One of the most interesting books from the end of the last century was ‘A Brief History of Time’ by Professor Stephen Hawking, published on 6 April 1987. The following brief section offers you a timely reminder of some historical dates. Knowing who died, what happened, and so forth on a particular date can add insight and intrigue to any presentation or piece of copy, especially when that copy relates to something like a product or service launch or an anniversary.

This chapter lists some of the more interesting noteworthy dates, which I have managed to compile from the past couple of thousand years. With a bit of luck, the date of your own next successful venture will be added in future editions.