This Day in History - 9th July

1540 England's King Henry VIII had his six-month marriage to his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, annulled.

1553 The Duke of Northumberland announced to Lady Jane Grey that Edward VI had died and that she was queen of England. The proclamation was made the next day, but her reign lasted for only nine days. Her successor was Mary I.

1811 Explorer David Thompson posted a sign at the confluence of the Columbia and Snake Rivers (in modern Washington state, America), claiming the land for Britain. Thompson was a British-Canadian fur trader, surveyor and map-maker, who, over his career mapped more than 3.9 million square kilometres of North America and for this has been described as the 'greatest land geographer who ever lived.'

1877The first Wimbledon Lawn Tennis championship was held at its original site at Worple Road. The men's singles title was won by Spencer Gore - beating fellow British player W.C. Marshall in three sets.

1900Queen Victoria gave the Royal Assent to the Australian Federation Bill which set up of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.

1901Barbara Cartland, romantic novelist was born. She wrote more than 500 books.

1916Edward Heath, English politician was born.

1917The loss, at Scapa Flow, of the British battleship Vanguard. It was one of the most tragic accidents in the history of the Royal Navy and was caused by an internal explosion of cordite. All but two of the 845 men on board at the time were killed. The bodies that could be recovered now lie in Lyness Royal Naval Cemetery, Hoy and the wreck itself is afforded statutory protection as a designated war grave under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.

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

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

1973Prince Charles enjoyed the Bahamas' last day as a British colony. He had hosted a formal reception at Government House, Nassau, the previous night for dignitaries from 52 countries overseeing the end of over 300 years of British sovereignty.

1982Queen Elizabeth II woke to find an intruder (Michael Fagan) sitting at the end of her bed, raising further concerns about poor Palace security.

1984A massive fire, caused by a lightning strike, devastated large parts of York Minster causing an estimated £1m damage.

1991The closure of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International lost about 20 local councils up to £30m in investments.

1999Scotland celebrated one of its most significant political events for centuries; the formal opening of the new Scottish Parliament by the Queen. 

2017 The Lake District became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, i.e. 'a site of outstanding international importance and therefore as deserving special protection.' The national park is the first in the UK to get the honour, a status it had been trying to attain since 1986.