FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 21 1937 First edition of JRR Tolkien s The Hobbit published. 1962 First broadcast of University Challenge. 2003 Tottenham Hotspur sacked manager Glenn Hoddle. Today s birthdays: Larry Hagman, from Dallas, 76; Leonard Cohen,

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 21

1937 First edition of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit published.

1962 First broadcast of University Challenge.

2003 Tottenham Hotspur sacked manager Glenn Hoddle.

Today's birthdays: Larry Hagman, from Dallas, 76; Leonard Cohen, singer-songwriter, 73; Stephen King, horror writer, 60; Bill Murray, actor, 57; Liam Gallagher, of Oasis, 35.

Deaths: Edward II, 1327; Sir Walter Scott, author of Ivanhoe and Rob Roy, 1832.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 22

1920 The Flying Squad of the Metropolitan Police was set up.

1955 First television commercial screened with the start of independent television.

1980 The Solidarity Movement was created in Poland with Lech Walesa as its elected leader.

Today's birthdays: Fay Weldon, writer, 76; Captain Mark Phillips, ex-husband of Princess Anne, 59; Dr Liam Fox, Conservative politician, 46; Ronaldo, Brazil soccer star, 31; Billie Piper, actress, 25.

Deaths: Irving Berlin, composer, 1989; George C Scott, actor, 1999; Hugo Young, political columnist for The Guardian, 2003.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 23

1973 Juan Peron was re-elected president of Argentina after being ousted in 1955.

1974 First Ceefax television service was started by the BBC.

1993 The International Olympic Committee awarded the Games in 2000 to Sydney.

Today's birthdays: Mickey Rooney, actor, 87; Ben E King, singer, 69; Julio Iglesias, singer, 64; Bruce Springsteen, singer-songwriter, 58; Nicholas Witchell, BBC royal correspondent, 54; Cherie Booth, wife of ex-Prime Minister, 53.

Deaths: Wilkie Collins, author of The Moonstone, 1889; Sigmund Freud, psychoanalyst, 1939.

<>MONDAY SEPTEMBER 24

1776 First running of the St Ledge classic horse race, at Doncaster.

1930 Noel Coward's Private Lives opened in London.

1960 First nuclear-powered aircraft carrier - the USS Enterprise - launched at Newport, Virginia.

Today's birthdays: Gerry Marsden, once of Gerry and the Pacemakers, 65; Jack Dee, comedian, 45; Ally McCoist, ex-Rangers striker and A Question of Sport contestant, 45; John Arne Riise, Liverpool soccer star, 27.

Deaths:Johann Strauss, composer, 1849; Peter Carl Faberge, goldsmith, 1920; Sir Malcolm Arnold, composer, 2006.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 25

1972 Norway in a referendum voted against joining the EU.

1978 Britain's largest Iron Age burial site was discovered in Yorkshire.

1983 First European Grand Prix took place at Brands Hatch.

2000 Denise Lewis took gold for Britain in the heptathlon at the Sydney Olympics.

Today's birthdays: Michael Douglas, actor, 63; Felicity Kendal, actress, 61; Mark Hamill, actor, 56; Will Smith, actor, 39; Catherine Zeta Jones, actress, 38; Jodie Kidd, model, 29.

Deaths: Samuel Butler, writer, 1680.

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 26

1934 The liner Queen Mary was launched at Clydebank.

1953 Sugar rationing in Britain came to an end.

1957 Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story opened on Broadway.

1969 The last Beatles' album, Abbey Road, was released.

1977 Freddie Laker launched his cut-price Skytrain service from Gatwick airport.

1993 The US retained the Ryder Cup.

2000 Jonathan Edwards took gold for Britain in the triple jump at the Sydney Olympics.

Today's birthdays: Ricky Tomlinson, from The Royle Family, 68; Bryan Ferry, singer-songwriter, 62; Olivia Newton-John, singer, 59; Will Self, broadcaster and journalist, 46; Serena Williams, Wimbledon ladies' champion, 26.

Deaths: James Keir Hardy, Labour Party pioneer, 1915; Bessie Smith, blues singer, 1937; Hugh Lofting, creator of Dr Dolittle, 1947; Robert Palmer, singer-songwriter, 2003.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 27

1825 The Stockton and Darlington Railway opened.

1922 King Constantine of Greece abdicated.

1967 The liner Queen Mary completed its last cruise.

1968 The controversial musical Hair opened in London.

Today's birthdays: Alvin Stardust, rock singer, 65; Barbara Dickson, singer and actress, 60; Meatloaf, singer, 56; Diane Abbott, Labour politician, 54; Irvine Welsh, author of Trainspotting, 46.

Deaths: Edgar Degas, French painter, 1917; Gracie Fields, singer and actress, 1979.