THURSDAY, JANUARY 11 1864 Charing Cross station opened. 1972 East Pakistan became the independent state of Bangledash. 1973 First degrees awarded by the Open University. 2000 The Beano published its 3,000 issue. Births: Fred Archer, English

THURSDAY, JANUARY 11

1864 Charing Cross station opened.

1972 East Pakistan became the independent state of Bangledash.

1973 First degrees awarded by the Open University.

2000 The Beano published its 3,000 issue.

Births: Fred Archer, English jockey, 1857; Henry Gordon Selfridge, store entrepreneur, 1858.

Deaths: Thomas Hardy, author of Far From the Madding Crowd, 1928; Richmal Crompton, creator of the William books, 1969.

Today's birthdays: Melvyn Hayes, from It Ain't Half Hot Mum, 72; Bryan Robson, ex-Manchester U and England soccer star, 50; Jason Connnery, once Robin of Sherwood, 44; Emile Heskey, ex-England striker, 29.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 12

1948 First supermarket opened in Britain at Manor Park in London.

1959 Henry Cooper defeated Brian London to become British and European heavyweight boxing champion.

1963 The Beatles released Please, Please Me.

Births: Edmund Burke, statesman, 1729; PW Botha, president of South Africa, 1916.

Deaths: Neville Shute, author of A Town Like Alice, 1960; Agatha Christie, crime novelist, 1976; Maurice Gibb, of the Bee Gees, 2003.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Des O'Connor, entertainer, 75; Joe Frazier, ex-world heavyweight boxing champion, 63; Brendan Foster, ex-athlete and now sports commentator, 59.

SATURDAY JANUARY 13

1893 Keir Hardy set up the British Independent Labour Party.

1930 Mickey Mouse made his debut in a comic strip.

1933 The controversial Bodyline Test series between England and Australia began in Adelaide.

1984 BBC Radio 1 banned the playing of Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood.

Births: Ted Willis, creator of Dixon of Dock Green, 1918.

Deaths: Thomas Lord, creator of Lord's cricket ground, 1832; Wyatt Earp, legendary western law man, 1929; James Joyce, author of Ulysses, 1941; Hubert Humphrey, Democratic presidential candidate, 1978.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Michael Bond, creator of Paddington Bear, 81; Stephen Hendry, snooker player, 38; Orlando Bloom, actor, 30.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 14

1900 First performance of Puccini's Tosca, in Rome.

1943 US President Franklin D Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill met in Casablanca.

1969 Sir Matt Busby quit as Manchester U manager.

Deaths: Edmund Halley, English astronomer, 1742; Lewis Carroll, author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, 1898; Humphrey Bogart, Hollywood legend, 1957; Sir Anthony Eden, British Prime Minister, 1977.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Warren Mitchell, actor, 81; Richard Briers, actor, 73; Trevor Nunn, stage director, 67; Faye Dunaway, actress, 66; Emily Watson, actress, 40.

MONDAY, JANURY 15

1759 The British Museum opened.

1967 First Superbowl took place at the Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, between the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Births: Moliere, French dramatist, 1622; Ivor Novello, composer and actor, 1893; Lloyd Bridges, actor, 1913; Martin Luther King, civil rights leader, 1929.

Deaths: Emma Hamilton, mistress to Lord Nelson, 1815; Jack Teagarden, American jazz musician, 1964.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Peter Waterman, record producer, 60; Mary Pierce, French tennis player, 32.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 16

1547 Ivan the Terrible crowned Tsar of Russia.

1908 First edition of Scouting for Boys published.

1925 Leon Trotsky dismissed as chairman of the Revolutionary Council of the USSR.

1939 First appearance of the Superman comic strip.

1950 First broadcast of Listen With Mother.

1957 The Cavern Club opened in Liverpool.

Births: Eric Liddell, British Olympic 400m runner, 1902; Ethel Merman, singer and actress, 1909.

Deaths: Bernard Lee, actor who play M in James Bond movies, 1981; Auberon Waugh, journalist, 2001.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Cliff Thorburn, snooker player, 59; Sade, singer-songwriter, 48; Kate Moss, supermodel, 33.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17

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

1912 Explorer Captain Robert Scott reached the South Pole.

1983 Breakfast television began in Britain.

Births: Benjamin Franklin, US President, 1706; Anne Bronte, novelist, 1820; David Lloyd George, British statesman, 1863; Tommy Handley, wartime radio comedian, 1892.

Deaths: Virginia Mayo, Hollywood 1940s and 1950s actress, 2005.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Eartha Kitt, singer, 80; Vidal Sassoon, hairdresser, 79; Muhammad Ali, ex-world heavyweight boxing champion, 65; Jim Carrey, actor, 45.