February 16th "2025" Daily Prep
Welcome to day 47, known as World Whale Day, National Almond Day, Innovation Day and National Caregivers Day. Your star sign is Aquarius and your birthstone is Amethyst.
1923 – Egyptian King Tutankhamun’s coffin was discovered. English archeologist Howard Carter entered the tomb on November 22, where everything was fully intact, untouched for over 3,000 years. Inside there were four rooms, and upon opening the last chamber on this day, they found the golden coffin belonging to King Tutankhamun.
Todays birthdays
1959 – John McEnroe (66), American former professional tennis player, born in Wiesbaden, Germany.
1961 – Andy Taylor (64), English guitarist and former member with Duran Duran (“Hungry Like the Wolf”), born in Cullercoats, Northumberland.
1964 – Christopher Eccleston (61), English actor (Gone in 60 Seconds, 28 Days Later, Doctor Who (2005)), born in Salford, Greater Manchester.
1971 – Amanda Holden (54), English media personality (Britain’s Got Talent), actress (The Grimleys) and co-host of Heart Breakfast radio, born in Portsmouth.
1994 – Ava Max (31), American singer and songwriter (“Kings & Queens”, “Sweet but Psycho”), born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States.
Famous deaths
2020 – Caroline Flack (b. 1979), English actress and TV presenter (Bo Selecta, Love Island).
The day today
1940 – World War II: In a daring night raid, known as the Altmark incident, a boarding party from HMS Cossack successfully rescued 299 British prisoners of war from the Altmark, a 12,000 ton German tanker, in Norwegian waters. The Altmark was returning to Germany with the merchant sailors who had been picked up from ships sunk by the pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee.
1946 – The birth of actor Ian Lavender (d. 2024). His best remembered role was as Private Frank Pike, the youngest member and ‘stupid boy’ of the platoon in the BBC sitcom Dad’s Army. Lavender has a ‘cameo role’ in the 2016 film adaptation of the series and the actor Frank William takes the role of the Reverend Timothy Farthing. The Dad’s Army went on general release in cinemas on 5th February 2016.
1972 – Many homes and businesses were without electricity for up to nine hours a day from this day. Miners, into the sixth week of their strike over pay, picketed power stations and all other sources of fuel supply in an attempt to step up pressure on the Government.
1972 – Many homes and businesses were without electricity for up to nine hours a day from this day. Miners, into the sixth week of their strike over pay, picketed power stations and all other sources of fuel supply in an attempt to step up pressure on the Government.
2005 – Reality documentary The Apprentice (UK) premiered with businessman Lord Alan Sugar as the leading judge.
Today in music
1972 – American guitar legend Chuck Berry and former Beatle John Lennon perform together, with Yoko Ono, on ‘The Mike Douglas Show’ TV program. The show’s sound engineer cut off the mic of Yoko Ono who had been interrupting with incomprehensible wailing during a rendition of ‘Memphis Tennessee’.
1982 – The Jam were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘A Town Called Malice’, & ‘Precious’, their third No.1 spent three weeks at the top of the chart.
1985 – Bruce Springsteen went to No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘Born In The USA’, his first UK No.1 album. The singers seventh studio album, was the best-selling album of 1985 in the United States (and also Springsteen’s most successful album ever). The album produced a record-tying string of seven Top 10 singles.
1991 – The Simpsons were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Do The Bartman’. The song was written by Michael Jackson and Bryan Lorenand, The Simpsons became the first cartoon characters to make No.1 since the Archies hit ‘Sugar Sugar’ in 1969. Jackson was a massive fan of The Simpsons and had called the producers one night offering to write Bart a number one single and do a guest spot on the show.
1999 – Robbie Williams won three awards at this year’s Brit’s. The singer won Best British solo artist, Best Single for ‘Angels’ and Best Video for ‘Millennium.’ Manic Street Preachers won Best British Group, Natalie Imbruglia won Best International Female artist and Best Newcomer, Best International Group went to The Corrs.
2021 – Lauryn Hill’s 1998 album The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill was certified Diamond for 10 million sales in America, making her the first female hip-hop artist to earn that certification. When first released the album debuted at No.1 on the Billboard chart, selling over 422,000 copies in its first week, which broke a record for first-week sales by a female artist. Worldwide, the album has sold over 20 million copies.
Today in history
1495 – The execution of Sir William Stanley, best known for taking sides against Richard III, at the battle of Bosworth in 1485, which helped to secure Henry VII’s victory. The new king bestowed many favours on Sir William, including the post of Lord Chamberlain and Chamberlain of the Exchequer. However, in 1495 Sir William was convicted of treason, on circumstantial evidence, and was executed for his support of the pretender Perkin Warbeck.
1646 – The Battle of Torrington, in Devon. It was the last major battle of the first English Civil War and marked the end of the Royalist resistance in the west country.
1641 – English king Charles I accepts the Triennial Act requiring that Parliament meet for at least a fifty-day session once every three years.
1659 – The first known British cheque was written for the amount of £400 by merchant Nicholas Vanacker, payable to a Mr Delboe. In today’s money, that’s equivalent to roughly £76,000. The cheque is currently on display at Westminster Abbey.
1801 – Pitt (the Younger) resigned as British Prime Minister when George III rejected his plans for the emancipation of Irish Catholics.