SWINDON...

1947: More than 200 children from nearby schools attended a special Ascension Day service held at the Parish Church in Swindon. It was conducted by the curate the Rev D Hillman. Headmaster of King William Street School, Frank Colbourne was the organist

1957: Members of Swindon and District branch of the National Farmers Union were to offer their services as stewards to Swindon school children visiting the Bath and West Show. It was decided at a meeting of the branch to use the opportunity to put over the agricultural industry to the townspeople

1977: Wootton Bassett Carnival Queen was a petite 18-year-old sixth former, Sue Horsman. She was crowned after the sealed envelope containing the judges’ choice had been opened by the mayor Coun Dennis Calman. She received a cheque for £25 and the Kennedy Rose Bowl

2013: Since the beginning of the year, 44 per cent more people had been fed by the Swindon Foodbank than in the same period last year. And in 2012, the Swindon Foodbank fed 4,756 people – 26 per cent more than in 2011

THE WORLD...

1536: Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, stands trial in London on charges of treason, adultery and incest. She is condemned to death by a specially-selected jury

1718: James Puckle, a London lawyer, patents the world's first machine gun

1800: King George III of the United Kingdom survives an assassination attempt by James Hadfield

1905: Las Vegas, Nevada, is founded when 110 acres in what later would become downtown, are auctioned off

1928: Walt Disney character Mickey Mouse premieres in his first cartoon, Plane Crazy

1941: First flight of the Gloster E.28/39 the first British and Allied Jet Aircraft

1991: Édith Cresson becomes France's first female premier

BORN...

1567: Claudio Monteverdi, Italian priest and composer (d. 1643)

1856: L. Frank Baum, American author, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (d. 1919)

1891: Mikhail Bulgakov, Russian author and playwright (d. 1940)

1909: James Mason, English actor (d. 1984)

1926: Peter Shaffer, English playwright

1935: Ted Dexter, English cricketer

1936: Ralph Steadman, English painter and illustrator

1937: Trini Lopez, American singer, guitarist, and actor

DIED...

392: Valentinian II, Roman emperor (b. 371)

1886: Emily Dickinson, American poet (b. 1830)

1971: Tyrone Guthrie, English director, producer, and playwright (b. 1900)

1978: Robert Menzies, Australian lawyer and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1894)

2012: Carlos Fuentes, Mexican author (b. 1928)