February 8th "2024" daily prep

Welcome to day 39, known as National Boys Scouts Day, Propose Day, National Kite-Flying Day. If you were born on this day, you were likely conceived the week of May 18th. Your star sign is Aquarius and your birthstone is Amethyst.
1983 – Shergar, the legendary Thoroughbred racehorse, was stolen by gunmen. Shergar was retired after a successful season in 1981 and was valued at ten million pounds.
Todays birthdays
1941 – Nick Nolte (83), American actor (Cape Fear, Tropic Thunder, 48 Hours,The Thin Red Line), born in Omaha, Nebraska, United States.
1955 – John Grisham (69), American novelist (The Firm, A Time to Kill, The Pelican Brief), born in Jonesboro, Arkansas, United States.
1964 – Trinny Woodall (60), British beauty entrepreneur, businesswoman (Trinny London), fashion and makeover expert (What Not to Wear), born in Marylebone, London.
1980 – Ralf Little (44), English actor (The Royle Family, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps), presenter and narrator, born in Oldham, Greater Manchester.
1989 – Dani Harmer (35), English actress (The Story of Tracy Beaker) and television personality, born in Bracknell, Berkshire.
The day today
1926 – Walt Disney Studios was formed after previously being known as Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio.
1946 – The People’s Republic of Korea is dissolved in the North and replaced by the communist-controlled Provisional People’s Committee of North Korea.
1960 – Queen Elizabeth II issues an Order-in-Council, proclaiming the House of Windsor and declaring that her descendants will take the name Mountbatten-Windsor.
1969 – The Allende meteorite falls in Chihuahua, Mexico. It is the largest ever found on Earth. After it broke up in the atmosphere, an extensive search for pieces was conducted and over 2 tonnes (2.2 tons) was recovered.
1983 – Shergar, the legendary Thoroughbred racehorse, was stolen by gunmen. After a very successful season in 1981 he was retired to the Ballymany Stud in County Kildare, Ireland. In 1983 he was stolen from the stud, and a ransom of £2 million was demanded; it was not paid, and negotiations were soon broken off by the thieves.
Today in music
1983 – Winners at the second annual Brit Awards held in London included Paul McCartney who won Best British Male Solo Artist, Kim Wilde won Best British Female Solo Artist, Dire Straits won British Group, British Breakthrough Act went to Yazoo, International Act was Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Best Selling Single Dexy’s Midnight Runners “Come On Eileen” and the Life Achievement Award went to Pete Townshend .
1986 – Billy Ocean started a four week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going’, as featured in the film ‘The Jewel Of The Nile.’ The video was banned in the UK because it featured non-musician union members. Boyzone took the song to No.1 in 1999.
1992 – Right Said Fred hit number one on the US Hot 100 Charts (a No.2 hit in the UK.) with “I’m too Sexy.”
2005 – Kylie Minogue was voted the world’s sexiest woman in her 30s by UK magazine Good Housekeeping. Sade was voted No.4 in the over 40s with Madonna coming in at No.7 and Jerry Hall at No.8. And Sharon Osbourne was voted into 3rd place in the over 50s section.
2015 – British soul singer Sam Smith won four Grammy Awards in the US, including the prestigious prizes for record and song of the year for ‘Stay With Me’ and best new artist. Album of the year went to Beck for Morning Phase.
Today in history
1587 – Mary, Queen of Scots, is beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle aged 44 after being convicted of plotting to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I in the Babington Plot.
1601 – Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, unsuccessfully rebels (known as the Essex’s Rebellion) against Queen Elizabeth I. The main tensions that led to the rebellion began in 1599, when Essex was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. He was sent to Ireland with the mission of subduing the revolts led by Tyrone, leading one of the largest expeditionary forces ever sent to the country.
1622 – English parliament was dissolved by King James I of England after a disagreement about his son Charles marrying Princess Maria of Spain.
1828 – Birth of French novelist Jules Verne (A Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Around the World in 80 Days), poet, and playwright.
1879 – Sandford Fleming first proposes dividing the world into 24 equal time zones and adopting a Universal Standard Time at a meeting of the Royal Canadian Institute.
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