1873 ..... U.S.A ..... the New York Stock Exchange closed for the FIRST time and stayed closed for 12 days. The US Treasury had to issue an extra $26m in legal tender before normal business could resume 

1894 ..... U.K ..... the FIRST Lyons teashop was opened 

1917 ..... U.K ..... the FIRST RSPCA animal clinic opened in London 

1932 ..... U.K ..... the FIRST woman in Britain to report a boxing match was Dora Taylor who wrote an article called “ A Woman at the Big Fight” for the Manchester Evening News. The big match was at the King’s Hall, Belle Vue between Jackie Brown and Jim Maharg 

1946 ..... FRANCE ..... the FIRST Cannes Film Festival opened after being delayed by WW2 for seven years

1961 ..... the FIRST non-stop swim across the English Channel and back was by the Argentinian Antonio Albertondo in a time of 43 hrs 5 mins 

1971 ..... U.K ..... the British built Concorde 101 took to the air for the FIRST time. It was the British-built pre-production version of the Anglo-French supersonic transport aircraft and was assembled at the British Aircraft Corporation factory at Filton, Bristol  

1999 ….. U.K ..... British legal history was made when a video link from Strangeways Prison in Manchester was used in a hearing for the FIRST time. The judge was Rhys Davies WC. The new camera system will only apply to short crown hearings where defendants enter pleas on charges and are given a bail decision and date for their next appearance

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