Anniversaries

TODAY

1966 First credit card introduced in Britain.

1986 Argentina won the World Cup.

Birthdays: Rosa Mota, Portuguese marathon runner, 53; Amanda Donohoe, actress, 44.

TOMORROW

1927 First Ryder Cup golf tournament took place.

1936 First publication of Gone With the Wind.

1997 British colonial rule came to an end in Hong Kong.

Birthdays: Rupert Graves, actor, 43; Mike Tyson, ex-world heavyweight boxing champion, 40; Ralf Schumacher, Formula 1 racing driver, 31.

SATURDAY

1916 The Battle of the Somme began.

1977 Virginia Wade became Wimbledon ladies singles champion.

2001 David Trimble quit as First Minister for Northern Ireland.

Birthdays: Deborah Harry, once of Blondie, 61; Carl Lewis, Olympic sprint champion, 45; Ross Kemp, from EastEnders, 42; Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Manchester United striker, 30.

SUNDAY

1900 The Paris Metro opened.

2003 Russian oil tycoon Roman Abramovich purchased Chelsea Football Club.

Birthdays: Lord David Owen, ex-Foreign Secretary, 68; Kenneth Clarke, ex-Tory chancellor, 66; Jerry Hall, model, 50; Peter Kay, comedian, 33.

MONDAY

1936 Fred Perry won the men's title at Wimbledon for the third year running.

1944 Children began to be evacuated from London.

1967 ITN launched News at Ten.

Birthdays: Ken Russell, movie director, 79; Tom Stoppard, playwright, 69; Sian Lloyd, weather presenter, 48; Tom Cruise, actor, 44.

TUESDAY

1848 Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels published the Communist Manifesto.

1977 Tommy Docherty sacked as Manchester United boss.

1968 Alec Rose completed his single-handed round-the-world voyage.

Birthdays: Adam Hart-Davis, broadcaster, 63; Jenny Seagrove, actress, 48; Neil Morrisey, from Men Behaving Badly, 44; Jo Whiley, broadcaster, 41.

WEDNESDAY

1948 The National Health Service came into operation.

1974 The FA appointed Don Revie England manager.

Birthdays: Elizabeth Emanuel, designer, 53; Gianfranco Zola, ex-Chelsea star, 40.