November 11th "2024" Daily Prep
Welcome to day 316 of the “leap” year! Known as Remembrance Day (UK), Veterans Day (USA), World Orphans Day, National Origami Day. Your star sign is Scorpio and your birthstone is Topaz.
1918 – At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the Great War ended. In 1919, Britain introduced a two minute silence at 11:00 a.m. to remember those who died in World War I.
Todays birthdays
1956 – Ian Craig Marsh (68), English musician, composer and founding member of the electronic band the Human League (“Don’t You Want Me”), born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
1960 – Stanley Tucci (64), American actor (The Hunger Games, The Devil Wears Prada) and filmmaker, born in Peekskill, New York, United States.
1962 – Demi Moore (62), American actress (Ghost, A Few Good Men, Striptease), born in Roswell, New Mexico, United States.
1974 – Leonardo DiCaprio (50), American actor (Titanic, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Revenant), born in Los Angeles, California, United States.
1994 – Ellie Simmonds (30), British former Paralympian swimmer (2 x Gold in Beijing 2008 and 2 x Gold in London 2012), born in Derbyshire.
Famous deaths
2004 – Fred Dibnah (b. 1938), English steeplejack and television personality.
2012 – Clive Dunn (b. 1920), English actor best known for his role as Lance Corporal Jones in the BBC sitcom Dad’s Army.
The day today
1919 – Britain introduced a two minute silence at 11:00 a.m. to remember those who died in World War I.
1946 – Stevenage was officially designed as Britain’s first New Town, one of ten which were planned to relieve London’s post-war housing problems.
1997 – Britain’s Labour Party admitted to accepting a £1m donation from Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone, but claimed it would be repaid and that it had nothing to do with the Government’s decision to exempt motor racing from the ban on tobacco-related sports sponsorship.
1998 – In the first joint engagement of its kind, the Queen and the Irish president, Mary McAleese, unveiled a peace tower in memory of the Irish dead of the First World War.
2013 – Sean Conway (32), made history by completing a marathon swim from Land’s End to John O’Groats. He left Cornwall on 30th June, swimming along the west coast to the most northerly point of the UK mainland. He swam around 10 miles a day, slept on a yacht or in accommodation onshore and raised thousands of pounds for the War Child charity in the process.
Today in music
1971 – BBC TV’s Top Of The Pops celebrated its 400th show. The UK chart show was presented by Tony Blackburn with guests; Tom Jones, Dana, John Kongos, Cher, Slade, Cilla Black, The Piglets, Clodagh Rodgers and The Newbeats.
1972 – Gilbert O’Sullivan was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Clair’, the singers first of two UK No.1’s. The Irish singer songwriter would dress as a 1920s worker in flat cap, braces and baggy trousers.
1989 – Chris Rea started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘The Road To Hell.’ The iconic album cover features art by the English artist, Adrian Chesterman who was also responsible for creating cover art for, amongst others, Motörhead for their 1979 ‘Bomber’ album…. and Lisa Stansfield was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘All Around The World’. The British singers debut solo single was a No.1 hit in 11 other countries and a No.3 hit in the US.
1999 – Britney Spears won four MTV Awards; Best Female Singer, Best Pop Act, Best Song, ‘…Baby One More Time’, Best Breakthrough Artist. Best Rock Act went to The Offspring, Best Male Act, Will Smith and Bono won the Free Your Mind award.hit making team Stock, Aitken and Waterman went to court fighting over song rights. Stock and Aitken claimed Waterman owed them hundreds of thousands of pounds as musicians and songwriters.
2004 – Robbie Williams, The Rolling Stones and Queen were inducted into the UK’s first music Hall of Fame at a ceremony in London. One act had been chosen by TV viewers of a Channel 4 program to represent each decade since the 1950s. Williams represented the 1990s, Michael Jackson the 1980s, Queen the 1970s, the Rolling Stones the 1960s, and Cliff Richard the 1950s.
Today in history
1100 – Henry I of England marries Matilda of Scotland, the daughter of Malcolm III of Scotland and a direct descendant of the Saxon king Edmund Ironside; Matilda is crowned on the same day.
1493 – Christopher Columbus discovered Sint Maarten in the West Indies. The island is called St. Martin, with the southern portion of it still called Sint Maarten.
1620 – The Mayflower Compact was signed aboard ship in what is now Provincetown Harbour near Cape Cod. It was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony and was written by those who had fled to America in the ship the Mayflower to escape religious persecution from King James VI of Scotland (James I of England). Note:- The Pilgrim Fathers were thwarted in their first attempt to sail to America when they left from Havenside, near Boston, Lincolnshire in September 1607.
1724 – The highwayman Joseph Blake, alias Blueskin, was hanged in London. He had attracted attention for attacking the nation’s leading policeman and ‘Thief Taker’ Jonathan Wild with a pocket knife. The policeman was also a successful gang leader and became the most infamous criminal in Britain during the 18th century. The attack by Blake left Wild incapacitated for weeks, and his grip over his criminal empire started to slip during his recuperation. Like Blake, he too was later hanged for his crimes.
1887 – Work started on building the Manchester Ship Canal at Eastham, Merseyside. The Manchester end of the canal ended at an area now known as Salford Quays, a residential area with shopping precincts and home to the Lowry Theatre, the Imperial War Museum North and the TV studios – Media City UK.