On This Day – The Globe and The Total Eclipse

The Globe

1613 The original Globe Theatre in London burned down after a cannon was fired during a performance of a Shakespearean play and set fire to the straw roof. The theatre was totally destroyed, but rose again in June 1614, this time with a tiled roof. That theatre closed in 1642 and a modern reconstruction of the Globe opened in 1997, approximately 250 yards (230 m) from the site of the original theatre.

No Smoking or Growing

1620 After denouncing smoking as a health hazard, King James I of England banned the growing of tobacco in Britain.

The Last Victory

1644 Charles I of England defeated a Parliamentarian detachment at the Battle of Cropredy Bridge (near Banbury, Oxfordshire). It was the last battle won by an English King on English soil.

The First Census

1801 Britain held its first population census – producing a population figure of 8,800,000.

Killed on Duty

1829 The first policeman to be murdered in Britain was Constable William Grantham in Somers Town. He went to the aid of a woman involved in a fight between drunken men and when he fell, all three proceeded to kick him to death.

The First Rage Blog

1855 Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper was first published, a result of the publisher’s anger over the Crimean War and a desire to express it.

The Trade Union Act

1871 The Trade Union Act was passed, giving trade unions legal status for the first time.

AA Warnings

1905 The Automobile Association was set up by motorists angered by police harassment and to warn drivers of speed traps.

The Total Eclipse

1927 For the first time in 200 years, a total eclipse of the sun was seen in Britain. Those at Giggleswick in Yorkshire were able to see a perfect, full eclipse which lasted for less than 1/2 minute.

The First Credit Card

1966 Barclays Bank introduced the Barclaycard – the UK’s first credit card.

Around the World in 285 Days

1995 Lisa Clayton, from Birmingham, became the first British woman to sail solo around the world from the northern hemisphere. Her voyage, in a 39 ft sloop, Spirit of Birmingham, took 285 days.

Memorial Fountain

2001 The government announced that a memorial fountain in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales, was to be built in London’s Hyde Park

Bruised and Battered

2010 The England football team returned home after being knocked out of the second round of the World Cup by Germany. The 4-1 defeat was England’s worst in the tournament’s history.

 

On This Day – Legally Nude and a Flying Boat

Protest and Die I

1450 Irish born Jack Cade led a 40,000 strong demonstration march from Kent to London to protest against laws introduced by King Henry VI of England. Cade was later beheaded for treason.

Protest and Die II

1497 Cornish rebels Michael An Gof and Thomas Flamank were executed at Tyburn, London. The rebels had marched on London to protest at King Henry VII levying a tax to pay for an invasion of Scotland as they believed that this was a northern affair and had nothing to do with them.

The Problem Page

1693 The first women’s magazine, The Ladies’ Mercury, was published by John Dunton in London. It contained a question-and-answer column which became known as a ‘problem page’.

Fortunes of an Irish Maid

1746 In Scotland, Flora MacDonald helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape to the Isle of Skye dressed as an Irish maid, following his defeat by the English at the Battle of Culloden.

To the Wicket Born

1899 Indian born English cricketer Arthur Edward Jeune Collins, aged 13 and often known by his initials A. E. J. Collins, achieved the highest-ever recorded score in cricket. He scored 628 not out over four afternoons but, despite this achievement, Collins never played first-class cricket. He was killed in action in 1914 during the First Battle of Ypres.

A Flying Boat

1939 The first scheduled airline service of Boeing 314 flying boats was operated by Pan Am between Newfoundland and Southampton.

Hole in the Wall

1967 Barclays Bank (Enfield branch) opened Britain’s first cash dispenser.

Legally Nude

1968 Maggie Wright, playing Helen of Troy in the Royal Shakespeare Company production in London, became the first actress in Britain to appear nude on the ‘legitimate’ stage.

Scrabble Babble

1971 England’s first national Scrabble Championship was held in London. The winner was teacher Stephen Haskell.

Aiming High

1988 Dave Hurst and Alan Matthews, both from England, became the first blind climbers to reach the summit of Europe’s highest mountain, Mont Blanc – 15,781 feet high.

 

On This Day – No. 10000001 and a Wedding in France

Richard III

1483 Richard, Duke of Gloucester, began to rule England as Richard III, having deposed his nephew, Edward V. Edward and his brother, Richard, Duke of York, were soon afterwards murdered in the Tower of London.

Brother Branwell

1817 The birth of Branwell Brontë, painter, poet, the only son of the Brontë family, and the brother of the writers Charlotte, Emily, and Anne

By Jove

1830 George IV died. His brother, William IV ascended the throne.

62 Victoria Crosses

1857 The first investiture ceremony for Victoria Cross awards took place in Hyde Park, London. Queen Victoria presented 62 servicemen with Britain’s highest military honour.

V & A

1909 London’s Victoria & Albert Museum opened to the public

A Wedding in France

1937 Britain’s Duke of Windsor married American divorcee Wallis Simpson in France following his abdication as King Edward VIII.

No.10000001

1939 Britain’s first National Serviceman, Private Rupert Alexander, signed up for the Middlesex Regiment. His service number was 10000001.

United Nations Charter

1945 Delegates from nations around the world signed the United Nations Charter, designed to help ensure future world peace. The first meeting of the U.N. General Assembly occurred in London early the following year.

A Marriage See-Saw

1974 British actor Richard Burton divorced his wife, American actress Elizabeth Taylor for the first time. They remarried on 10th October 1975 and divorced for the second time on 29th July 1976.

The Killing Spree

1977 Peter Sutcliffe (the Yorkshire Ripper) killed 16 year old Jayne MacDonald in Leeds. She was the fifth of his 13 victims. Her murder changed public perception of the killer, as she was the first victim who was not a prostitute. In 1981 Sutcliffe was convicted of murdering 13 women and attacking seven others. He is currently serving 20 sentences of life imprisonment in Broadmoor Hospital.

The Maguire Seven

1991 After campaigning to prove their innocence for 15 years, the ‘Maguire Seven’ were cleared by the Court of Appeal of running an IRA bomb factory in England.

Diana’s Dresses

1997 Dresses belonging to Diana, Princess of Wales were auctioned for more than £2million in New York.

 

 

On This Day – A Lesser Spotted Tudor and the Scandal in Bohemia

A Lesser Spotted Tudor

1533 The death, at the age of 37, of Mary Tudor, the younger sister of King Henry VIII and queen consort of France through her marriage to Louis XII. She was first buried at the abbey at Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, but her the Tudorsbody was moved to nearby St. Mary’s Church, Bury St Edmunds, when the abbey was destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

The Oxford Surrender

1646 The surrender of Oxford to the Roundheads virtually signified the end of the English Civil War.

The Battle of Santa Cruz

1797 During the battle off Santa Cruz in the Canary Islands Admiral Nelson was wounded in the right arm by grapeshot and had it amputated later that afternoon. This followed the loss of his sight in his right eye some three years earlier.

A Scandal in Bohemia

1891 The first episode of an Arthur Conan Doyle novel involving the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes was printed in the Strand Magazine in London.

Happy Birthday, Your Lordship

1900 Lord Louis Mountbatten of Burma was born. He was Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Navy in South East Asia during the Second World War, and later Viceroy of India during the transfer of power from Britain to India. Mountbatten was assassinated in 1979 by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), who planted a bomb in his fishing boat, the Shadow V, at Mullaghmore, County Sligo, in the Republic of Ireland.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Orwell

1903 The birth of George Orwell, English novelist of ‘Animal Farm’ and ’1984′.

The Torturer

1912 The Prime Minister, Herbert Asquith was bitterly attacked in the Commons for the ‘torture’ of force-feeding suffragettes in prison.

Notting Hill Murderer

1953 John Christie was sentenced to hang for murdering his wife and then hiding her body under the floorboards of their Notting Hill home in London. Christie, 54, had admitted murder but pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. It took the jury an hour and 22 minutes to reject his defence and declare him guilty.

All You Need is Love

1967 400 million viewers in 26 nations watched the world’s first televised satellite hook up; the Beatles recording of ‘All you need is love’ at Abbey Road

The Longest Singles

1969 Wimbledon saw the longest men’s singles match ever when Charlie Passarell was beaten by Pancho Gonzalez 22-24, 1-6, 16-14, 6-3, 11-9.

Burnley Nights

2001 Race violence erupted in Burnley, Lancashire. White and Asian youths were involved in a series of overnight attacks on pubs, shops and restaurants. Many vehicles were also damaged or destroyed.

The Pirates of Penzance

2011 The Pirates of Penzance – 8,734 people in fancy dress assembled on Penzance promenade at 13:00 BST. The Guinness World Records later confirmed that Penzance now holds the title for the largest gathering of pirates in one place, officially breaking the previous record set by 6,166 pirates in Hastings in 2010.

 

On This Day – The Trouble at Glastonbury and the Masons

Scottish Independence

1314 Robert the Bruce defeated Edward II at Bannockburn and so completed his expulsion of the English from Scotland, although England did not recognize Scottish independence until 1328 with the signing of the Treaty of Edinburgh – Northampton.

Coronation

1509 Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon were crowned King and Queen Consort of England by the Archbishop of Canterbury at a lavish ceremony at Westminster Abbey. The coronation was followed by a banquet in Westminster Hall.

The Prayer Book

1559 The Elizabethan Prayer Book was first used.

The Grand Lodge

1717 The Grand Lodge of the English Freemasons was founded in London.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Smith

1825 W.H. Smith, English news agent and bookseller, was born.

Your Country Needs You

1850 The birth of Horatio Herbert, Earl Kitchener, British field marshal, born in County Kerry. He achieved notable victories in foreign parts fighting for the Empire, and was Secretary of State for War at the outbreak of hostilities in 1914. He mounted a major recruitment campaign and appeared on posters to exhort, ‘Your country needs you!’

St John’s Ambulance

1878 Formation of the St. John Ambulance – originally called the St. John Ambulance Association.

R-38

1921 The world’s largest airship, the R-38, built in the U.K. for the U.S. Navy, made its maiden flight at Bedford.

Work to Rule

1968 The country’s rail network was thrown into disarray as the National Union of Railwaymen began its work-to-rule and ban on overtime.

Wimbledon Open

1968 Start of the first Open Wimbledon lawn tennis championships – open to both professional and amateur players.

The Arms Race

1974 The Labour Government admitted that Britain had exploded a nuclear device in the United States a few weeks previously. The announcement sparked a row amongst senior ministers about Britain’s involvement in the arms race.

Humber Bridge

1981 The Humber Bridge was opened to traffic. It connected Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and would be the world’s longest single-span suspension bridge for the next 17 years.

The Trouble at Glastonbury 

2005 The Glastonbury Festival eventually got under way after suffering serious disruption when storms tore across its site at Pilton, Somerset. Heavy rain flooded parts of the site, with dozens of tents lost under water, while lightning strikes affected the stages and knocked out power lines.

 

 

On This Day – Seven Islands of Bombay and Two Singles to Moscow

Seven Islands of Bombay

1661 A marriage contract was signed between Charles II of England and Portuguese Catherine of Braganza. Catherine’s dowry secured to England Tangier, the Seven islands of Bombay, trading privileges and two million Portuguese crowns (about £300,000).

What William Penn Penned

1683 William Penn, the English Quaker, signed a treaty with the Indian chiefs of the Lenni Lenade Tribe in an attempt to ensure peace in his new American colony, Pennsylvania.

Foundations of the Raj

1757 British troops, commanded by Robert Clive, won the Battle of Plassey in Bengal – laying the foundations of the British Empire in India.

Happy Birthday, Duke of Windsor

1894 Birth of Edward, Duke of Windsor who was King Edward VIII from 20th January to 10th December 1936 before abdicating to marry twice-divorced Mrs. Wallis Warfield Simpson.

IRA

1939 The Government of Eire declared membership of the IRA (Irish Republican Army) to be illegal.

Musical Bullets

1940 The BBC’s Music While You Work programme was first broadcast on radio to brighten up the lives of munitions workers doing boring factory jobs.

Of All I Survey

1940 World War II: German leader Adolf Hitler surveyed newly defeated Paris in German occupied France.

The Accident

1942 Germany’s latest fighter, a Focke-Wulf Fw 190, was captured intact when it mistakenly landed at RAF Pembrey in Wales.

Two Singles to Moscow

1951 Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean, missing diplomats, fled to the USSR as Russian spies before the British authorities had the opportunity to arrest them for spying. They ‘surfaced’ in Moscow in 1956.

The Return of Great Britain

1970 The world’s first all-metal liner, Brunel’s ‘Great Britain’ returned to Bristol from the Falkland Islands where it had lain rusting since 1886.

Flight 182

1985 A terrorist bomb aboard Air India flight 182 brought down a Boeing 747 off the coast of Ireland killing all 329 people aboard.

The Brighton Bomb

1986 Brighton bomber Patrick Magee, found guilty of planting the bomb at the Grand Hotel, Brighton during the Conservative Party Conference in 1983, was jailed for a minimum of 35 years.

For Sale or Scrap

1994 It was announced that the Royal Yacht Britannia would be sold or scrapped.

Under Age 

1997 Diana, Princess of Wales apologized for taking her two sons, Princes William and Harry, to see the 15 certificated film The Devil’s Own, about an IRA assassin.

 

 

On This Day – Happy Birthday to Prince William and Me

Foundation Stone

1675 The laying of the foundation stone of the new St Paul’s Cathedral in London The cathedral was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and the site faced that of the church destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Dollond

1706 The birth of John Dollond, English optician. Dollond & Aitchison opticians was established in 1750.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Napier

1791 The birth of Robert Napier, Scottish engineer who is often called ‘The Father of Clyde Shipbuilding’. His first engine, the Leven engine, is on display at the Scottish Maritime Museum in Dumbarton.

Vinegar Hill

1798 During the Irish Rebellion the British Army defeated Irish rebels at the Battle of Vinegar Hill in Enniscorthy, County Wexford. It marked a turning point in the rebellion, as it was the last attempt by the rebels to hold and defend ground against the British military.

Victoria Cross

1854 The first Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest medal for bravery, was awarded to Charles Lucas, who was awarded it during the Crimean War for conspicuous bravery. The medal was made from metal from a cannon captured at Sebastopol. The Victoria Cross was extended to colonial troops in 1867 and to date a total of 1,356 Victoria Crosses have been awarded.

A Minor Detail

1898 A reporter covering the launch of HMS Albion on the Thames was in such a hurry to file his story that he missed the fact that 38 people drowned when a temporary jetty collapsed.

72 Warships

1919 German sailors scuttled 72 warships at Scapa Flow in the Orkneys even though Germany had surrendered. It was the greatest act of self-destruction in modern military history.

TV Tennis

1937 First televising of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships.

Happy Birthday to Me

 

 

 

 

 

1942 The birth, in Sarajevo, of the mystery writer Mira Kolar-Brown

Happy Birthday, Ms Kirkbride

1954 The birth, in Oldham, Lancashire of actress Anne Kirkbride, best known for her long-running role as Deirdre Barlow in Coronation Street, which she has played since 1972.

Oh, Baby, Baby

1948 The first stored programme to run on a computer was put through its paces on the Small Scale Experimental Machine, known as Baby, at Manchester University.

The Royal Family

1969 The BBC TV broadcast ‘Royal Family’ – a documentary going behind the public facade of the British Royal Family. This was the first time anyone had seen Queen Elizabeth II, her husband the Duke of Edinburgh and their children other than on official engagements.

Happy Birthday, Prince William

1982 Diana, Princess of Wales, gave birth to a boy, (Prince William) sixteen hours after checking in to St Mary’s Hospital, in London.

 

ON This Day – By Royal Command and Lacy Knickers

Oxford Charter

1214 The University of Oxford received its charter. Oxford is the second-oldest surviving university in the world (Bologna in Italy is the oldest) and the oldest in the English-speaking world.

Black Hole of Calcutta

1756 In India, the night of the infamous ‘Black Hole of Calcutta’, where more than 140 British soldiers and civilians were placed in a small prison cell – 18 feet by 14 feet – by the Nawab of Bengal. The following morning only 23 emerged alive.

Start of a Very Long Story

1837 On the death of William IV, Queen Victoria, aged 18, acceded to the throne. Her reign of 63 years and 7 months is currently longer than that of any other British monarch and the longest of any female monarch in history.

Buffalo Bill by Royal Command

1887 On Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, Buffalo Bill Cody staged a Royal Command performance of his famous Wild West Show, and four European kings boarded the original Deadwood coach driven by Cody.

The Longest Bridge

1887 Britain’s longest railway bridge over the River Tay opened. The first had collapsed in 1879 whilst the Edinburgh to Dundee train was crossing, killing over 90 people.

Happy Birthday, Ms Cookson

1906 Catherine Cookson, English novelist, was born

Happy Birthday, Wendy Craig

1934 The birth of Wendy Craig, BAFTA Award winning actress who is best known for her appearances in the sitcoms Butterflies.

Lacy Knickers

1949 American tennis player ‘Gorgeous’ Gussie Moran caused a sensation at the Wimbledon Championships by wearing lace-trimmed pants under a short skirt.

Was it An Improvement?

1984 The biggest exam shake up for over 10 years was announced with O Level and CSE exams to be replaced by new examinations, to be known as GCSEs.

The Last Match

1996 English cricket umpire Harold ‘Dickie’ Bird received a standing ovation by players and spectators at Lords when he took the field to officiate in his final Test Match.

Puttin’ On the Ritz

1997 Former Conservative minister Jonathan Aitken lost his libel action against The Guardian newspaper over allegations that wealthy Arabs paid for him to stay at the Ritz Hotel in Paris while he was a minister.

 

 

 

On This Day – The House of Windsor and a Bosom Friend

West of Perth

1306 The Earl of Pembroke’s army defeated Robert the Bruce’s Scottish army at the Battle of Methven, west of Perth.

Happy Birthday, James I

1566 King James VI of Scotland and I of England was born.

Seats for Sale

1809 Curwen’s Act was passed in Britain, to prevent the sale of parliamentary seats, thus decreasing the number of seats which the British government could manipulate for its regular supporters.

The Bobbies and the Peelers

1829 Robert Peel’s Act was passed, to establish a new police force in London and its suburbs. They were known as Peelers and then Bobbies, derived from his surname and Christian name respectively.

An Unhappy Birthday

1861 Douglas Haig, British field-marshal was born. Haig became known as ‘Butcher of the Somme’, after he unnecessarily sent thousands of British troops to their deaths. After the war, he devoted himself to the care of ex-Servicemen.

The House of Windsor

1917 The British royal family renounced the German names and titles of Saxe-Coburg, (responding to anti-German sentiment) and became Windsor.

Bosom Friend

1925 The birth of Charlie Drake, slapstick English comedian. His catchphrase ‘Hello, my darlings’ came about because his short (5′ 1″)stature placed his eyes directly level with a lady’s bosom!

Independence Day

1961 Kuwait declared its independence from the United Kingdom after which the state’s oil industry saw unprecedented economic growth. In 1990, Kuwait was invaded and annexed by neighbouring Iraq.

Lord Lucan

1975 An inquest jury decided that the missing Lord Lucan murdered the 29-year-old nanny of his three young children.

Ian Botham

1978 Cricketing star Ian Botham became the first man in the history of the game to score a century and take eight wickets in one innings of a Test match.

Beef to the Slaughter

1996 Britain offered to slaughter up to 67,000 more cattle in an effort to end the ban on British beef.

Happy Wedding Anniversary

1999 The wedding of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex ( the fourth, and youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh) and Sophie Rhys-Jones. The wedding took place at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

 

On This Day – New Albion, a Bomb, and a Mac

Cornish Rebellion – Update

1497 The Battle of Deptford Bridge (also known as the Battle of Blackheath) took place on this day. Forces under King Henry VII were victorious in what was the culminating event of the Cornish Rebellion. After carefully spreading rumours that he would attack on the following Monday, Henry moved against the Cornish at dawn on his ‘lucky day’ which was Saturday (17 June). By 2pm, Henry had returned to the City in triumph, knighting deserving parties on the way, and accepted the acclamation of the Mayor followed by a service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s.

New Albion

1579 Francis Drake anchored the Golden Hind just north of what would one day be San Francisco Bay, California and proclaimed England’s sovereignty over an area he named New Albion.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Wesley

1703 The birth of John Wesley, English evangelist who initiated the Methodist societies and brought about an evangelical revival, not only in England, but also in North America.

The Victory at Bunker Hill

1775 In the War of American Independence, British troops won a victory at Bunker Hill north of Boston, Massachusetts.

Where Would We Be Without It?

1823 Charles Macintosh patented the waterproof cloth he used to make raincoats, after experimenting with waste rubber products from Glasgow’s new gas works.

Antiseptics

1867 Pioneer doctor Joseph Lister amputated a cancerous breast from his sister Isabella using carbolic acid as an antiseptic. The operation in the Glasgow Royal Infirmary was the first under antiseptic conditions.

The Finest Hour

1940 World War II: In a radio broadcast, Winston Churchill urged Britain to conduct herself so that this would be remembered as her finest hour.

The Tragedy of Lancastria

1940 World War II: The RMS Lancastria was sunk by the Luftwaffe near Saint-Nazaire, France. Over 4,000 lives were lost making it the worst ever loss of life in the sinking of a single British ship, and the bloodiest single engagement for UK forces (in terms of lives lost) in the whole of World War II. The sinking claimed more lives than the combined losses of the Titanic and Lusitania.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Livingstone

1945 The birth of Ken Livingstone, former Labour politician and the first Mayor of London.

(Personally, I thought Dick Whittington was the first, but apparently that’s a different post. The first Mayor of the City of London was Henry Fitz-Ailwin de Londonestone )

What A Sight That Must Have Been

1964 The first purpose-built floating trade fair docked at Tilbury in London with 22,000 samples of Japanese goods on board.

The Abomination Of An IRA Bomb…

1974 An IRA bomb exploded at the Houses of Parliament, causing extensive damage and injuring 11 people.

… And an US Nuclear Missile

1980 The locations for the first US nuclear missiles to be stored on British soil (at Greenham Common and Molesworth military bases) were revealed by the government.

Start Them Young

1982 Manchester United footballer Norman Whiteside became the youngest player to appear in the World Cup finals – playing for Northern Ireland against Yugoslavia in Spain. He was aged 17 years and 41 days.

Farewell Cardinal Hume

1999 The death of Cardinal Basil Hume, Roman Catholic Cardinal and Archbishop of Westminster.