January 28th "2024" daily prep

Welcome to day 28, known as Blueberry Pancake Day, Daisy Day, Data Privacy Day, World Leprosy Day. If you were born on this day, you were likely conceived the week of May 7th. Your star sign is Aquarius and your birthstone is Garnet.
1986 – The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster was a fatal accident in the United States’ space program. The Space Shuttle Challenger (OV-099) broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members aboard.
Todays birthdays
1957 – Frank Skinner (67), English comedian (Baddiel and Skinner Unplanned), actor and presenter, born in West Bromwich, West Midlands.
1975 – Lee Latchford-Evans (49), English singer (STEPS – “Better Best Forgotten”, Last Thing on My Mind”), born in Chester.
1978 – Jamie Carragher (46), English football pundit and former footballer (Liverpool 1996–2013, England 1999–2010), born in Bootle, Merseyside.
1981 – Elijah Wood (43), American actor (The Lord of the Rings, Green Street, Deep Impact), born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States.
1986 – Jessica Ennis Hill (38), British former track and field athlete (heptathlon and 100 metres hurdles), born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
The day today
1918 – The birth of Harry Corbett, the English puppeteer who created Sooty. According to the Guinness Book of Records, Sooty is the longest-running children’s programme in the UK. The puppet was 60 years old on 19th July 2008 and, as this was close to Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday, Sooty sent him a birthday message!
1953 – 19 year-old Derek Bentley was hanged at Wandsworth Prison. On 2nd November 1952, he and 16-year-old Christopher Craig were attempting to rob a confectioner’s warehouse in Croydon when they were caught by police. It was alleged that Bentley urged Craig to fire his gun, injuring one policeman and killing another. Both boys were found guilty of murder. Craig, too young to hang, was imprisoned, while Bentley was sentenced to death despite considerable public protest.
1994 – The first women only boxing tournament was held at the Marine Halls, Fleetwood. Diane Berry became the first British super-flyweight women’s champion.
2014 – A report by the Commons public accounts committee found that the Queen’s advisers were failing to control her finances, while the royal palaces were ‘crumbling’. MPs said that her advisers had overspent to such an extent that her reserve fund had fallen from £35 million in 2001 to just £1 million. The Queen’s courtiers were advised to take money-saving tips from the Treasury.
2015 – Photographers took to Twitter to complain that their pictures of Arlington Row, in the Cotswold village of Bibury were being ‘blighted and photo-bombed’ by the bright yellow Vauxhall Corsa that belonged to one of the residents.
Today in music
1978 – The Fleetwood Mac album Rumours went to No.1 on the UK album chart. The groups eleventh studio album went on to sell over 45 million copies world-wide and spent over 440 weeks on the UK chart. The songs ‘Go Your Own Way’, ‘Dreams’, ‘Don’t Stop’, and ‘You Make Loving Fun’ were released as singles.
1983 – British Rock & Roll singer Billy Fury died of heart failure aged 42. An early British rock and roll (and film) star, he equalled the Beatles’ record of 24 hits in the Sixties , and spent 332 weeks on the UK chart, without a chart-topping single or album. His We Want Billy (released in 1963, with The Tornados) was one of the first live albums in British rock history. Fury later played rock ‘n’ roller “Stormy Tempest” in the film That’ll Be The Day along side David Essex and Ringo Starr.
1984 – Frankie Goes To Hollywood started a five-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Relax!’ BBC Radio 1 DJ Mike Read expressed on air his distaste for both the record’s suggestive sleeve and its lyrics, he announced his refusal to play the record, not knowing that the BBC had decided that the song was not to be played on the BBC anyway. Produced by Trevor Horn the song remained on the chart for 48 weeks.
1985 – The recording took place for We Are The World the US equivalent of Band Aid at A&M Studios in Hollywood. Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie the all star cast included Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Daryl Hall, John Oates, Cyndi Lauper, Steve Perry and Bob Geldof.
1995 – TLC started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Creep’ the group’s first US No.1, it made No.6 in the UK the following year.
Today in history
1457 – The birth of Henry VII, founder of the Tudor dynasty in England. Henry won the throne when he defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of England to win his throne on the field of battle and he restored order after the Wars of the Roses.
1547 – The death of Henry VIII, exactly 90 years after the birth of his father Henry VII. His nine year old son, Edward VI succeeded him and became the first Protestant ruler of England.
1596 – Sir Francis Drake died from dysentery aboard his ship, off Porto Bello. His exploits were legendary, making him a hero to the English but a pirate to the Spaniards. It’s claimed that King Philip II of Spain offered a reward of 20,000 ducats, (equivalent to £4,000,000 in today’s money) for Drake’s life.
1813 – The novel Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, was first published. It follows Elizabeth Bennet as she deals with the issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of early 19th-century England.
1829 – The public hanging of Irish body-snatcher William Burke in Edinburgh. Burke and his accomplice William Hare, sold the corpses of their 17 victims to provide material for dissection to Doctor Robert Knox. Hare was offered immunity from prosecution if he confessed and if he testified against Burke. After Burke was hanged he was publicly dissected at the Edinburgh Medical College.
Fact of the day
The colors in fireworks depends on the different salts used and mixed with different metals. Lithium salts produce red fireworks. Iron produces yellow or gold colors. Magnesium forms white.