September 29th "2024" Daily Prep

Welcome to day 273 of the year! Known as National Coffee Day, National Biscotti Day, National Police Memorial Day, World Heart Day, World Deaf Day. Your star sign is Libra and your birthstone is Sapphire.
Calder Hall, the world’s first commercial nuclear power station, was demolished in a controlled explosion. When it closed on 31st March 2003, the first reactor had been in use for nearly 47 years.
2007 – Calder Hall, the world’s first commercial nuclear power station, was demolished in a controlled explosion. When it closed on 31st March 2003, the first reactor had been in use for nearly 47 years.
Todays birthdays
1956 – Sebastian Coe (68), British former track and field athlete (1500m Olympic gold medalist in 1980 and 1984), born in Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, London.
1967 – Brett Anderson (57), English singer best known as the lead singer of Suede (“Trash”, “Beautiful Ones”), born in Lindfield, West Sussex.
1968 – Matt and Luke Goss (56), best known for being the singer and drummer in the 80’s band, Bros (“When Will I Be Famous?”, “I Owe You Nothing”), born in Lewisham, London.
1973 – Robert Webb (51), British actor, comedian, and writer (as Jeremy “Jez” Usborne in “Peep Show”, Whitstable Pearl), born in Boston, Lincolnshire.
1973 – Alfie Boe (51), English tenor and actor best known for his performances as Jean Valjean in the musical Les Misérables, born in Blackpool, Lancashire.
1981 – Suzanne Shaw (43), English actress, singer (Hear’Say – “Pure and Simple”) and television personality, born in Bury, Greater Manchester.
1994 – Halsey (30), American singer, songwriter (“Without Me”, “Eastside”), and actress, born in Edison, New Jersey, United States.
Famous deaths
2022 – Coolio, born Artis Leon Ivey Jr. (b. 1963), American rapper (“C U When U Get There”, “Gangsta’s Paradise”).
The day today
1938 – England, France, Germany and Italy signed the Munich Pact, under which the Sudetenland was given to Nazi Germany. In return, Hitler promised not to make any further territorial demands in Europe. World War II began the following year!
1942 – The small market town of Somerton in Somerset was hit by four Luftwaffe bombs. The bombs were aimed at the Cow and Gate milk factory at nearby Etsome which was largely destroyed. Nine people were killed and a further thirty seven injured. The civilians who died are commemorated on Somerton’s War Memorial.
1952 – At the age of 52 whilst attempting to break the world Water Speed Record at Loch Ness, British and world water speed record holder John Cobb was killed when his craft ‘Crusader’ broke up after hitting waves at 240 mph close to Urquhart Castle.
1996 – The Nintendo 64 gaming console was released in the US (March 1, 1997 in Europe). It was named after its 64-bit central processing unit and was the last major console that used game cartridges.
2007 – Calder Hall, the world’s first commercial nuclear power station, was demolished in a controlled explosion. When it closed on 31st March 2003, the first reactor had been in use for nearly 47 years.
Today in music
1960 – Ricky Valance was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Tell Laura I Love Her’, making him the first Welsh singer to top the charts, and a One-hit Wonder.
1984 – Prince and the Revolution started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Let’s Go Crazy’, his second US No.1, and a No.7 hit in the UK. It was the opening track on both the album and the film Purple Rain.
1990 – Maria McKee was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Show Me Heaven’ the song featured in the Tom Cruise film ‘Days Of Thunder’.
1999 – The Manic Street Preachers were given a bill for £28000 after smashing up equipment during their show at Scotland’s T In The Park festival.
2015 – The original contract signed by The Beatles and manager Brian Epstein sold at Sotheby’s for £365,000. The 1962 document was said to be one of the most important contracts in popular music, marking the beginning of the band’s journey to international fame.
Today in history
1399 – The first English monarch to abdicate, Richard II, was replaced by Bolingbroke, who ascended the throne as Henry IV.
1696 – After nearly 150 years of neglect, the roof of Howden Minster collapsed. The minster ruins were left where they fell until 1748 when the site was cleared, and the townsfolk took building stones for their own. St. John of Howden was one of the earliest Canons of Howden and he was treated as a saint by the local community after his death, although he has not been officially canonised. Pilgrims, including Kings Edward I, Edward II and Henry V visited the Minster to see his tomb.
1758 – Lord Horatio Nelson was born, in the village of Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk. He defeated the French and her allies on numerous occasions during the age of Napoleon Bonaparte and was a naval hero at the Battle of Trafalgar.
1793 – Tennis was mentioned for the first time in an English sporting magazine.
1829 – The Metropolitan Police of London, later also known as the Met. was inaugurated and was London’s first regular police force, The officers became known as ‘bobbies’ after Robert Peel, the home secretary who founded the modern police force.