This Day in History - 17th June

1497The Battle of Deptford Bridge (also known as the Battle of Blackheath) took place On This Day. Forces under King Henry VII were victorious in what was the culminating event of the Cornish Rebellion. After carefully spreading rumours that he would attack on the following Monday, Henry moved against the Cornish at dawn on his 'lucky day' which was Saturday (17th June). By 2pm, Henry had returned to the City in triumph, knighting deserving parties on the way, and accepted the acclamation of the Mayor followed by a service of thanksgiving at St. Paul's.

1579Francis Drake anchored the Golden Hind just north of what would one day be San Francisco Bay, California and proclaimed England's sovereignty over an area he named New Albion.

1703The birth of John Wesley, English evangelist who initiated the Methodist societies and brought about an evangelical revival, not only in England, but also in North America. John was the 15th of 19 children born to Samuel Wesley, Rector of Epworth, and his wife Susanna. 

1704The birth of John Kay who patented the 'Flying Shuttle' to operate on Arkwright's cotton spinning frame. 

1766 The birth, in Portsmouth, of John Pounds, shoemaker, philanthropic teacher and the man most responsible for the creation of the concept of the Ragged School Movement. 

1775In the War of American Independence, British troops won a victory at Bunker Hill, north of Boston, Massachusetts.

1898 The birth of Harry Patch, who became the last British survivor of the World War I trenches when he died in 2009, aged 111. 

1940World War II: In a radio broadcast, Winston Churchill urged Britain to conduct herself so that this would be remembered as her finest hour.

1940World War II: The RMS Lancastria was sunk by the Luftwaffe near Saint-Nazaire, France. Over 4,000 lives were lost making it the worst ever loss of life in the sinking of a single British ship, and the bloodiest single engagement for UK forces (in terms of lives lost) in the whole of World War II. The sinking claimed more lives than the combined losses of the Titanic and Lusitania.

1945The birth of Ken Livingstone, former Labour politician and the first Mayor of London.

1964The first purpose-built floating trade fair docked at Tilbury in London with 22,000 samples of Japanese goods on board.

1980The locations for the first US nuclear missiles to be stored on British soil (at Greenham Common and Molesworth military bases) were revealed by the government.

1999The death of Cardinal Basil Hume, Roman Catholic Cardinal and Archbishop of Westminster. 

2013 The 83 year old BBC broadcaster Stuart Hall was sentenced to 15 months in jail for sexually abusing girls, including one aged 9 years old. Hall admitted 14 offences that occurred between 1967 and 1985.