It happened today – this day in history – September 19

1356: English forces under Edward The Black Prince defeat the French at theBattle of Poitiers and capture the French King during the Hundred Years’ War.

1796: George Washington gives his farewell address as US president.

1876: The first carpet sweeper is patented by Melville Bissell of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

1879: Blackpool Illuminations are switched on for the first time.

1881: US president James Garfield dies aged 49 from wounds suffered when he was shot in July.

1893: New Zealand becomes the first country to grant all women the right to vote.

1896: Dr Acacio Gabriel Viegas detects the first case of the Bombay plague epidemic in Mandvi. It goes on to kill 12 million people in India.

1908: Gustav Mahler’s 7th Symphony premieres in Prague.

1931: Japanese troops conquer Mukden, South Manchuria.

1934: Bruno Haptmann is arrested for kidnapping the Lindbergh baby.

1940: Polish resistance fighter Witold Pilecki is voluntarily captured and sent to Auschwitz in order to smuggle out information and start a resistance.

1945: William Joyce (German progaganda broadcaster Lord Haw Haw) is sentenced to death in London.

1952: While back in Britain for the premiere of his film Limelight, the US prevents Charlie Chaplin from returning to Hollywood until he is investigated by the Immigration Services.

1955: Argentine president Juan Peron resigns and flees.

1959: Soviet first secretary Nikita Khrushchev is denied entry to Disneyland.

1961: American couple Betty and Barney Hill claim that they saw a mysterious craft in the sky and that it tried to abduct them.

1972: An Israeli diplomat was killed when a letter bomb exploded at the embassy in London.

1973: Gram Parsons (Cecil Ingram Connor III), formerly of The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, died from a heroin overdose in Joshua Tree, California. His coffin was stolen by manager Phil Kaufman and Michael Martin, a former roadie for The Byrds, and taken to Cap Rock in the California desert, where it was set alight in accordance with Parson’s wishes.

1974: The KGB begin a large-scale operation to discredit Russian novelist Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and cut his communications with Soviet dissidents.

1975: Fawlty Towers premieres on BBC2.

1980:

THAMES
	09.30	Rocket Robin Hood
	09.50	Nature of Things
	10.40	Story Hour
	11.30	White Stone
	12.00	A Handful of Songs
	12.10	Once Upon a Time
	12.30	Home-Made for the Home
	13.00	News at One
	13.20	Thames News
	13.30	For Maddie with Love
	14.00	Houseparty
	14.25	Mid-week Racing
	16.15	The Danedyke Mystery
	16.45	Runaround
	17.15	Emmerdale Farm
	17.45	News at 5.45
	18.00	Thames News
	18.30 – 19.00	Thames Sport
	LONDON WEEKEND
	19.00	Bruce Forsyth’s Play Your Cards Right
	19.30	The Incredible Hulk Starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferigno
	20.30	Holding the Fort
	21.00	The Gentle Touch Police series starring Jill Gascoigne
	22.00	News at Ten
	22.30	Benson American comedy series
	23.00	Seven Ages
	23.45	Sidestreet
	BBC ONE
	06.40	Open University
	07.55	Closedown
	12.45	Midday News
	13.00	Pebble Mill at One
	13.45	Bod
	14.00	Closedown
	15.20	Ddeng Mlynedd yn 61 – neu Fwy
	15.53	Regional News (exc London)
	15.55	Play School
	16.20	Laurel and Hardy
	16.25	Puzzle Trail
	16.40	Buford Files and Dinky Dog
	17.05	Four-in-Hand
	17.35	Paddington
	17.40	Evening News
	17.55	Nationwide
	19.00	It’s a Knockout The sixth international heat, in which eight teams compete for the Jeux sans Frontières Silver Trophy
	20.20	Terry and June Terry Scott and June Whitfield sitcom
	20.50	Points of View
	21.00	Nine O’Clock News
	21.25	Starsky and Hutch Police adventure series starring Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul
	22.15	Living Legends
	22.45	News Headlines; Weather
	22.50	The Late Film: Lonely Are the Brave (1962) Starring Kirk Douglas and Walter Matthau
	BBC TWO
	06.40	Open University
	07.55	Closedown
	11.00	Play School
	11.25	Closedown
	14.30	Racing from Newbury
	16.30	Closedown
	16.50	Open University
	18.55	International Darts
	19.25	Mid-Evening News
	19.35	MacLeod’s America
	19.55	Gardeners’ World
	20.20	The Southampton International Boat Show 1980
	21.00	Escape
	21.50	Ronnie Prophet Entertains
	22.20	International Darts
	22.45	Newsnight

1982: Singles chart:

1. Eye Of The Tiger – Survivor
2. The Bitterest Pill – The Jame
3. Private Investigations – Dire Straits
4. Walking On Sunshine – Rocker’s Revenge ft Donnie Calvin
5. All Of My Heart – ABC
6. There It Is – Shalamar
7. Save A Prayer – Duran Duran
8. The Message – Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five
9. Saddle Up – David Christie
10. Friend Or Foe – Adam Ant

Album chart:

1. The Kids From Fame – Kids From Fame
2. Chartbeat Chartheat – Various Artists
3. The Dreaming – Kate Bush
4. Upstairs At Eric’s – Yazoo
5. The Lexicon Of Love – ABC
6. New Gold Dream (81, 82, 83, 84) – Simple Minds
7. In The Heat Of The Night – Imagination
8. Rio – Duran Duran
9. Breakout – Various Artists
10. Signals – Rush

1983:St Kitts & Nevis declares independence from Britain.

1985: Mexico City is hit by a devastating earthquake.

1986: Two passenger trains collide at Colwich Junction near Rugeley in Staffs, killing one of the drivers and injuring 75.

1988: British swimmer Adrian Moorehouse wins the 100m breaststroke gold medal at the Seoul Olympics.

1990: Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Ray Liota, is released.

1997: An Intercity 125 ploughs into a freight train near Southall station, west London, killing six and injuring more than 150. The driver of the Swansea-Paddington service was arrested by London Transport Police.

1999: Songwriter, and record producer, Ed Cobb died. He wrote the hit ‘Tainted Love’.

2004: Europe retains the Ryder Cup.

2006: The Thai military stages a coup in Bangkok. The constitution is revoked and martial law is declared.

2008: George Michael is arrested in a public toilet in the Hampstead Heath area for possession of Class A and C drugs.

2010: “The King’s Speech” directed by Tom Hooper and starring Colin Firth, wins the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.

2015: Author Jackie Collins dies aged 77.

2016: Angelina Jolie files for divorce from Brad Pitt.

2017: Champion boxer Jake LaMotta, subject of the film Raging Bull, dies at 95.

2019: Tropical Depression Imelda hits southeast Texas and Louisiana prompting widespread evacuations.

BIRTHDAYS: David McCallum, actor, 87; Paul Williams, songwriter, 80; Freda Payne, singer, 75; John Coughlan, drummer (Status Quo) 74; Lol Creme, guitarist/singer/songwriter/video director (10cc) 73; Ray Cooper, percussionist, 73; Jeremy Irons, actor, 72; Twiggy (Lesley Hornsby), model, 71; Daniel Lanois, record producer, 69; Nile Rodgers, guitarist/songwriter/producer, 68; Lita Ford, guitarist (The Runaways) 62; David Seaman, goalkeeper, 57; Jarvis Cocker, singer-songwriter (Pulp) 57; Trisha Yearwood, country singer, 56; Candy Dulfer, saxophonist, 51; Victoria Silvstedt, model, 46; Jimmy Fallon, comedian, chatshow host, 46; Ryan Dusick drummer (Maroon 5) 43; Scott Bradlee, musician (Postmodern Jukebox) 39; Danielle Panabaker, actress/director, 33.

It happened today – this day in history – September 18