In this week: 5th - 11th April

5^th April

Churchill

65 years ago – in 1955, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced his retirement because of his failing health. He was succeeded by Anthony Eden 2 days later.

Jane Asher (actress), 74

John Hartson (Welsh footballer), 45

6^th April

700 years ago – in 1320, Scotland confirmed its independence by signing the Declaration of Arbroath which was sent to Pope John XXII.

Post-It note

40 years ago – in 1980, Post-It Notes went on sale throughout the USA, produced by 3M. They were sold on a limited introductory basis in 1979, and were marketed (unsuccessfully) as sticky bookmarks in four U.S. cities in 1977. They were released in Canada and Europe in 1981.

Rory Bremner (Scottish actor), 59

Lachlan Coote (Rugby League player), 30

7^th April

Wordsworth

250 years ago – in 1770, British Romantic poet William Wordsworth was born (he was Poet Laureate 1843–50).

100 years ago – in 1920, Friend of the Beatles, Ravi Shankar was born. Renowned Indian sitar player and composer of Indian classical music who helped popularize the sitar in Western music. Died in 2012

Dennis Amiss (England cricketer), 77.

John Oates (US singer-songwriter), 72

8^th April

Vivienne West wood (UK fashion designer), 79

Julian Lennon (UK singer-songwriter, son of John), 57.

9^th April

15 years ago – in 2005, Charles, Prince of Wales married Camilla Parker Bowles, who gained the title the Duchess of Cornwall.

Valerie Singleton (children’s TV presenter), 83

Michael Learned (US actress, Olivia Walton in the Waltons), 81

10^th April

McCartney

50 years ago – in 1970, British rock musician Paul McCartney announced that he had left the Beatles saying the band would never perform together again.

25 years ago – in 1995, the UK National DNA Database was launched. It was the world’s first national DNA database. It holds DNA samples collected from crime scenes and taken from police suspects.

Gloria Hunniford (UK radio and TV host), 80

Nicky Campbell (Scottish broadcaster), 59.

11^th April

50 years ago – in 1970, NASA launched Apollo 13 on its ill‐fated mission to the Moon.

Supergun

30 years ago – in 1990, British Customs officers announced that they had seized what they believed to be the barrel of a massive “supergun” on a ship bound for Iraq.

Jill Gascoine (English actress), 83

Bob Harris (UK radio DJ), 74.

#TattyHistory