1836: Inventor Samuel Colt patented his revolver in the US having obtained his first European patent the year before

1941: British troops operating from Kenya occupied Mogadishu, as Italian resistance in Somaliland collapsed.

1944: Bomber Command mounted a devastating attack on Augsburg, the first occasion it had attacked that city in strength. Good weather and poor anti-aircraft defence contributed to a very concentrated attack by 594 aircraft carrying more than 2,000 tons of bombs. The raid subsequently proved somewhat controversial, given the level of destruction in the old city centre. Some 700 Germans were killed, but perhaps 90,000 rendered homeless. An important aircraft component factory was successfully damaged, as well as factories associated with the MAN engineering works, which produced U-boat engines.

During fighting along the banks of the Tigris in Mesopotamia, troops from the South Lancashire Regiment repeatedly attempted to advance along a gully, but suffered heavy casualties each time from a Turkish machine-gun. Private Readitt took part in each of five attacks, and on each occasion was the only survivor. However, the attacks slowly forced the Turks to give ground. When the officer commanding the operation was killed, Readitt when forward once more, alone and on his own initiative. He advanced right up to the Turkish position, and although he was unable to remain there for long, he inflicted damage with grenades. He slowly retired, and located a good defensive position a short distance away, which he proceeded to hold on his own. Eventually, other soldiers managed to advance and join him, and consolidate the position. Readitt was awarded the Victoria Cross and later achieved the rank of Sergeant.

He died in 1964.

1945: Following fierce fighting in Holland, a platoon of The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada had been reduced to just one sergeant and four men during a series of German night counter-attacks. Sergeant Cosens positioned the four riflemen to give him covering fire, then ran to a supporting tank. Standing fully exposed on the tank, he directed its fire to good effect, breaking up another attack. He than asked the tank to bulldoze a way into a German-occupied farm. Cosens went into the farm alone and killed or captured all its defenders. He then succeeded in clearing another two buildings on his own, before being killed by a sniper. He was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.

1951: In Korea, 3rd battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, captured Hill 614 at the second attempt.

Control of this important piece of high ground enabled the United Nations' forces northward advance to the Albany Line to continue.