View todays celebrity birthdays and find out what happened in history today.
What : day is it
1859 – The world’s first oil well was drilled in Titusville, Pennsylvania, by Edwin Drake.
1899 – The birth of C.S. Forester, the English novelist who rose to fame with tales of naval warfare; his most notable works being the 12 book Horatio Hornblower series and The African Queen.
1900 – Britain’s first long distance bus service began between London and Leeds. The journey took 2 days!
1950 – For the first time in history, the BBC (British Broadcasting Company) transmitted a two-hour-long live broadcast from Calais, France, to television screens in the UK.
1966 – Francis Chichester began the first solo circumnavigation of the world, when he set out from Plymouth in a de Havilland DH.60 (GIPSY) Moth.
1967 – Brian Epstein died, from an accidental overdose of brandy and barbiturates. He managed The Beatles and worked with Gerry and The Pacemakers, The Fourmost, Billy J. Kramer and Cilla Black.
1976 – The Labour MP John Stonehouse resigned following his conviction for theft and fraud.
1979 – The death of Lord Louis Mountbatten, Prince Philip’s and the Queen’s cousin (strictly second cousin once removed). The IRA exploded a 50lb, remote-controlled bomb on his boat Shadow V off the coast of County Sligo, Ireland. Lord Mountbatten was a former Admiral of the Fleet, the last Viceroy of India (1947) and the first Governor-General of the independent Union of India.
1984 – The death (aged 69) of Bernard Youens, British character actor, best remembered for his portrayal of the workshy, beer-swilling Stan Ogden in Coronation Street from 1964 until his death.
1995 – The Rugby Union authorities announced that the amateur game was turning professional.
1996 – Police at Stansted Airport arrested seven Iraqis who had hijacked a Sudanese jet with 199 people on board to London, where they were seeking political asylum. All were arrested and jailed but their convictions were quashed a year later.
1997 – A Cambridgeshire family who sold everything to sail around the world were rescued from their crippled yacht by the Royal Navy in the Bay of Biscay.
2003 – Mars made its closest approach to Earth in nearly 60,000 years. The last time it came so close is estimated to have been on September 12, 57,617 BC.
Did you know that on this day in 1881, Hurricane Five struck Florida with winds of 105 mph? The death toll was estimated at 700 fatalities, making this one of the most deadly hurricanes to hit the United States.
Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal, killing more people each year than any other species including other humans.
“We learn from experience that men never learn anything from experience.” – George Bernard Shaw
The Tyrannosaurus Rex is one of the only animals referred to by their scientific name.
“I wish I had a guardian angel to tell me what to do. You know, like Debbie Reynolds had in Tammy.” – Frenchy #moviequotes
“This sonic transducer…it is, I suppose, some kind of audio-vibratory-physio-molecular transport device?” – Dr. Scott #moviequotes
The vacuum has a double “u” but not a “W”. #theenglishlanguage
“I’ve won Satan’s lottery.” – Christopher Moore
For a medium designed to be about free-thinking and expression, Haiku sure has strict rules.
In 1913, Hitler, Freud, Tito, Stalin, and Trotsky all lived within 2 square miles of each other in Vienna.
“I’m driving here I sit, cursing my government, for not using my taxes to fill holes with more cement!” #songlyrics
Maybe aliens abduct crazy people cause they know we won’t believe them.
“Poor quality is remembered long after low prices are forgotten.” – Charles Rolls
“Anyone can love you when things are alright. It takes courage to love when things are not good and it does not feel right.” – Yolanda Adams
“What’s so great about television. You’re able to tell a long story, where you couldn’t really do that in a film because you have to tell a story in an hour and a half or two hours.” – Aaron Paul
“Being happy or unhappy – is that really the most important thing? Knowing the truth would be a different kind of happiness – a more satisfying kind, I think, even if it turned out to be a sad kind.” – Ira Levin
“Ask any girl what she’d rather be than beautiful, and she’ll say more beautiful.” – Martha Raye
“Human beings are not meant to lose their anonymity and privacy.” – Sarah Chalke
1993 – The Holbeck Hall Hotel in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, fell into the sea following a landslide, making news around the world.
1805 – The first Trooping of the Colour took place on Horse Guards Parade. It was Edward VII who moved Trooping the Colour to its June date, because of the vagaries of British weather.
2012 – The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant took place on the Tideway of the River Thames, as part of the celebrations of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.