What happened this week in history
1320 - The Scots reaffirmed their independence by signing the Declaration of Arbroath.
1580 - An earth tremor damaged several London churches, including the old St Paul’s Cathedral.
1830 - The Mormon Church was established.
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Hide Ad1831 - Mormon leader Brigham Young marred his 27th and final wife.
1896 - The first modern Olympic Games began in Athens, 1,500 years after the original games were banned by Roman emperor Theodosius I.
1909 - American explorer Robert Peary became the first person to reach the North Pole.
1917 - America officially entered the First World War.
1928 - Handshaking was banned in Italy as it was deemed unhygienic.
1938 - Teflon was invented by Roy Plunkett.
1944 - PAYE taxation was introduced.
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Hide Ad1956 - Paramount Pictures signed Elvis Presley for a three-fill, five-year contract worth $450,000.
1957 - Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis bought the Hellenic National Airlines (TAE) and founded Olympic Airlines.
1965 - The Kray twins were found not guilty of running a protection racket.
1965 - Julie Andrews won an Oscar for Mary Poppins. It was her screen debut.
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Hide Ad1968 - Cliff Richard came second in the Eurovision Song Contest to Spain’s La La La, which contained 139 ‘Las’.
1974 - Swedish pop band ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest with Waterloo, launching their international career.
1980 - Post-It notes went on sale for the first time.
1994 - Rwandan Genocide began when an aircraft carrying Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira was shot down.
1998 - Country singer Tammy Wynette died from a blood clot on her lung at the age of 55.