July 2nd "2024" Daily Prep
Welcome to day 184 of the year! Known as International Joke Day, World UFO Day and I Forgot Day. If you were born on this day, you were likely conceived the week of October 9th in the previous year. Your star sign is Cancer and your birthstone is Ruby.
1987 – Moors murderer Ian Brady offered to assist police searches of Saddleworth Moor for the first time since his conviction.
Todays birthdays
1956 – Jerry Hall (68), American model and actress (Batman, Freejack), and former wife of Mick Jagger and Rupert Murdoch, born in Gonzales, Texas, United States.
1957 – Brett “the Hitman” Hart (67), Canadian-American retired professional wrestler and WWF champion (1992–1996), born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
1973 – Peter Kay (51), English actor (Phoenix Nights, Car Share), comedy writer and stand-up comedian, born in Farnworth, Bolton, Greater Manchester.
1986 – Lyndsay Lohan (38), American actress (Another World; Freaky Friday; Mean Girls), born in NYC, New York.
1990 – Margot Robbie (34), Australian actress and producer (Barbie, The Wolf of Wall Street, Suicide Squad), born in Dalby, Queensland, Australia.
Famous deaths
2016 – Caroline Aherne (b. 1963), English actress and comedian (The Royle Family, The Mrs Merton Show, The Fast Show).
The day today
1940 – World War II: Adolf Hitler ordered German military commanders to draw up plans for the invasion of England.
1996 – Weather experts predicted that global warming would have the effect of moving Britain 100 miles south in the next 25 years, bringing summer droughts and winter rainstorms.
1999 – The Scottish Parliament was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on the day that legislative powers were officially transferred from the old Scottish Office in London to the newly devolved Scottish Executive in Edinburgh.
2001 – Barry George was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of television presenter Jill Dando but was acquitted of the killing at a retrial in 2008 after doubt was cast on the reliability of gunshot residue evidence.
2005 – The world’s biggest music stars united in Live8 concerts around the globe to press political leaders to tackle poverty in Africa.
Today in music
1966 – David Bowie and The Lower Third appeared at The Lion Hotel in Warrington, England, (they were paid £30 for the gig). Also appearing was The Powerhouse which featured Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Steve Winwood and Paul Jones.
1969 – Working on tracks for the Abbey Road album, Paul McCartney recorded ‘Her Majesty’. Then Paul, George, and Ringo record 15 takes of ‘Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight’. John Lennon was absent, in hospital in Golspie, Scotland, following a car accident the previous day.
1971 – Queen appeared at Surrey College, England. This was the group’s first gig with the line-up of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon.
1991 – Axl Rose caused a riot to break out during a Guns N’ Roses gig after leaping into the crowd to remove a camera from a fan at the Riverpoint Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights. Over 50 people were injured and 15 fans were arrested.
2018 – Alan Longmuir from Scottish pop band Bay City Rollers died aged 70 after contracting an illness while on holiday in Mexico. The Rollers had the 1975 UK No.1 single ‘Bye Bye Baby’, plus 11 other UK Top 20 singles’, and the 1976 US No.1 single ‘Saturday Night’.
Today in history
1492 – The birth, in Richmond Palace, of Elizabeth Tudor, 2nd daughter and 4th child of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. She died at the young age of 3 years and 2 months, the first of four of Henry and Elizabeth’s children to die prematurely.
1644 – English Civil War: The Battle of Marston Moor at Long Marston, North Yorkshire. Marston Moor was the first victory of the war for the Parliamentary forces, with Cromwell’s Roundhead Army defeating the Royalist Cavaliers, commanded by Prince Rupert. After their defeat, the Royalists effectively abandoned the North of England.
1819 – The first Factory Act was passed in Britain. This banned the employment of children younger than 9 from working in textile factories, whilst those under 16 were allowed to work for ‘only’ 12 hours a day!
1850 – The death of Robert Peel. He served twice as Prime Minister (1834–1835 and 1841–1846) and created the modern police force, leading to a new type of officer known in tribute to him as ‘bobbies’ or ‘peelers’.
1865 – The Salvation Army was founded in London by Methodist preacher William Booth and his wife, Catherine Booth. Its origins trace back to the Blind Beggar tavern on Whitechapel Road, East London, which was initially called the East London Christian Mission.