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 291 of the year.

Saturday, October 18th Daily Prep.

Known as Chocolate Cupcake Day, Mashed Potato Day, World Menopause Day. Your star sign is Libra and your birthstone is Pink Tourmaline.
2014 – A flock of sheep was left feeling rather woolly-headed after accidentally munching on £4,000 worth of cannabis plants that had been dumped in their field.
A flock of sheep was left feeling rather woolly-headed after accidentally munching on £4,000 worth of cannabis plants that had been dumped in their field.
Today’s birthdays
1947 – Paul Elliot (78), English comedian, actor and writer (ChuckleVision), best known as one half of the Chuckle Brothers, born in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.

1955 – Timmy Mallett (70), English TV presenter (Wacaday, Timmy Towers, Wide Awake Club), broadcaster, author and artist, born in Marple, Greater Manchester.

1956 – Martina Navratilova (69), Czech-American former professional tennis player (18 Grand Slam singles titles), born in Prague, Czech Republic.
1960 – Jean-Claude Van Damme (65), Belgian martial artist, actor (Universal Soldier, Double Impact, Bloodsport) and fight choreographer, born in Sint-Agatha-Berchem, Belgium.
1968 – Rhod Gilbert (57), Welsh comedian who has appeared on shows such as Never Mind the Buzzcocks and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, born in Carmarthen, Wales.
1977 – Simon Rix (48), English rock bassist (Kaiser Chiefs – “Ruby”, “Everyday I Love You Less and Less”), born in Leeds, West Yorkshire.
1978 – Mike Tindall (47), English former rugby union player, playing outside centre for Bath and Gloucester, born in Otley, Leeds, West Yorkshire.
1992 – Barry Keoghan (32), Irish actor (The Batman, Dunkirk, ’71, The Killing of a Sacred Deer), born in Summerhill, Dublin, Ireland.
Famous deaths
2024 – Liam Payne (b. 1993), English singer-songwriter with pop band One Direction (“What Makes You Beautiful”).
The day today

1910 – The trial began at the Old Bailey of the American Dr. Crippen, accused of murdering his wife Cora Henrietta Crippen. Born in Michigan in 1862 Hawley Harvey Crippen moved to Camden in 1897 and became the first suspect to be captured using the aid of wireless telegraphy. When he and his lover Ethel Neave were spotted escaping on board the liner Montrose the authorities were alerted and Crippen was arrested as the liner entered the St. Lawrence River.

1922 – The British Broadcasting Corporation was officially formed, to operate from Marconi House in London, under the management of John Reith. It established a nationwide network of radio transmitters to provide a national broadcasting service.
1966 – The Queen granted a posthumous royal pardon to Timothy Evans, wrongly convicted and hanged in 1950 for the murder of his wife and child. The real murderer was John Reginald Christie who had been hanged for mass murder in 1953.

1967 – Walt Disney’s animated musical adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book was released. The film was a critical and commercial success, receiving acclaim for its music. It became the last animated feature released after Walt Disney’s death and remains one of his studio’s most popular animated movies.

1977 – Hilary Bradshaw became the first woman to referee a rugby match when Bracknell played High Wycombe.

1995 – Red Rum, three times winner of the Grand National at Aintree, died at the age of 30, an exceptional age for a horse. He was buried at Aintree.
2007 – After 8 years in exile, Benazir Bhutto returns to Pakistan. The same night, suicide attackers blow themselves up near Bhutto’s convoy, killing over 100, including 20 police officers. Bhutto escapes uninjured.
2009 – Jenson Button finishes 5th in Brazilian Grand Prix at Autódromo José Carlos Pace to clinch his first F1 World Drivers Championship.
2014 – A flock of sheep was left feeling rather woolly-headed after accidentally munching on £4,000 worth of cannabis plants that had been dumped in their field, at the edge of Fanny’s Farm in Merstham, Surrey. By the time that the police arrived, much of the evidence had been eaten.
Today in music
1957 – Paul McCartney made his first appearance with The Quarry Men at New Clubmoor Hall, Norris Green, Liverpool. The line-up for The Quarry Men was John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Eric Griffiths, Colin Hanton, and Len Garry.

1967 – The Bee Gees were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Massachusetts’, the group’s first of five UK No.1’s. Engelbert Humperdink was at No.2 with ‘The Last Waltz’ and Traffic were at No.3 with ‘Hole In My Shoe.’

1979 – Buggles were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Video Killed The Radio Star.’ A studio band featuring producer Trevor Horn. Famously, it was the first ever music video shown on MTV in North America.
1986 – Former Eastenders actor Nick Berry was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Every Loser Wins.’ Berry had played barman Simon Wickes in the TV show. It also gave BBC records its first ever UK No.1 single.
2005 – Madonna admitted that she wrote a grovelling letter to Abba asking if she could sample their music on her latest single ‘Hung Up.’ The singer had to seek permission to sample ‘Gimme Gimme Gimme’ and became only the second act that Abba has allowed to sample their work. The Fugees used part of ‘The Name Of The Game’ on their 1996 track ‘Rumble In The Jungle.’
2005 – Live Aid co-founder Midge Ure collected his OBE from the Queen for his music and charity work. The Scottish 52-year-old ex-Ultravox singer wore a kilt for the occasion at Buckingham Palace, London.
2008 – Adele appeared on Saturday Night Live along with then US vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. The show earned its highest ratings in 14 years with a total of 17 million viewers. Adele who performed ‘Chasing Pavements’ and ‘Cold Shoulder’, topped the iTunes charts the following day and the singer’s debut album jumped thirty-five places to No.11 on the US chart the following week.
2024 – Sabrina Carpenter became the first artist in 71 years of UK chart history to spend 20 weeks at No.1 in a calendar year. Her current single ‘Taste’ spent an eighth consecutive week at No.1 becoming 2024’s longest-running No.1 single. Carpenter had now logged 20 weeks atop the Official Singles Chart this year with ‘Taste’, ‘Espresso’ (7 weeks at No.1) and ‘Please Please Please’ (5 weeks at No.1). She became only the second artist in Official UK Chart history to manage 20 weeks at Number 1 in a calendar year. The last, and only other, artist to do so was Frankie Laine in 1953.
Today in history
1016 – The Battle of Assandun (Essex). The battle was the conclusion to the Danish reconquest of England. The Vikings, led by Canute the Great were victorious over the Anglo-Saxons led by King Edmund Ironside.
1541 – The death of Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scotland; the elder of the two surviving daughters of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and the elder sister of Henry VIII.
1826 – Britain’s last state lottery was held, prior to the launch of the National Lottery in 1994.
1851 – Herman Melville’s book Moby-Dick was first published as ‘The Whale’ by Richard Bentley of London.
1871 – The death of Charles Babbage, English mathematician, inventor and mechanical engineer who originated the concept of a programmable computer. He is considered a ‘father of the computer’ as he is credited with inventing the first mechanical computer that eventually led to more complex designs.