November 9th "2024" Daily Prep
Welcome to day 314 of the “leap” year! Known as British Pudding Day, World Freedom Day, Microtia Awareness Day. Your star sign is Scorpio and your birthstone is Topaz.
1979 – The UK release of the controversial comedy film Monty Python’s “Life of Brian”. The film tells the story of Brian Cohen, a young Jewish man who is born on the same day as, and next door to, Jesus Christ and is subsequently mistaken for the Messiah.
Todays birthdays
1951 – Lou Ferrigno (73), American actor (Incredible Hulk 1978 – 1982 TV series) and retired professional bodybuilder, born in New York, United States.
1959 – Tony Slattery (65), British actor and comedian (Whose Line Is It Anyway?), born in Stonebridge, London.
1978 – Sisqó (46), American singer, songwriter, dancer and actor best known for his singles “Thong Song” and “Incomplete”, born in Baltimore, Maryland, United States.
1976 – Angela Barnes (48), English stand-up comedian, mostly known for her appearances on Mock the Week, born in Sidcup, South East London.
1984 – Delta Goodrem (40), Australian musician (“Lost Without You”), songwriter, television personality and actress, born in Sydney, Australia.
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
1907 – The Cullinan Diamond, the largest rough gem-quality diamond found, was presented by the Transvaal to King Edward VII, on his birthday. The largest polished gem from the stone is named Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa. It was the largest polished diamond in the world until 1985. Cullinan I is now mounted in the head of the Royal Sceptre which was originally made for the coronation of King Charles II in 1661, but was redesigned after the discovery of the Cullinan Diamond.
1915 – The first Women’s Institute (WI) meeting in England was held in the main bar of ‘The Fox Goes Free’ public house at Singleton in West Sussex.
1979 – The UK release of the controversial comedy film Monty Python’s “Life of Brian”. The film tells the story of Brian Cohen, a young Jewish man who is born on the same day as, and next door to, Jesus Christ and is subsequently mistaken for the Messiah. EMI Films withdrew funding just days before production was scheduled to begin and financing was arranged by George Harrison, former member of the Beatles and a long time Monty Python fan. Thirty-nine local authorities in the UK imposed an outright ban and some countries banned its showing for decades.
1989 – The Berlin Wall began to fall.
While November 9th is marked as the fall of the Berlin Wall, it didn’t all happen overnight. Throughout the first day, several official and unofficial border crossings opened up, with more and more holes in the wall appearing as residents of both sides eagerly tore it down.
1992 – Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Dr Michael Stroud set out on their unassisted crossing of the Antarctic. For 97 days they fought pain, starvation and snow blindness until they were eventually airlifted out after completing the first and the longest, unsupported journey in Polar history. They walked more than 1,350 miles across some of the most hostile terrain in the world, averaging more than 14 miles a day at temperatures as low as -45°C.
Today in music
1969 – Simon and Garfunkel record what would become their signature tune, ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ with future member of Bread, Larry Knechtel on piano. Art wanted Paul to sing the song, but Paul insisted that Art’s voice was better suited for it. It was a decision that Paul would later say he regretted. The song won five awards at the 13th Annual Grammy Awards in 1971, including Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
1974 – Bachman Turner Overdrive went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet’. Randy Bachman stuttered through the lyrics of the demo recording as a private joke about his brother Gary, who had a speech impediment. The record company liked that take better than the non-stammering version and released it.
2002 – It was announced that Madonna’s latest movie ‘Swept Away’ would not be released in the UK because it had been such a box office flop in the US. The Washington Post said the film was “as awful as you’ve heard and as bad as you’ve imagined.”
2002 – Viewers of the UK music channel VH1 voted ‘I Will Always Love You’ by Whitney Houston as the number 1 most romantic song ever. In second place Elvis Presley ‘You Were Always On My Mind’ and third place went to ‘My Heart Will Go On’ by Celine Dion.
2014 – One Direction were the big winners at the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards, held in Glasgow, Scotland, picking up three awards including best pop act. They also won best live and biggest fans. Ariana Grande picked up her first EMA’s for best female and best song for ‘Problem’. 5 Seconds Of Summer won the Best New Act award.
Today in history
1492 – Henry VII of England and Charles VIII of France sign the Peace of Etaples. Charles agreed to end his support for the Yorkist Pretender Perkin Warbeck, in return for being recognised as ruler of the Duchy of Brittany.
1620 – Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower sight land at Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The Pilgrims decided to head south, to the mouth of the Hudson River in New York, where they intended to make their plantation.
1729 – The Treaty of Seville was signed between Britain, France, and Spain, formally ending the 1727–1729 Anglo-Spanish War; the Dutch Republic joined the Treaty on 29 November. Restored British and French trading privileges in mainland Spain.
1847 – In Edinburgh, Dr James Young Simpson delivered Wilhelmina Carstairs while chloroform was administered to her mother, the first child to be born with the aid of anaesthetics.
1888 – At 3:30 a.m. in London’s Whitechapel, 25-year-old Mary Kelly became Jack the Ripper’s last known victim. The ‘Ripper’ was never caught, but the nature of the murders and of the victims drew attention to the poor living conditions in the East End of London and galvanised public opinion against the overcrowded, unsanitary slums. In the two decades after the murders, the worst of the slums were cleared and demolished.