It happened today – this day in history – May 11

330: Byzantium becomes the capital of the Roman Empire.

1310: 54 Knights Templar are burned at the stake in France for being heretics.

1778: Death of William Pitt the Elder aged 69.

1812: Prime Minister Spencer Percival is assassinated by John Bellingham in the lobby of the House of Commons. On the same day, the waltz is introduced into English ballrooms. Some observers consider it disgusting and immoral.

1888: Birth of songwriter Irving Berlin (Israel Isidore Baline) in Russia.

1891: Prince Nicholas (later Tsar Nicolas II of Russia) survives an assassination attempt in Japan.

1900:James J Jeffries KOs James J Corbett in Round 23 for the heavyweight boxing title.

1904: Birth of surrealist Salvador Dali in Spain.

1927: Louis B Mayer forms the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

1928: Walter Hagen wins the British Open golf tournament for the third time.

1931: “M” Fritz Lang’s first sound film starring Peter Lorre premieres in Berlin.

1949: Israel becomes a member of the United Nations. On the same day, Siam renames itself Thailand.

1960: Israeli soldiers capture Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in Buenos Aires.

1963: British businessman Greville Wynne is sentenced by a tribunal in Moscow to eight years detention (three years in prison followed by five years in a Labour camp) accused of spying for the west. His co-accused, Soviet official Oleg Penkovsky, is sentenced to death and executed by firing squad a week later.

1966: Real Madrid beat Partizan Belgrade 2-1 to win the European Cup in Brussels.

1967: Britain, Ireland and Denmark apply for membership of the EEC.

1968: Students and police battle in Paris.

1969: John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam begin writing sketches for Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

1971: The Daily Sketch newspaper closes.

1972: John Lennon appears on US television ‘Dick Cavett Show’, claiming he is under surveillance from the FBI. Turns out he was right.

1976: Elton John becomes chairman of Watford FC.

1981: Bob Marley dies aged 36 from cancer.

1983: Aberdeen win the European Cup Winner’s Cup, beating Real Madrid 2-1 in Gothenburg.

On TV (Wednesday)

1984: Johan Cruyff retires from playing football.

1985: A fire breaks out in the wooden main stand at Bradford City’s Vallley Parade ground during the game against Lincoln City. 56 fans perish.

1987: The first combined heart and lung transplant is carried out in Baltimore.

1997: Singles chart

1. You’re Not Alone – Olive
2. Lovefool – The Cardigans
3. Wonderful Tonight – Damage
4. You Might Need Somebody – Shola Ama
5. I Believe I Can Fly – R. Kelly
6. Love Won’t Wait – Gary Barlow
7. I’m A Man Not A Boy – North and South
8. Kowalski – Primal Scream
9. Susan’s House – Eels
10. Bellissima – DJ Quicksilver

Album chart

1. Spice – The Spice Girls
2. Flaming Pie – Paul McCartney
3. Tellin’ Stories – The Charlatans
4. White On Blonde – Texas
5. In it For The Money – Supergrass
6. Republica – Republica
7. Andromeda Heights – Prefab Sprout
8. Travelling Without Moving – Jamiroquai
9. It Doesn’t Matter Anymore – The Supernaturals
10. Shelter – Brand New Heavies

1998: India announces it has carried out a series of underground nuclear tests.

2000: Death of author Douglas Adams aged 49.

2003: Jimi Hendrix Experience bassist Noel Redding dies aged 57.

2004: Songwriter John Whitehead, composer of Ain’t No Stopping Us Now and Back Stabbers, is killed by a gunman.

2006: George Michael is involved in his second minor car crash in a month. After a tabloid photographer found him asleep in his parked car in central London, the singer crashes into a bollard as he drives away.

2010: David Cameron becomes Prime Minister after forming a coalition government between the Liberal Democrats and his own Conservative Party.

2013: Wigan Athletic cause a major upset, defeating Manchester City 1-0 at Wembley to win the FA Cup.

2015: Picasso’s The Women of Algiers (Version ‘O’) sells for a record $179.3 million at Christies in New York.

2016: The Brazilian senate votes to suspend President Dilma Rousssef and put her on trial for budgetary violations.

2018: A grandfather shoots six members of his family and himself at Margaret River, Western Australia.

2021: An inquest into the 1971 Ballymurphy killing of ten people finds the victims were innocent and killed (nine by soldiers) using unjustified force.

2022: Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh is shot and killed by Israeli forces in the city of Jenin on the West Bank.

2023: Filmmaker Kenneth Angr dies aged 96.

BIRTHDAYS: Valentino (Garavani), fashion designer, 92; Eric Burdon, singer (The Animals), 83; Pam Ferris, actress, 76; Jeremy Paxman, journalist/broadcaster, 74; Frances Fisher, actress, 72; John Parrott, snooker pundit, 60; Greg Dulli, musician 59; Christoph Schneider, drummer, (Rammstein) 58; Holly Valance, singer/actress, 41; Andrés Iniesta (Luján), footballer, 40; Thibaut Courtois, goalkeeper, 32; Yuki Tsunoda, Formula 1 driver, 24.