Which US presidents were born on the fourth of July? When did Alexander Graham Bell make the first telephone call? Which two famous battles in English history took place on 25 October? Catherine the Great, Jerome K. Jerome, Baron von Richthofen, Bing Crosby, and Dr Spock were all born on the same day of the year, but which? Columbus sailed the ocean blue in fourteen hundred and ninety-two - but on what day did he set sail? Which two famous battles in English history took place on 25 October? Contributor of a weekly column on dates to the Observer, Cyril Leslie Beeching here provides an informative listing of important anniversaries for each day of the year. Revealing a number of coincidences, he records births and deaths of the famous as well as significant and unusual events in history. With the bonus of a chronology of world events from the earliest times to the present day, and a full index, this should be of use to anyone with an interest in history or facts.