View todays celebrity birthdays and find out what happened in history today.
What : day is it
1943 – BOAC Flight 777 was shot down over the Bay of Biscay by German Junkers Ju 88s, killing actor Leslie Howard and leading to speculation that the downing was an attempt to kill the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill.
1946 – Television licences were issued in Britain for the first time. They cost £2.
1953 – Gordon Richards became the first jockey to be knighted. Six days later he won the Derby at his 28th attempt. On This Day in 1977 and 1983, Lester Piggott won his eighth and ninth Derbys.
1957 – ‘ERNIE’ drew the first premium bond prizes in Britain. The first prize was £1000.
1958 – Britain introduced the Clean Air Act, affecting industry as well as domestic uses of energy.
1968 – Britain and Iceland signed a formal end to the ‘Cod War’ over fishing rights in the North Sea.
1977 – The maximum speed limits on Britain’s roads was changed to 70mph. The government announced that the national speed limits for single-carriageway roads was to be increased to 60 mph and that the 70 mph speed limit was to be restored on dual-carriageways.
1979 – Rhodesia formally ends nearly 90 years of white minority rule and declares it will now be known as Zimbabwe.
1997 – Prime Minister Tony Blair apologised to the people of Ireland for British actions during the Potato Famine 150 years earlier.
1999 – The death of Christopher Cockerell, best known as the inventor of the hovercraft.
2020 – As a further easing of the coronavirus lockdown rules, groups of up to six people could meet outdoors in England. The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, described it as a “long awaited and joyful moment” as family and friends reunite after 10 weeks in lockdown. He set out the next stage in the easing of restrictions with the caveat that “there may still be some anomalies or apparent inconsistencies in these rules”. Scientists warned that England should adopt a more cautious approach, as in the rest of the United Kingdom.
2020 – The meteorological office announced that 2020 had been the sunniest spring on record for the UK and the driest May on record in England for 150 years. Wales reported its driest May since 1896, although Scotland saw near average rainfall.
I was having a nice tour of the Dagoba system and then I saw this chump bullseyeing whomp rats, I mean who does that? (Star Wars Humour).
Did you know that on this day in 1980, CNN made its debut as the first 24-hour news channel? It was also the first news only television channel in the US.
When I was a kid thinking about what it would be like when I grow up, I vastly underestimated how much time I would spend doing dishes.
The Scary Statistic: Stroke odds: 1-in-23
What to do: Take an 81 mg aspirin daily, eat healthy foods. Don’t have long discussions with people who disagree with you politically.
Pi is infinite and when you cut off an infinite number you are supposed to round up, not down.
There is a mysterious sound in New Mexico called the “Taos Hum”. Only 2% of the population can hear it, and no one knows where the sound comes from.
“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” – Milton Berle
Churchill’s Commentary on Man: Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he will pick himself up and continue on as though nothing has happened.
“I firmly believe that in every situation, no matter how difficult, God extends grace greater than the hardship, and strength and peace of mind that can lead us to a place higher than where we were before.” – Andy Griffith
“Cutting negative people from my life does not mean I hate them, it simply means I respect me.” – Marilyn Monroe
“The most important thing, in anything you do, is always trying your hardest because even if you try your hardest and it’s not as good as you’d hoped, you still have that sense of not letting yourself down.” – Tom Holland
“I’m not sure I’ll ever be famous by anyone’s definition. I can only hope to be allowed by the audience to continue my life’s work.” – Brandi Carlile
“Challenge yourself- it’s the only path which leads to growth.” – Morgan Freeman
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.