Saturday, March 29th "2025" Daily Prep
Welcome to day 88, known as New Moon March, Pay it Forward, World Piano Day, Mermaid Day, National Smoke and Mirrrors Day. Your star sign is Aries and your birthstone is Aquamarine.
1848 – Niagara Falls waterfall stopped flowing due to an ice jam in Lake Erie. The flow stopped for 30 to 40 hours, and it’s the only time it’s recorded to have happened.
Todays birthdays
1942 – Julie Goodyear (83), English retired actress best known for her role as Bet Lynch in ITV soap Coronation Street from 1966 – 2003, born in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.
1943 – Eric Idle (82), English actor and member of the British comedy group Monty Python (Holy Grail, Life of Brian, Flying Circus), born in South Shields, Tyne and Wear.
1955 – Brendan Gleeson (70), Irish actor (Gangs of New York, Braveheart, Edge of Tomorrow, The Grand Seduction), born in Dublin, Ireland.
1964 – Elle MacPherson (61), Australian model known for her nickname “The Body”, coined by Time Magazine in 1989, born in Killara, New South Wales, Australia.
1972 – Priti Patel (53), British politician (UK Home Secretary 2019-22) and as Shadow Foreign Secretary since November 2024, born in London.
1983 – Ed Skrein (42), English actor (Deadpool, Maleficent, Midway, Alita: Battle Angel), born in London Borough of Camden, London.
Famous deaths
2004 – Peter Ustinov (b. 1921), English-Swiss actor (Spartacus, Hercule Poirot in Death on the Nile), director, producer, and screenwriter.
2013 – Richard Griffiths (b. 1947), English actor (Harry Potter, Pie in the Sky, Sleepy Hollow).
2023 – Paul O’Grady (b. 1955), English comedian, actor and drag queen (Lily Savage).
The day today
1920 – Sir William Robertson, who enlisted in 1877, became a field marshal in the British Army, the first man to rise to this rank from private.
1927 – Sir Henry Segrave beat Malcolm Campbell’s land speed record in his ‘Mystery’ car (a 1,000 hp Sunbeam with a World War I aircraft engine) on the Daytona Beach, clocking 203.79 mph. He became the first driver to exceed 200 mph.
1940 – The Bank of England introduced thin metal strips into banknotes as an anti-forgery device.
1981 – The first London marathon took place, with around 7,000 entrants.
1999 – The case of James Hanratty was sent back to the Court of Appeal, 37 years after he was hanged for murder. New DNA evidence emerged and a police inquiry highlighted flaws in the original investigation.
2004 – The Republic of Ireland became the first country in the world to ban smoking in all work places, including bars and restaurants.
2015 – A memorial to the murdered soldier Lee Rigby was opened at Middleton Memorial Gardens in Greater Manchester. The 25 year old fusilier was killed outside Woolwich Barracks in London on 22nd May 2013 by Islamist extremists Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale.
Today in music
1975 – Labelle went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Lady Marmalade’, the group’s only No.1. British act All Saints had a UK No.1 with their version of the song in 1998 and in 2001 Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya and Pink also took the song to the top of the charts.
1980 – Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon album spent its 303rd week on the US album chart, beating the record set by Carole King’s 1971 No.1 album Tapestry. The album remained in the US Billboard charts for 741 discontinuous weeks from 1973 to 1988, longer than any other album in chart history. After moving to the Billboard Top Pop Catalog Chart, the album notched up a further 759 weeks, and had reached a total of over 1,500 weeks on the combined charts by May 2006.
1981 – Shakin’ Stevens was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with his version of the Rosemary Clooney hit ‘This Ole House’, the Welsh singers first of four UK No.1’s.
1986 – Austrian singer Falco started a three-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Rock Me Amadeus’, also a No.1 in the UK. Falco became the first German speaking artist to achieve a No.1 on the US charts.
2007 – U2 singer Bono accepted an honorary knighthood at a ceremony in Dublin. Fellow band members The Edge and Adam Clayton joined the frontman’s wife and four children at the British ambassador David Reddaway’s official residence. The rock star and campaigner, 46, was not entitled to be called “Sir” because he is not a British citizen. The U2 singer’s new title is Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE).
2007 – ‘Umbrella’, by Rihanna featuring Jay-Z was released in the US. The track went on to reach No.1 in various countries, including the US. A No.1 in the UK for 10 consecutive weeks making it the longest running No.1 single since Wet Wet Wet’s ‘Love Is All Around’ in 1994, and the longest running No.1 by a female artist since Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You.’
2016 – Andy Newman from Thunderclap Newman died aged 73. Thunderclap Newman, whose 1969 No.1 hit ‘Something in the Air’ became one of the indestructible staples of British 1960s pop.
2017 – George Michael’s funeral took place, three months after his sudden death at the age of 53. His family said a ‘small, private ceremony’ was attended by family and close friends. The coroner’s verdict on Michael’s death only came three weeks before his funeral. Tests were ordered because an initial post-mortem examination was inconclusive.
Today in history
1461 – Over 28,000 people were killed in the battle of Towton, North Yorkshire, during the War of the Roses (Lancaster against York). It is described as ‘probably the largest and bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil’. The Lancastrians, under Henry VI, were crushed and the throne was claimed by Edward IV.
1632 – The Treaty of Saint-Germain was signed, returning Quebec to French control after the English had seized it in 1629.
1644 – The battle of Cheriton (near Alresford in Hampshire). Sir Ralph Hopton’s 6,000 strong Royalist army faced a Parliamentarian force of 10,000 men commanded by Sir William Waller. It was a major turning point in the English Civil War and resulted in an important Parliamentarian victory that helped shape the future of England.
1848 – Niagara Falls waterfall stopped flowing due to an ice jam in Lake Erie. The flow stopped for 30 to 40 hours, and it’s the only time it’s recorded to have happened.
1871 – Queen Victoria opened the Royal Albert Hall in London. The hall was originally supposed to have been called The Central Hall of Arts and Sciences, but the name was changed by Queen Victoria to Royal Albert Hall of Arts and Sciences when laying the foundation stone, as a dedication to her deceased husband and consort Prince Albert.