October 8th "2023" daily prep

Welcome to day 281 of the year! Known as World Egg Day, National Pierogi Day and Fluffernutter (Peanut butter and Marshmallow sandwich) Day. If you were born on this day, you were likely conceived the week of January 15th 2023 and your star sign is “Libra”.
1908 – The Wind In The Willows, Kenneth Grahame’s classic children’s book, was published. Adapted for the stage, film, and television, it has never been out of print in its entire history.
Todays birthdays
1943 – Chevy Chase (80), American comedian, actor (National Lampoons, Caddyshack, Fletch) and writer, born in Lower Manhattan, New York, United States.
1949 – Sigourney Weaver (74), American actress (Alien franchise, Ghostbusters, Avatar franchise, Gorillas in the Mist), born in Manhattan, New York, United States.
1965 – Ardal O’Hanlon (58), Irish comedian, actor, and author best known for his role as Father Dougal McGuire in Father Ted, born in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, Ireland.
1970 – Sadiq Khan (53), British politician serving as Mayor of London since 2016, born in Tooting, South London.
1985 – Bruno Mars (38), American pop and R&B singer-songwriter (“Just the Way You Are”, “The Lazy Song”; “Uptown Funk”), born in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The day today
1915 – The Battle of Loos, one of the fiercest of World War I, ended with virtually no gains for either side. Almost 430,000 French, British and Germans were killed. The British used poison gas for the first time in the battle.
1945 – Inventor Percy L. Spencer patented the Microwave Oven. Although microwaves were already being used for other purposes, Spencer wanted to change the frequency so that the oven could cook food in a timely, cost-effective, and efficient manner.
1965 – London’s Post Office Tower, once Britain’s tallest building, opened. Prime Minister Harold Wilson made the first telephone call.
1982 – After its London premiere, Cats opens on Broadway and runs for nearly 18 years before closing on September 10, 2000.
1994 – The Sunday Times alleged that Margaret Thatcher’s son Mark, had received £12 million commission from a £20 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, negotiated whilst she was Prime Minister.
Today in music
1964 – Roy Orbison was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Oh Pretty Woman’, his third UK No.1. The title was inspired by Orbison’s wife Claudette interrupting a conversation to announce she was going out; when Orbison asked if she was okay for cash, his co-writer Bill Dees interjected “A pretty woman never needs any money.”
1988 – Pink Floyd’s 1973 album The Dark Side Of The Moon finally left Billboard’s Hot 200 Album Chart after a record breaking 741 weeks.
1978 – Radiohead started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart their fourth studio album ‘Kid A’. The album became the first Radiohead release to debut at No.1 in the US.
2007 – Arctic Monkeys were named the best act in the world at this year’s Q Awards held in London. Best album went to Amy Winehouse for Back to Black and Muse won Best live act. The icon of the year went to Sir Paul McCartney, former Blur frontman Damon Albarn took the prize for inspiration, Classic songwriter award went to Billy Bragg and Lifetime achievement award went to Johnny Marr. The late Tony Wilson, founder of Manchester’s Factory Records was named Q’s hero.
2012 – Record label bosses at EMI recalled a vinyl, anniversary edition of The Beatles’ hit single ‘Love Me Do’ after discovering they had accidentally pressed a version that included session musician Andy White playing drums instead of Ringo Starr. Copies of the disc featuring the wrong version were reportedly selling on eBay.
Today in history
1604 – Kepler’s Supernova was discovered. This was the second supernova to be discovered within a generation. The supernova was named after German astrologer Johannes Kepler.
1769 – Captain James Cook landed on Poverty Bay, New Zealand, where he studied and explored the land. Many consider him to be the first European discoverer of the country, though he wasn’t officially the first to sight it. Over a century before, in 1642, Dutch explorer Abel Tasman had sighted New Zealand but did not set foot on the ground.
1806 – Napoleonic Wars: British forces laid siege to the port of Boulogne by using Congreve rockets, invented by Sir William Congreve. His effective rockets were made up of an iron case containing black powder for propulsion and a conical warhead.
1829 – Stephenson’s Rocket wins the Rainhill Trials (a competition that ran from the 6 to 14 October 1829, to test George Stephenson’s argument that locomotives would have the best motive power for the then nearly-completed Liverpool and Manchester Railway).
1871 – The Great Chicago Fire kills an estimated 300 people and destroys over 4 square miles (10 square km) of buildings and the original Emancipation Proclamation.
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