What happened this day in history - July 25
1554 - Mary I married Philip II of Spain at Winchester Cathedral.
1603 - James VI of Scotland was crowned king of England (James I), bringing the Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland into personal union. Political union would occur in 1707.
1814 - The first steam locomotive was demonstrated by George Stephenson.
1909 - French aviator Louis Bleriot made his first Channel crossing in an aeroplane he designed himself. The flight took 43 minutes.
1915 - RFC Captain Lanoe Hawker became the first British pursuit aviator to earn the Victoria Cross.
1917 - Mata Hari was sentenced to death after being found guilty of spying. She was said to have used affairs with military men to pass secrets to Germans.
1929 - Pope Pius XI became the first Pope to leave the Vatican since 1870.
1946 - The USA began using Nikin Atoll in the Pacific for nuclear test.
1978 - The birth of the world’s first ‘test tube baby, Louise brown, was announced in Manchester.
2007 - Pratibha Patil was sworn in as India’s first female president.