On This Day

[Raybosailor]

16th. December

1431 In the Hundred Years' War Henry VI of England is crowned King of France at Notre Dame in Paris.

1773 The Boston Tea Party, as a result of the British Tea Act to protect the home tea industry dissenters in Boston Harbour board ships and throw the cargo of tea overboard.

1914 The German Navy made several attacks on the harbours of Whitby, Scarborough and Hartlepool in a bid to draw the British fleet into battle, this caused public outrage as the only British losses were civilians of the three ports.

1944 The Battle of the Bulge begins with the surprise offensive of three German armies through the Ardennes forest. There were heavy losses on both sides with the Germans coming out worse with an unofficial casualty list of over 100,000 while the Allies had a casualty list of over 95,000.

2014 Bernard Manning junior, son of the controversial late comedian of the same name, said that he would put the 'World Famous Embassy Club' in Harpurhey, Manchester up for sale. The club was said to have inspired Peter Kay's TV show Phoenix Nights. The club features a mosaic of Mr. Manning senior, in which his ashes are mixed with the grouting.

Births
1485 Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of King Henry VIII.
1770 Ludwig van Beethoven, composer.
1775 Jane Austen, English author of Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and other notable works.
1882 Jack Hobbs, English cricketer and one of the best batsmen in cricket history.
1899 Noël Coward, English actor and playwright.
1917 Arthur C. Clarke, science fiction novelist who wrote "2001: A Space Odyssey" in(1968),
1932 Quentin Blake, English author and illustrator best known for his cartoon illustrations in Roald Dahl's cildrens books.
1945 Bobby George flambouyant winner of many darsts tournaments.
1966 Dennis Wise, English footballer, he was a member of the Wimbledon "Crazy Gang" that won the F.A. Cup in 1988.

[Raybosailor]

17th. December

1718 War of the Quadruple Alliance: Great Britain, Ffrance, Austria and the Dutch Republic declares war on Spain when King Philip V of Spain tried to take territories in Italy and also a claim on the French throne.

1843 A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, was published.

1939 Battle of the River Plate WW2 The Admiral Graf Spee is scuttled by Captain Hans Langsdorff outside Montevideo.

2012 The Queen's centenarian 'birthday card team' was expanded to cope with a surge of 100-year-olds. Figures showed a 70 per cent rise in just 10 years of people aged over 100 and how more than 104,000 First World War babies are still alive.

Births
1778 Humphry Davy, English chemist and physicist, he invented the Davy Lamp and a very early form of incandescent light bulb.
1797 Joseph Henry, American physicist and electromagnetic engineer, he invented the electric doorbell.
1934 Ray Wilson, English footballer who was a member of the 1966 World Cup squad.
1936 Tommy Steele, English singer, guitarist, and actor.
1937 Kerry Packer, Australian businessman, founded World Series Cricket.
1941 Dave Dee, English singer-songwriter and guitarist of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich.
1973 Paula Radcliffe, English distance runner.

[Raybosailor]

18th. December

1793 Surrender of the frigate La Lutine by French Royalists to Lord Samuel Hood; renamed HMS Lutine, she sank during a storm off Vlieland in the West Frisian Islands on 9 October 1799 carrying a large shipment of gold. Lloyd's of London has the Lutine Bell at their headquarters.

1892 Premiere performance of The Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in Saint Petersburg, Russia, It is still one of the most popular ballets on the circuit.

1919 Pioneering aviator John Alcock, a Captain in the RAF, died in an aircraft accident whilst flying the new Vickers Viking amphibian to the Paris airshow.

2012 Comet stores closed their doors for the last time, bringing the electrical retailer's 79 year history to an end.

2013 The death of Ronnie Biggs infamous train robber who escaped from prison and fled to Brasil where he lived a life of luxury until he returned to the UK to seek medical help but was returned to prison. He was relesed on medical grounds and died in a nursing home.

Births
1707 Charles Wesley, English hymn writer, "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" being one of many.
1800 James Watney, English brewer.
1856 J. J. Thomson, English physicist, he is credited with the discovery and identification of the electron.
1878 Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin leader of the Soviet Union 1920-1953.
1890 Edwin Howard Armstrong, American engineer, who invented FM radio.
1916 Betty Grable, American actress, singer, and dancer.
1943 Keith Richards guitarist with The Rolling Stones, named in the top 100 guitarists.
1946 Steven Spielberg, American director, producer, and screenwriter, co-founded DreamWorks.
1963 Brad Pitt, American actor and producer.
1964 Robson Green, singer and actor.
1980 Christina Aguilera, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress.
1988 Lizzie Armitstead, world champion track and road racing cyclist.

[Raybosailor]

19th. December

1154 Henry II ( Henry Plantagenet ) is crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey.

1606 The ships Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery depart England carrying settlers who land, at Jamestown, Virginia, the first of the thirteen colonies that became the United States.

1843 "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens is published, 6,000 copies are sold.

1848 Emily Brontë, English author of Wuthering Heights, died of tuberculosis at the age of 30.

1851 The landscape artist, Joseph Turner, died.

1922 Theresa Vaughn, 24, confesses in court in Sheffield, England, to being married 61 times over 5 years in 50 cities in three countries

1932 BBC World Service begins broadcasting as the BBC Empire Service.

1981 The 8 man crew of the Penlee Lifeboat all lost their lives attempting to rescue the crew of the coaster Union Star that was wrecked in violent seas off the coast of Cornwall, after the lifeboat had rescued four people, both vessels were lost with all hands . A total of sixteen people died including the eight volunteer lifeboatmen, the 5 man crew of the Union Star, the captains wife and two stepdaughters.

1984 The British colony of Hong Kong is to be returned to China in 1997 after an historic agreement is signed on this day.

1997 The movie "Titanic" one of the highest grossing movies of all time, opened in American theaters.

Births
1915 Édith Piaf (The Little Sparrow), French singer-songwriter and actress.
1922 Eamonn Andrews, Irish radio and television host.
1974 Ricky Ponting, Australian cricketer.

This will be my last post as we are travelling down to Southampton in the morning.

Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year

[Onelife]

Hi Ray....Thanks for all of your "on this day" posts over this past year...l've enjoyed reading them as l'm sure everyone else has also

Happy Christmas to you and yours.

Keith k

[Happydays]

Hi Ray....Thanks for all of your "on this day" posts over this past year...l've enjoyed reading them as l'm sure everyone else has also

Happy Christmas to you and yours.

Keith k

I'd like to second your response.... Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

[gfwgfw]

Bleedy Heck

Eighty-four years sinced I made a rather dramatic and painful entry into beautiful rural Darzet

I remember it well

Lubooo all

gfw

[qbman1]

Until you resume your "On This Day" feature, Raymondo, I thought I would chip in with another poor birthday girl who can't afford any underwear !!

nigella.jpg

[Raybosailor]

Until you resume your "On This Day" feature, Raymondo, I thought I would chip in with another poor birthday girl who can't afford any underwear !!

nigella.jpg

I love Nigella's recipes but this time I think her dumplings are boiling over.

As for the On This Day I was only keeping it going until Christmas, I thought people would start to get tired of it.

[qbman1]

That would be a shame, Raymondo. I always looked forward to the Undersupported Birthday Girl of the Day feature !!

[Raybosailor]

That would be a shame, Raymondo. I always looked forward to the Undersupported Birthday Girl of the Day feature !!

Ok Cubie I'll carry on with the snippets of useless info and you can post your titbits interesting photos.

[Raybosailor]

7th. January

1558 The French take the port town of Calais which had been under English rule since 1347, the town was being defended by Thomas Wentworth under the rule of Mary 1 of England but after a failed attempt in the previous year Francis Duke of Guise overran the two forts protecting Calais.

1805 The famous pugilist Tom Cribb had his first public fight. It was against Tom Maddox at Wood Green. Cribb was declared the winner after an incredible 76 rounds.

1927 A telephone service began operating between London and New York. A three-minute call cost £15. Nevertheless 31 different people made a call on the first day.

2015 Two gunmen commit mass murder at the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris, shooting twelve people execution style, and wounding eleven others.

Births
1837 Thomas Henry Ismay, English businessman who founded the White Star Line Shipping Company.

1899 Al Bowlly, Mozambican-English singer-songwriter, his songs include “Goodnight Sweetheart” and “The Very Thought Of You”.

1912 Charles Addams, American cartoonist who created The Addams Family.

1944 Mike McCartney brother of Paul who was a member of the group Scaffold that released the 1968 Christmas number one single “Lily The Pink”.

1985 Lewis Hamilton, British Formula 1 champion.

[Silver_Shiney]

Great to see you back on form Ray

[Raybosailor]

Great to see you back on form Ray

Thank you Alan

[Raybosailor]

8th. January

871 Alfred the Great leads a West Saxon army to repel an invasion by Danelaw Vikings.

1800 London opened its first soup kitchens for the poor.

1940 World War II: Britain introduces food rationing, I remember standing in the queue at our Co-op with mum to buy food with the ration book, it ended in 1954.

1989 The Kegworth air disaster: British Midland Flight 92, a Boeing 737-400, crashes into the M1 motorway, killing 47 of the 126 people on board. The plane was bound for Belfast but after the left hand engine failed it was redirected to East Midlands airport, as the flight path goes right over our house we never take much notice of aircraft noise but this night was different. The planes come down pretty low here as we are very close to the motorway and I remember saying that plane sounds a bit rough, little did we know that they did not make it until the news flash on the tv later.

2004 The RMS Queen Mary 2, the largest ocean liner ever built, is christened by her namesake's granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II.

Births
1924 Ron Moody, English actor and singer best known for his portrayal of Fagin in Oliver.
1934 Roy Kinnear, British actor, Kinnear fell from a horse during the making of The Return of the Musketeers in Toledo, Spain and died of his injuries.
1935 – Elvis Presley, born in Tupelo, Mississippi he was known as "The King of Rock and Roll".
1937 Shirley Bassey, Welsh singer born in Tiger Bay, Cardiff.
1942 Stephen Hawking, English physicist and author.
1947 David Bowie, English singer-songwriter.

[Raybosailor]

9th. January

1349 The Jewish population of Basel, believed by the residents to be the cause of the ongoing Black Death, are rounded up and were shackled inside a wooden barn on an island in the Rhine, which was set on fire.

1799 British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger introduces an income tax of two shillings to the pound to raise funds for Great Britain's war effort in the Napoleonic Wars.

1806 Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson receives a state funeral and is interred in St Paul's Cathedral after he was shot and killed during his final victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

1816 Sir Humphry Davy tests his safety lamp for miners at Hebburn Colliery, Tyneside.

1888 The London Financial Guide was launched. It became The Financial Times on 13th February.

1972 The Queen Elizabeth, the liner that had been turned into a sailing university, caught fire and sank in Hong Kong harbour. She had been the world’s largest passenger liner for over thirty years.

2007 Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduces the original iPhone which went on sale in July that year, there are now over 2.2 million apps available for the iphone.

Births
1898 Gracie Fields, English actress and singer born above a chip shop in Rochdale
and died at her luxury villa in Capri.
1920 Clive Dunn, English actor best known as Lance Corporal Jones in Dad's Army.
1941 Joan Baez, American singer-songwriter, guitarist and activist.
1943 Scott Walker, front man of the Walker Brothers and solo singer.
1956 Imelda Staunton, English award winning actress.
1980 Sergio García, Spanish golfer.
1982 Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

[qbman1]

It's also Joely Richardson's birthday today.

This could be a nice frock when it is finished !!

jr 001.jpg

[Raybosailor]

I can remember when my wife had a body like that Cubie,
I can remember when I had a six pack.
I can't remember what I had for breakfast though.

[Silver_Shiney]

I had a six-pack last week.

It didn't take long to drink it.

[Raybosailor]

I had a six-pack last week.

It didn't take long to drink it.

My six pack turned into a barrel Alan, sad thing is I can't drink beer.

[Raybosailor]

10th. January

1645 The execution of William Laud, the Archbishop of Canterbury. He was beheaded on Tower Hill after being found ‘guilty of endeavouring to subvert the laws, to overthrow the Protestant religion.

1839 Indian tea was auctioned in Britain for the first time. Previously, only China tea had been available, at great expense. After the introduction of Indian tea, prices fell and tea became so affordable that it was soon the national drink. Indian Prince from the Co-op a reet good cuppa builders tea.

1840 Sir Rowland Hill introduced the Penny Post to Britain. Mail was delivered at a standard charge rather than being paid by the recipient. On its first day, 112,000 letters were posted in London alone.

1863 The first section of the London Underground railway was opened, by Prime Minister Gladstone. It ran from Paddington to Farringdon Street, stopping at seven stations. The trains ran every fifteen minutes.

2016 The death, from liver cancer, of the English singer, songwriter David Bowie, aged 69.

Births
1922 Billy Liddell, Scottish international and Liverpool footballer.
1927 Johnnie Ray, American singer-songwriter best known for "Cry" and "Just Walkin' In The Rain" the latter was written by Johnny Bragg and Robert Riley two prisoners at Tennessee State Prison in Nashville.
1945 Rod Stewart, English singer-songwriter (we were singing one of his songs at a sailaway party at Christmas) bet you can't guess which one?.
1949 George Foreman, American world heavyweight champion boxer, we have got one of his grills.
1976 Ian Poulter, English golfer with the snazzy trousers.

[qbman1]

Today's birthday is Abigail Clancy. So sorry, but I have really struggled to find a picture of her with clothes on !

Abbey_clancy.jpg

[Raybosailor]

Not to worry Cubie I'm sure we can put up with all that flesh on this occasion.

[qbman1]

That was about the most covered-up one I could find !

[Silver_Shiney]

1840 Sir Rowland Hill introduced the Penny Post to Britain. Mail was delivered at a standard charge rather than being paid by the recipient. On its first day, 112,000 letters were posted in London

Once the service became established, there were at least seven deliveries a day. How things change....