View todays celebrity birthdays and find out what happened in history today.
What : day is it
1858 – The first transatlantic cable was officially opened, with Queen Victoria sending a telegraphic message to US President James Buchanan.
1901 – Britain’s first cinema, the Mohawk, opened in Islington, north London. Films were accompanied by the 16-piece Fonobian Orchestra. At the height of their popularity in the 1940s, cinemas in Britain had average weekly attendances of 30 million.
1925 – The political party Plaid Cymru was formed with the aim of disseminating knowledge of the Welsh language which was, at the time, in danger of dying out.
1962 – Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe is found dead in bed at her home in LA.
1975 – Forestry Commission officials announced that Dutch elm disease, which had attacked more than three million trees in Britain, was spreading.
1976 – The clock overlooking the Houses of Parliament stopped for the first time in 117 years.
1983 – Twenty two members of the IRA were jailed for a total of more than 4,000 years following Northern Ireland’s biggest-ever terrorist trial.
1984 – The death of Richard Burton, Welsh actor, aged 58. Born at Pontrhydyfen, this Richard Burton sculpture is on the Richard Burton Trail in the Afan Forest Park in Neath – Port Talbot
1986 – Princess Anne rode Gulfland to win the 3.45 at Redcar; her first victory as a jockey.
2000 – Police were called to Gary Glitter’s west London home after a crowd gathered outside and started to shout abuse. The former pop star and convicted paedophile was back in London to attend to business affairs before heading abroad again. On the same day, actor Sir Alec Guinness died of liver cancer aged 86.
2013 – The world’s first lab-grown bovine stem cell burger was consumed in London.
2015 – A fishing boat carrying around 600 migrants sinks off the coast of Libya. 373 are rescued. On the same day, actor George Cole dies aged 90.
2016 – The Summer Olympic Games officially open in the Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2018 – Swimmer Adam Peaty breaks his own world record in 57.00 as he wins his ninth European 100m breaststroke title in Glasgow.
Did you know that on this day in 1864, astronomer Giovanni Donati became the first person to observe the spectrum of a comet? This helped him conclude that comets are partially made of gas.
Tardis (T.A.R.D.I.S) – Time And Relative Dimensions In Space: the time-machine and spacecraft from the series Doctor Who.
The clothing you are wearing right now will look hilarious to future generations.
“I’m just a notch in your bedpost. But you’re just a line in a song.” #songlyrics
“Speaking of names, I know a man with a wooden leg named Smith.” – Bert, in Mary Poppins #moviequotes
“A relationship, I think, is like a shark. You know? It has to constantly move forward or it dies. And I think what we got on our hands is a dead shark.” – Alvy Singer in Annie Hall #moviequotes
“Hello darkness my old friend.” #songlyrics
Useless Pronunciation: P as in psalm
‘Grease’ may be the word, but it’s never said even once in the entire film.
“I saved you so you’d save the world, ’cause you’re the one.” #songlyrics
I wonder how many online contests I’ve won, but deleted the email saying so because I thought it was spam.
“It’s the person who has done nothing who is sure nothing can be done.” – Patrick Ewing
“One should be willing to throw away a dozen ideas to come up with a good one, just as one should throw away a dozen words to come up with the right one.” – James Gunn
“Look up the definition of rejection in the dictionary, get really comfortable with it, and then maybe you can go into acting.” – Loni Anderson
“People complain that pro athletes make a lot of money, but what they don’t understand is that we need a lot of money because we spend a lot of money.” – Patrick Ewing
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.