1730: The first stock exchange quotations were published in the Daily Advertiser, London.

1762: Death of English dandy and gambler Richard Beau' Nash.

1877: Chopsticks, the novelty piano piece, was registered at the British Museum.

1919: The first meeting of the League of Nations was held in Paris, with US President Woodrow Wilson as chairman.

1935: The jingle "We are the Ovaltineys, little girls and boys" was first sung on radio. Listeners were invited to join the Ovaltiney Club (with badge and rule book) and a coded message was given out each week.

1959: Buddy Holly, US singer and guitarist, pictured, died in an air crash, aged 23. With him were fellow rock'n'rollers Richie Valens and JP "Big Bopper" Richardson.

1960: British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan made his historic "wind of change" speech to the South African Parliament in Cape Town.

1969: William Henry Pratt, better known as horror actor Boris Karloff, died aged 81.

1983: UK unemployment hit a record high of 3.22 million.

On this day last year: Home Secretary David Blunkett revealed plans for a radical shake-up to the prison system that would see fewer criminals being locked up.

BIRTHDAYS:

VAL Doonican, entertainer, 74; Jeremy Kemp, actor, 68; Dave Davies, rock singer, 56; Morgan Fairchild, actress, 53; Kirsty Wark, TV presenter, 48.