Friday June 15 1215 The Magna Carta was signed by King John at Runnymede. 1775 George Washington was elected commander-in-chief of the United Colonies army. 1909 Representatives from England, Australia and South Africa met at Lord s to set up the

Friday June 15

1215 The Magna Carta was signed by King John at Runnymede.

1775 George Washington was elected commander-in-chief of the United Colonies' army.

1909 Representatives from England, Australia and South Africa met at Lord's to set up the Imperial Cricket Conference.

1965 The Beatles were awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list

2000 Former South African Test cricket captain Hansie Cronje admitted taking £5,000 after match-fixing allegations.

Deaths: Jerome K Jerome, author of Three Men in a Boat, 1927; James Hunt, ex-world champion motor racing champion, 1993; Ella Fitzgerald, legendary jazz singer, 1996.

Today's birthdays: Richard Baker, ex-BBC newsreader, 82; Noddy Holder, of Slade, 61; Demi Roussos, singer, 60; Helen Hunt, actress, 44; Courteney Cox Arquette, actress, 43.

Saturday June 16

1487 The War of the Roses concluded at Stoke Field in Nottinghamshire.

1903 The Ford Motor Company was established.

1955 First showing of Walt Disney's Lady and the Tramp.

1972 A break-in was reported at the Democratic Party's headquarters at the Watergate building.

1977 Leonid Brezhnev became President of the USSR.

Deaths: Gen William Bramwell Booth, head of the Salvation Army, 1929; John Reith, director-general of the BBC, 1971; Nicholas Ray, director of Rebel Without a Cause, 1979; Screaming Lord Sutch, leader of the Monster Raving Loony Party, 1999.

Today's birthdays: Tom Graveney, ex-England Test batsman, 80; James Bolam, actor, 69.

Sunday June 17

1885 The Statute of Liberty arrived in the US.

1954 First edition of Record Mirror published.

1970 The Range Rover was unveiled.

1998 The American Film Institute named Citizen Kane as the Greatest American Movie of All Time.

Deaths: Joseph Addison, writer who helped set up The Spectator, 1719; Cardinal Basil Hume, Archbishop of Westminster, 1999.

Today's birthdays: Newt Gingrich, right-wing US politician, 64; Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, 62; Eddy Merckx, Tour de France legend, 62; Barry Manilow, singer, 61; Nicky Clarke, hairdresser, 49; Venus Williams, Wimbledon ladies' champion, 27.

Monday June 18

1815 Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo.

1963 Henry Cooper lost to Cassius Clay in his bid to become world heavyweight champion.

1975 First British oil from the North Sea pumped ashore.

Deaths: John Wood, architect of The Royal Crescent in Bath, 1782; William Cobbett, author of Rural Rides, 1835; Samuel Butler, novelist, 1902; Roald Amundsen, explorer, 1928.

Today's birthdays: Delia Smith, celebrity chef, 66; Sir Paul McCartney, singer-songwriter, 65; Alison Moyett, singer-songwriter, 46.

Tuesday June 19

1846 First organised baseball game, played in New Jersey.

1997 William Hague became leader of the Conservative Party.

1999 Prince Edward married Sophie Rhys Jones.

Deaths: JM Barrie, creator of Peter Pan, 1937; Sir William Golding, author of Lord of the Flies, 1993.

Today's birthdays: Salman Rushie, author, 60; Kathleen Turner, actress, 53; Sophie Grigson, celebrity chef, 48; Boris Johnson, MP and ex-editor of The Spectator, 43.

Wednesday June 20

1837 Queen Victoria succeeded to the British throne after the death of William IV.

1948 The British Dental Association told dentists not to join the NHS.

1969 David Bowie recorded Space Oddity at Trident Studios in London.

1987 First Rugby World Cup Final saw the All Blacks defeat France.

Deaths: William IV, 1837.

Today's birthdays: Brian Wilson, of the Beach Boys, 65; Lionel Ritchie, singer-songwriter, 58; Vikram Seth, author of A Suitable Boy, 52; Nicole Kidman, actress, 40; Frank Lampard, England and Chelsea soccer star, 29.

Thursday June 21

1955 Ruth Ellis became the last women to be sentenced to death in Britain.

1970 Tony Jacklin won the US Open.

1975 First Cricket World Cup, won by the West Indies.

Deaths: Indigo Jones, architect, 1652; Nikolai Rimsy-Korsakov, Russian composer, 1908; Maureen Connolly, ex-Wimbledon women's champion, 1969; John Lee Hooker, musician, 2001.

Today's birthdays: Jane Russell, actress, 86; Sir Bernard Ingham, ex-press secretary to Margaret Thatcher, 75; Ray Davies, of the Kinks, 63; Ian McKewan, author, 59; Benazir Bhutto, ex-Pakistan Prime Minister, 54; Prince William, 25.