sunday Times with features on pop art.

1968: The world's largest hovercraft (165 tonnes) was launched at Cowes.

1983: Karen Carpenter, pictured, US singer who with her brother formed the successful Carpenters duo, died from anorexia nervosa.

1987: Dennis Connor's US crew won back the America's Cup from Australia.

1990: The New Zealand cricketer Richard Hadlee (later to be knighted) became the first man to take 400 Test wickets.

NATIONAL DAY OF SRI LANKA

On this day last year: Teacher Amy Gehring was cleared of having sex with two teenage pupils. Ms Gehring, 26, was acquitted by a jury at Guildford Crown Court of three charges and the judge ordered a verdict of not guilty on a fourth.

BIRTHDAYS:

SIR Norman Wisdom, comedian, pictured, 88; Alice Cooper, rock singer, 56; Dan Quayle, US politician, 56; Jenny Shipley, former New Zealand Prime Minister, 51; Gabrielle Anwar, actress, 33; Natalie Imbruglia, pop star, 28.