FRIDAY APRIL 6 1843 William Wordsworth was appointed Poet Laureate. 1896 First modern Olympic Games began in Athens. 1917 The United States entered the First World War. 1968 Cliff Richard came second in the Eurovision Song Contest. 1974 Abba won th

FRIDAY APRIL 6

1843 William Wordsworth was appointed Poet Laureate.

1896 First modern Olympic Games began in Athens.

1917 The United States entered the First World War.

1968 Cliff Richard came second in the Eurovision Song Contest.

1974 Abba won the Eurovision Song Contest with Waterloo.

Deaths: Igor Stravinsky, Russian composer, 1971; Issac Asimov, writer, 1992; Tammy Wynette, country singer, 1998.

Today's birthdays: Ian Paisley, Northern Ireland politician, 81; Andre Previn, conductor and composer, 78; Max Clifford, publicity guru, 64; Rory Bremner, impressionist, 46.

SATURDAY APRIL 7

1948 The World Health Organisation was established by the United Nations.

1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific opened in New York.

1956 Columbia Records announced that all "pop" releases would be 45rpm.

Deaths: Dick Turpin, highwayman, 1739; P T Barnum, showman, 1891; Henry Ford, car industry pioneer, 1947; Jim Clark, ex-World Formua 1 racing champion, 1968.

Today's birthdays: James Garner, actor, 79; Andrew Sachs, from Fawlty Towers, 77; Francis Ford Coppola, director of Apocalypse Now, 68; Sir David Frost, television presenter, 68; Gerhard Schroder, ex-German Chancellor, 63; Russell Crowe, actor, 43.

SUNDAY APRIL 8

1838 Brunel's steamship the Great Western left Bristol for its maiden voyage to New York.

1967 Sandie Shaw won the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Puppet on a String.

1991 The FA unveiled proposals for a new Premiership.

Deaths: Vaslav Nijinsky, ballet dancer, 1950; Pablo Picasso, artist, 1973.

Today's birthdays: Vivienne Westwood, designer, 66; Julian Lennon, singer-songwriter, 44; Alec Stewart, ex-England Test cricket batsman, 44; Mark Blundell, ex-Formula 1 racing driver, 41; Patricia Arquette, actress, 39.

MONDAY APRIL 9

1838 The National Gallery opened in London.

1865 The American Civil War came to an end.

1955 The McDonald hamburger chain was set up, in Chicago.

1969 First test flight of the supersonic aircraft Concorde.

Deaths: Edward IV, 1483; Dante Gabriel Rossetti, painter, 1882.

Today's birthday: Hugh Hefner, Playboy publisher, 81; Iain Duncan Smith, ex-Conservative Party leader, 53; Severiano Ballesteros, golfer, 50.

TUESDAY APRIL 10

1912 The Titanic began its maiden voyage.

1925 F Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby was published.

1970 Paul McCartney announced he was leaving the Beatles.

Deaths: Auguste Lumiere, French cinema pioneer, 1954; Evelyn Waugh, author of Scoop and Brideshead Revisited, 1966.

Today's birthday: Omar Sharif, actor, 75; Gloria Hunniford, television presenter, 67; Lesley Garrett, opera singer, 52; Nicky Campbell, television and radio presenter, 46; Sophie Ellis-Bextor, singer, 28.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 11

1945 Allied troops liberated Nazi concentration camp at Buchenwald.

1959 Billy Wright earned his 100th England cap.

1979 Ugandian dictator Idi Amin was overthrown.

Deaths: John O'Hara, author of Buterfield 8, 1970; Erskine Caldwell, author of Tobacco Road, 1987; Sir Harry Secombe, ex-Goon and entertainer, 2001.

Today's birthdays: Bob Harris, broadcaster, 61; Jeremy Clarkson, presenter of Top Gear, 47; Lisa Stansfield, singer, 41; Ian Bell, England Test cricket batsman, 25.

THURSDAY APRIL 12

1861 The American Civil War began when Confederate troops attacked the Federal garrison at Fort Sumter.

1945 Harry Truman became US President after the death of Franklin D Roosevelt.

1954 Bill Haley and the Comets recorded Rock Around the Clock.

1961 Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gararin orbitted the earth.

1981 First US space shuttle was launched from Cape Canaveral.

1992 Euro-Disney opened at Marne-la-Vallee in France.

Deaths: Franklin D Roosevelt, US President, 1945; Josephine Baker, singer and dancer, 1975; Sugar Ray Robinson, world champion boxer, 1989.

Today's birthdays: Monsterrat Cabelle, Spanish opera singer, 74; Alan Ayckbourn, playwright, 68; David Letterman, US chat show host, 60; Tom Clancy, author of Patriot Games and The Hunt for Red October, 60; Jeremy Beadle, television presenter, 59; Andy Garcia, actor, 51.