1533: Queen Elizabeth I was born at Greenwich Palace in London, the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn.

1812: Napoleon's forces marching to Moscow defeated the Russians at the Battle of Borodino, 70 miles west of the city.

1838: Grace Darling, daughter of a lighthouse keeper, made the famous rescue of the crew of the Forfarshire, shipwrecked near the Farne Islands off the Northumberland coast.

1892: Gentleman' James J Corbett beat John L Sullivan in 21 rounds in New Orleans and became the first world heavyweight boxing champion under Queensberry rules - with gloves and three-minute rounds.

1901: The Peace of Peking ended the Boxer Rising in CHina.

1921: The first Miss America beauty contest was held in Atlantic City.

1936: Buddy Holly (Charles Hardin Holley), rock singer and guitarist, was born. He died in an air crash in 1959, aged only 23, but in his short career produced classic hits such as That'll Be The Day, Peggy Sue and Oh Boy.

1978: Keith Moon, manic drummer with rock group The Who, died in London of a drug overdose.

1986: Bishop Desmond Tutu was appointed Archbishop of Cape Town, the first black head of South African Anglicans.

On this day last year: The Government suffered a shock legal defeat which could result in the release of hundreds of asylum seekers from an immigration centre.

Birthdays: Sonny Rollins, jazz musician, 72; John Paul Getty II, philanthropist, 70; Max Boyce, comedian, 57; Gloria Gaynor, singer, 53; Chrissie Hynde, rock singer, 51; Julie Kavner, voiceover actress (Marge Simpson), 51; Corbin Bernsen, actor, 48; Marcel Desailly, footballer, 34; Angie Everhart, actress and model, 33; Shannon Elizabeth, actress, 29.