November 30th"2023" daily prep

Welcome to day 334 of the year! Known as St Andrew’s Day (Scotland) and Computer Security Day. If you were born on this day, you were likely conceived the week of March 9th. Your star sign is “Sagittarius” and your birthstone is Topaz.
1934 – The steam locomotive Flying Scotsman (Engine No. 4472) became the first to officially exceed 100mph. She recently underwent major restoration at the National Railway Museum in York.
Todays birthdays
1937 – Ridley Scott (86), British filmaker known for directing films such as; Alien, House of Gucci, Gladiator, Hannibal and Blade Runner to name a few, born in South Shields.
1955 – Billy Idol (68), British and American singer (“Rebel Yell”), songwriter, musician and actor, born in Stanmore, Greater London.
1959 – Lorraine Kelly (64), Scottish television presenter (Good Morning Britain, Lorraine and This Morning), born in Gorbals, Glasgow.
1960 – Gary Lineker (63), English sports broadcaster and former professional footballer ( Leicester City, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and English national side), born in Leicester.
1985 – Kaley Cuoco (38), American actress best known for her role as Penny in The Big Bang Theory, born in Camarillo, California, United States.
The day today
1936 – The Crystal Palace was destroyed by fire. The spectacular blaze was seen miles away. Designed by Sir Joseph Paxton, it was originally erected in Hyde Park for the Great Exhibition in 1851.
1944 – HMS Vanguard, Britain’s largest, and last ever battleship, was launched at Clydebank.
1983 – Seaweed contaminated by heavy radioactivity was discovered in Cumbria, near the Sellafield nuclear plant.
2002 – High Court probate records showed that George Harrison left his fortune of £99m in a trust to his wife Olivia and his son Dhani, depriving the taxman of £40m. His English mansion near Henley-on-Thames was said to be worth £15m.
2013 – Fast and Furious star Paul Walker dies in a car crash aged 40.
Today in music
1982 – Michael Jackson’s Thriller album was released. It spent 190 weeks on the UK album chart became the biggest selling pop album of all time, with sales over 66 million copies. Seven singles were released from the album, including ‘Beat It’, which featured guitarists Eddie Van Halen and Steve Lukather on ‘Billie Jean’.
1989 – The Happy Mondays and fellow Mancunians The Stone Roses both made their debut appearance on UK TV music show Top Of The Pops. The Mondays performed ‘Hellelujah’ and the Stones Roses ‘Fools Gold.’
1991 – Michael Jackson scored his fourth UK No.1 album with his eighth studio album Dangerous. The album has sold over 32 million copies worldwide making it one of the best selling albums of all time.
2001 – The first Top Of The Pops UK Awards were held in Manchester, with categories voted by viewers of the BBC show. Winners included: Best pop act: Westlife, Best R&B Act: Destiny’s Child, Best Rock Act: U2, Best Dance Act: Fatboy Slim, Best Newcomer: Nelly Furtado, Best Single: Kylie Minogue, ‘Can’t Get You Out Of My Head’, Best Album: Travis, ‘The Invisible Band’, Artist on top of the world: Jennifer Lopez, Hall of Fame Award went to Paul McCartney.
2012 – Rihanna was at No.1 on the UK album chart with her seventh studio album Unapologetic. The album produced seven singles including ‘Diamonds’, which became Rihanna’s twelfth No.1 song, tying her with Madonna and The Supremes for fourth most No.1 songs in the history of the chart.
Today in history
1016 – Cnut the Great (Canute), King of Denmark, claimed the English throne after the death of Edmund II, often known as Edmund Ironside. The cognomen ‘Ironside’ was given to Edmund because of his valour in resisting the Danish invasion led by Cnut the Great.
1782 – Britain and the United States signed the preliminary articles of the Treaty of Paris as part of the Peace of Paris, a collection of treaties concluding the American Revolution.
1803 – The Balmis Expedition starts in Spain with the aim of vaccinating millions against smallpox in Spanish America and Philippines.
1872 – The first football match between England and Scotland took place, at Hamilton Crescent Glasgow. Four thousand people came to watch the game, finishing with a 0-0 draw.
1874 – Birth of Sir Winston Leonard Churchill, British statesman, journalist, historian and Nobel prize-winner for literature. He was a descendant of the great Duke of Marlborough, and was born born in Blenheim Palace. The great wartime Prime Minister, with his highly quotable speeches, was considered by many as ‘the greatest living Englishman’.
Fact of the day
Red blood cells circulate your body at an amazing speed. Within 20 seconds, one Red blood cell would have already completed one lap around your circulatory system. These blood cells help deliver oxygen to all the organs and cells in the body.