On this day

1767 – Norway's oldest newspaper still in print, Adresseavisen, is founded and the first edition is published.

1848 – Slaves are freed in the Danish West Indies (now U.S. Virgin Islands) by Peter von Scholten in the culmination of a year-long plot by enslaved Africans.

1884 – Dow Jones and Company publishes its first stock average.

1886 – Karl Benz officially unveils the Benz Patent Motorwagen, the first purpose-built automobile.

1920 - The first RAF air display took place at Hendon, near London.

1928 - A policeman's helmet and a bunch of roses were among the pictures shown on John Logie Baird's first colour television test transmission at Baird Studios, in London.

1938 – The world speed record for a steam railway locomotive is set in England, by the Mallard, which reaches a speed of 126 miles per hour (203 km/h).

1940 – World War II: the French fleet of the Atlantic based at Mers el Kebir, is bombarded by the British fleet, coming from Gibraltar, causing the loss of three battleships: Dunkerque, Provence and Bretagne. One thousand two hundred sailors perish.

1954 - The end of food rationing in Britain - almost 9 years after the end of World War II. Smithfield Meat Market in London opened at midnight instead of 6am to cope with the demand for beef.

1969 – The biggest explosion in the history of rocketry occurs when the Soviet N-1 rocket explodes and subsequently destroys its launchpad.

1969 - Brian Jones, a founding member of the British rock group Rolling Stones, drowned in his swimming pool from a drug overdose.

1988 – The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey is completed, providing the second connection between the continents of Europe and Asia over the Bosporus.

1996 - It was announced that the Stone of Scone, the symbol of Scottish nationalism, stolen by Edward I of England in 1296, was to be returned to Scotland from Westminster Abbey where it has been used in the coronation of 30 British monarchs.

2005 – Same-sex marriage in Spain becomes legal.

1054 – A supernova is seen by Chinese, Arab, and possibly Amerindian observers near the star Zeta Tauri. For several months it remains bright enough to be seen during the day. Its remnants form the Crab Nebula.

1776 – American Revolution: The United States Declaration of Independence is adopted by the Second Continental Congress.

1803 – The Louisiana Purchase is announced to the American people.

1862 - Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll), told Alice Liddell a story as they were rowing on the Isis through Oxford, that would grow into Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequels.

1879 – Anglo-Zulu War: the Zululand capital of Ulundi is captured by British troops and burnt to the ground, thus, ending the war and forcing King Cetshwayo to flee.

1886 – The people of France offer the Statue of Liberty to the people of the United States.

1903 – Dorothy Levitt is reported as the first woman in the world to compete in a motor race.

1947 - The 'Indian Independence Bill' was presented before the House of Commons, proposing the partition of the Provinces of British India into two sovereign countries – India and Pakistan.

1969 – Two teens (one male, one female) are attacked at Blue Rock Springs in California. They are the second (known) victims of the Zodiac Killer. The male survives.

1987 – In France, former Gestapo chief Klaus Barbie (aka the "Butcher of Lyon") is convicted of crimes against humanity and is sentenced to life imprisonment.

1997 – NASA's Pathfinder space probe lands on the surface of Mars.

2006 – North Korea tests four short-range missiles, one medium-range missile, and a long-range Taepodong-2. The long-range Taepodong-2 reportedly fails in mid-air over the Sea of Japan.

2009 – The Statue of Liberty's crown reopens to the public after eight years of closure due to security concerns following the September 11 attacks.

2012 – The Higgs boson particle is discovered at the CERN Large Hadron Collider.

1295 – Scotland and France form an alliance, the so-called Auld Alliance, against England.

1687 - Isaac Newton published his Principia, stating Newton's laws of motion, Newton's law of gravitation, and a derivation of Kepler's laws of the motion of the planets. The Principia is regarded as one of the most important works in the history of science.

1811 - Venezuela became the first South American country to declare independence from Spain.

1865 – The Salvation Army is founded in the East End of London, England.

1937 – Spam, the luncheon meat, is introduced into the market by the Hormel Foods Corporation.

1943 – World War II: German forces begin a massive offensive against the Soviet Union at the Battle of Kursk. Also know as Operation Citadel

1945 - Churchill lost the General Election after leading Britain throughout World War II. Attlee’s Labour Party won 393 seats to the Tories’ 213.

1946 - The modern bikini, designed by Louis Reard, made its debut during an outdoor fashion show in Paris.

1948 - Britain's National Health Service came into operation.

1954 – The BBC broadcasts its first television news bulletin.

1969 - The Rolling Stones gave a free concert in Hyde Park, London, two days after the death of guitarist Brian Jones. It was attended by 250,000 people.

1975 – Arthur Ashe becomes the first black man to win the Wimbledon singles title.

1996 – Dolly the sheep becomes the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.

2009 – The largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever discovered, consisting of more than 1,500 items, is found near the village of Hammerwich, near Lichfield, in Staffordshire, England.

1189 – Richard I (the Lionheart) is crowned King of England.

1557 – King Philip II of Spain, consort of Queen Mary I of England, sets out from Dover to war with France, which eventually results in the loss of the City of Calais, the last English possession on the continent, and Mary I never seeing her husband again.

1885 - French scientist Louis Pasteur successfully tests his vaccine against rabies. The patient is Joseph Meister, a boy who was bitten by a rabid dog.

1917 – World War I: Arabian troops led by T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) and Auda ibu Tayi capture Aqaba from the Ottoman Empire during the Arab Revolt.

1919 - The first airship to cross the Atlantic, the British-built R34, arrived in New York.

1924 - The first photo was sent experimentally across Atlantic by radio, from the US to England.

1947 – The AK-47 goes into production in the Soviet Union.

1957 - Future Beatles John Lennon and Paul McCartney were introduced to each other when Lennon's band, the Quarrymen, performed at St. Peter's Church Hall in Woolton, Merseyside.

1988 – The Piper Alpha drilling platform in the North Sea is destroyed by explosions and fires. 167 oil workers are killed, making it the world's worst offshore oil disaster in terms of direct loss of life.

2005 - The International Olympic Committee announced that the 2012 Olympic Games would be held in London.

1307 - England's King Edward I, conqueror of Wales and 'Hammer of the Scots' died on the way to Scotland to fight Robert the Bruce. He was succeeded by Edward II.

1456 – A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her death.

1892 – Katipunan: the Revolutionary Philippine Brotherhood is established, contributing to the fall of the Spanish Empire in Asia.

1898 – U.S. President William McKinley signs the Newlands Resolution annexing Hawaii as a territory of the United States.

1911 – The United States, Great Britain, Japan, and Russia sign the North Pacific Fur Seal Convention of 1911 banning open-water seal hunting, the first international treaty to address wildlife preservation issues.

1946 – Howard Hughes nearly dies when his XF-11 spy plane prototype crashes in a Beverly Hills neighborhood.

1954 – Elvis Presley made his radio debut when WHBQ Memphis played his first recording for Sun Records, "That's All Right."

1981 - The Church of England decided that divorcees would be allowed to re-marry in a church ceremony.

1985 - German tennis player Boris Becker, an unseeded 17 year old, became the youngest player to win the men's singles championship at Wimbledon.

2005 - A series of bomb attacks on London's transport network killed 52 people and injured 700 others. It was the largest and deadliest terrorist attack in London's history.

1969: Brian Jones died of 'drink and drugs'
Former Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones drowned after taking a cocktail of drink and drugs, an inquest has been told.
A verdict of death by misadventure was recorded by the coroner, Dr Angus Sommerville, after hearing the inquest into the star's death at East Sussex coroner's court.

Brian Jones was found dead in the swimming pool of his home at Cotchford Farm in Hartfield in Sussex four days ago.

The blonde-haired guitarist with a reputation for wearing flamboyant clothes and jewellery was one of the founder members of the Stones. He left the band a month ago citing musical differences and was planning to set up a new group.

Bottom of the pool

The inquest was told the musician had gone for a midnight swim after complaining of the heat. His girlfriend Anna Wohlin, another friend Janet Lawson and a builder, Frank Thorogood, had spent the evening with him.

Mr Jones and Mr Thorogood had been drinking spirits and the guitarist had also been seen taking some pills.

Miss Lawson, who is a nurse, said she had warned the men they were not in a fit state to go swimming but they had disregarded her warning.

The alarm was raised by the housekeeper, Mary Haddock, who found the musician's body at the bottom of the pool.

Miss Wohlin said she dived in and pulled him out and gave him artificial respiration.

She felt his hand grip hers briefly, but there was no other movement.

By the time the police and ambulance arrived he was dead.

Pc Albert Evans told the inquest he was called to the farm at 1210 hours and found the guitarist already dead.

He recovered a small bottle of brandy, which was almost empty, and a vodka bottle and small bottle of whisky, both of which were partially empty. He also found a number of bottles containing different types of pills.

First reports suggested Brian Jones had died after an asthma attack in the pool, brought on by the high pollen count.

But he lived a rock'n'roll lifestyle, was a heavy drinker and also had a history of drug-taking.

He had spent some time at the Priory rehabilitation clinic in Roehampton, south-west London, where he was diagnosed as paranoid.

Later he escaped a custodial sentence at the Appeal Court for drugs offences. His sentence was overturned on condition he continued to see a psychiatrist and received medical treatment.

He bought Cotchford Farm as a retreat and was reported to have given up drugs and was planning to settle down with his latest girlfriend.


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Brian Jones had a reputation for flamboyant clothes and jewellery



In Context
Brian Jones's body was embalmed, his hair bleached white and he was reportedly buried in a special metal casket, paid for by Bob Dylan and flown in from the United States.
Speculation surrounding Jones' death continues with a number of conspiracy theories.

A film, Stoned, released in 2005 claimed Jones was killed by his builder, Frank Thorogood, to whom he owed money. Mr Thorogood is also said to have made a deathbed confession in 1993.

Another theory is that he was murdered by being pumped full of drugs and then dumped in the pool.

The Brian Jones Fan Club, supported by one of his ex-girlfriends, has been campaigning to get the investigation into his death reopened.

It claims new evidence has been unearthed about his death and it has passed a dossier of information to Sussex Police.


Stories From 7 Jul
2005: Bomb attacks on London
2001: Two stabbed in Bradford race riots
1976: British grandmother missing in Uganda
1985: Boris Becker wins Wimbledon at 17
1969: Brian Jones died of 'drink and drugs'
1998: Chief's death sparks turmoil in Nigeria

1099 – First Crusade: 15,000 starving Christian soldiers march in a religious procession around Jerusalem as its Muslim defenders look on.

1579 – Our Lady of Kazan, a holy icon of the Russian Orthodox Church, is discovered underground in the city of Kazan, Tatarstan.

1884 - The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) was founded in London.

1889 – The first issue of The Wall Street Journal is published.

1947 – Reports are broadcast that a UFO crash landed in Roswell, New Mexico.

1982 – Assassination attempt against Iraqi president Saddam Hussein in Dujail.

1988 – The Island Express train travelling from Bangalore to Kanyakumari derails on the Peruman bridge and falls into Ashtamudi Lake, killing 105 passengers and injuring over 200 more.

1994 – Kim Jong-il begins to assume supreme leadership of North Korea upon the death of his father, Kim Il-sung.

2000 - J. K. Rowling's fourth Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire went on sale, breaking all publishing records.

2011 – The Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched in the final mission of the U.S. Space Shuttle program.

1540 – King Henry VIII of England annuls his marriage to his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves.

1793 – The Act Against Slavery is passed in Upper Canada and the importation of slaves into Lower Canada is prohibited.

1816 – Argentina declares independence from Spain.

1877 – The inaugural Wimbledon Championships opens.

1900 – Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom gives Royal Assent to an Act creating Australia thus uniting separate colonies on the continent under one federal government.

1922 – Johnny Weissmuller swims the 100 meters freestyle in 58.6 seconds breaking the world swimming record and the 'minute barrier'.

1938 - In anticipation of World War II, 35 million gas masks were issued to Britain's civilian population.

1944 - During World War II, American forces secured Saipan as the last Japanese defenses fell.

1947 - Princess Elizabeth (the Queen) and Philip Mountbatten announced their engagement.

1955 – The Russell–Einstein Manifesto is released by Bertrand Russell in London, England, United Kingdom.

1962 – Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans exhibition opens at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles.

1986 – The Parliament of New Zealand passes the Homosexual Law Reform Act legalising homosexuality in New Zealand.

2008 – Iran conducts the Great Prophet III missile test and war games exercise.

138 – Emperor Hadrian dies after a heart failure at Baiae; he is buried at Rome in the Tomb of Hadrian beside his late wife, Vibia Sabina.

1553 - Lady Jane Grey, the 9 days Queen, took the throne of England until 19th July when she was succeeded by Mary I. She was later charged with high treason and executed in November of the same year.

1882 – War of the Pacific: Chile suffers its last military defeat in the Battle of La Concepción when a garrison of 77 men is annihilated by a 1,300-strong Peruvian force, many of them armed with spears.

1913 – Death Valley, California hits 134 °F (~56.7 °C), the highest temperature recorded in the United States.

1940 - World War II: The first in a long series of German bombing raids against Great Britain, as the Battle of Britain, which lasted three and a half months, began.

1962 - The Telstar communications satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, allowing Europe and the United States to view each other's programs.

1973 - The Bahamas became independent after three centuries of British colonial rule.

1985 - The Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior was blown up in Auckland harbour, New Zealand.

1996 - Nelson Mandela received eight honorary degrees at Buckingham Palace.

1997 – In London scientists report the findings of the DNA analysis of a Neanderthal skeleton which supports the out of Africa theory of human evolution placing an African Eve at 100,000 to 200,000 years ago.

2002 – At a Sotheby's auction, Peter Paul Rubens' painting The Massacre of the Innocents is sold for £49.5million (US$76.2 million) to Lord Thomson.

1776 - Captain Cook sailed from Plymouth in the Resolution, accompanied by the Discovery, on his last expedition.

1848 – Waterloo railway station in London opens.

1859 - Big Ben, in the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament, tolled for the first time.

1936 – The Triborough Bridge in New York, New York is opened to traffic.

1957 – Prince Karim Husseini Aga Khan IV inherits the office of Imamat as the 49th Imam of Shia Imami Ismaili worldwide, after the death of Sir Sultan Mahommed Shah Aga Khan III.

1960 – To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is first published.