1439 - Kissing was banned in England because of the Plague.
1661 – The first banknotes in Europe are issued by the Swedish bank Stockholms Banco.
1782 – First performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail.
1945 – Manhattan Project: the Atomic Age begins when the United States successfully detonates a plutonium-based test nuclear weapon at the Trinity site near Alamogordo, New Mexico.
1969 - Apollo 11 blasted off from Cape Kennedy on the first manned lunar landing mission.
1979 - Saddam Hussein became president of Iraq.
1993 - Britain's internal security service, MI5, held the first photocall in its 84-year history when Stella Rimington (Director General) posed openly for cameras at the launch of a brochure outlining the organisation's activities.
1994 – Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 collides with Jupiter. Impacts continue until July 22.
2004 - Martha Stewart was sentenced to five months in prison and five months of home confinement for lying to investigators and obstruction of justice.
These people were born on this day:
1958 – Michael Flatley, American dancer
1966 – Johnny Vaughan, English writer and broadcaster
1967 – Will Ferrell, American comedian
1973 – Shaun Pollock, South African cricketer
1974 – Chris Pontius, American actor and Jackass cast member
1975 – Jamie Oliver, Welsh keyboardist (Lostprophets)
1976 – Bobby Lashley, American professional wrestler
1979 – Jayma Mays, American actress
1980 – Jesse Jane, American pornographic actress and erotic model
1980 – Justine Joli, American pornographic actress, adult model and ballerina
1980 – Adam Scott, Australian golfer
1987 – AnnaLynne McCord, American actress
1987 – Moussa Dembélé, Belgian footballer
1988 – Sergio Busquets,Spanish footballer
1989 - Gareth Bale, Welsh footballer
These people died on this day:
1996 – John Panozzo, American drummer (Styx) (b. 1948)
1999 – John F. Kennedy, Jr., American publisher (b. 1960)
2006 – Bob Orton, Sr., American professional wrestler (b. 1929)
(16-07-2011 00:52 )mr williams Wrote: [ -> ] (15-07-2011 13:21 )Doddle Wrote: [ -> ]Lord Winston, Linda Ronstadt, Trevor Horn.....
You're not that Norwegian football commentator, are you? 
I have had many years to memorise all these names...
1976: African countries boycott Olympics
The opening ceremony of the 21st Olympic Games in Montreal has been marred by the withdrawal of 25 African countries.
They are all protesting at New Zealand's sporting links with South Africa.
The International Olympic Committee's refusal to ban New Zealand, whose rugby team is currently touring South Africa, has resulted in the boycott.
South Africa has been banned from the Olympics since 1964 for its refusal to condemn apartheid.
'Illogical'
A spokesperson for the New Zealand Olympic Committee said the All Blacks tour of South Africa had been arranged by the New Zealand Rugby Union which was an autonomous body and nothing to do with the Olympics.
He said it was illogical to single out New Zealand as it was one of 26 countries to have played sport in South Africa during the past year.
More than 300 competitors will now not take part in the Games which will mean many events will have to be cancelled or re-scheduled.
Athletics events will be particularly affected by the absence of Filbert Bayi from Tanzania, who holds the world record in the 1500m and John Akii-Bua of Uganda, world record-holder in the 400 metres hurdles.
The latest country to announce its withdrawal was Kenya. In a statement issued just hours before the opening ceremony, the country's foreign minister James Osogo said: "The government and the people of Kenya hold the view that principles are more precious than medals."
He said the decision by the IOC not to ban New Zealand would give "comfort and respectability to the South African racist regime and encourage it to continue to defy world opinion."
The IOC will now have to decide what sanctions should be imposed on the boycotting countries, who risk being expelled from the Olympic movement.
Approximately 20 of the 26 countries who have withdrawn from the competition had already travelled to Montreal but will now return home.
The list of those boycotting the Olympics is: Libya, Iraq, Kenya, Zambia, Nigeria, Gambia, Sudan, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, Algeria, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Central African Republic, Gabon, Chad, Togo, Niger, Congo, Mauritius, Upper Volta and Malawi.
Egypt did not take part in today's opening ceremony but has not yet formally announced its withdrawal. Taiwan withdrew on the grounds that the Canadian government refused to allow her to compete under the name of the Republic of China.
There are already fears the Commonwealth Games due to be held in Edmonton, Canada in two years time will be affected by the African boycott.
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Some African countries did take part in the Games
In Context
Countries protesting at New Zealand's participation in the Games continued to withdraw throughout the opening days.
Egypt subsequently withdrew and the final number of absences was 33.
In the first two days of the Games a million Canadian dollars were lost in event cancellations and seat refunds.
South Africa was banned from the Olympics until 1992 when apartheid laws were repealed in the country.
Britain came home from the Montreal Olympics with just one bronze medal in the track and field events.
But swimmer David Wilkie gave Britain her first men's swimming gold medal in 68 years and also took the world record.
Nadia Comaneci of Romania, 14, took over the mantle of best gymnast in the world from Olga Korbut, after winning the first maximum score of 10.00 in Olympic history. She went on to win three gold medals.
Stories From 17 Jul
1976: African countries boycott Olympics
1979: Sandinista rebels take Nicaraguan capital
1974: Bomb blast at the Tower of London
1987: Ex-Guinness boss owes millions
2000: Tesco bows to imperial pressure
1453 – Hundred Years' War: Battle of Castillon: The French under Jean Bureau defeat the English under the Earl of Shrewsbury, who is killed in the battle in Gascony.
1917 – King George V of the United Kingdom issues a Proclamation stating that the male line descendants of the British royal family will bear the surname Windsor.
1918 – On the orders of the Bolshevik Party carried out by Cheka, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his immediate family and retainers are murdered at the Ipatiev House in Ekaterinburg, Russia.
1955 – Disneyland hosts a televised "International Press Preview" the day before the park's official opening in Anaheim, California.
1964 - British speed pioneer Sir Donald Campbell set a new land speed world record of 429mph.
1975 - The U.S. spacecraft Apollo 18 and the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz 19 docked in space. It was the first such link-up between spacecraft from the two nations.
1989 – First flight of the
B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber.
1997 – The F.W. Woolworth Company closes after 117 years in business.
1998 - An earthquake registering 7.0 on the Richter scale, hits Papua New Guinea resulting in a tsunami which swept the coast.
Births on this day:
1947 – Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
1952 – David Hasselhoff, American actor and musician
1954 – Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany
1957 – Fern Britton, British television presenter
1972 – Jaap Stam, Dutch footballer
1975 – Konnie Huq, English television presenter
1975 – Andre Adams, New Zealand Cricketer
1976 – Gino D'Acampo, Italian celebrity chef
1978 – Mike Hettinga, American professional wrestler (Mike Knox)
1982 – Natasha Hamilton, British singer (Atomic Kitten)
1985 – Neil McGregor, Scottish footballer
1985 – Tom Fletcher, British singer (McFly)
1986 – Lacey Von Erich, Professional wrestler
(17-07-2011 12:11 )skully Wrote: [ -> ]1997 – The F.W. Woolworth Company closes after 117 years in business.
F W Woolworth Co. was the original US Company, founded by Frank Winfield Woolworth in Pennsylvania in 1879. When I was a kid I remember that was the name on the stores over here.
The F.W. Woolworth Co. was among the first five-and-dime stores, which sold discounted general merchandise at fixed prices, usually five or ten cents, undercutting the prices of other local merchants. Woolworth, as the stores popularly became known, was one of the first American retailers to put merchandise out for the shopping public to handle and select without the assistance of a sales clerk. Earlier retailers had kept all merchandise behind a counter, and customers presented the clerk with a list of items they wished to buy.
At their peak they had almost 600 stores across the United States and as they expanded they moved away from their five-and-dime roots and placed less emphasis on its department store chain as it focused on its specialty stores. But the company was unable to compete with other chains that had eroded its market share. The UK (and other overseas parts of the business) were sold off in the 1980s and 90s. The UK stores were sold off in 1982 and renamed as simply "Woolworth's", although they had no further connection to the original group.
(Those of you familiar with the brand "Foot Locker" may be surprised to learn that that is a direct descendant of the original US Woolworth and survived when its parent group closed in 1997)
The UK group was swept away during the early part of the recession and the group was put into administration in January 2009, the last stores closing on the 6th of that month. 27,000 people lost their jobs.
The Woolworth's name still survives in a number of countries, including Germany, Austria and South Africa. In New Zealand and Australia they are one of the major high-street retailers, although they are, in fact, part of the Safeway Group and never had any connection to the original company.
Ex-News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks has been arrested by police investigating phone hacking and bribery at the News of the World.
The 43-year-old was arrested by appointment at a London police station and remains in custody.
She was arrested on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications and on suspicion of corruption.
She quit News International on Friday as pressure mounted over her role in the deepening scandal.
Mrs Brooks was editor of the paper between 2000 and 2003, during which time the phone belonging to murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler was tampered with.
BBC Business Editor Robert Peston said News International was not aware that Mrs Brooks would be arrested when her resignation was being discussed at the company on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week. She eventually resigned on Friday.
Mr Peston added: "It's certainly the most extraordinary development. Rebekah Brooks is incredibly close to the most powerful people in the UK - the current prime minister, the previous prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. More or less every senior person of influence within Britain."
He said it could now potentially jeopardise her appearance at the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on Tuesday, where she is due to answer MPs questions on the hacking scandal.
"I would assume having been arrested it's now almost impossible for her to appear. It's very difficult for MPs to ask her questions that wouldn't be seen to be impinging on the police investigation," Peston said.
'Conspiracy theories'
A spokesman for Mrs Brooks says the Met police notified her on Friday, after her resignation had been agreed, that she would be arrested.
He also said her arrest would make her appearance at the committee "pretty tricky".
Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote
If this is designed to take the spotlight off the police at the same time giving a shield to Rebekah Brooks, that's a very serious matter indeed”
Adrian Sanders
Liberal Democrat MP
She had been offering to speak to police on voluntary basis since January, so she was "very surprised" to learn she would be arrested, he added.
Her former boss, News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch, and his son James Murdoch, chairman of News International, are also due to appear before MPs.
In other developments:
Home Secretary Theresa May is to tell MPs about her "concerns" over the Metropolitan Police's hiring of ex-News of the World journalist Neil Wallis, who is currently on bail over phone hacking allegations
Labour leader Ed Miliband calls for new media ownership rules to limit Rupert Murdoch's "dangerous" and "unhealthy" concentration of power
Liberal Democrat MP Adrian Sanders, a member of the select committee, questioned the timing of the latest arrest.
"In whose interest was it for this arrest to take place before Tuesday? Because if it does impede what we can ask, that's not going to go down well with my fellow committee members.
Rupert Murdoch is due to appear before MPs on Tuesday to answer questions on phone hacking
"Quite why now, just a few hours before our select committee meets, an arrangement has been made for an arrest. A lot of people are going to think this is very, very odd.
"If this is designed to take the spotlight off the police at the same time giving a shield to Rebekah Brooks, that's a very serious matter indeed. We don't know how much this is going to impede our questioning until we've been able to sit down and talk it through with the parliamentary counsel."
Another member of the select committee, Labour MP Jim Sheridan, said he hoped her arrest would not affect her appearance before MPs.
"The police will do whatever it is they feel necessary to do, and if they feel it's necessary to arrest Rebekah Brooks at this time, then so be it.
"I don't buy into the conspiracy theories that the police are doing something underhand. I think it's just that if they feel it necessary, then so be it. Their inquiry, it's far, far more important than any other inquiry."
Labour MP Chris Bryant, who believes his phone was hacked, also has concerns about the timing of the arrest.
"It may be that the police are wanting to protect evidence so that... they can lead to successful prosecutions, but there will be plenty of people who are saying, right, this is an opportunity for her to get out of saying things to the culture committee.
"In the end, of course, the police investigation is the most important part of what we've been trying to seek for a long time, so we do get to the bottom of the criminality at the News of the World."
Tenth arrest
Mrs Brooks's arrest is the tenth made by Operation Weeting police, who are conducting the current investigation into phone hacking.
Others arrested and bailed have included ex-NoW editor Andy Coulson, ex-NoW assistant editor Ian Edmondson, ex-NoW chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck, senior ex-NoW journalist James Weatherup, freelance journalist Terenia Taras, Press Association journalist Laura Elston, an unnamed 63-year-old man, and ex-NoW royal editor Clive Goodman.
Officers from Operation Elveden were also involved with this latest arrest. They are investigating allegations of inappropriate payments to police, under the supervision of the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
2000: Sarah Payne's body found
Police have confirmed the body they found in a West Sussex field yesterday is that of missing eight-year old Sarah Payne.
A farm worker found the human remains less than 12 miles from where Sarah went missing near her grandparents' home near Littlehampton on 1 July.
The partly covered body was lying 10 yards away from the A29 between Pulborough and Billingshurst.
Sarah's parents, Sara and Michael, spent 20 minutes at the scene and laid flowers there. They looked at the tributes left by hundreds of well-wishers and police.
Finger prints
Earlier Assistant Chief Constable of West Sussex Nigel Yeo announced the finger prints were Sarah's and a murder inquiry was underway.
The press conference then observed half a minute's silence.
Police said the naked body had been there for some time and had no obvious sign of injury, but they would not disclose whether any sexual assault had taken place.
They are still looking for Sarah's blue dress and black shoes and they are focussing their search on a white van seen by her brothers when she went missing.
The A29 remains closed and a tent shrouds where the body was uncovered.
Sixty-five police officers - some with sniffer dogs - are combing the area for more evidence and further tests are being carried out on the body in search of vital DNA clues.
Sarah went missing 16 days ago after playing in a cornfield with her brothers Lee, 13, and Luke, 11, and her five-year-old sister Charlotte.
The family have held almost daily briefings with the media and so far investigators have dealt with 20,000 calls from the public.
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Her body lay 10 yards from the A29
In context
Two days later police found what they believed to be one of Sarah's shoes in the village of Coolham, a few miles to the east of where the body was found.
On 31 July, Roy Whiting - a known paedophile - was arrested then released on bail. He had already been questioned and released on 2 July.
Whiting was arrested and charged with the murder on 6 February 2001.
On 12 December 2001 he was found guilty of abducting and murdering Sarah Payne and given a life sentence.
In 1995 Whiting had been given a four year sentence for attacking a nine-year-old girl.
The News of the World supported Sara and Michael Payne in their campaign for "Sarah's Law" and public access to the sex offenders' register.
Pressure for a so-called Sarah's Law has been maintained. But the government has resisted calls saying there would be a risk of the public taking the law into their own hands.
Stories From 18 Jul
2000: Sarah Payne's body found
1966: Nurses murder suspect charged
2003: Missing Iraq expert - body found
1981: Violence erupts at Irish hunger strike protest
1990: English teenagers held in Thailand over drugs
This is etched into my memory,my sister lives just outside Bognor and i was driving down to her the day they found little Sarah's body, sometimes the world lets you know that evil does exist.