February 17th "2025" Daily Prep

Welcome to day 48, known as World Human Spirit Day and Random Act of Kindness Day. Your star sign is Aquarius and your birthstone is Amethyst.
Fanny Cradock's first cookery programme Kitchen Magic, was broadcast on television. She mostly worked with her then common-law husband Johnny Cradock, adopting his surname long before they married.
1955 – Fanny Cradock’s first cookery programme Kitchen Magic, was broadcast on television. She mostly worked with her then common-law husband Johnny Cradock, adopting his surname long before they married.

Todays birthdays

1963 – Michael Jordan (62), American businessman and former professional basketball player (Chicago bulls), born in Brooklyn, New York, United States.
1972 – Billie Joe Armstrong (53), American singer-songwriter, musician and co-founder of rock band, Green Day (“American Idiot”), born in Oakland, California, United States.

1981 – Paris Hilton (44), American actress (House of Wax, Snakes on a Plane), media personality, businesswoman, and socialite, born in New York, New York, United States.

1989 – Rebecca Adlington (36), English former competitive swimmer (2 x gold medal winner at the 2008 Summer Olympics), born in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.
1991 – Ed Sheeran (34), English singer-songwriter (“Shape of You”, “Castle on the Hill”), born in Halifax, West Yorkshire.
Famous deaths
2013 – Richard Briers (b. 1934), English actor (The Good Life, Monarch of the Glen, Ever Decreasing Circles) and voice actor (Roobarb).
The day today
1938 – A surprise item was shown at the Dominion Theatre, London. It was the first public, experimental demonstration of Baird colour television on a big 12 ft x 9 ft screen. Transmitted from Crystal Palace, the short programme consisted of fashion plates and a cartoon.
1955 – Fanny Cradock’s first cookery programme Kitchen Magic, was broadcast on television. She mostly worked with her then common-law husband Johnny Cradock, adopting his surname long before they married. The infamous ‘doughnut line’ is often attributed to Johnny Cradock – Quote: ‘You too can have doughnuts like Fanny’s’, but it was almost certainly said by a Scottish continuity announcer.
1958 – The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) was formed in Britain.
1965 – The Duke and Duchess of Kent celebrated the end of 300 years of colonial rule in Gambia with 35 Gambian chiefs. Gambia was the first African nation conquered by the British and became the 21st member of the Commonwealth.
1987 – A group of Tamils seeking asylum in Britain protested at Heathrow airport by removing their clothes as they were about to be deported. Amid a frenzied scuffle with security personnel they were forcibly placed onto the awaiting aircraft which was bound for Dhaka. But they were removed soon afterwards after their loud protests onboard drew complaints from fellow passengers and resulted in the pilot refusing to take-off.

2003 – The London Congestion Charge scheme began, with a fee charged for some categories of motor vehicle to travel at certain times within Charge Zone. The charge aimed to reduce congestion, and raise investment funds for London’s transport system. Although not the first scheme of its kind in the Britain, it was the largest when introduced, and it remains one of the largest in the world. Several cities around the world have referenced London’s congestion charge when considering their own schemes.

2005 – Hunting with dogs became illegal in Britain at midnight.
Today in music
1960 – Elvis Presley won his first Gold record for his second studio album ‘Elvis’. It spent four weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart, making Presley the first recording artist to have both albums go straight to No.1 in the same year.

1966 – Nancy Sinatra was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘These Boots Are Made For Walking’, Frank’s eldest daughters first No.1. Written by Lee Hazlewood Sinatra’s recording of the song was made with the help of Los Angeles session musicians known as the Wrecking Crew.

1978 – Kate Bush released her debut studio album The Kick Inside which contained her UK number one hit, ‘Wuthering Heights’, (marking the first time a female singer-songwriter topped the charts with a self-penned song). Bush was just 19 years old and had written some of the songs when she was only 13.
1979 – Blondie scored their first UK No.1 album when ‘Parallel Lines’ started a four-week run at the top of the charts, featuring the singles ‘Heart Of Glass’, ‘Hanging On The Telephone’ and ‘Sunday Girl.’
2005 – Scottish rockers Franz Ferdinand made music history after taking two top prizes at the NME Awards. The band, who won best album and best single, became the first act ever to win the Mercury Music Prize, Brit Awards and NME awards in the same year.
2008 – British soul singer Duffy started a five week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Mercy’, from the Welsh singers debut album ‘Rockferry’. ‘Mercy’ was the UK’S best selling single of 2008, and won Duffy a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Today in history

1461 – Wars of the Roses: In the second Battle of St Albans, the Lancastrian army defeats Yorkists and recaptures King Henry VI.
1837 – Charles Lyell makes his presidential address to the Geographical Society, London and announces that Richard Owen has concluded from Darwin’s fossils that extinct species were related to current species in the same locality
1874 – Conservatives, under Benjamin Disraeli (1st Earl of Beaconsfield), won their first majority since 1841.

1882 – Australian cricket opening bowlers Joey Palmer (7/68) and Edwin Evans (3/64) dismiss England for 133 in 2nd Test; first Test match played at Sydney Cricket Ground.

1883 – Arthur Ashwell of Herne Hill, London, patented ‘vacant/engaged’ lock signs for toilet doors.