1773: Captain Cook's Resolution became the first ship to cross the Antarctic Circle.

1827: The Duke of Wellington was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the British Army.

1912: English explorer Robert Falcon Scott reached the South Pole. Norwegian, Roald Amundsen, had beaten him there by one month.

1929: Popeye made his first appearance in a comic strip.

1939: In Germany, Jews were banned from working as dentists, vets or pharmacists. They were also banned from driving and going to cinemas, theatres or concerts.

1964: Ratings showed that Steptoe and Son was the most popular television comedy show.

1966: A B-52 carrying four H-bombs collided with a refuelling tanker, killing eight of the crew and releasing the bombs.

1983: Breakfast television began in Britain with the BBC's Breakfast Time. It was hosted by Frank Bough and Selina Scott.

1988: Belinda Carlisle held the number one spot with Heaven is a Place on Earth.

1999: Beach volleyball authorities ruled that bikinis must measure no more than two-and-a-half-inches between outer waist and leg.