1667 ..... FRANCE ..... a 15 year old French boy became the FIRST human being to be given a blood transfusion when the personal physician to Louis X1V, Jean-Baptiste Denys, successfully used lamb’s blood to cure his fever

1754 ..... GERMANY ..... Dorothea Christiane Erxleben became the FIRST female ever to receive a medical degree

1897 ..... SWITZERLAND ..... Swiss cutlery maker, Carl Elsener, FIRST patented his 'useful pocket tool' penknife, which was later developed into the Swiss Army knife

1904 ..... U.K ..... the Grand Pier, Weston-Super-Mare, opened to its FIRST promenaders

1944 ..... GERMANY ..... the V1 or “flying bomb” was FIRST launched by Germany. About 10,000 were launched and they were aimed at London and the South East. However, before the attacks ended in August about 70% had been brought down by anti-aircraft guns and fighter planes

1946 ..... U.K ..... Philip Harben appeared in the FIRST of his television cookery programmes to tell post-war Britain how to make lobster vol-au-vents. He was an instant hit and was watched by millions but chefs were appalled by his unorthodox methods saying “ he is a great help to the housewife but a joke to the experts”

1979 ..... U.K ..... Bryan Allen, with a dedicated team and generous RAF assistance, made the FIRST manpowered flight between England and France, pedalling all the way. The people-powered plane used was a Gossamer Albatross and he made the trip encased in plastic to preserve his body moisture

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