View todays celebrity birthdays and find out what happened in history today.
What : day is it
1837 – At the age of 18, Queen Victoria ascended the throne after her uncle, King William IV, passed away. Her reign lasted until her death in 1901.
1906 – Catherine Cookson, English novelist, was born.
1934 – The birth of Wendy Craig, BAFTA Award winning actress who is best known for her appearances in the sitcoms Butterflies.
1949 – American tennis player ‘Gorgeous’ Gussie Moran caused a sensation at the Wimbledon Championships by wearing lace-trimmed pants under a short skirt.
1976 – Hundreds of Americans and Britons are moved from Beirut and taken to safety in Syria by the US military, following the murder of US ambassador Francis Meloy.
1984 – The biggest exam shake-up for over 10 years is announced with O-Level and CSE exams to be replaced by GCSEs.
1986 – In the wake of the Chernobyl disaster, the government ordered a temporary ban on the slaughter and movement of lambs in some parts of the country.
1990 – British Chancellor John Major proposed a new European currency which would circulate alongside existing national currencies.
1995 – Shell abandoned at the eleventh hour its plan to dump the disused Brent Spar rig in the Atlantic, provoking a furious reaction in the British government. Meanwhile, the environmental campaign group Greenpeace claimed victory in the high-profile battle.
1996 – English cricket umpire Harold ‘Dickie’ Bird received a standing ovation by players and spectators at Lords when he took the field to officiate in his final Test Match.
1997 – Former Conservative minister Jonathan Aitken lost his libel action against The Guardian newspaper over allegations that wealthy Arabs paid for him to stay at the Ritz Hotel in Paris while he was a minister.
2014 – England were eliminated at the group stage of the Fifa World Cup for the first time since 1958. They were knocked out after just two matches, with Roy Hodgson’s side beaten by Group D rivals Italy and Uruguay.
2017 – Actor Daniel Day Lewis announces his retirement.
2018 – Algeria turns off its internet to stop students cheating during exams.
“Nothing really matters, to me. Any way the wind blows…” #songlyrics
Frank Epperson invented the Popsicle in 1905 when he was 11-years-old.
Whenever you see a youtube ad before a movie trailer, you are watching an advertisement just to watch an advertisement.
Queen Victoria was the first British monarch to be photographed.
Sean Connery should probably never do a Citi Bank commercial.
Our reaction to sneezing when encountering light is called Autosomal-dominant Compulsive Helio Ophthalmic Outbursts, also called ACHOO.
Jackie Robinson portrayed himself in The Jackie Robinson Story.
I wonder if I have ever listened to a song more times than the artist who wrote/recorded it.
When glass breaks, the cracks can move at speeds of up to 3,000 miles per hour.
Tiny Tim – Real Name: Herbert Khaury
A handful of almonds is a sensible snack to throw in someone’s face and demand to know where the real snacks are.
The Jolly Green Giant totally stole Santa Claus’s catchphrase.
I’ve probably used my ‘w’ key more by pressing it instead of ‘e’ on accident than by using it on purpose.
“Soul is a feeling, not a color.” – Lionel Richie
“It isn’t what they say about you, it’s what they whisper. – Errol Flynn
“Don’t be told something is impossible. There’s always a way.” – Robert Rodriguez
“I think in terms of emotions. And feelings. So sometimes what I say may not always be clear. But creatively, there’s a lot to be said for that way of thinking.” – Brian Wilson
“Relax. Just relax and have fun doing what you’re doing. Don’t worry so much about being results-oriented. Just commit yourself to the moment.” – John Goodman
“All artists are egotistical maniacs with inferiority complexes.” – Lionel Richie
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.