Tag: today

4th March 2012

1461 – In The War Of The Roses, King Henry VI is deposed by his cousin, King Edward IV.

1493 – Christopher Columbus arrives back from his voyage of discovery to what is now known as The Bahamas.

1519 – Hernan Cortes arrives in Mexico in search for Aztec treasures.

1882 – Britain’s first electric tram begins operation in London.

1890 – The longest bridge in Britain, the Forth Rail Bridge, is opened.

1918 – The first case of Spanish Flu occurs starting a devastating world pandemic. Between 50 and 100 million people died.

1945 – Finland declares war on Nazi Germany.

1985 – The Food and Drug Administration approves a blood test for AIDS.

2001 – A car bomb explodes outside BBC Television offices, with 1 person seriously injured. It is attributed to the Real IRA.

Births

Antonio Vivaldi – Composer (1678), Shakin’ Stevens – Singer (1948), Kenny Dalgleish – Football Manager (1951), Chris Rea – Singer (1951), Ray Mancini – Boxer (1961)

Deaths

Adam Rainer – Only Man Ever To Be Both A Dwarf and a Giant (d. 1950, tumor) – I am presuming this will need explaining…when he was 18 he was a dwarf, but then presumably due to a pituitary tumor he had a dramatic growth spell. This meant that in his adult life he grew 38 inches!

John Candy – Comedian/Actor (d. 1994, heart attack)

Number 1s

Perry Como with Mitchell Ayres’ Orchestra & The Ray Charles Singers – Magic Moments (1958)

Cilla Black – Anyone Who Had A Heart (1964)

Peter Sarstedt – Where Do You Go To (1969)

Telly Savalas – If (1975)

Diana Ross – Chain Reaction (1986)

Beats International featuring Lindy – Dub Be Good To Me (1990)

Shaggy featuring Ricardo ‘Rikrok’ Ducent – It Wasn’t Me (2001)

Take That – Shine (2007)

Quiz

Q1: The War Of The Roses was fought between which two houses?

Q2: John Candy featured in which film as Irv Blitzer?

Q3: The song ‘Chain Reaction’ was popularly covered by who?

26th February 2012

1914 – HMHS Brittanic is launched from Belfast.

1935 – Robert Watson-Watt carries out a demonstration which results in the development of RADAR.

1952 – Winston Churchill announces Britain have an atomic bomb.

1991 – On Baghdad Radio, Saddam Hussein announces the withdrawal of Iraqi troops from Kuwait.

1993 – A bomb explodes outside the World Trade Center, New York, killing 6 people and injuring over 1000.

Births

Levi Strauss – Clothes Manufacturer (1829), Fats Domino – Musician (1928), Johnny Cash – Singer (1932), Michael Bolton – Singer (1953), Sebastien Loeb – Rally Driver (1974)

Number 1s

Tab Hunter with Billie Vaughn’s Orchestra & Chorus – Young Love (1957)

Frank Ifield with Norris Paramor & His Orchestra – The Wayward Wind (1963)

Suzi Quatro – Devil Gate Drive (1974)

Blondie – Atomic (1980)

Elaine Paige & Barbara Dickson – I Know Him So Well (1985)

Simple Minds – Belfast Child (1989)

Celine Dion – Think Twice (1995)

Madonna – Sorry (2006)

Quiz

Q1: HMHS Brittanic is the sister ship of which famous cruiser?

Q2: What does RADAR stand for?

Q3: A film documentary was made about Johnny Cash – what was it called?

24th February 2012

1875 – The SS Gothenburg hits the Great Barrier Reef and sinks, killing over 100 on board.

1917 – Germany pledges to ensure the return of New Mexico, Texas and Arizona to Mexico if they declare war on the US.

1920 – The Nazi Party is founded.

1989 – A flight from Honolulu to New Zealand rips open during flight, sucking 9 business class passengers out of the plane.

2008 – Fidel Castro retires as President of Cuba after nearly 50 years.

Births

John Stapleton – TV Presenter (1946), Walter Smith – Football manager (1948), Steve Jobs – Computer Manufacturer (1955), Floyd Mayweather Jr – Boxer (1977)

Deaths

Bobby Moore – Footballer (d. 1993, bowel cancer)

Number 1s

Perry Como with The Ramblers – Don’t Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes (1953)

Shirley Bassey with Wally Stott & His Orchestra – As I Love You (1959)

Edison Lighthouse – Love Grows (1970)

Four Seasons – December 1963 (1976)

Joe Dolce Music Theatre – Shaddap You Face (1981)

Ben E King – Stand By Me (1987)

Simpsons – Do The Bartman (1991)

Westlife – World Of Our Own (2002)

Duffy – Mercy (2008)

Quiz

Q1: Steve Jobs is famous for being Co-founder and CEO of which company?

Q2: Sir Bobby Moore captained which current Premier League Football team for ten years?

Q3: The Simpsons’ Number 1, ’Do The Bartman’, was written by which infamous musician?

19th February 2012

1600 – The stratovolcano Huaynaputina explodes in the most violent eruption in recorded South American history.

1674 – New Amsterdam is renamed New York in a treaty that ends the Third Anglo-Dutch war.

1847 – The first group of rescuers reach the Donner Party, a group who set out to California and got trapped, resorting to cannibalism to keep them alive.

1878 – Thomas Edison patents the phonograph.

1959 – The UK grants Cyprus independence, but it is not formally proclaimed until August 1960.

1985 – William J. Schroeder becomes the first artificial heart recipient to leave hospital.

2002 – NASA’s Mars Odyssey space probe begins to map the surface of Mars using a thermal emission imaging system.

Births

Nicolaus Copernicus – Mathematician/Astronomer (1473), Smokey Robinson – Singer (1940), Ray Winstone – Actor (1957), Prince Andrew – Prince (1960)

Deaths

Bon Scott – Singer (d. 1980, choked on vomit after a night of drinking, aged 33)

Number 1s

Tab Hunter with Billy Vaughn’s Orchestra & Chorus – Young Love (1957) (The links are not working so here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRr5nwXUYhU )

Frank Ifield with Norris Paramor & His Orchestra – The Wayward Wind (1963) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwbMldf6KS8

Suzi Quatro – Devil Gate Drive (1974) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXok94y3nLg

Kenny Rodgers – Coward Of The County (1980) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK543f0_UKc

Elaine Paige & Barbara Dickson – I Know Him So Well (1985) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeMk7B46xg8

Simple Minds – Belfast Child (1989) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFIMJxV2tjI

Celine Dion – Think Twice (1995) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rriGtwl1oGE

Meck featuring Leo Sayer – Thunder In My Heart Again (2006) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGVuqOzG-TM

Quiz

Q1: What does a phonograph do?

Q2: Prince Andrew is Duke of where?

Q3: Which band was Bon Scott the front man of until his unfortunate death?

Q4: Huaynaputina is in which country?

18th February 2012

1906 – Edouard de Laveleye forms the Belgian Olympic Committee.

1930 – While studying photographs taken in January, Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto.

1930 – Elm Farm Ollie becomes the first cow to fly in a fixed wing aircraft. He also becomes the first cow to be milked in a fixed wing aircraft.

1943 – The Nazi’s arrest members of the White Rose movement, a protest by students against the Nazi regime.

1954 – The first Church of Scientology is established in LA.

1957 – Walter James Bolton becomes the last person to be legally executed in New Zealand.

1979 – Snow falls in the Sahara desert. It is the only time in recorded history.

1991 – An IRA bomb explodes in Paddington station and Victoria station.

Births

Queen Mary I – Queen (1516), Enzo Ferrari – Founder of Ferrari (1898), Sir Bobby Robson – Footballer/Manager (1933), John Travolta – Actor (1954), Dr. Dre – Music Producer (1965)

Deaths

John Batterson Stetson – Hat Manufacturer (d. 1906, aged 75), Dale Earnhardt – Rally Car Driver (d. 2001, car crash, aged 49)

Number 1s

Michael Holliday – The Story Of My Life (1958)

Bachelors – Diane (1964)

Amen Corner – (If Paradise Is) Half As Nice (1969)

Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel – Make Me Smile (1975)

Billy Ocean – When The Going Gets Tough (1986)

Sinead O Connor – Nothing Compares 2 U (1990)

Babylon Zoo – Spaceman (1996)

Atomic Kitten – Whole Again (2001)

Mika – Grace Kelly (2007)

Quiz

Q1: Who founded Scientology?

Q2: Dr Dre produces which famous white rapper?

Q3: John Stetson invented a hat for which group of people?

Q4: In which country is it that snow falls in the Sahara Desert in 1979?