February 22nd "2024" daily prep
Welcome to day 53, known as National Chili Day, Be Humble Day and Cook a Sweet Potato Day. If you were born on this day, you were likely conceived the week of June 1st in the previous year. Your star sign is Pisces and your birthstone is Amethyst.
2018 – Analysis of 65,000-year-old cave paintings in Spain revealed that Neanderthals were the first artists long before humans. These paintings were made tens of thousands of years before humans arrived.
Todays birthdays
1950 – Dame Julie Walters (74), English actress (Dinnerladies, Billy Elliot, Mamma Mia, Calendar Girls, Educating Rita), born in Edgbaston, Birmingham.
1953 – Nigel Planer (71), British actor, (The Young Ones, The Grimleys, Filthy Rich and Catflap), born in Westminster, London.
1974 – James Blunt (50), English singer, songwriter, and musician (“You’re Beautiful”), born in Tidworth, Wiltshire.
1974 – Chris Moyles (50), English radio (Radio X) and television presenter (Chris Moyles’ Quiz Night), born in Leeds, Wesy Yorkshire.
1975 – Drew Barrymore (49), American actress (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Charlie’s Angels, Never Been Kissed, The Wedding Singer), born in Culver City, California, United States.
Famous deaths
1987 – Andy Warhol (b. 1928), American painter, photographer and leading figure in the pop art movement.
2012 – Frank Carson (b. 1926), Irish-English comedian and actor (“It’s the way I tell them!”).
The day today
1944 – World War II: Allied American aircraft mistakenly bombed the Dutch towns of Nijmegen, Arnhem, Enschede and Deventer, resulting in 800 dead in Nijmegen alone.
1956 – The first football league match to be played under floodlighting took place at Portsmouth. The home side lost 2-0 to Newcastle United.
1979 – The Caribbean island state of Saint Lucia gained its independence from the United Kingdom.
1980 – British ice skater Robin Cousins, who combined athletic jumping skills with an exceptional talent for artistic impression won a gold medal for figure skating in the 1908 Lake Placid Winter Olympics.
2006 – At least six men staged Britain’s biggest ever robbery, stealing £53m from a Securitas depot in Tonbridge, Kent. The robbery took 7 hours, and more than 37 arrests were made in conjunction with the event.
Today in music
1992 – Shakespears Sister started an eight-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Stay’. The duo was made up of ex Bananarama member Siobhan Fahey and singer Marcella Detroit (who co-wrote ‘Lay Down Sally’ with Eric Clapton). One of the longest running UK No.1’s in chart history and the longest by an all-female act.
1997 – No Doubt went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Don’t Speak.’ The third single from the band’s second album Tragic Kingdom was written by Eric Stefani and his sister Gwen Stefani.
2001 – Winners at the 43rd Grammy Awards included U2, record of the year and song of the year with ‘Beautiful Day’, Steely Dan won album of the year for ‘Two Against Nature’, Macy Gray won Female pop vocal for ‘I Try’, Sting won Male pop vocal for ‘She Walks This Earth’, Eminem won Best Rap album from ‘The Marshall Mathers LP’, Johnny Cash won Best Male country performance for ‘Solitary Man’, and Shelby Lynne won best new artist award.
2004 – The Sex Pistols ‘Anarchy in the UK’ was named the most influential record of the 1970s in poll compiled by Q magazine. Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ was voted into second place and Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’ was third, T Rex ‘Get It On’ was fourth and Special AKA’s ‘Gangsters’ came fifth.
2016 – Adele won four prizes including best British female solo artist and best album at this years Brit Awards, Coldplay won Best British group, making them the most successful band in the ceremony’s history. The show also featured an emotional tribute to David Bowie, led by Annie Lennox and his friend Gary Oldman.
Today in history
1371 – Robert Stewart ascended to the Scottish throne, marking the beginning of the House of Stewart. When Robert’s uncle, King David II, died without an heir, Robert was the next in line for the throne. After being crowned, he was known as Robert II of Scotland. The House of Stewart later became the House of Stuart and lasted until 1714.
1797 – Over 1,000 French troops attempted to invade Britain and landed at Fishguard, but were soon captured by the brave ladies of the town. No other foreign force has managed to invade mainland Britain since.
1857 – The birth of Sir Robert (Stephenson Smyth) Baden-Powell, English hero of the siege of Mafeking during the Boer War. His innovative approach to the situation kept morale high and his experiences led to the founding of the Boy Scouts.
1881 – A 3,500-year-old Ancient Egyptian obelisk called “Cleopatra’s Needle” was erected in Central Park, New York, US.
1903 – The Cunard Liner Etruria arrived in New York with a copy of the first newspaper ever published in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. It featured news reports transmitted from Britain by wireless while the ship was at sea. Marconi, the inventor of wireless telegraphy, was one of the ship’s passengers.