The Mini was launched, the day before I was born, 26th August
Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Richie Valens dies in a plane crash in February
Nick Griffin, Sade, John McEnroe, Emma Thompson, Sean Bean, Ben Elton, Robert Smith, Morrissey, Carlo Ancelotti, Hugh Lawrie, Jim Kerr, Pete Burns, Simon Cowell, Marie Osmond were all born in
I was born in the middle of what many claim was the sharpest winter in living memory. My father apparently had to dig the car out of the snow on 19 straight days to enable him to be able to take my mother to hospital. I was three weeks late; I don't think he's ever forgiven me.
Later that year, in Portugal, there was a grape harvest that would, in time, and with the addition of a brandy-like drink, lead to a truly spectacular vintage of a famous fortified wine. Messrs Taylor, Croft and Dow have been living off the proceeds since.
As I'm an International Relations student, quite a few things in that respect happened.
Start of the Bosnian war.
Bill Clinton elected, Bush Snr throws up on the Prime Minister of Japan's lap.
The USSR decide to stop pointing their missiles at major Western cities, and the West stop pointing their missiles at Soviet cities.
Algerian civil war
White South Africans vote for political reform to enable multi-racial government.
The Worlds 1st commercial Transistor Radio goes on sale. (The Regency TR-1)
Bill Hayley and His Comets Record "Rock Around The Clock" and Rock and Roll is born.
Matt Groening, Anthony Head, Patty Herst and Socrates (Brazilian Footballer) were born.
MacCarthyism rears it's ugly head.
Alan Turing Dies.
Roger Bannister runs the first sub 4 minute mile.
UEFA is formed in Switzerland.
Lord Of The Flies is published.
The 1st Burger King opens in Miami.
And the first successful kidney transplant.