October 31st

1940 - The Battle of Britain ends.

1961 - New Zealand-born director of the Lord of the Rings' trilogy and King Kong', Peter Jackson is born.

1982 - The Thames flood barrier is raised for the first time.

1987 - A couple in Coventry played tennis continuously for a world record 80 hours and 21 minutes.

2000 - Figures how it is the wettest October in England and Wales since 1903. The country got more than twice the usual level of rain - with an average of 7.44 inches.

2002 - An earthquake in Italy caused a nursery school to collapse, trapping and killing children inside.