It happened today – this day in history – October 1

331BC: Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia at the Battle of Gaugamela.

1207: Henry III born in Winchester Castle.

1746: Bonnie Prince Charlie flees to France.

1843: The News of the World newspaper begins publication.

1867: Das Kapital by Karl Marx is published.

1908: Henry Ford introduces the Model T.

1932: Oswald Moseley forms the British Union of Fascists.

1938: Germany annexes the Sudetenland following the signing of the Munich Agreement.

1939: Winston Churchill describes Russia as “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.”

1949: The People’s Republic of China is declared by Mao Zedong.

1950: South Korean troops cross the 38^th Parallel into North Korea.

1952: Britain carries out its first atom bomb test on Monte Bello island.

1958: The US space agency NASA begins operations.

1960: Nigeria gains independence from Britain

1961: A volcanco believed to be extinct erupts in Tristan da Cunha

1962: Barbra Streisand signs her first recording contract with Columbia.

1966: Jimi Hendrix appeared live for the first time in the UK when he jammed with Cream at their gig at London Polytechnic.

1970: Jimi Hendrix was buried at The Greenwood Cemetery at the Dunlop Baptist Church, Seattle.

1971: Disneyworld opens in Florida.

1974: The Watergate cover up trial begins in Washington.

1975: Muhammad Ali stops Joe Frazier in 14 rounds to retain his World Heavyweight title in Manilla. On the same day, the drummer with Booker T and the MGs, Al Jackson, was fatally shot in his home by raiders.

1977: Pele retires from playing football.

1982: West Germany’s Christian Democrat Union ousts Helmut Schmidt as Chancellor, replacing him with Helmut Kohl.

1986: Andy McVann drummer with Liverpool band The Farm was killed in a car crash during a police chase.

1988: Mikhail Gorbachev becomes head of state of the Soviet Union.

1993: Lennox Lewis defeats Frank Bruno in his first defence of the WBO world heavyweight title in Cardiff.

1999: Child star Lena Zavaroni dies aged 35 after a long battle with anorexia.

2000: Death of Reggie Kray.

2002: James Blunt leaves the British Army.

2005: A terrorist bomb in Bali kills 23 people.

2015: A mudslide on the outskirts of Guatemala City leaves at least 131 dead and 300 missing.

BIRTHDAYS: Jimmy Carter, former US president, 95; Dame Julie Andrews, actress, 84; Jerry Martini, musician (Sly & The Family Stone), 76; Martin Turner, musician (Wishbone Ash) 72; Randy Quaid, actor, 69; John Hegley, poet, 66; Theresa May, politician, 63; Harry Hill, comedian, 55; Zach Galifanakis, actor/comedian, 50; Keith Duffy, singer (Boyzone), 45, Dizzee Rascal (Dylan Mills), rapper, 34; Brie Larson, actress, 30.