On This Day – Horatio Hornblower, the African Queen and the 38-Minute War

Paradise Lost

1660 John Milton’s books were burned in London, because of the author’s attacks on King Charles II.

A Lot of Hot Air

1784 The first balloon ascent was made in Britain, by James Tytler at Edinburgh.

Happy birthday, Mr. Rolls

1877 Birthday of The Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls, English motor manufacturer. Rolls was also an aviator, being the first to fly non-stop across the English Channel and back in 1910. He was a keen motorist, and participated in several long-distance races. In 1906 he formed a partnership with Henry Royce to manufacture luxury cars.

38-Minute War

1896 The start (and end) of the Anglo-Zanzibar War. It was the shortest war in world history and lasted for just 38 minutes

From WIKIPEDIA:

The Anglo-Zanzibar War was fought between the United Kingdom and the Zanzibar Sultanate on 27 August 1896. The conflict lasted 38 minutes^{[nb 1]} and is the shortest war in history.^[7] The immediate cause of the war was the death of the pro-British Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini on 25 August 1896 and the subsequent succession of Sultan Khalid bin Barghash. The British authorities preferred Hamud bin Muhammed, who was more favourable to British interests, as sultan. In accordance with a treaty signed in 1886, a condition for accession to the sultanate was that the candidate obtain the permission of the British consul, and Khalid had not fulfilled this requirement. The British considered this a casus belli and sent an ultimatum to Khalid demanding that he order his forces to stand down and leave the palace. In response, Khalid called up his palace guard and barricaded himself inside the palace.

The ultimatum expired at 09:00 East Africa Time (EAT) on 27 August, by which time the British had gathered threecruisers, two gunships, 150 marines and sailors, and 900 Zanzibaris in the harbour area. The Royal Navy contingent were under the command of Rear Admiral Harry Rawson whilst their Zanzibaris were commanded by Brigadier-General Lloyd Mathews of the Zanzibar army. Around 2,800 Zanzibaris defended the palace; most were recruited from the civilian population, but they also included the sultan’s palace guard and several hundred of his servants and slaves. The defenders had several artillery pieces and machine guns which were set in front of the palace sighted at the British ships. A bombardment which was opened at 09:02 set the palace on fire and disabled the defending artillery. A small naval action took place with the British sinking a Zanzibari royal yacht and two smaller vessels, and some shots were fired ineffectually at the pro-British Zanzibari troops as they approached the palace. The flag at the palace was shot down and fire ceased at 09:40.

The sultan’s forces sustained roughly 500 casualties, while only one British sailor was injured. Sultan Khalid received asylum in the German consulate before escaping to German East Africa (in the mainland part of present Tanzania). The British quickly placed Sultan Hamud in power at the head of a puppet government. The war marked the end of the Zanzibar Sultanate as a sovereign state and the start of a period of heavy British influence.

Horatio Hornblower and the African Queen

1899 The birth of C.S. Forester, the English novelist who rose to fame with tales of naval warfare; his most notable works being the 12 book Horatio Hornblower series and The African Queen.

Across the Waves

1950 The BBC transmitted the first ever live television pictures across the Channel.

Gypsy Moth

1966 Francis Chichester began the first solo circumnavigation of the world, when he set out from Plymouth in Gypsy Moth IV.

Brian Epstein, OD

1967 Brian Epstein died, from an accidental overdose of brandy and barbiturates. He managed The Beatles, and worked with Gerry and The Pacemakers, The Fourmost, Billy J. Kramer and Cilla Black.

RIP, Uncle Louis

1979 The death of Lord Louis Mountbatten, Prince Philip’s and the Queen’s cousin (strictly second cousin once removed). The IRA exploded a 50lb, remote-controlled bomb on his boat Shadow V off the coast of County Sligo, Ireland. Lord Mountbatten was a former Admiral of the Fleet, the last Viceroy of India (1947) and the first Governor-General of the independent Union of India. He served as Chief of the Defence Staff until 1965, making him the longest serving professional head of the British Armed Forces to date.

RIP, Stan Ogden

1984 The death of Bernard Youens, British character actor, best remembered for his portrayal of the workshy, beer-swilling Stan Ogden in Coronation Street from 1964 until his death.

 

On This Day – There Will Be No Burning Tonight

Hammer of the Scotts

1274 The coronation of Edward I, known as ‘Longshanks’, as he was 6 feet 2 inches tall.

Nine Months Old Queen

Crowned at nine months, engaged at 5, married at 16, widowed and queen of Scotland again at 18.

1561 Mary Queen of Scots arrived in Scotland (following the death of her French husband Francis II,) to assume the throne after spending 13 years in France.

There Will be No Burning Tonight – Pendle Witches

1612 Three women from the Lancashire village of Samlesbury were put on trial, accused of practicing witchcraft. It was one of the most famous witch trials in English history as all three – Jane Southworth, Jennet Bierley, and Ellen Bierley were acquitted. The charges against the women included child murder and cannibalism. In contrast, the others tried at the Lancaster Castle assizes, including the Lancashire Pendle witches, were accused of maleficium i.e. causing harm by witchcraft.

Happy Birthday, Poet Laureate

1631 John Dryden, English poet and dramatist was born. He was the first official Poet Laureate of Great Britain.

Bloody Assizes

1685 The beginning of the ‘Bloody Assizes’ in England with Judge Jeffreys regularly sentencing people to death.

The Bloody Assizes were a series of trials started a Winchester on 25 August 1685 in the aftermath of the Battle of Sedgemoor which ended the Monmouth Rebellion  in England.

The Had Some Good Ideas Back In The Day

1897 The London Electric Cab Company began operating the electric-powered taxi cabs in London’s West End and the City. They had a range of up to 30 miles, and a top speed of 9 miles an hour. The cabs prove uneconomical and were withdrawn in 1900.

Shall We Laugh or Shall We Cry?

1919 Afghanistan gained full independence from Britain.

Lady Chatterley’s Lover on Trial

1960 Penguin Books received a summons in response to their plans to publish Lady Chatterley’s Lover.

And They Said It Wouldn’t Last

1970 The 1000th episode of Coronation Street was broadcast.

The Hungerford Massacre

1987 27 year old gunman Michael Ryan shot dead 16 people during a rampage through Hungerford, Berkshire. 14 people were wounded, and one of the dead was Ryan’s own mother. He proceeded to set fire to his mother’s house, and the worst civil massacre in modern British history ended when he shot himself.

Regular Service Resumed

1989 The offshore, North Sea pirate radio station, Radio Caroline, was raided and silenced by the British and Dutch governments. However broadcasts resumed on 1st October of that year and continued on low/moderate power until fuel for the generator ran out on 6th November 1990. Radio Caroline currently broadcasts 24 hours a day via the Eutelsat satellite and Internet radio.

 

On This Day – From Mayflower to the Whipping Boy

The First of Eight

1100 Henry I was crowned King of England in Westminster Abbey.

Battle of Stirling Bridge

1305 Sir William Wallace, Scottish hero and champion of Scottish independence who beat Edward I at the battle of Stirling Bridge, was captured by the English and later executed as a traitor.

St John’s, Newfoundland

1583 English soldier and navigator Sir Humphrey Gilbert (half-brother of Sir Walter Raleigh) established the first English colony in North America, at what is now St John’s, Newfoundland and claimed it for Elizabeth I.

Mayflower Ahoy

1620 The Mayflower departed from Southampton on its first attempt to reach North America but the sister ship, the Speedwell developed a leak. It had to be refitted at Dartmouth and, after further leaks (or possibly sabotage) the Mayflower made the 60 day crossing alone.

The Whipping Boy

1792 The death of Lord Frederick North, British Prime Minister whose indecisive leadership led to the loss of the American colonies.

The Royal Telegraph

1858 The first transatlantic cable was officially opened, with Queen Victoria sending a telegraphic message to US President James Buchanan.

The Flicks

1901 Britain’s first cinema, the Mohawk, opened in Islington, north London. Films were accompanied by the 16-piece Fonobian Orchestra. At the height of their popularity in the 1940s, cinemas in Britain had average weekly attendances of 30 million.

Do You Speak Welsh?

1925 The political party Plaid Cymru was formed with the aim of disseminating knowledge of the Welsh language which was, at the time, in danger of dying out.

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

1963 A Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was signed in Moscow by Russia, the United States and Britain. Under the treaty, nuclear tests in the Earth’s atmosphere, in space or under the sea were outlawed.

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) bans all nuclear explosions in all environments, for military or civilian purposes. It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 September 1996 but it has not entered into force as of May 2012.

Penalties Win

1970 Hull City and Manchester United were tied 1-1 after extra time, and for the first time in an English first division football match penalty kicks were used to break the tie. United won 4-3 on penalties.

The Clock

1976 The clock overlooking the Houses of Parliament stopped for the first time in 117 years.

RIP Richard Burton

1984 Richard Burton, Welsh actor died. He was aged 58.

The Royal Jockey

1986 Princess Anne rode Gulfland to win the 3.45 at Redcar; her first victory as a jockey.

 

On This Day – Remembering Holly and Jessica

Killing Fields

1265 The Battle of Evesham (Worcestershire) took place, in which the army of Prince Edward, the future king Edward I of England, defeated the forces of rebellious barons led by Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester. De Montfort and many of his allies were killed.

The Rock of Gibraltar

1704 Gibraltar was captured for the British by Admiral Sir George Rooke.

Happy Birthday, Percy

1792 The birth of Percy Shelley, one of the major English Romantic poets.

The Birth of Red Cross

1870 The British Red Cross Society was founded, by Lord Wantage.

Two Very Different Declarations

1914 Britain declared war on Germany after the Germans had violated the Treaty of London by invading Belgium, and so began ‘the war to end all wars’.

The United States declared their neutrality.

A Cross and A Bar

1917 Captain Noel Chavasse, of the Royal Army Medical Corps, only the second man to be awarded the additional bar to the Victorian Cross for bravery, died from injuries sustained in battle four days earlier.

Pips of Time

1923 The BBC began using the ‘pips’ as a time signal in its broadcasts.

Supersonic

1954 Britain’s first supersonic fighter plane, the English Electric Lightning P-1, made its maiden flight.

Popularity Contest

1966 In a US radio interview, John Lennon claimed that the Beatles were probably more popular than Jesus Christ. Beatles’ records were consequently banned in many US states and in South Africa.

Confessions of A Sick Mind

1987 Moors murderer Ian Brady claimed that he was involved in another five killings.

A Royal Century

2000 Celebrations took place all over the United Kingdom to mark the 100th birthday of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. She was the first ever member of the Royal Family to reach her centenary.

The Soham Murders

2002 Police in Soham, Cambridgeshire were ‘extremely concerned’ over the disappearance of two 10-year-old schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. Their school caretaker Ian Huntley was later found guilty of their murder.