May 26th

Feast day of St. Augustine of Canterbury. He became the first Archbishop of Canterbury in 597.

Also National Day of Healing in Australia, sometimes known as National 'Sorry' Day. Held since 1997 to remember and commemorate the mistreatment of the national indigenous population.

735 The Venerable Bede died in Jarrow, Northumbria.

946 King Edmund I was murdered by an exiled thief, Leofa, at a St Augustine's Day Mass in Pucklechurch, Gloucestershire.

1703 Famous Diarist, Samuel Pepys died in Clapham.

1805 Napoleon Bonaparte assumes the title of King of Italy and is crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy in Milan.

1886 The legendary All Jolson is born as Asa Yoelson in present day Lithuania. At the peak of his career he was nicknamed 'The World's Greatest Entertainer'.

1897 Bram Stoker's novel 'Dracula' is published, spawning a host of 'copy-cat' stories down the years.

1903 Wigan born entertainer George Formby enters the world as George Hoy Booth.

1906 Vauxhall Bridge is opened in London, probably the last time it wasn't gridlocked!

1907 American patriot, actor, director and icon John Wayne is born in Winter set, Indiana as Marion Robert Morrison, (Wayne often claimed his given name to be Marion Michael Morrison).

1912 Canadian-American actor Jay Silverheels, most famous for playing Tonto to Clayton Moore's Lone Ranger in the eponymous TV Series, is born.

1913 Horror film afficianado Peter Cushing is born in Kenley, Surrey.

1917 Several powerful tornadoes ripped through Illinois, including the town of Mattoon, killing 101 people and injuring 689. It would have been much worse apart from the fact The Trumpton Fire Brigade were on a fact-finding mission and put their expertise to great effect saving thousands.

1920 Peggy Lee, American singer-songwriter and actress was born in Jamestown, Dakota.

1923 British character actor, Roy Dotrice, was born on Guernsey, best known for his series 'Dickens In London' and his role as 'Father' in the original series of 'Beauty and the Beast'.

1932 Alphonse Wilderburg is appointed official chef to Adolf Hitler. He would remain at the Fuehrer's side until 1945 in Berlin, then in Argentina until Hitler's death in Mendoza. Best known for his signature dish of Der Fuehrer's Sauerbraten, a dish that ,it is alleged Hitler ordered when he seduced Eva Braun. Wilderburg's name lives on in Berlin in Alphonse's Chop-Houses run by his six sons.

1989 Former Leeds United and England manager Don Revie died aged aged 61yo from Motor Neurone Disease.

1996 A severe thunderstorm put the WWF Pay-per-View, In Your House: Beware of The Dog, off air after just two bouts...it was rescheduled for two days later. The original main event was for the WWF Title between Shaun Michaels and The British Bulldog, resulting in a double pin fall draw after original ref Earl Hebner had been knocked out and replacement Mike  Chioda counted the 1-2-3 as Michaels' shoulders were on the mat, whilst a recovered Hebner counted as Bulldog's shoulders were. As a draw was announced it meant Michaels retained the WWF Title.