View todays celebrity birthdays and find out what happened in history today.
1916 – The end of the Easter Rising in Ireland, following a week of bitter fighting in Dublin after Irish Nationalists rose against British rule on Easter Monday, 24th April. More than 400 lost their lives.
1955 – Stirling Moss and co-driver Dennis Jenkinson became the first British drivers to win the Mille Miglia. His Mercedes Benz finished 30 minutes ahead of the second car, driven by the legendary Argentinian, Fangio.
1973 – More than a million workers joined a one day strike in protest at the pay restraint policy and price rises by the Conservative government under Edward Heath.
1982 – British planes attacked two airstrips near Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands to rid the islands of Argentine forces.
1997 – A landslide victory for the Labour Party in the General election brought an end to the Conservative Party’s 18 years in power. The new Prime Minister was Tony Blair.
2000 – Hundreds of anti-capitalist demonstrators fight running battles with police as the Cenotaph and statue of Winston Churchill are defaced with graffiti.
2014 – It was revealed that OCR (optical character recognition) scanners would confuse arms and anus in old text, leading to some unusual romantic translations such as – Mrs. Tipton went over to him and put her anus around his neck. She said, rapturously. ‘I have been hoping for years that you would talk that way to me.’ Also, from Matisse on the Loose – ‘Oh boy!’ she said. She grabbed my anus and positioned my body in the direction of the east gallery and we started walking.
2015 – The death of Geoff Duke, aged 92. He spent 10 years at the highest level of motorcycle racing, winning six World Championships and six Isle of Man TT races during the 1950s.
2017 – Mark Selby defends his world snooker title, beating John Higgins 18-15, at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.
2018 – Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah becomes the first African to be named England Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year. On the same day, former James Brown drummer John “Jabo” Starks dies aged 79.
2019 – Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson is fired by prime minister Theresa May over the leaking of information about Huawei deal from a UK National Security Council meeting.
Did you know that on this day in 1930, the “planet” Pluto (now a dwarf planet) was officially named? The name was thought of by an 11 year old British girl, Venetia Burney.
Tennis was originally played with bare hands.
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.
If you don’t take a hint and make a move, you’re being postsumptuous. #newword
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.