1297 Battle of Stirling Bridge: Scottish rebel William Wallace defeats the English 1645 General Thomas Fairfax 's New Model Army occupies Bristol after the city surrenders 1649 Massacre of Drogheda, Ireland: Oliver Cromwell kills 3,000 Royalists 1709 Battle at Malplaquet during War of the Spanish Succession: English, Austrian and Dutch Great Alliance defeat France 1758 Battle of Saint Cast: France repels British invasion during the Seven Years' War 1777 Battle of Brandywine, Pennsylvania: Americans lose to the British, Polish soldier Casimir Pulaski saves the life of George Washington 1814 Americans defeat the British at the Battle of Plattsburgh, which began on September 6, during the War of 1812 1814 Battle of Lake Champlain: The American Navy defeats the Royal Navy at Plattsburgh, New York, ending the British invasion of the northern states during the War of 1812 1862 British Open Men's Golf, Prestwick GC: Tom Morris Sr retains his title; beats Willie Park Sr. by 3 strokes 1886 6th America's Cup: Mayflower (NY Yacht Club) beats Galatea (Royal Northern & Clyde Yacht Club, Scotland) for a 2-0 series victory 1890 British Open Men's Golf, Prestwick GC: John Ball becomes first Englishman and first amateur to win the Open; beats Willie Fernie and Archie Simpson by 3 strokes 1939 British submarine Triton torpedoes British submarine Oxley 1940 Nazi Germany begins Operation Seelöwe (Sealion, the aborted invasion of England) 1941 Charles Lindbergh claims the "British, Jewish, and Roosevelt administration" are trying to get the US into World War II 1942 Enid Blyton publishes "Five on a Treasure Island," the first of her "Famous Five" children's novels, starting one of the best-selling children's series ever with over 100 million copies sold 1951 Florence Chadwick becomes the first woman to swim the English Channel from England to France, taking 16 hours and 19 minutes 1955 Juan Manuel Fangio in a Mercedes wins the season-ending Italian Grand Prix at Monza to take his third Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship by 17 points from Englishman Stirling Moss 1958 Great Britain performs an atmospheric nuclear test on Christmas Island 1964 Beatles guitarist George Harrison forms Mornyork Ltd, a music publishing company now known as Harrisongs 1967 Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour begins with a bus driven somewhat aimlessly around Western England 1977 American crooner Bing Crosby and British singer David Bowie record duet "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" at ATV Elstree Studios near London for television special "Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas" 1987 4th MTV Video Music Awards: Peter Gabriel wins (many times) 1997 After a nationwide referendum, Scotland votes to establish a devolved parliament within the United Kingdom 2005 Film adaptation of Jane Austen 's " Pride and Prejudice ," directed by Joe Wright and starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen, premieres at the Toronto Film Festival 2015 "The Martian," based on the novel by Andy Weir, directed by Ridley Scott , and starring Matt Damon , premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival 2021 US Open Women's Tennis: Emma Raducanu ends Britain's 44-year wait for a women's Grand Slam singles title, beating Leylah Fernandez of Canada 6-4, 6-3; first qualifier to win a major title in Open era 1700 James Thomson, Scottish poet (Rule Britannia), born in Ednam, Scotland (d. 1748) 1711 William Boyce, English organist/composer (Cathedral Music), baptized in London, England (d. 1779) 1762 Joanna Baillie, Scottish poet and playwright, born in Bothwell, Scotland (d. 1851) 1771 Mungo Park, Scottish explorer (first westerner to travel the central Niger River in Africa), born in Selkirkshire, Scotland (d. 1806) 1844 George Martin, English composer and organist, born in Lambourn, Berkshire, England (d. 1916) 1862 Julian Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy, British army officer, born in Wrotham Park, Hertfordshire, England (d. 1935) 1865 Alfred Hollins, British composer, born in Hull, Yorkshire, England (d. 1942) English poet and writer (Lady Chatterley's Lover), born in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire 1893 W. Douglas Hawkes, British auto racer and designer, born in Barton, England (d. 1974)

1906 Roye England, creator and founder President of the Pendon Museum of Miniature Landscape and Transport, born in Perth, Australia (d. 1995) 1909 Anne Seymour, American actress (Gemini Affair; Empire; Tim Conway Show), born in New York City (d. 1988) 1917 Herbert Lom, Czech-born British actor (Pink Panther, Dorian Gray), born in Prague, Austria-Hungary (d. 2012) 1917 Jessica "Decca" Mitford, English author (American Way of Death), activist and one of the Mitford sisters, born in Gloucestershire (d. 1996) 1921 Edwin Richfield, British actor (Interpol Calling, The Avengers), born in London England (d. 1990) 1923 Alan Badel, British actor (Shogun, Salome, Bill Brand), born in Manchester, England (d. 1982) 1932 Ian Hamer, British jazz trumpeter and session musician (Beatles - "Got To Get You Into My Life"; Top of the Pops studio band), born in Liverpool, England (d. 2006) 1932 Peter Anderson, English footballer (Plymouth Argyle), born in Devonport, England (d. 2009) 1934 Ian Abercrombie, English actor (Birds of Prey, Desperate Housewives), born in Grays, Essex, England (d. 2012) 1940 Bernie Dwyer, British rock drummer (Freddie and The Dreamers - "I'm Telling You Now"), born in Manchester, England (d. 2002) 1947 Gerry Conway, British drummer and percussionist (Cat Stevens; Fairport Convention), born in King's Lynn, Norfolk, England 1948 John Martyn [Iain McGeachy], British folk-rock-blues singer-songwriter, and guitarist ("May You Never"), born in New Maldon, Surrey (d. 2009) 1949 Roger Uttley, English rugby union player, born in Blackpool, England 1950 Barry Sheene, British motorcycle racer, born in London (d. 2003) 1951 Richard D. Gill, British-Dutch mathematician, born in Redhill, Surrey 1960 Neal X [Whitmore], English musician (Sigue Sigue Sputnik - "Love Missile F-111"), born in Henley-on-Thames, England 1963 Colin Wells, British actor (Hollyoaks, Crossroads), born in Greenwich, England 1965 Graeme Obree, Scottish racing cyclist (World Hour Record 1993, 94; World C'ships gold 4000m pursuit 1993, 95), born in Nuneaton, England 1965 John Schofield, British BBC journalist (shot and killed reporting in Croatia), born in Weybridge, England (d. 1995) 1971 Richard Ashcroft, British singer (The Verve - "Bitter Sweet Symphony"), born in Wigan, Lancashire, England 1977 Jon Buckland, English rock guitarist (Coldplay - "Clocks"; "Viva La Vida"), born in London 1977 Matthew Stevens, Welsh snooker player, born in Carmarthen, Wales 1930 Mystery writer Agatha Christie (39) weds archaeologist Max Mallowan (26) Prime Minister of South Africa (1919-24, 1939-48), military leader (Boer War, WWI, Smuts Report that led to the RAF) and internationalist statesman (Commonwealth, League of Nations, United Nations), dies of a heart attack at 80 Scottish-American golfer (US Open 1927, PGA 1930, British Open 1931), dies at 71 1983 Brian Lawrance, British-Australian dance band singer, violinist, and band leader, dies at 74 English author and illustrator of children's books (Mr. Men and Little Miss), dies of a stroke at 53 British-American Academy Award-winning stage and screen actress (The Birds; Cocoon; Driving Miss Daisy), dies of ovarian cancer at 85 1995 Anita Harding, British neurologist (first identification of a mitochondrial DNA mutation in human disease), dies of cancer at 42 1998 Frank Ereaut, British Bailiff of Jersey (1975-85), dies at 79 2025 Michael Barnes, British documentary maker (The Mind of a Murderer, The Long Walk of Fred Young), dies of a heart attack at 86 Today in History by Country Margaret Thatcher Winston Churchill Search the largest and most accurate independent site for today in history.