9th November
1888 At 3:30 a.m. in London's Whitechapel, 25-year-old Mary Kelly became Jack the Ripper's last known victim. The 'Ripper' was never caught, but the nature of the murders and of the victims drew attention to the poor living conditions in the East End of London and galvanised public opinion against the overcrowded, unsanitary slums. In the two decades after the murders, the worst of the slums were cleared and demolished.
1907 The Cullinan Diamond, the largest rough gem-quality diamond yet found, was presented by the Transvaal to King Edward VII, on his birthday. The largest polished gem from the stone is named Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa. It was the largest polished diamond in the world until 1985. Cullinan I is now mounted in the head of the Royal Sceptre which was originally made for the coronation of King Charles II in 1661, but was redesigned after the discovery of the Cullinan Diamond.
1961 Brian Epstein went to a lunchtime session at The Cavern in Liverpool to see for himself why his record shop was receiving so many requests for records by a group (the Beatles) that had apparently made none. He later became their manager.
1992 Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Dr Michael Stroud set out on their unassisted crossing of the Antarctic. For 97 days they fought pain, starvation and snow blindness until they were eventually airlifted out after completing the first and the longest, unsupported journey in Polar history. They walked more than 1,350 miles across some of the most hostile terrain in the world, averaging more than 14 miles a day at temperatures as low as -45°C.
