February 24th "2024" daily prep
Welcome to day 55, known as International Stand Up to Bullying Day, World Peace and Understanding Day. If you were born on this day, you were likely conceived the week of June 3rd in the previous year. Your star sign is Pisces and your birthstone is Amethyst.
1989 – An X-ray examination of a 150 million-year-old fossil egg discovered in Utah has revealed the outlines of what probably is the oldest dinosaur embryo ever found
Todays birthdays
1955 – Alain Prost (69), French retired racing driver (four-time Formula One World Drivers Champion) and Formula One team owner, born in Lorette, France.
1966 – Billy Zane (58), American actor (Tombstone, Titanic, Memphis Belle), born in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
1977 – Floyd Mayweather Jr (47), American boxing promoter and former professional boxer who competed between 1996 and 2017, born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States.
1981 – Leyton Hewitt (43), Australian former world No. 1 tennis player (2001 US Open and 2002 Wimbledon Championships), born in Adelaide, Australia.
1989 – Daniel Kaluuya (35), British actor (Get Out, Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Sicario) prominent both on screen and stage, born in Camden Town, London.
Famous deaths
1721 – John Sheffield (b. 1648), 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby, English poet and politician, Lord President of the Council.
1993 – Bobby Moore (b. 1941), English footballer (West Ham, Fulham, England) and manager Oxford City, Southend United).
2014 – Harold Ramis (b. 1944), American actor (Ghostbusters, Stripes, Caddyshack), director, producer, and screenwriter.
The day today
1920 – Nancy Astor becomes the first woman to speak in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom following her election as a Member of Parliament (MP) three months earlier. Also on this day… Adolf Hitler founded The Nazi Party in Munich, Germany.
Officially known as the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, the far-right political party created and supported the ideology of Nazism.
1950 – Clement Attlee returns as prime minister as Labour wins the general election with a slim majority.
1955 – Deep snow and freezing temperatures continued across Britain leaving many parts of the country cut off from essential supplies.
More than 70 roads in Britain were blocked by snow, according to the Automobile Association and hundreds of vehicles were abandoned in snowdrifts as high as 30ft (9m).
1981 – Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles announced their engagement at Buckingham Palace.
2008 – Fidel Castro stepped down as President of Cuba after keeping the position for thirty-two years. Fidel was one of the leading men behind the Cuban Revolution, and after achieving victory, he assumed complete power over the nation. In his tenure as President of Cuba, he survived countless attempts on his life by the US. While his initial actions may have been just, he ended up a despot and a dictator.
Today in music
1968 – Fleetwood Mac released their debut studio album (also known as Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac), a mixture of blues covers and originals penned by guitarists Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer which peaked at No.4 on the UK chart and stayed on the charts 37 weeks. This is the only album by the band not to feature keyboardist, vocalist Christine McVie in any capacity.
1975 – Led Zeppelin released their sixth album Physical Graffiti in the UK. Recording sessions had been disrupted when bassist and keyboard player John Paul Jones had proposed quitting the band, supposedly to become choirmaster at Winchester Cathedral, England, although in reality he just needed time to rest after Zeppelin’s demanding tour schedule. The group decided on a double album so they could feature songs left over from their previous albums Led Zeppelin III, Led Zeppelin IV and Houses Of The Holy.
1997 – The Spice Girls won best single with ‘Wannabe’ at this year’s Brit Awards held in London. Other winners included, Best Group for Manic Street Preachers, Best Dance Act went to The Prodigy, George Michael won Best Male, Best Female went to Gabrielle, Best Newcomer was won by Kula Shaker, International Male was Beck, International Female Sheryl Crow and Best International Group was The Fugees.
2000 – Carlos Santana won eight awards at this years Grammy Awards for his Supernatural album. Before Supernatural, the guitarist had not had a Top 10 album since 1981. Sting won two awards, one for best pop album and another for best male pop vocalist. Sir Elton John won the legend award and Phil Collins the best soundtrack award for Tarzan.
2016 – Cranberries singer Dolores O’Riordan was ordered to give 6,000 euros to charity after head-butting an Irish police officer.The artist was arrested at Shannon Airport in November 2014 when she was taken off a flight from New York after an alleged air rage incident. Medical reports given to the court showed she had been suffering mania and was mentally ill when then incident happened.
Today in history
1303 – The English are defeated at the Battle of Roslin, in the First War of Scottish Independence.
1582 – Pope Gregory XIII announces the New Style calendar, commonly known as the Gregorian calendar.
1711 – The opera “Rinaldo,” by George Frideric Handel, premiered at Haymarket Theatre in London, UK.
1809 – London’s Drury Lane Theatre burns to the ground, leaving its owner, Irish writer and politician Richard Brinsley Sheridan, destitute.
1854 – A Penny Red (first issued in 1841 and succeeded the Penny Black) with perforations becomes the first perforated postage stamp to be officially issued for distribution.