This Day in History - 6th May

1536King Henry VIII ordered that English language Bibles be placed in every church.

1659English Restoration: A faction of the British Army removed Richard Cromwell as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth.

1801Captain Thomas Cochrane (born at Annsfield, near Hamilton, Lanarkshire) captured the 32-gun Spanish frigate El Gamo in his 14 gun ship HMS Speedy.

1840The first postage stamps, the ‘Penny Black’ and two-penny ‘blues’, which were the brainchild of Roland Hill, became valid for postage On This Day.

1910Following the death of King Edward VII, George V acceded to the throne. He celebrated his Silver Jubilee with Queen Mary in 1935. 

1954Roger Bannister, a 25 year old English medical student, became the first man to run a mile in less than four minute (at the Iffley Road Sports Ground, Oxford). His time was 3 minute 59.4 seconds.

1959Icelandic gunboats fire lived ammunition at British trawlers during a Cod War between Britain and Iceland over fishing rights in the North Sea.

1960Princess Margaret, sister of Queen Elizabeth II, married Anthony Armstrong-Jones at Westminster Abbey in London. It was the first televised royal wedding and was watched by more than 20 million viewers.

1961The first football team to achieve the double (FA Cup and League champions), was Tottenham Hotspur led by Danny Blanchflower when they beat Leicester City 2-0 to win the Cup at Wembley.

1966At Chester Crown Court, 'Moors murderers' Ian Brady and Myra Hindley were found guilty of torturing and killing several children before burying their bodies on the moors north of Manchester.

1979 These six rock-cut tombs at Heysham in Lancashire became Grade I listed and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Further excavation in 1993 on land below the stone coffins showed that the site had been occupied about 12,000 years previously.

1988Graeme Hick, Worcestershire's 21 year year old cricketer, scored 405 runs, not out, in a county championship match. It was the biggest innings in England in 93 years.

1990London telephone codes changed to 071 and 081 (replacing 01).

1994The Queen and France's President Francois Mitterrand formally opened the Channel Tunnel during two elaborate ceremonies in France and Britain.

1995The Queen Mother opened (in Hyde Park) three days of VE Day celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the ending of World War Two.

1997The Bank of England was given independence from political control. It was the most significant change in its 300 year history.