BBC - On This Day
1984: Gorbachev visit to Britain a 'success'
Mikhail Gorbachev, the man widely tipped as the next leader of the Soviet Union, holds five hours of talks with British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
1969: MPs vote to abolish hanging
MPs vote by a big majority for the permanent abolition of the death penalty for murder.
1955: Queen opens London Airport terminal
Her Majesty inaugurates "The Queen's Building", part of the new central terminal area built to accommodate increasing numbers of air passengers.
2001: Thousands rally for Scots countryside
Thousands of countryside campaigners are on the streets of Edinburgh in the largest demonstration of its kind ever witnessed in Scotland.
1977: Queen opens 'tube' link to Heathrow
The Queen unveils the new underground link from central London to Heathrow - the first from a capital city to its major airport.