NATIONAL DAY OF BOLIVIA

1504 Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury, was born. He had an extremely long nose and was extremely inquisitive, hence the expression "Nosey Parker".

1637 The first Poet Laureate, Ben Jonson, died in poverty.

1844 The first press telegram in Britain was sent to The Times, announcing the birth of Prince Alfred to Queen Victoria.

1859 "Worth a guinea a box" appeared on Beecham's Powders packets - the first known advertising slogan.

1881 Alexander Fleming, Scottish bacteriologist who discovered penicillin, was born.

1889 The Savoy Hotel in London was opened.

1890 Murderer Walter Kemmler was the first man to die in the electric chair, at Auburn Prison, New York.

1932 The first film festival was held in the Hotel Excelsior, Venice.

1945 The first atomic bomb was dropped, on Hiroshima, Japan, from a B29 bomber Enola Gay.

1962 Jamaica gained independence after being a British colony for more than 300 years.

ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR: London Mayor Ken Livingstone and Transport Commissioner Bob Kiley finally conceded that the Government's part privatisation plans for the Tube would go ahead.

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