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 272 of the year.

Monday, September 29th Daily Prep.

Known as National Coffee Day, National Biscotti Day, National Police Memorial Day and World Heart Day. Your star sign is Libra and your birthstone is Sapphire.
1997 – Robbie Williams released his debut solo album, Life Thru a Lens. The album features the hit single “Angels”, which was released as the fourth single in December 1997 and became his biggest-selling single to date.
Robbie Williams released his debut solo album, Life Thru a Lens. The album features the hit single "Angels", which was released as the fourth single in December 1997 and became his biggest-selling single to date.
Today’s birthdays
1956 – Sebastian Coe (69), English former track and field athlete (1500m Olympic gold medalist in 1980 and 1984), born in Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, London.
1967 – Brett Anderson (58), English singer and the lead singer of Suede (“Trash”, “Beautiful Ones”), born in Lindfield, West Sussex.
1968 – Matt and Luke Goss (57), English singers and members of the 80’s pop band, Bros (“When Will I Be Famous?”, “I Owe You Nothing”), born in Lewisham, London.
1973 – Robert Webb (52), British actor, comedian, and writer (as Jeremy “Jez” Usborne in “Peep Show”, Whitstable Pearl), born in Boston, Lincolnshire.
1973 – Alfie Boe (52), English tenor and actor best known for his performances as Jean Valjean in the musical Les Misérables, born in Blackpool, Lancashire.
1981 – Suzanne Shaw (44), English actress, singer (Hear’Say – “Pure and Simple”) and television personality, born in Bury, Greater Manchester.
1994 – Halsey (31), American singer, songwriter (“Without Me”, “Eastside”), and actress, born in Edison, New Jersey, United States.
Famous deaths
1952 – John Cobb (b. 1899), English racing motorist. He was three times holder of the World Land Speed Record, in 1938, 1939 and 1947, set at Bonneville Speedway in Utah, US.
2010 – Tony Curtis (b. 1925), American actor with a career that spanned six decades (Spartacus, Some Like It Hot).
The day today
1938 – England, France, Germany and Italy signed the Munich Pact, under which the Sudetenland was given to Nazi Germany. In return, Hitler promised not to make any further territorial demands in Europe. World War II began the following year!
1942 – The small market town of Somerton in Somerset was hit by four Luftwaffe bombs. The bombs were aimed at the Cow and Gate milk factory at nearby Etsome which was largely destroyed. Nine people were killed and a further thirty seven injured. The civilians who died are commemorated on Somerton’s War Memorial.
1946 – The BBC launched its “Third Programme”, a national radio station dedicated to high culture, arts, and classical music. This cultural network was rebranded as BBC Radio 3 on September 30, 1967, as part of a major realignment of BBC radio channels.
1952 – At the age of 52 whilst attempting to break the world Water Speed Record at Loch Ness, British and world water speed record holder John Cobb was killed when his craft ‘Crusader’ broke up after hitting waves at 240 mph close to Urquhart Castle.
1971 – Chelsea record the highest score by an English club in a European competition when they beat Jeunesse Hautcharage of Luxembourg 13-0 in the European Cup Winners Cup at Stamford Bridge to complete a 21-0 aggregate victory.
1996 – The Nintendo 64 gaming console was released in the US (March 1, 1997 in Europe). It was named after its 64-bit central processing unit and was the last major console that used game cartridges.
1997 – British scientists establish a link between Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or “mad cow disease,” and a human brain disease called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD). The most convincing evidence indicated that vCJD is the human form of BSE, with the infectious proteins called prions in BSE causing the fatal brain degeneration in humans who consume meat from infected cattle.
2007 – Calder Hall, the world’s first commercial nuclear power station, was demolished in a controlled explosion. When it closed on 31st March 2003, the first reactor had been in use for nearly 47 years.
2024 – The world record for the largest haka was broken by 6,531 people in Auckland, New Zealand. Haka are a variety of ceremonial dances performed by Māori people, the indigenous people of New Zealand. The haka performed for this world record attempt was Ka Mate, the most widely known haka made famous by New Zealand’s international rugby team, the All Blacks.
Today in music
1960 – Ricky Valance was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Tell Laura I Love Her’, making him the first Welsh singer to top the charts, and a One-hit Wonder.
1979 – The Police had their first UK No.1 single with ‘Message In A Bottle’ the group’s third Top 20 hit. The song was released as the first single from Reggatta de Blanc and also topped the charts in Ireland and reached No.5 in Australia. Despite its popularity in the UK, the single only reached No.74 in the United States.
1984 – Prince and the Revolution started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Let’s Go Crazy’, his second US No.1, and a No.7 hit in the UK. It was the opening track on both the album and the film Purple Rain.
1990 – Maria McKee was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Show Me Heaven’ the song featured in the Tom Cruise film ‘Days Of Thunder’.
1997 – Robbie Williams released his debut solo album, Life Thru a Lens. The album features the hit single “Angels”, which was released as the fourth single in December 1997 and became his biggest-selling single to date. While not an immediate success, the album’s sales climbed significantly after the success of “Angels,” ultimately reaching number one on the UK Albums Chart in April 1998.
1999 – The Manic Street Preachers were given a bill for £28,000 after smashing up equipment during their show at Scotland’s T In The Park festival.
2015 – The original contract signed by The Beatles and manager Brian Epstein sold at Sotheby’s for £365,000. The 1962 document was said to be one of the most important contracts in popular music, marking the beginning of the band’s journey to international fame.
Today in history
1399 – The first English monarch to abdicate, Richard II, was replaced by Bolingbroke, who ascended the throne as Henry IV.
1696 – After nearly 150 years of neglect, the roof of Howden Minster collapsed. The minster ruins were left where they fell until 1748 when the site was cleared, and the townsfolk took building stones for their own. St. John of Howden was one of the earliest Canons of Howden and he was treated as a saint by the local community after his death, although he has not been officially canonised. Pilgrims, including Kings Edward I, Edward II and Henry V visited the Minster to see his tomb.
1758 – Lord Horatio Nelson was born, in the village of Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk. He defeated the French and her allies on numerous occasions during the age of Napoleon Bonaparte and was a naval hero at the Battle of Trafalgar.
1793 – Tennis was mentioned for the first time in an English sporting magazine.
1829 – The Metropolitan Police of London, later also known as the Met. was inaugurated and was London’s first regular police force, The officers became known as ‘bobbies’ after Robert Peel, the home secretary who founded the modern police force.