On This Day

[Raybosailor]

24th. August.

1682 Englishman William Penn, an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, received the area that is now the state of Delaware, and added it to his colony of Pennsylvania.

1814 British forces captured Washington DC and set the White House on fire.

1875 Matthew Webb (Captain Webb) started his attempt from Dover England to become the first person to swim the English Channel. He reached Calais, France at 10.40 am the following morning, having been in the water for 22 hours.

1947 The first Edinburgh Festival was held.

1981 American Mark Chapman was given a 20 year to life sentence for shooting John Lennon, the former member of the British group, The Beatles - in New York. Chapman's eighth parole application was denied on 22nd August 2014. His next scheduled parole hearing should have been last week but I can't find any reference to the outcome.

2014 The death, aged 90, of Richard Attenborough actor and film director after a stroke in 2008 he was confined to a wheelchair and in 2012 moved into a care home with his actress wife Sheila Sim they had been married for 69 years. Their house in Richmond Green, London was put on the market and sold for £11.5 million.

Birthdays
1759 William Wilberforce, English philanthropist, was born. He campaigned for many important causes, most notably the abolition of slavery in Britain and its colonies.
1957 Stephen Fry the actor was born in Hampstead, I had the pleasure of meeting him and Hugh Laurie in the Red Lion in Clovelly as they were shooting some film for a tv series.
1953 Sam Torrence the golfer.

[Raybosailor]

25th. August.

1537 The Honourable Artillery Company was formed. It is the oldest surviving regiment in the British Army, and the second most senior.

1867 The death, aged 75, of the English scientist Michael Faraday. His inventions formed the foundation of electric motor technology.

1917 The Order of the British Empire (OBE), and the Companion of Honour (CH), were awarded for the first time.

1944 World War II - The Allies liberated Paris.

Birthdays
1540 Lady Catherine Grey, she was put into captivity by Queen Elizabeth I until she died aged 28.
1930 Sean Connery, Edinburgh.
1954 Elvis Costello (born Declan Patrick MacManus) in Paddington, London.

[qbman1]

25th. August.

1537 The Honourable Artillery Company was formed. It is the oldest surviving regiment in the British Army, and the second most senior.

1867 The death, aged 75, of the English scientist Michael Faraday. His inventions formed the foundation of electric motor technology.

1917 The Order of the British Empire (OBE), and the Companion of Honour (CH), were awarded for the first time.

1944 World War II - The Allies liberated Paris.

Birthdays
1540 Lady Catherine Grey, she was put into captivity by Queen Elizabeth I until she died aged 28.
1930 Sean Connery, Edinburgh.
1954 Elvis Costello (born Declan Patrick MacManus) in Paddington, London.

If you get the chance, listen to "London's Brilliant Parade". Not one of his best-known songs but one of my favourites

[Raybosailor]

25th. August.


Birthdays
1540 Lady Catherine Grey, she was put into captivity by Queen Elizabeth I until she died aged 28.
1930 Sean Connery, Edinburgh.
1954 Elvis Costello (born Declan Patrick MacManus) in Paddington, London.

If you get the chance, listen to "London's Brilliant Parade". Not one of his best-known songs but one of my favourites

Had a quick listen to first couple of verses Cubie it sounds ok I will listen to it in full later, he has had a very interesting career spanning almost 40 years and has met almost every celeb on the planet and even had one of his weddings at Elton Johns house.

[Raybosailor]

26th. August.

55 BC Julius Caesar crossed the English Channel for his invasion of Britain.

1959 British car manufacturers Austin and Morris launched a small family car - the 'Mini', the mini was my second car I traded my Standard 8 in to buy it.

1963 Cilla Black made her first major concert appearance at The Odeon Cinema, Southport, on a bill with the Beatles.

1981 Steve Ovett recaptured the mile-run record which had been taken from him just a week earlier by Sebastian Coe. Ovett's new world record time was 3:48.40.

1994 A man was given the world's first battery-operated heart in a pioneering operation in Britain.

Birthdays
1676 Robert Walpole, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1721–1742)
1819 Prince Albert, (Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha) and consort to Queen Victoria, was born in Bavaria.
1968 Christopher Miles Boardman, British former racing cyclist who won an individual pursuit gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
1977 Liam Botham, English rugby player and cricketer son of Ian Botham.

[Raybosailor]

27th. August.

1900 Britain's first long distance bus service began between London and Leeds. The journey took 2 days!

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

1979 The death of Lord Louis Mountbatten, Prince Philip's and the Queen’s cousin the IRA exploded a 50lb, remote-controlled bomb on his boat Shadow V off the coast of County Sligo.

1997 A Cambridgeshire family who sold everything to sail around the world were rescued from their crippled yacht by the Royal Navy in the Bay of Biscay.

Birthdays
1877 Charles Stewart Rolls, English motor manufacturer.
1899 C.S. Forester, novelist who rose to fame with tales of naval warfare; his most notable works being the Horatio Hornblower series and The African Queen.
1925 Nathaniel "Nat" Lofthouse, OBE footballer who played for Bolton Wanderers for his whole career. He was capped 33 times for the England national football team between 1950 and 1958, scoring 30 goals and giving himself one of the greatest goals-per-game ratios of any player to represent England at the highest level. Born in Bolton, Lancs.
1960 Mike Golding, he is one of the few yachtsmen to have raced round the world non stop in both directions. He held the solo record for sailing round the world westabout (the most challenging direction for circumnavigation) between 1994 and 2000.
1970 Peter Ebdon, an English professional snooker player and former world and UK champion.
1972 Denise Lewis OBE in West Bromwich, she won the gold medal in the heptathlon at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

[Raybosailor]

28th. August.

1933 For the first time, a BBC-broadcasted appeal was used by the police in tracking down a wanted man (murder suspect Stanley Hobday).

1973 Princess Anne visited Russia, to ride for Britain in an equestrian event, thus becoming the first member of the Royal Family to visit the country.

1994 Thousands of shops throughout England and Wales opened legally for the first time on a Sunday, following a change in the Sunday trading laws.

2004 British athlete Kelly Holmes secured a place in Olympic history by winning the 1500m gold in Athens. The runner won the 800m earlier and thus became the first Olympic Briton in 84 years to achieve the middle-distance double.

Births
1906 The birth of Sir John Betjeman, poet, broadcaster.
1919 Sir Godfrey Newbold Hounsfield CBE, FRS, born in Nottinghamshire was an English electrical engineer who shared the 1979 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine with Allan McLeod Cormack for his part in developing the diagnostic technique of X-ray computed tomography (CT). His name is immortalised in the Hounsfield scale, a quantitative measure of radiodensity used in evaluating CT scans.
1930 Windsor Davies, born in Canning Town
1970 Alex Polizzi (born Alessandra Maria-Luigia O Polizzi Di Sorrentino, is a British hotelier, and the current presenter of the British TV series The Hotel Inspector.

[screwy]

28th August.
2011 Manchester United 8 Arsenal 2.

[Raybosailor]

28th August.
2011 Manchester United 8 Arsenal 2.

[Raybosailor]

29th. August.

1782 The British battleship HMS Royal George sank off Spithead with the loss of more than 900 crew while repairs were being carried out beneath the ship's waterline.

1895 At the George Hotel, Huddersfield, twenty-one rugby clubs met to form the Northern Union. In 1922 the Union was renamed the Rugby League.

1986 Britain's oldest twins, May and Marjorie Chavasse, both received telegrams from the Queen, to celebrate reaching their 100th birthday.

2011 Private security firm G4S sacked two members of staff who tagged the false leg of 29 year old Rochdale offender Christopher Lowcock, allowing him to remove it and flout a court-imposed curfew for driving and drug offences, as well as possession of an offensive weapon.

Births
1947 James Hunt, grand prix racing driver was born. He won the 1976 world championship and retired in 1979 only to die prematurely from a heart attack at the age of 45.
1958 Lenworth George "Lenny" Henry, CBE comedian,actor born in Dudley.
1918 John W. Herivel was a British science historian and former World War II codebreaker at Bletchley Park famous for the Enigma.
1842 Alfred Shaw, born in Burton Joyce Nottinghamshire bowled the first ball in a Test Match and the first to take 5 wickets in a Test inninngs (5-35).

[Raybosailor]

30th. August.

1682 William Penn sailed from England. He later established the colony of Pennsylvania. A statue of him now stands on top of City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1791 The British Ordnance Survey (mapping agency) was founded.

1901 Scottish inventor Hubert Cecil Booth patented the vacuum cleaner.

1936 The record for crossing the Atlantic was gained by the liner 'Queen Mary', winning the 'Blue Riband'.



Births
1720 Samuel Whitbread, English brewer and Member of Parliament. When he died on 11th June 1796, the Gentleman's Magazine claimed that he was 'worth over a million pounds', a few pints of beer in those days.
1950 Antony Mark David Gormley OBE RA is a British sculptor. His best known work was the Angel of the North.
1983 Kris Commons, footballer currently playing for Celtic was born in Mansfield, Notts. He started his career at Stoke moving on to Forest and Derby before going North.

[qbman1]

30th. August.

Births
1720 Samuel Whitbread, English brewer and Member of Parliament. When he died on 11th June 1796, the Gentleman's Magazine claimed that he was 'worth over a million pounds', a few pints of beer in those days.
1950 Antony Mark David Gormley OBE RA is a British sculptor. His best known work was the Angel of the North.
1983 Kris Commons, footballer currently playing for Celtic was born in Mansfield, Notts. He started his career at Stoke moving on to Forest and Derby before going North.

The last pint of that I drank tasted like it was brewed in 1796 !

[Raybosailor]

31st. August.

1900 Coca Cola first went on sale in Britain, fourteen years after it was first sold in the U.S.A. Charles Chandler, the eldest son of the founder came to Britain with a jug of cola syrup. It proved so popular that five more gallons were ordered immediately from America.

1962 Chris Bonington and Ian Clough become first Britons to conquer the north face of the Eiger.

1968 West Indian cricketer Gary Sobers becomes the first batsman to score six 'sixes' in one over while playing for Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan at Swansea. The unfortunate bowler was Malcolm Nash.

1997 Diana, Princess of Wales, her companion Dodi Fayed, and their driver were killed in a car crash in the Place de l'Alma underpass in Paris, France.

2013 The death, at the age of 74, of veteran broadcaster Sir David Frost, after a heart attack while on board Queen Elizabeth in the Mediterranean. His career spanned journalism, comedy writing and daytime television presenting, including The Frost Report.

Births
1688 John Bunyan, English Christian writer and preacher, best known for his book The Pilgrim's Progress.
1913 Sir Bernard Lovell, OBE, English physicist, radio astronomer and the first Director of Jodrell Bank.
1945 Van Morrison (The Belfast Cowboy) his most notable and my all time favourite song 'Brown Eyed Girl'
was his first solo hit in 1967.The guitar chords for this song were the first my grandson learned on his guitar, I wonder why ?

[Dancing Queen]

31st. August.

Births
1688 John Bunyan, English Christian writer and preacher, best known for his book The Pilgrim's Progress.
1913 Sir Bernard Lovell, OBE, English physicist, radio astronomer and the first Director of Jodrell Bank.
1945 Van Morrison (The Belfast Cowboy) his most notable and my all time favourite song 'Brown Eyed Girl'
was his first solo hit in 1967.The guitar chords for this song were the first my grandson learned on his guitar, I wonder why ?

Well thanks for that Ray I can't stop singing it now

You have great taste in music though, it's one of my all time favourites too, one of those songs you just have to get up and dance to

[qbman1]

31st. August.

Births
1688 John Bunyan, English Christian writer and preacher, best known for his book The Pilgrim's Progress.
1913 Sir Bernard Lovell, OBE, English physicist, radio astronomer and the first Director of Jodrell Bank.
1945 Van Morrison (The Belfast Cowboy) his most notable and my all time favourite song 'Brown Eyed Girl'
was his first solo hit in 1967.The guitar chords for this song were the first my grandson learned on his guitar, I wonder why ?

Well thanks for that Ray I can't stop singing it now

You have great taste in music though, it's one of my all time favourites too, one of those songs you just have to get up and dance to

He's Peters & Lees' biggest fan !

[Dancing Queen]

Who ?? Ray or Van Morrison ??

[Silver_Shiney]

He's Peters & Lees' biggest fan !

I had managed to successfully forget about Litres of Pee until now.

[Raybosailor]

He's Peters & Lees' biggest fan !

I had managed to successfully forget about Litres of Pee until now.

Nice one Alan

[Raybosailor]

1st. September. Wow where did the summer go ?

1532 Lady Anne Boleyn was made Marquess of Pembroke by her fiancé, King Henry VIII. Less than 4 years later Henry had her investigated for high treason. She was found guilty of adultery and incest and was executed on 19th May 1536.

1865 Joseph Lister performed the first antiseptic surgery.

1939 At dawn on 1st September, Germany made a massive invasion of Poland and bombed Warsaw at 6am, beginning World War II in Europe.

1971 The British penny and the threepenny piece coins ceased to be legal tender as decimalization continued. The 'threpnie bit' as it was called around Nottingham was a good unit of currency for kids of my days, you could buy a comic, a lucky bag, a football programme and a 'threpnie mix at the chippy' (a threpnie mix was a decent portion of chips with mushy peas in a sheet of newspaper) and if you asked nicely the chippy would chuck a scoop of batter bits in.

1981 Garages in Britain began selling petrol in litres at an average of 0.35p per litre about £1.58 per gallon, when I bought my first car it was just over two bob a gallon.

1985 After 73 years the wreck of the liner 'Titanic' was found, by Dr. Robert Ballard.

2001 England beat rivals Germany 5-1 in the World Cup qualifying tie, with Michael Owen scoring a hat-trick.



Births
1931 The birth in Carnforth, Lancashire of Cecil Parkinson, Conservative politician and former Cabinet Minister. Parkinson was forced to resign in October 1983 after it was revealed that his former secretary, Sara Keays, was carrying his child, so if someone passes you their baby throw it back to them.
1946 Barry Gibb of the 'Bee Gees' born in Douglas, IOM.
1942 William Terrence "Terry" Hennessey, Welsh international who played for Birmingham, Forest and Derby, I played against him when he turned out for a club called Long Eaton Reprobates. Forest found out he had played for an amateur club and fined him.

[Silver_Shiney]

He's Peters & Lees' biggest fan !

I had managed to successfully forget about Litres of Pee until now.

Grrr - can't get "Welcome Home" out of my head now... Cubie, I've got a bone to pick with you!

[qbman1]

"Welcome home, welcome

Come on in, and close the door

You've been gone, too long

Welcome, you're home once more ....."

[Silver_Shiney]

"Welcome home, welcome

Come on in, and close the door

You've been gone, too long

Welcome, you're home once more ....."

rabbits....

[Raybosailor]

2nd. September

1666 The Great Fire of London began in a baker's shop in Pudding Lane, and rapidly spread throughout the city, destroying most of London's buildings and houses. Although 13,000 buildings were destroyed in the four-day blaze only six people died.

1939 Under the National Service Bill, men aged 19 - 41 were conscripted in Britain.

1945 Japan surrenders ending WW2.

1974 Edward Heath's Morning Cloud III was sunk in a Force 9 gale in the English Channel. Two people were killed - including Mr Heath's godson.

1996 British boxer Frank Bruno achieved his dream of becoming world heavyweight champion when he outpointed Oliver McCall to win the WBC title at Wembley Stadium in London.

Births
1812 The birth, in the Dumfriesshire village of Kieof, of Kirkpatrick Macmillan, widely-credited as the inventor of the modern pedal-driven bicycle.
1913 William "Bill" Shankly, OBE Scottish footballer and manager of Liverpool 1959-1974
1952 Jimmy Connors, American tennis player, coach, and sportscaster.

[Raybosailor]

3rd. September.

1783 Britain finally recognised the United States of America by signing the Treaty of Paris which officially ended the American War of Independence.

1878 Over 640 died when the crowded paddle steamer Princess Alice collided with the Bywell Castle in the River Thames. It was the greatest loss of life in any Thames shipping disaster.

1935 Sir Malcolm Campbell reaches a speed of 304.331 miles per hour on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, becoming the first person to drive an automobile at over 300 mph.

2014 More than 50,000 illegal immigrants told to leave the country have been granted a "de-facto amnesty" after Home Office officials admitted they have no idea where they are. 'Immigration enforcement officers are not even looking for the individuals because of limited resources.'

Births
1728 Matthew Boulton FRS, was an English manufacturer and business partner of Scottish engineer James Watt, the pair revolutionised industry with their Boulton & Watt steam engines and some survive today.
1875 Ferdinand Porsche, Austrian-German engineer and businessman, founded Porsche motors.
1913 Alan Ladd, American actor and producer.
1947 Gerard Houllier, French footballer and coach.
1981 Fearne Cotton, English radio and television host.

[Frank Manning]

On this day, in 1939, less than 9 hours after the declaration of war, the Donaldson Passenger Liner 'Athenia' was torpedoed and sunk by U30 in position 56.44N 14.05W with the loss of 93 passengers and 19 crew. Thus opening for the British Merchant Navy a period of 5 years during which they sustained heavy losses. Without their sacrifice Britain could not have continued in the war. As a result, today, 3rd September is the official Merchant Navy day.

Approximately 19 million gross tons of allied shipping was lost.

25,864 (46.3%) of British merchant sailors lost their lives.

When a seaman's ship was sunk, his wages stopped.

Dockers were known to steal the emergency rations from lifeboats.

Talk about Dunkirk, The Battle of Britain, Alamein, or D Day. But do not forget the Merchant Navy.