August 14th "2024" Daily Prep
Welcome to day 227 of the year! Known as Falklands Day, World Lizard Day, Calligraphy Day. If you were born today you were likely conceived the week of November 21st in the previous year. Your star sign is Leo and your birthstone is Peridot.
1971 – Kevin Keegan makes his League debut for Liverpool at Anfield, scoring after 12 minutes against Nottingham Forest. Keegan began his playing career at Scunthorpe United in 1968, before Bill Shankly signed him for Liverpool.
Todays birthdays
1960 – Sarah Brightman (64), English classical crossover soprano singer, actress, and dancer (Hot Gossip), born in Hertfordshire,
1966 – Halle Berry (58), American actress (Catwoman, X-Men, Die Another Day, John Wick 3), born in Cleveland, Ohio, United States.
1983 – Mila Kunis (41), Ukrainian-American actress (Friends with Benefits; That ’70s Show and voice of Meg Griffin in Family Guy), born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine SSR, Soviet Union
1984 – Nick Grimshaw (40), English television and former radio presenter (BBC Radio 1), podcaster and author, born in Oldham, Greater Manchester.
1987 – James Buckley (37), English actor (Rock & Chips and as Jay Cartwright in the E4 sitcom The Inbetweeners.), musician, YouTuber and streamer, born in Croyden, Surrey.
Famous deaths
1964 – Ian Fleming (b. 1908), British writer, best known for his postwar James Bond series of spy novels.
2015 – Stephen Lewis (b. 1926), English actor and screenwriter (Inspector Blake – On The Buses and as Smiler in Last of the Summer Wine).
2021 – Una Stubbs (b. 1937), English actress, TV personality, and dancer (Till Death Us Do Part, In Sickness and in Health).
The day today
1908 – The world’s first international beauty contest was held at Folkestone, Kent.
1941 – World War II: Following the dropping of atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan surrendered to the Allies, ending World War II.
1967 – All UK offshore pirate radio stations were declared illegal when the UK Marine Broadcasting Offences Act became law at midnight, but Radio Caroline continued to broadcast until March 1968.
1979 – The Fastnet Yacht Race was struck by tragedy when Force 10 gales and mountainous seas claimed the lives of 15 sailors and 3 rescuers. It was the worst disaster in the history of ocean yacht racing and the biggest rescue operation launched by UK authorities since the Second World War . 75 boats capsized, 5 sank and 24 crews abandoned ship. Only 85 yachts out of the 303 entries reached the finish line.
2013 – Mark Sutton, the 42 year old British stuntman who parachuted into the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony dressed as James Bond, was killed in a wingsuit flying accident in the Swiss Alps. The 2012 stunt had shown ‘James Bond’ being summoned to the Palace before skydiving with the Queen (fellow stuntman Gary Connery) into the Olympic stadium with Union-Jack emblazoned parachutes.
Today in music
1978 – The Police released their third single ‘Can’t Stand Losing You’ as the follow-up single to ‘Roxanne’ which when released the following year peaked at No.2 on the UK chart.
1993 – Freddie Mercury had his first solo UK No.1 single with ‘Living On My Own’. The song had been a minor hit in 1985 when released from his solo album Mr. Bad Guy, this remixed version was reissued.
1999 – Ronan Keating had the UK No.1 single with ‘When You Say Nothing At All’. The debut solo single from the Boyzone lead singer. The song was from the film Notting Hill.
2003 – One True Voice the boyband formed from the ITV1 pop talent show Popstars: The Rivals split up. The group were formed alongside Girls Aloud after winning their places in the Popstars: the Rivals series. One True Voice were later voted Britain’s worst group in a poll just a day after their tour was cancelled due to poor ticket sales.
2005 – James Blunt topped both the UK singles chart with ‘You’re Beautiful’, and album charts (‘Back to Bedlam’), for a fifth week in a row, a feat last achieved by Celine Dion. Her single ‘Think Twice’ and album ‘Colour Of My Love’ topped both charts simultaneously for five weeks in 1995.
Today in history
1040 – King Duncan I is killed in battle against his first cousin and rival Macbeth. The latter succeeds him as King of Scotland.
1816 – The United Kingdom formally annexes the Tristan da Cunha archipelago, administering the islands from the Cape Colony in South Africa.
1852 – The first public lavatory was opened, on London’s Fleet Street.
1885 – The first-ever Japanese patent was issued.
Zuisho Hotta was granted the patent for his formulation of a rust-proof paint. This was the first anticorrosive paint of its kind that could be used on the hulls of ships.
1893 – France becomes the first country to introduce motor vehicle registration.