On this day in history.

1894
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Blackpool Tower first opened to the public
 
1847
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HMS Driver completed the first circumnavigation of the world by a steamship
 
1796 Edward Jenner became the first British physician to carry out a successful vaccination; on an eight year old boy against smallpox.
 
1804 Lewis and Clark embarked from the American Midwest on their famous expedition to the Pacific coast
 
1607 The first permanent British settlement in North America was founded at Jamestown, Virginia.
 
1980 We came under direct air attack for the first time. Four Skyhawks popped over the hills and down on to San Carlos water. Two came for us and dropped bombs which fell short. One was hit by AA as it made for the horizon and went down. It was the only time we were ever directly targeted. The pilots just had seconds to pick a target as they came over the hills and until the RAF got their Rapier Missile batteries onto the hills there was just a few seconds for our AA to have a go at them.

Argentinian Skyhawk pilots were ridiculously brave and skilled. Flying low and fast through brutal weather in to SAMs, and Sea Harriers to attack our anchored ships with unguided 'iron' bombs. It was up-close and personal and they sank four ships and ten damaged.
We got two dozen of them. Once the Rapiers were in place the attacks subsided.
 
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1536 The trial of Anne Boleyn. She was accused of incest, sleeping with 4 men and an assassination plot against her husband, King Henry VIII. She was found guilty by a specially-selected jury and executed four days later.
 
1941 The first flight of Britain's first jet propelled aircraft, the Gloster-Whittle E.28/39
 
1990 Home produced beef was banned in UK schools and hospitals as a result of concern over 'mad cow disease'
 
1841 First emigrant wagon train to reach California leaves Independence, Missouri,
 
1940 Richard and Maurice McDonald open the first McDonald's restaurant in San Bernardino, California
 
1943 Launch of Operation Chastise, attack on German Mohne and Eder dams by RAF No. 617 Squadron.
 
1982 Overnight SAS and SBS raid on Pebble Island destroys the entire squadron of Pukara ground attack aircraft. As they withdrew HMS Glamorgan shelled the base with 4.5 inch gunfire to distract the Argentinian ground forces, destroying the fuel and ammunition stores.
 
1804 Napoléon Bonaparte is proclaimed Emperor of France by the French Senate
 
1982 We we shot down our only air target a Skyhawk. A combination of 4.5 inch fire and a Seacat missile.
 
1940
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Churchill made his first broadcast as Prime Minister and called Nazism "the foulest and most soul-destroying tyranny that has ever darkened and stained the pages of history."
 
1662
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The Act of Uniformity gave consent to the revised English Prayer Book and denied the right to take up arms against the king. Presbyterianism in the Church was destroyed and many ministers who did not confirm were ejected. A Licensing Act forbade imports of literature contrary to Christian faith.
 
1649 England is declared a Commonwealth by an act of the Rump Parliament, making England a republic for the next 11 years
 
1191
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English King Richard I 'the Lion Heart' conquered Cyprus on his way to join the Crusaders in north west Israel.
 
1913
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The first Chelsea Flower Show was held in the grounds of the Royal Hospital
 
1927 At 7:40 AM, Charles Lindbergh takes off from New York to cross the Atlantic for Paris
 
1455 Richard of York and the Nevilles attacked the court at St Albans, capturing Henry VI and killing Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset.
 
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