February 19th "2025" Daily Prep
Welcome to day 50, known as National Chocolate Mint Day, Prevent Plagiarism Day and Tug of War Day. Your star sign is Pisces and your birthstone is Amethyst.
1985 – The first episode of the BBC soap opera, EastEnders was screened. 13 million viewers watched as Arthur Fowler, Ali Osman and Den Watts forced their way into Reg Cox’s flat and found Reg near death. Several weeks later Nick Cotton was revealed as Reg’s murderer.
Todays birthdays
1940 – Smokey Robinson (85), American R&B and soul singer (“Tracks Of My Tears”), born in Detroit, Michigan, United States.
1957 – Ray Winstone (68), English actor (Scum, Quadrophenia, Ripley’s Game, Edge of Darkness), born in Homerton, London.
1963 – Seal (62), born Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel, British musician, singer and songwriter (“Kiss from a Rose”, “Crazy”, “Fly Like an Eagle”), born in Paddington, London.
1967 – Benicio del Toro (58), Puerto Rican actor (Sicario, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Licence to Kill, Snatch), born in San Germán, Puerto Rico.
2004 – Millie Bobbie Brown (21), British actress (Stranger Things, Godzilla vs. Kong), born in Marbella, Spain.
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
1910 – Manchester United played its first game at Old Trafford. The Sporting Chronicle said “The most handsomest, the most spacious and the most remarkable arena I have ever seen. As a football ground it is unrivalled in the world, it is an honour to Manchester and the home of a team who can do wonders when they are so disposed.”
1915 – The birth of the comedian Dick Emery. In the 1950s he worked with comedians such as Charlie Drake, Tony Hancock and Michael Bentine that led to an exclusive BBC contract, and the long-running programme The Dick Emery Show (BBC, 1963–81).
1957 – The beginning of British TV’s first medical soap opera series ‘Emergency Ward 10’ which ran twice a week for 10 years.
1976 – Iceland broke off diplomatic relations with Britain after the two countries failed to agree on limits in the ‘cod war’ fishing dispute.
1985 – The first episode of the BBC soap opera, EastEnders was screened. 13 million viewers watched as Arthur Fowler, Ali Osman and Den Watts forced their way into Reg Cox’s flat and found Reg near death. Several weeks later Nick Cotton was revealed as Reg’s murderer.
1996 – The oil tanker Sea Empress grounded near Milford Haven. 3,500 dead sea birds were washed ashore and the disaster had a devastating impact on the fishing industry.
2001 – A five-mile exclusion zone was placed around an abattoir in Essex after a suspected case of foot and mouth disease was detected. By the end of March the disease was at its peak, with up to fifty new cases a day. The final case was reported on Whygill Head Farm near Appleby in Cumbria on 30th September. Tourism and farming were severely affected.
Today in music
1977 – Leo Sayer had his only UK No.1 single with the Albert Hammond and Carole Bayer Sager song ‘When I Need You.’ Both Celine Dion and Cliff Richard have scored hits with the song.
1983 – Kajagoogoo had their only UK No.1 single with ‘Too Shy’. Also a hit in other European countries, 5 weeks at No.1 in Germany, a Top 5 hit in Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, and Netherlands. The group had four other Top 40 hits UK hits.
1994 – Mariah Carey had her first UK No.1 with her version of the Peter Ham and Tom Evans song ‘Without You’. Nilsson also took the song to No.1 in 1972. (Carey’s version was released on January 24, 1994, just over a week after Nilsson had died following a heart attack). Both Ham and Evans committed suicide, (Ham in 1975 and Evans in 1983) after an ongoing battle to receive royalties from the song.
1996 – Winners at this year’s Brit Awards included Paul Weller who won British Male Solo Artist, British Female Solo Artist went to Annie Lennox, Oasis won British Group, Best Album for ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory’ and Best British Video for ‘Wonderwall. British Breakthrough Act went to Supergrass, International Group was Bon Jovi, International Breakthrough Act went to Alanis Morissette and David Bowie was awarded Outstanding Contribution to music. Pulp singer Jarvis Cocker was arrested after a stage invasion during Michael Jackson’s appearance, (who won Artist of a Generation). Cocker was accused of attacking children who were performing with Jackson; all charges against Cocker were dropped on March 11th of this year.
2004 – Johnny Cash’s family blocked an attempt by advertisers to use his hit song ‘Ring of Fire’ to promote haemorrhoid-relief products. The idea is said to have been backed by Merle Kilgore, who co-wrote the song with Cash’s wife, June Carter Cash. Cash’s daughter Rosanne said the family “would never allow the song to be demeaned like that.”
2008 – Two releases by Oasis were voted the best British albums ever recorded in a poll of 11,000 people. Their 1994 album Definitely Maybe came top, while their 1995 follow-up (What’s the Story) Morning Glory was second in the vote for Q magazine and HMV. Radiohead’s OK Computer finished third, followed by Revolver by The Beatles and the Stone Roses’ self-titled debut. The full list of 50 British albums included five by The Beatles.
2012 – Whitney Houston had an invitation-only memorial at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey. Among those who performed at the funeral were Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys and R. Kelly. Kevin Costner read a moving and personal Eulogy.
Today in history
1408 – The Battle of Bramham Moor in which King Henry IV defeated the rebellious Percy family. The death of Percy removed the threat of rebellion in the North of England and allowed Henry to focus more fully on Wales.
1674 – England and the Netherlands signed the Treaty of Westminster, ending the Third Anglo-Dutch War. A provision of the agreement transferred the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam to England and it was renamed New York.
1717 – The birth, in Hereford, of David Garrick, actor, playwright, theatre manager and producer. Garrick was the first actor to be granted the honour of being buried in Westminster Abbey, in Poets’ Corner, next to the monument to William Shakespeare. Later Henry Irving, the first actor to be knighted, was buried beside him.
1819 – British explorer William Smith discovered the South Shetland Islands, an archipelago lying about 75 miles north of the Antarctic Peninsula and claimed them in the name of King George III.
1901 – The birthday of Florence Beatrice Green, a former member of the Women’s Royal Air Force. She was the last known surviving veteran of the First World War and died on 4th February 2012, aged 110.