On this day

Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England), May 15, 2008

May 15, 1951 EIGHTH Army veteran Douglas Senior, 29, was aiming to beat the housing shortage by having a go at building his own home at Red Hill Top, Huddersfield Road, Shelley. 1718 The first machine-gun was patented by London lawyer James Puckle who, as a keen fisherman, intended to use it at sea.

1800 George III survived two assassination attempts in one day.

1936 Amy Johnson arrived in England after a record-breaking 12-day, 15-hour flight from London to Cape Town and back.

1940 Nylon stockings went on sale in the USA. In the first eight hours 72,000 pairs were sold in New York city alone.

BIRTHDAYS Ted Dexter, former England cricket captain, 73; Ralph Steadman, cartoonist, 72; Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State, 71; Brian Eno, musician/composer, 60; Mike Oldfield, musician, 55; Greg Wise, actor, 42; Brad Rowe, actor, 38; Zara Phillips, (pictured) daughter of the Princess Royal and Captain Mark Phillips, 27.