This Day in History - 4th October

1535 The first complete English language Bible (the Coverdale Bible) was printed by London printer Miles Coverdale, with translations by William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale.

1821 The death of the engineer John Rennie. His work on canals, aqueducts, bridges and dockyards mark him as one of the greatest engineers of his age. His first works were canals, notably the Lancaster Canal and the Kennet & Avon Canal, including the infamous Caen Hill Flight.

1829 John Thompson of London designed the first greeting card.

1883 The Boys' Brigade was founded, in Glasgow, by Sir William Alexander Smith. The interdenominational Christian youth organisation combines drill and fun activities with Christian values. In May 1903, Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scout Association, became their vice-president. By 2003, there were 500,000 Boys' Brigade members in 60 countries.

1911 Britain's first underground escalators were introduced. They connected the District Line and Piccadilly Line platforms at Earl's Court underground station in London.

1939 The birth, in London, of Jackie Collins, author and the younger sister of actress Joan Collins. In total, her books have sold over 500 million copies and have been translated into 40 languages. Eight of her novels have been adapted for the screen, either as films or television mini-series. She died (aged 77) on 19th September 2015 at Beverly Hills, California.

1948 The birth of Ann Widdecombe, former MP and a novelist since 2000. She retired from politics at the 2010 general election.

1958 Aviation history was made when 2 British designed and built De Havilland Comet 4 airliners operated by BOAC (now British Airways) made the first scheduled jet passenger service flights across the North Atlantic.

1963 The Beatles made their first appearance on the ITV show Ready Steady Go!

1965 The BBC announced it would begin broadcasting a new programme for immigrants.

1973 The BBC broadcast the 500th edition of Top Of The Pops. On the show were Slade, Gary Glitter and The Osmonds.

1976 British Rail began its new 125mph Intercity 'High Speed Train' service. At the time of its introduction it was the fastest diesel-powered train in regular service in the world and remained so for many years afterwards. Engineers have calculated that, with a certain amount of rewiring, the Mark 3 carriages can be made to last until at least 2035.

1996 Following a series of 'memoir books' regarding events in the Gulf War, members of the SAS and other British forces were to sign a 'contract of silence' or face dismissal.

2000 It was reported that Harry Potter author JK Rowling had donated a six figure sum to the National Council for One Parent Families.

2001 Michael Stone was found guilty, for the second time, of the murders of Dr. Lin Russell and her daughter Megan, killed on 9th July 1996 in an attempted robbery. 9 year old Josie survived, with severe head injuries, but went on to make an excellent recovery.

2010 The death of Sir Norman Wisdom, English comedian, singer, songwriter and actor.

2103 London won the coveted title of number one 'Crap Town' in the UK, held for the previous decade by Hull, . Not only was Hull stripped of its title, it completely dropped out of the top 50. Less than 2 months later, Hull was named the UK's next City of Culture, beating Leicester, Dundee and Swansea Bay to the right to hold the title in 2017.

2013 93 year old Clifford Dadson, from Cumbria become the oldest graduate in the UK after receiving an Arts degree from the Open University. He began studying when his wife, Rae, passed away in 2009 and has vowed to continue studying by signing up to a religious module with the university.