July 1st "2024" Daily Prep

Welcome to day 183 of the year! Known as International Chicken Wing Day, International Reggae Day. If you were born on this day, you were likely conceived the week of October 8th in the previous year. Your star sign is Cancer and your birthstone is Ruby.
The Battle of Somme began. The British Empire and France went to war against the German Empire during World War I. The battle lasted until November 18, 1916 and up to 1.3 million people died.
1916 – The Battle of Somme began. The British Empire and France went to war against the German Empire during World War I. The battle lasted until November 18, 1916 and up to 1.3 million people died.
Todays birthdays
1949 – Deborah Harry (79), American singer, songwriter (Blondie – “Heart of Glass”, “One Way Or Another”, “Atomic”), born in Miami, Florida, United States.
1952 – Dan Ackroyd (72), Canadian-American comedian, screenwriter and actor (Ghostbusters, The Blue Brothers, Trading Places), born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
1965 – Carl Fogarty (59), English former motorcycle racer and one of the most successful World Superbike racers of all time, born in Blackburn, Lancashire.
1967 – Pamela Anderson (57), Canadian-American actress (Baywatch, Barb Wire), model (Playboy) and media personality, born in Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
1976 – Ruud van Nistelrooy (48), Dutch professional football coach (PSV Eindhoven) and former player (Manchester United, Real Madrid, Netherlands), born in Geffen, Netherlands.
Famous deaths
2006 – Fred Trueman (b. 1931), English cricketer and sportscaster (Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the England cricket team).
2009 – Mollie Sugden (b. 1922), English actress best known for her role as Mrs. Slocombe in Are You Being Served? and it’s spin off, Grace & Favour.
The day today
1911 – The introduction of the British Copyright Act – protecting an author’s works for 50 years after their death.
1916 – World War I: Almost 20,000 British soldiers were killed and a further 57,500 were injured on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. It was the greatest number of British casualties in a single day’s fighting in modern history. British casualties on day one were greater than the total combined British casualties in the Crimean, Boer, and Korean wars.
1967 – Colour television came to Europe with a seven hour transmission on BBC 2 from the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships.
1997 – The handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People’s Republic of China was at midnight on 1 July 1997. This event ended 156 years of British rule in the former colony, which began in 1841 (except for four years of Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945).
2007 – A smoking ban came into force in England, making it illegal for anyone to smoke in an enclosed public place and within the workplace.
Today in music
1967 – The Beatles started a 15 week run at No.1 on the US album chart with Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the group’s 10th US No.1 album. Recorded over a 129-day period beginning in December 1966, the album widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time, includes songs such as ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ and ‘A Day in the Life’.
1975 – 10cc were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘I’m Not In Love’. Known for its innovative and distinctive backing track, composed mostly of the band’s multitracked vocals, it became the second of the group’s three No.1 singles in the UK and reached No.2 on the US chart.
1979 – Sony introduced the Walkman, the first portable audio cassette player. Over the next 30 years they sold over 385 million Walkmans in cassette, CD, mini-disc and digital file versions, and were the market leaders until the arrival of Apple’s iPod and other new digital devices.
2000 – Kylie Minogue was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Spinning Around’, the singers fifth No.1 was co-written by Paula Abdul, (it was originally intended for Abdul’s “comeback” album). ‘Spinning Around’ gave Minogue the honor of being one of three artists (the others being Madonna and U2) to have a No.1 in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.
2017 – Ed Sheeran returned to No.1 for the forth time with his third studio album ÷ (pronounced ‘divide’). The album also topped the charts in 14 other countries and won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards.
Today in history
1690 – The Battle of the Boyne was fought on the east coast of Ireland, between the Catholic King James and the Protestant King William. The battle, won by William, ultimately helped ensure the continuation of Protestant supremacy in Ireland.
1837 – Compulsory registration of births, marriages and deaths came into effect in England and Wales.
1862 – Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, second daughter of Queen Victoria, marries Prince Louis of Hesse, the future Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse.
1867 – The British North America Act takes effect as the Province of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia join into confederation to create the modern nation of Canada. Scottish born John A. Macdonald is sworn in as the first Prime Minister of Canada. This date is commemorated annually in Canada as Canada Day, a national holiday.
1908 – The Morse code distress signal “SOS,” originating from Germany, became the world’s official message for help.