Welcome to day 183 of the year! Known as International Joke Day, World UFO Day and I Forgot Day. If you were born today you were likely conceived the week of October 9th 2022.
1987 – Moors murderer Ian Brady offered to assist police searches of Saddleworth Moor for the first time since his conviction.
Famous birthdays
1956 – Jerry Hall (67), American model and actress, married to Mick Jagger and Rupert Murdoch (Batman, Freejack), born in Mesquite, Texas.
1957 – Brett “the Hitman” Hart (66), Canadian WWF champion, born in Alberta.
1973 – Peter Kay (50), English actor (Phoenix Nights), comedy writer and stand-up comedian.
1986 – Lyndsay Lohan (37), American actress (Another World; Freaky Friday; Mean Girls), born in NYC, New York.
1990 – Margot Robbie (33), Australian actress and producer (The Wolf of Wall Street, Suicide Squad), born in Dalby, Queensland.
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. He was released 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’.
Historical events
1266 – Treaty of Perth: Norway recognises Scottish sovereignty over the Hebrides and the Isle of Man.
1644 – Battle of Marston Moor, North Yorkshire: Parliamentary forces under Lords Fairfax and Manchester defeat royalists led by Prince Rupert.
1865 – One-time Methodist Reform Church minister William Booth and his wife Catherine found the East London Christian Mission, now known as the Salvation Army.
1901 – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid rob train of $40,000 at Wagner, Montana.
1928 – British parliament reduces the age at women can vote to 21 – the same as men (Representation of the People Act 1928).