Famous deaths
2018 – Chas Hodges (b. 1943), English musician and singer. He was the lead vocalist, pianist and guitarist of the musical duo Chas & Dave.
On This Day 2025
Hello, … Welcome to day 327 of the year.

Sunday, November 23rd Daily Prep.

Known as Doctor Who Day, National Espresso Day, Fibonacci Day. Your star sign is Sagittarius and your birthstone is Topaz.
2022 – The European Space Agency is the first to announce the inclusion of a disabled person, Britain’s John McFall (surgeon and former Paralympian), among their new class of astronauts.
The European Space Agency is the first to announce the inclusion of a disabled person, Britain's John McFall (surgeon and former Paralympian), among their new class of astronauts.
Today’s birthdays
1944 – Sandra Stevens (81), English singer and a member of the pop group Brotherhood of Man (“Save Your Kisses for Me”), born in Leeds, West Yorkshire.

1954 – Bruce Hornsby (71), American singer-songwriter and pianist (“The Way It Is”), born in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States.

1959 – Maxwell Caulfield (66), English actor (Grease 2, Dynasty, The Boys Next Door), born in Duffield, Derbyshire.

1968 – Kirsty Young (57), Scottish television (Crimewatch UK) and radio presenter (BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs from 2008 to 2015), born in East Kilbride, Scotland.
1970 – Zoë Ball (55), English television (Live & Kicking, The Priory) and radio presenter (BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2 breakfast shows), born in Blackpool, Lancashire.
1979 – Kelly Brook (45), English model, actress (The Italian Job – 2003, Survival Island, Piranha 3D), and media personality, born in Rochester, Kent.
1992 – Miley Cyrus (33), American singer (“Nothing Breaks Like a Heart”, “Flowers”), songwriter, and actress (Hannah Montana), born in Franklin, Tennessee, United States.
Famous deaths
1990 – Roald Dahl (b. 1916), British author of popular children’s literature (James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda),

2016 – Andrew Sachs (b. 1930), German-born British actor best known for his portrayal of the comical Spanish waiter Manuel in Fawlty Towers.

The day today
1910 – American born Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen was hanged at Pentonville Prison in London after being found guilty of poisoning his wife and dismembering her body.

1915 – ‘Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag’, the famous First World War song, was published, by Felix Powell and George Asaf, who were really two brothers from Wales.

1962 – British surgeon John Charnley developed a technique at Wrightington Hospital Lancashire that revolutionised hip replacement operations. He was later knighted for his efforts and his work became the standard procedure across the world.
1963 – The BBC broadcast the first ever episode of Doctor Who, starring William Hartnell as the Doctor, and Ann Ford as his first female companion. It is the world’s longest running science fiction drama.The producer, Sydney Newman, thought the Daleks, designed by Ray Cusick, were ‘bug-eyed monsters’ and totally wrong for the series.
1976 – British comedians Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise received the Order of the British Empire (OBE) from Queen Elizabeth II.
1984 – Almost 1,000 passengers are trapped in smoke-filled tunnels for three hours after a fire at Oxford Circus underground station.
1990 – The death of the author Roald Dahl. He was born in Cardiff, (to Norwegian parents). His notable works include James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr Fox, George’s Marvellous Medicine and The BFG (Big Friendly Giant).
2004 – World of Warcraft was released and quickly became the most subscribed massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), reaching a peak of 12 million subscribers in October 2010.
2014 – Veteran sailor Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (aged 75) spoke of the ‘warm and friendly’ reception he received after claiming third place in his class of the singlehanded transatlantic Route du Rhum race, from St Malo in France to Guadeloupe in the Caribbean. Sir Robin, a grandfather of five, was the first person ever to sail single-handed and non-stop, around the world, in 1969.
2014 – British Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton wins season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit to clinch his second F1 World Drivers Championship, 67 points ahead of teammate Nico Rosberg.
2016 – Thomas Mair was found guilty of the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox (16th June 2016). He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a whole life order.
2022 – The European Space Agency is the first to announce the inclusion of a disabled person, Britain’s John McFall (surgeon and former Paralympian), among their new class of astronauts. McFall was one of 16 new astronaut candidates selected in 2022, chosen from a large pool of applicants, including 257 with disabilities.
2024 – Storm Bert brought high winds and localised flooding to the UK and Ireland leaving at least four people dead. Homes, schools and businesses were flooded as a month’s rain fell in parts of Britain over the weekend.
Today in music
1975 – Queen started a nine-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with Bohemian Rhapsody. The promotional video that accompanied the song is generally acknowledged as being the first pop video and only cost £5,000 to produce. When the band wanted to release the single various record executives suggested to them that, at 5 minutes and 55 seconds, it was too long and would never be a hit.
1979 – Pink Floyd released ‘Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)’ in the UK. The song rapidly topped the charts in the UK, followed by the US and a further 9 countries. Featuring children from Islington Green School in North London, close to Floyd’s Britannia Row Studios, it was the group’s first UK single since Point Me At The Sky in 1968, and their first chart hit since See Emily Play in 1967.
1991 – Genesis scored their 5th UK No.1 album with ‘We Can’t Dance’, featuring the singles ‘Jesus He Knows Me’ and ‘I Can’t Dance’.
1991 – Michael Jackson had his fourth UK No.1 single with ‘Black or White’ which featured Slash on guitar. Also a No.1 hit in the US.
1993 – Snoop Doggy Dogg’s debut album, Doggystyle, was released. The album was a commercial and critical success, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and helping to popularize the West Coast G-funk hip-hop style. Certified 4x platinum by the RIAA in May 1994.
2008 – Leona Lewis was at No.1 on the UK album chart with her debut album ‘Spirit’. The album held the record for the biggest digital album sales in a week ever for a new artist and was the 6th biggest selling of 2008 in the world. It has gone on to sell over seven million copies worldwide.
2009 – Susan Boyle releases her debut album “I Dreamed a Dream”. The album features cover songs and the original track “Who I Was Born to Be” and became the world’s biggest-selling album of 2009. It was a massive commercial success, setting records in the UK for fastest-selling debut album and reaching number one in multiple countries.
2015 – Taylor Swift dominated the American Music Awards, winning three prizes, including album of the year and song of the year. One Direction were named favourite group and artist of the year, for the second year in a row and Ariana Grande was the surprise winner of best female, beating Taylor Swift.
Today in history
955 AD – The death of Edred, King of England. The chief achievement of his reign was to bring the Kingdom of Northumbria under total English control.

1499 – The Pretender to the throne, Flemish impostor Perkin Warbeck, was hanged for reportedly attempting to escape from the Tower of London. He had invaded England in 1497, claiming to be Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York, the younger son of King Edward IV.

1852 – Britain’s first four pillar boxes came into service on the Channel Island of Jersey. The idea came from English novelist Anthony Trollope who worked for the General Post Office in London before becoming a writer.
1867 – The Manchester Martyrs (William Philip Allen, Michael Larkin, and Michael O’Brien) of the IRA were hung in front of 10,000 people at Salford Gaol, Manchester, UK. The three men were responsible for the shooting and death of a police officer who was transporting two leaders of the group they belonged to, the “Irish Republican Brotherhood.”
1890 – King William III of the Netherlands dies without a male heir and a special law is passed to allow his daughter Princess Wilhelmina to succeed him.
1896 – The first Royal Command Performance for the British Sovereign. The event was in the Red Drawing Room at Windsor Castle, before H.M. Queen Victoria.