1988: Avalanche hits royal ski party - The Prince of Wales has narrowly avoided death on the

ski slopes of Switzerland in an avalanche that killed one of his

closest friends.

Major Hugh Lindsay, former equerry to the

Queen, was sent plunging 400m down the mountainside when the avalanche

hit the royal party as they were ski-ing off piste above the resort of

Klosters.

Born on this Day

1888 Barry Fitzgerald

1891 Sam Jaffe

1928 James Earl Ray

1934 Sir Thomas Pilkington

1940 Chuck Norris

1947 Lord Paul Condon

1958 Garth Crooks

1958 Sharon Stone

1964 HRH Prince Edward

1973 Chris Sutton

People & Showbiz

1969 James Earl Ray pleaded guilty to the murder of civil rights

leader Martin Luther King and was sentenced to 99 years in jail.

1984 The handbag of the Prime Minister's daughter Carol Thatcher,

containing the keys to No.10 Downing Street, was stolen in a wine bar

in London.

1989 Comic Relief Day was celebrated in Britain with over 50,000

registered charity fundraising events taking place across the country.