837 – Halley's Comet made its closest approach to Earth at a distance equal to 0.0342 AU (5.1 million kilometres/3.2 million miles).
1512 – James V of Scotland was born.
1606 – The Virginia Company of London was established by royal charter by James I of England with the purpose of establishing colonial settlements in North America.
1710 – The Statute of Anne, the first law regulating copyright, came into force in Great Britain.
1829 – William Booth, the English minister who founded The Salvation Army was born.
1858 – The original Big Ben, a 14.5 ton bell for the Palace of Westminster cracked during testing and was recast into the current 13.76 tonnes (30,300 lb) bell by Whitechapel Bell Foundry.
1912 – RMS Titanic set sail from Southampton, England on her maiden and only voyage.
1925 – The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was first published.
1932 – Omar Sharif was born.
1953 – Warner Bros. premiered the first 3D film from a major American studio, entitled House of Wax.
1966 – Evelyn Waugh was born.
1970 – Paul McCartney announced that he was leaving The Beatles for personal and professional reasons.
1998 – Northern Ireland peace deal was reached (Good Friday Agreement).