October 11th "2024" Daily Prep

Welcome to day 285 of the “leap” year! Known as It’s My Party Day, World Egg Day, National Coming Out Day. Your star sign is Libra and your birthstone is Pink Tourmaline.
The largest radio telescope in the world (at that time) was switched on at Jodrell Bank in Cheshire. Originally called the "250 ft telescope", it was renamed the Lovell Telescope in 1987 after Sir Bernard Lovell, who designed it and was the director of Jodrell Bank.
1957 – The largest radio telescope in the world (at that time) was switched on at Jodrell Bank in Cheshire. Originally called the “250 ft telescope”, it was renamed the Lovell Telescope in 1987 after Sir Bernard Lovell, who designed it and was the director of Jodrell Bank.
Todays birthdays
1956 – Neil Buchanan (68), English artist, photographer, and musician (Marseille), best known for his work on British children’s television show “Art Attack”, born in Aintree, Liverpool.
1957 – Dawn French (67), British actress (The Vicar of Dibley), comedian, presenter and writer (French and Saunders), born in Holyhead, Isle of Anglesey, Wales.
1960 – Nicola Bryant (64), English actress best known for her role as Peri Brown (Doctor Who, from 1984 to 1986), born in Guildford, Surrey.
1973 – Brendan Brown (51), American musician and lead singer with rock band, Wheatus (“Teenage Dirtbag”), born in Northport, New York, United States.
1992 – Cardi B, born Belcalis Almanzar (32), American rapper (“Bodak Yellow”, “I Like It”), born in Washington Heights, New York, United States.
Famous deaths
2006 – Paul Hunter (b. 1978), English snooker player (three-time Masters champion, winning the event at the 2001, 2002, and 2004 tournaments).
The day today
1919 – The first airline meals were served on a Handley-Page flight from London to Paris. They were pre-packed lunch boxes at 3 shillings each (15p).
1957 – The largest radio telescope in the world (at that time) was switched on at Jodrell Bank in Cheshire. Originally called the “250 ft telescope”, it was renamed the Lovell Telescope in 1987 after Sir Bernard Lovell, who designed it and was the director of Jodrell Bank.
1966 – The Post Office announced that all home and business addresses in Britain were to be allocated postcodes.
1982 – The Mary Rose, which had been the pride of Henry VIII’s English fleet until it sank in the Solent in 1545, was raised, by the Mary Rose Trust. It was one of the most complex and expensive projects in the history of maritime archaeology.
1987 – A huge sonar exploration of Loch Ness failed to find the world famous monster, known affectionately as Nessie.
Today in music
1962 – The Beatles made their first appearance on the UK singles chart with ‘Love Me Do’ which peaked at No. 4 on the chart.
1986 – Madonna was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the title track from her album. ‘True Blue’ her third UK No.1. The title came from a favorite expression of her then husband Sean Penn and was a direct tribute to him.
1997 – The Verve started a four-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with their third album Urban Hymns. The band’s best-selling release features ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’, and ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’.
1997 – Elton John went to No.1 on the singles chart with ‘Candle In The Wind 97’ A re-write of his 1974 hit about Marilyn Monroe. This version was raising funds for the Diana, Princess of Wales charity, following her death in Paris. It went on to become the biggest selling single in the world ever.
2016 – Rod Stewart said he was “on cloud nine” after being knighted by the Duke of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace. The singer was honoured in the Queen’s birthday honours list in recognition of his services to music and charity.
Today in history
1216 – King John infamously lost the Crown Jewels while trying to cross The Wash estuary (East Anglia).
1521 – Pope Leo X conferred the title of ‘Defender of the Faith’ (Fidei Defensor) on England’s Henry VIII for his book supporting Catholic principles.
1649 – After a ten-day siege, English New Model Army troops, under the command of Oliver Cromwell, stormed the town of Wexford, Ireland, killing over 2,000 Irish Confederate troops and 1,500 civilians.
1727 – King George II and his wife Caroline were crowned as king and queen of Great Britain and Ireland at Westminster Abbey in London.
1899 – The start of the Boer War between the British Empire and the Republics of the Orange Free State and the Transvaal in southern Africa.