The Earl would later renounce his hereditary title and be known as Sir Alec Douglas-Home. He was in power for less than a year before losing the election to Labour under Harold Wilson, who relentlessly attacked him as an aristocrat.
46 years ago (1977)
The body of kidnapped German businessman Hanns Martin Schleyer was discovered in the boot of a car in France. The Daimler-Benz executive had been targeted by the communist Red Army Faction who saw him as a symbol of corrupt big business. The urban guerrilla group is believed to have been responsible for up to 30 murders.
36 years ago (1987)
The world stock market collapsed in what would become known as Black Monday. During the severe crash, the Dow Jones index plummeted by a record 508 points, while in London £50billion was wiped off share values as the FT 30-share index plunged
183.7 points.
