On This Day 2026
Hello, … and welcome to day 50 of the year.

Thursday, February 19th

Today is International Tug of War Day, World Anthropology Day, Prevent Plagiarism Day and National Whippet 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.
The first episode of the BBC soap opera, EastEnders was screened.
Today’s birthdays
1940 – Smokey Robinson (86), American R&B and soul singer (“Tracks Of My Tears”, “The Tears Of A Clown”), born in Detroit, Michigan, United States.
1955 – Jeff Daniels (71), American actor (Dumb and Dumber, Arachnophobia, Speed, The Martian), born in Athens, Georgia, United States.
1957 – Ray Winstone (69), English actor (Scum, Quadrophenia, Ripley’s Game, Edge of Darkness, The Sweeney), born in Homerton, London.
1960 – Leslie Ash (66), English actress (Men Behaving Badly, Quadrophenia, Where the Heart Is), born in Henley-on-Thames.
1963 – Seal (63), British musician, singer and songwriter (“Kiss from a Rose”, “Crazy”, “Fly Like an Eagle”), born in Paddington, London.
1967 – Benicio del Toro (59), Puerto Rican actor (Sicario, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Licence to Kill, Snatch), born in San Germán, Puerto Rico.
1972 – Lisa Faulkner (54), English actress (Brookside, Holby City, Spooks, Murdoch Mysteries, Murder in Suburbia), born in London Borough of Merton.
1988 – Mo Gilligan (38), English stand-up comedian (The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan ), television presenter (The Big Narstie Show) and content creator, born in Lambeth, London.
2004 – Millie Bobbie Brown (22), British actress (Stranger Things, Godzilla vs. Kong), born in Marbella, Spain.
Famous deaths
2010 – Lionel Jeffries (b. 1926), English actor (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Railway Children).

2019 – Karl Lagerfeld (b. 1933), German fashion designer (Chanel, Fendi, H&M), photographer, and creative director.

2023 – Dickie Davies (b. 1928), British television sports presenter who anchored World of Sport (initially called Wide World of Sports) from 1968 until 1985.
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).
1933 – Hermann Göring, as a key Nazi minister in Germany, ordered the banning of Catholic newspapers in Cologne. This action was part of the broader Gleichschaltung (coordination) process, which aimed to bring all organizations, including the press, under Nazi control. By 1935, nearly all of the 400+ daily Catholic newspapers in Germany had been shut down.
1957 – The beginning of British TV’s first medical soap opera series ‘Emergency Ward 10’ which ran twice a week for 10 years.
1959 – The United Kingdom granted Cyprus independence, which was then formally proclaimed on 16th August 1960. While independence was formally proclaimed on August 16, 1960, the national holiday was later moved to October 1st. The UK retained control over two sovereign military base areas, Akrotiri and Dhekelia.
1976 – Iceland broke off diplomatic relations with Britain after the two countries failed to agree on limits in the ‘cod war’ fishing dispute.
1980 – Ian Botham produced one of cricket’s greatest all-round performances in the Golden Jubilee Test at Bombay (Mumbai). He became the first player to score a century (114) and take 10+ wickets (13-107) in the same Test, leading England to a 10-wicket victory against India.
1984 – The XIV Winter Olympic Games officially closed in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (now Bosnia and Herzegovina), following 12 days of competition. The Soviet Union secured the most medals (25), followed by East Germany (24) and Finland (13).
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.
1985 – Coca-Cola officially introduced Cherry Coke in cans and bottles following a debut at the 1982 World’s Fair. It was the company’s first-ever flavoured extension of the trademark brand and quickly gained popularity.

1986 – The USSR launched the Mir core module, the first module of the new space station. The core module contained all necessary equipment to accommodate astronauts, including life support, living spaces, communications systems, and a command and control center. During its lifetime, another five research modules were added, with the station hosting 125 astronauts and cosmonauts from 12 countries.

1995 – In Liévin, France, Linford Christie set a new world indoor record in the 200m (20.25 seconds). At that same meeting, he also set a European indoor record in the 60m (6.47 seconds). These performances were particularly remarkable as they were achieved just before his 35th birthday. Both records have since been broken, but they cemented his status as one of Britain’s most decorated sprinters.
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.
2002 – NASA’s 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft began mapping Mars when its Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) started scientific operations. THEMIS collected visible and infrared images that helped characterize surface materials and temperature patterns across the planet.
2004 – Renowned Austrian Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal was awarded an honorary knighthood (Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, KBE) by Queen Elizabeth II. The award recognized his “lifetime of service to humanity” in tracking over 1,000 war criminals, including Adolf Eichmann. The honorary KBE was bestowed for his “untiring service” in bringing justice to Holocaust victims, according to British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.
2007 – The website Tumblr was launched by its founder David Karp. The site was created to fulfill the need for a simple, short-form blogging tool, rapidly gaining 75,000 users within its first two weeks. Yahoo! purchased the platform in 2013 for $1.1 billion.
2021 – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) softened a 4-year WADA ban on Russia to two years, allowing athletes to compete at the Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 Olympics as “ROC” (Russian Olympic Committee). Under these sanctions, the team used a neutral flag (incorporating Russian colors) and a musical piece for victories instead of the national anthem.
Today in music
1964 – A British company shipped ½ ton of Beatle wigs to the US. An American reporter later asked John Lennon, “How do you feel about teenagers imitating you with Beatle wigs?” John replied “They’re not imitating us because we don’t wear Beatle wigs.”
1977 – Manfred Mann’s Earth Band scored a No.1 single in the US with their version of the Bruce Springsteen song ‘Blinded By The Light.’ The track was the first single from Springsteen’s 1973 debut album Greetings from Asbury Park N.J. The Earth Band’s version features several changed lyrics. The most prominent change is in the chorus, where Springsteen’s “cut loose like a deuce” is replaced with “revved up like a deuce.” Springsteen himself has said that it was not until Manfred Mann rewrote the song to be about a “feminine hygiene product” that it became popular.

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.

1980 – AC/DC singer Bon Scott was pronounced dead on arrival at a London hospital after a heavy night’s drinking. Scott was found in the passenger seat of a friend’s parked car. The official coroner’s report stated that he had “drunk himself to death”, after suffocating on his own vomit.
1982 – Ozzy Osbourne was arrested in San Antonio, Texas for urinating on the cenotaph at the Alamo, which honours the Alamo defenders. Osbourne was wearing a dress at the time of his arrest, (due to his wife Sharon hiding all his clothes so he couldn’t go outside). Osbourne was banned from ever playing in San Antonio, Texas again, (a ban which was lifted in 1992). When later interviewed, Ozzy said his next goal was to urinate on the White House lawn.
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.
1995 – Roxette became the first Western group to perform in Beijing since George Michael in 1984 when they played a concert celebrating the Chinese New Year.
1996 – Bjork was shown on UK breakfast TV attacking a news reporter as she arrived at Bangkok International Airport. The footage showed the singer pulling the female reporter to the floor and banging her head on the ground. Bjork later apologised for the attack.
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.
2014 – David Bowie was named best British male at the Brit Awards in London, although he was not there in person to collect his award. Arctic Monkeys won both best group and best album for the third time – the first act to achieve that milestone. Ellie Goulding won best British female, while pop act One Direction were honoured for their global success for the second year running.Bowie’s prize came at the expense of four much younger hopefuls – Jake Bugg, Tom Odell, John Newman and Mercury Prize winner James Blake.
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.
1516 – Henry VII’s Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey was consecrated and hailed as “one of the most perfect buildings ever erected in England” and the “miracle of the world,” this masterpiece of Perpendicular Gothic architecture is renowned for its spectacular, intricate fan-vaulted ceiling with hanging pendants.
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.
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