It happened today – this day in history – January 11

1569: The first recorded lottery in England is drawn in St Paul’s Cathedral.

1693: Mt Etna in Sicily erupts, killing about 60,000 people.

1787: Titania and Oberon, moons of Uranus, discovered by William Herschel.

1838: The first public demonstration of telegraph message sent using dots & dashes at Speedwell Ironworks, Morristown, New Jersey by Samuel Morse.

1864: Charing Cross Station opens.

1879: Anglo-Zulu War begins as British Lt-General Chelmsford invades Zululand in South Africa.

1922: Insulin first used on humans to treat diabetes.

1928: Death of author Thomas Hardy aged 87.

1958: The release date for the Elvis Presley single ‘Jailhouse Rock’ was put back a week after Decca Records pressing plant in the UK were unable to meet the advance orders of 250,000 copies.

1963: The Beatles recorded their first national TV show ‘Thank Your Lucky Stars’. They mimed to their new single ‘Please Please Me’.

1967: The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded ‘Purple Haze’ at De Lane Lea studios in London.

1972: East-Pakistan becomes independent state of Bangladesh.

1981: British team led by Ranulph Fiennes completes the longest and fastest crossing of Antarctica.

2002: Mickey Finn percussionist in Tyrannosaurus Rex (T. Rex), died of kidney and liver problems aged 55.

2005: Former Bread guitarist and Academy Award-winning songwriter James Griffin died at his home in Nashville at the age of 61 after suffering from cancer.

2008: Ringo Starr helped launch the celebrations for Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture.

2009: Death of sports broadcaster David Vine.

2014: Former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon dies aged 85.

2017: Rockabilly guitarist Tommy Allsup, who narrowly avoided boarding the plane that killed Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper, died aged 85. The musician famously lost a coin toss for a seat on the plane. His place was taken by Ritchie Valens.

BIRTHDAYS: Melvyn Hayes (Hyams) 85; Arthur Scargill, former miners union leader, 82; Tony Kaye, keyboards (Yes 1968-71 and 1983-94) 75; Lee Ritenour, guitarist, 68; John Sessions, actor, 67; Bryan Robson, former footballer, 63; Vicky Peterson, guitar (The Bangles) 62; Jason Connery, actor, 57; Mary J Blige, singer, 49; Tom Rowlands, DJ (The Chemical Brothers) 49; Emile Heskey, former footballer, 42; Tom Meighan, singer (Kasabian) 39; Jamelia, (Davis) singer, 39; Newton Faulkner, musician/singer, 35; Rachel Riley, TV personality, 34.