Queen Elizabeth II knighted the leader of Great Britain and the allied forces in World War Two, Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, on this day.

Nasa successfully launched what would, eventually, become one of the most important telescopes in the world.

Hubble would be free of the atmospheric interference of telescopes on earth, and thus could see further than ever before.

There were some initial problems as there was a blemish on the lens, and the solar power panels also malfunctioned, but these were seen as inevitable problems in such a gigantic project.