The Post Office Tower, now known as the BT Tower, was officially opened on 8th October 1965 by the then Prime Minister, Harold Wilson. Costing £2 million to construct, the 189m (620ft) cylindrical tall tower is made from 13,000 tonnes of concrete, steel and glass, and at the time of opening was the tallest building in London. Its primary purpose was to support the microwave aerials then used to carry telecommunications traffic from London to the rest of the country. Today the tower is a telecommunications centre designed to relay broadcast, Internet and telephone information around the world.

Also on this day......

8 October: Navaratri (nine nights)

Navaratri of the greatest Hindu festivals. It symbolises the triumph of good over evil and is a festival of dance and worship. The word Navaratri is made of two words: Nava (nine) and Ratri (nights).