1461In the Second Battle of St. Albans, Lancastrians defeated Yorkists in England's War of the Roses.

1874Conservatives, under Disraeli, won their first majority since 1841.

1883Mr. A. Ashwell of Herne Hill, south London, patented Vacant - Engaged signs for toilet doors.

1914Women suffragettes in Britain turned violent. They set fire to the Lawn Tennis Club and broke windows at the residence of the Home Secretary.

1925The birth of Ron Goodwin, British composer and conductor known for his film music. He scored over 70 films in a career lasting over fifty years. His most famous works included Where Eagles Dare, Battle of Britain, 633 Squadron and Operation Crossbow.

1938A surprise item was shown at the Dominion Theatre, London. It was the first public, experimental demonstration of Baird colour television on a big 12 ft x 9 ft screen. Transmitted from Crystal Palace, the short programme consisted of fashion plates and a cartoon.

1941World War 2: The first postwomen began work in Salford, due to lack of men.

1955Fanny Cradock's first cookery programme Kitchen Magic, was broadcast on television. She mostly worked with her then common-law husband Johnny Cradock, adopting his surname long before they married. The infamous 'doughnut line' is often attributed to Johnny Cradock - Quote: 'You too can have doughnuts like Fanny's', but it was almost certainly said by a Scottish continuity announcer.

1958The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) was formed in Britain.

1959Queen Elizabeth gave Marlborough House to the nation, as a Commonwealth Centre.

1965The Duke and Duchess of Kent celebrated the end of 300 years of colonial rule in Gambia with 35 Gambian chiefs. Gambia was the first African nation conquered by the British and became the 21st member of the Commonwealth.

1972The British parliament voted to join the European Common Market.

1987A group of Tamils seeking asylum in Britain protested at Heathrow airport by removing their clothes as they were about to be deported. Amid a frenzied scuffle with security personnel they were forcibly placed onto the awaiting aircraft which was bound for Dhaka. But they were removed soon afterwards after their loud protests onboard drew complaints from fellow passengers and resulted in the pilot refusing to take-off.

2003The London Congestion Charge scheme began, with a fee charged for some categories of motor vehicle to travel at certain times within Charge Zone. The charge aimed to reduce congestion, and raise investment funds for London's transport system. Although not the first scheme of its kind in the Britain, it was the largest when introduced, and it remains one of the largest in the world. Several cities around the world have referenced London's congestion charge when considering their own schemes.

2005Hunting with dogs became illegal in Britain at midnight.

2013The death (aged 79) of Richard Briers, best known for his role in TV's The Good Life. Two weeks before his death Briers stated that he had smoked about half a million cigarettes before he quit and a routine chest X-ray suggested that he would otherwise soon be in a wheelchair. He had been diagnosed with emphysema in 2008 and died from the effects of a cardiac arrest.

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