October 14th "2023" daily prep

Welcome to day 287 of the year! Known as World Standards Day, National Dessert Day and Be Bald and Be Free Day. If you were born on this day, you were likely conceived the week of January 21st 2023. Your star sign is “Libra”.
1929 – The world’s largest airship, the R101 (an experimental British airship), made its maiden voyage. At the time of this achievement, it was the world’s largest flying vessel, clocking in at an astonishing length of 223 meters (731 feet).
Todays birthdays
1939 – Ralph Lauren (84), American fashion designer (Chaps, Polo Ralph Lauren), born in The Bronx, New York.
1940 – Cliff Richard (83), English rock vocalist (“Move It”; “Living Doll”; “We Don’t Talk Anymore”), born in Lucknow, British India.
1965 – Steve Coogan (58), English comedian (Alan Partridge), actor (Tropic Thunder, Around the World in 80 Days) and screenwriter, born in Middleton, Greater Manchester.
1968 – Matthew Le Tissier (55), former professional footballer (Southampton F.C.) and pundit winning eight caps for the England national team, born in Saint Peter Port, Guernsey.
1978 – Usher (44), American singer (You Make Me Wanna…), songwriter, and dancer. Primarily performing in the R&B genre, born in Dallas, Texas, United States.
The day today
1878 – The first football match played under floodlights took place at Bramhall Lane, Sheffield, in front of a crowd of just under 20,000. Two generators positioned behind each goal powered lights on 30 ft. high wooden towers situated at each corner of the field.
1913 – Senghenydd (Glamorgan, S. Wales.) pit saw the worst pit disaster in British mining history in which 439 men and boys were killed, including eight 14 year olds.
1969 – Ahead of the complete changeover to decimalization, Britain scrapped the 10 shilling note and introduced the 50 pence coin.
1994 – NASA’s space probe Magellan burned in the Venus atmosphere. Magellan’s main job was to map out the planet, and it successfully carried out the mission before losing contact.
2013 – The death of Grace Jones, the oldest person in the UK, at the age of 113 years 342 days. She was the last living British person to be born in the 1800s.
Today in music
1957 – Although it was banned by some US radio stations for its suggestive lyrics, The Everly Brothers had their first No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Wake Up Little Susie’, (a No.2 hit in the UK).
1967 – The second series of The Monkees TV show started on BBC TV in the UK. Plans for the shows to be screened in colour were dropped, so it was aired in black & white.
1969 – Police in New Jersey issued a warrant for the arrest of Frank Sinatra in relation to his connections with the Mafia.
1988 – Def Leppard became first act in chart history to sell seven million copies of two consecutive LPs, with Pyromania (their third studio album released in 1983) and Hysteria, (which became the band’s best-selling album to date, selling over 20 million copies worldwide, and spawning six hit singles).
2009 – Paul McCartney was named Songwriter of The Year at the 29th Annual ASCAP Awards in London, England. The awards presentation honored songwriters and publishers of the most performed works in the US during 2008.
Today in history
1066 – The Battle of Hastings was fought, on Senlac Hill, near Pevensey. An English army, commanded by King Harold, was defeated by the invasion force of William of Normandy. Harold was killed and Edgar the Ætheling was proclaimed king, but never crowned. William I ‘The Conqueror’ and the first Norman King of England, was subsequently crowned at Westminster Abbey on 25th December 1066.
1322 – Robert the Bruce of Scotland defeated King Edward II of England at the Battle of Old Byland in Yorkshire, forcing Edward to accept Scotland’s independence.
1586 – Mary, Queen of Scots, went on trial for conspiracy against Elizabeth I of England. She was convicted on 25th October and sentenced to death, but Elizabeth hesitated initially to order her execution concerned that the killing of a queen set a discreditable precedent.

1644 – The Birth of William Penn, the English Quaker leader who founded a Quaker colony named Pennsylvania in his honour.

1843 – The British arrested the Irish nationalist Daniel O’Connell for conspiracy to commit crimes. O’Connell campaigned for the right of Catholics to sit in Parliament and the repeal of the Act of Union which combined Great Britain and Ireland.
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