FRIDAY AUGUST 31 1908 Cricket legend WG Grace ended his career at the age of 60. 1978 Plans were announced to launch the Daily Star. 1988 Flooding caused 25 million people in Bangladesh to become homeless. Deaths: John Bunyan, author Pilgrim

FRIDAY AUGUST 31

1908 Cricket legend WG Grace ended his career at the age of 60.

1978 Plans were announced to launch the Daily Star.

1988 Flooding caused 25 million people in Bangladesh to become homeless.

Deaths: John Bunyan, author Pilgrim's Progress, 1688; Rocky Marciano, world champion boxer, 1969; John Ford, Hollywood director of Stagecoach, 1973; Henry Moore, sculptor, 1986; Diana, Princess of Wales, 1977.

Today's birthdays: Martin Bell, journalist and ex-independent MP, 69; Richard Gere, actor, 58; Van Morrison, rock vocalist, 62; Todd Carty, actor from EastEnders, 45.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 1

1939 Germany invaded Poland, starting the Second World War.

1939 Men aged between 19-41 were conscripted under the National Service Bill.

1995 Frank Bruno became WBC world heavyweight champion.

Deaths: Brian Moore, sports commentator, 2001.

Today's birthdays: Cecil Parkinson, ex-Conservative minister, 76; Lily Tomlin, actress, 68; Barry Gibb, of The Bee Gees, 61; Ruud Gullit, Dutch soccer star, 45.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 2

1666 The Great Fire of London started in Pudding Lane.

1933 First publication of HG Wells's classic novel The Shape of Things to Come.

1945 Japan surrendered to the Allies ending the Second World War.

1972 Bobby Fischer became world chess champion when he defeated Bobby Spassky.

1991 Border Television was launched.

1995 French commandos seized two Greenpeace ship in an exclusion zone around the nuclear test site at Mururoa Atoll.

Deaths: Baron Pierre de Coubertin, creator of the modern Olympic Games, 1937; Ho Chi Minh, president of North Vietnam, 1969; JRR Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings, 1973; Roy Castle, entertainer, 1994; Christiaan Barnard, heart transplant pioneer, 2001; Peter West, cricket commentator, 2003.

Today's birthdays: Victor Spinetti, actor, 74; Derek Fowlds, from Yes Prime Minister, 70; Jimmy Connors, ex-Wimbledon men's singles champion, 55; Keanu Reeves, actor, 43; Lennox Lewis, world heavyweight boxing champion, 42.

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 3

1615 Royalist troops under Charles II were defeated by Cromwell's army at the second Battle of Worcester.

1783 Britain recognised American independence.

1935 Malcolm Campbell reached a new land speed record of 303.13mph in Bluebird at Bonneville Flats.

1939 Britain declared war on Germany.

1976 The US spacecraft Viking 2 landed on Mars.

2004 Clive Woodward quit as England's rugby union coach.

Deaths: Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector, 1658; Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev, Russian dramatist, 1883; EE Cummings, American poet, 1962; Frank Capra, director of It's a Wonderful Life and Mr Smith Goes to Washington, 1991; Billy Wright, ex-England and Wolves soccer star, 1994.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 4

1886 The Apache chief Geronimo surrendered to the US army.

1909 First Boy Scout Rally, held at Crystal Palace.

1964 The Forth Road Bridge opened.

1984 The FA National Soccer School at Lilleshall opened.

1970 Marxist Salvador Allende became president of Chile.

2000 The last women protesters left the peace camp at Greenham Common.

Deaths: Edvard Greig, composer, 1907; Georges Simenon, creator of Maigret, 1989.

Today's birthdays: Tom Watson, US golfer, 58; Beyonce Knowles, singer, 26.

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 5

1646 Crowmwell abolished the office of Archbishop of Canterbury.

1800 French troops surrendered Malta to the British after Nelson's naval blockade.

1914 The start of the Battle of the Marne in the First World War.

1973 First one-day cricket international between England and the West Indies.

1984 The space shuttle Discovery returned to earth after a six-day mission.

1995 France carried out underground nuclear tests at Mururoa Atoll in the south Pacific.

1988 The stage comedy No Sex Please - We're British closed after 6,671 performances.

Deaths: Auguste Comte, French philosopher, 1857; Douglas Barder, Second World War air ace, 1982; Clem Thomas, rugby journalist, 1996; Sir George Solti, conductor, 1997; Alan Clark, maverick Conservative MP, 1999.

Today's birthdays: Johnny Briggs, actor from Coronation Street, 72; Dick Clement, scripwriter of The Likely Lads, 70; Raquel Welch, actress, 67; Mark Ramprakash, cricketer and Strictly Come Dancing winner, 38.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 6

1620 The Pilgrim Fathers set sail from England in the Mayflower.

1880 First cricket Test match between England and Australia, at The Oval.

1968 Former British colony of Swaziland became independent.

1991 Soviet authorities granted independence to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

1997 Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, took place at Westminster Abbey.

Deaths: Gertrude Lawrence, English actress, 1952; Len Hutton, England Test cricket legend, 1990; Desmond Wilcox, broadcaster and television producer, 2000.

Today's birthdays: Roger Waters, of Pink Floyd, 60; Greg Rusedski, Canadian-born British tennis player, 34; Tim Henman, British tennis player, 32.