August 7th "2024" Daily Prep
Welcome to day 220 of the year! Known as National Sea Serpent Day, Aged Care Employee Day. If you were born today you were likely conceived the week of November 14th in the previous year. Your star sign is Leo and your birthstone is Peridot.
1995 – British athlete Jonathan Edwards twice broke his own world triple jump record, becoming the first man to clear 18 metres – whilst winning the gold medal in the World Athletics Championships in Gothenburg.
Todays birthdays
1958 – Bruce Dickinson (66), British heavy metal lead vocalist (Iron Maiden – “Run to Hills”, “2 Minutes to Midnight”), born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire.
1961 – Brian Conley (63), English comedian (The Brian Conley Show) and actor (The Grimleys), born in Paddington, London.
1975 – Charlize Theron (49), South African and American actress and producer (Mad Max: Fury Road, Prometheus, Atomic Blonde), born in Benoni, South Africa.
1983 – Tina O’Brien (41), English actress (Sarah Platt
– Coronation Street, Waterloo Road), born in Rusholme, Manchester.
1990 – Helen Flanagan (34), English actress (Rosie Webster – Coronation Street), born in Bury, Lancashire.
Famous deaths
2004 – Rick James (b. 1948), American singer-songwriter and producer (“Super Freak”, “Party All the Time” – sung by Eddie Murphy).
2012 – Bernard Lovell (b. 1913), English physicist and astronomer (founder of University of Manchester’s Jodrell Bank Observatory).
The day today
1926 – The first British motor racing Grand Prix was staged at Brooklands; 110 laps of the track for a total distance of 287 miles. The winner was Robert Senechal in just over 4 hours, at an average speed of almost 72 miles an hour.
1958 – The Litter Act came into force in London as part of the Keep Britain Tidy campaign. Offenders could be fined up to £10 for dropping litter. In the first year nearly 1000 were prosecuted.
1993 – The public got its first glimpse inside Buckingham Palace as people were given the opportunity to tour the London home of Queen Elizabeth II. Proceeds from ticket sales were earmarked to help repair fire damage at Windsor Castle.
1995 – British athlete Jonathan Edwards twice broke his own world triple jump record, becoming the first man to clear 18 metres – whilst winning the gold medal in the World Athletics Championships in Gothenburg.
2012 – Fifty year old Jessica Harper, former head of fraud and security at Lloyds Bank admitted carrying out a £2.4m fraud over a period of 4 years.
Today in music
1976 – Elton John and Kiki Dee were at No.1 on the singles chart with ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’, giving Elton his sixth US No.1. It was written by Elton John with Bernie Taupin under the pseudonym “Ann Orson” and “Carte Blanche.”
1980 – John Lennon began recording his final album, ‘Double Fantasy’ at The Hit Factory, in New York City. It would be released on November 17th by the newly-formed Geffen Records and would win the 1982 Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
1982 – Dexy’s Midnight Runners were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Come On Eileen’ their second and last No.1. It was the Best-selling single of 1982 and the song won Best British Single at the 1983 Brit Awards. The “Eileen” as featured in the video is Máire Fahey, sister of Siobhan Fahey, former singer with Bananarama and Shakespears Sister.
2005 – James Blunt was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘You’re Beautiful’, Mariah Carey was at No.1 on the US charts with ‘We Belong Together’ and Axel F had ‘Crazy Frog’ at No.1 on the Australian singles charts.
2014 – Ed Sheeran was at No.1 on the UK album chart with his second studio album X. The album has been certified 10x platinum in the UK with sales of over 3 million copies, making it the third best-selling album of the 2010s and one of the best selling albums in the history of the UK.
Today in history
1606 – The first known performance of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” was performed. The play was shown to King James I and his guest at Hampton Court in England.
1613 – The death of Sir Thomas Fleming, the English judge in the trial of Guy Fawkes following the Gunpowder Plot.
1711 – The first race meeting was held at Ascot, established by Queen Anne, thus giving them the status of ‘Royal Ascot’.
1840 – The employment of climbing boys as chimney sweeps was prohibited by an Act of Parliament.
1879 – The opening of the ‘Poor Man’s Palace’ in Openshaw, Manchester, a Salvation Army Citadel specifically for soldiers in the area.