Sunday, June 22nd "2025" Daily Prep
Welcome to day 173, known as National Kissing Day, National Onion Ring Day, National Chocolate Eclair Day, National Limoncello Day. Your star sign is Cancer and your birthstone is Pearl (Alexandrite and Moonstone is also recognised).
1948 – The Empire Windrush ship arrived at Tilbury Docks in Essex, bringing the first of hundreds of thousands of people who came to Britain between 1948 and 1971 to help rebuild the country after the war.
Todays birthdays
1932 – Prunella Scales (93), retired English actress best known for her role as Sybil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers alongside John Cleese, born in Sutton Abinger, Dorking, Surrey.
1940 – Esther Rantzen (85), English journalist and television presenter (That’s Life, Nationwide), born in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire.
1949 – Meryl Streep (76), American actress (The Devil Wears Prada, Mamma Mia!, Death Becomes Her), born in Summit, New Jersey, United States.
1953 – Cyndi Lauper (72), American singer (“Girls Just Want To Have Fun”, “True Colors”, “Time After Time”), born in Brooklyn, New York, United States.
1957 – Danny Baker (68), English comedy writer (TFI Friday), journalist and radio DJ, born in Deptford, London.
1961 – Jimmy Somerville (64), Scottish pop singer and songwriter with Bronski Beat and The Communards (“Smalltown Boy”, “Never Can Say Goodbye”), born in Glasgow, Scotland.
Famous deaths
1993 – Judy Garland (b. 1922), American actress and singer (The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St. Louis).
The day today
1948 – The Empire Windrush ship arrived at Tilbury Docks in Essex, bringing the first of hundreds of thousands of people who came to Britain between 1948 and 1971 to help rebuild the country after the war.
1984 – The first Virgin Atlantic flight left Gatwick for New York, with a planeload of passengers who had paid just £99 for their tickets.
1986 – The ‘Hand of God’ football match. England were beaten 2-1 by Argentina in the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Mexico. Both Argentine goals were scored by Diego Maradona – the first with the deliberate use of his hand which went unseen by the referee. It was the first match between the two countries since the Falklands War in 1982.
2001 – The Parole Board decided that Venables and Thompson, the two schoolboy murderers of 2 year old James Bulger should be released, and their identities protected, after serving just 8 years for a crime that shocked the nation.
2012 – Torrential downpours brought more flooding to swathes of the country. Music fans at the Isle of Wight Festival spent the night in their cars after traffic became gridlocked when heavy rain turned the festival site into a mudbath. The Environment Agency issued around 140 flood warnings throughout Britain.
2012 – The funerals of the six Philpott children who died in a house fire at their home in Allenton (Derby) in May. Their parents, Mick and Mairead Philpott were charged with their murder and were tried and convicted in 2013.
Today in music
1968 – The Otis Redding album Dock Of The Bay went to No.1 in the UK. The posthumously released album, and his sixth studio album contained a number of singles and B-sides dating back to 1965 and one of his best known songs, the posthumous hit (Sittin’ On The Dock) Of The Bay.
1969 – American singer, actress, Judy Garland, died of a barbiturate overdose aged 47, she was found on the floor of her rented Chelsea home, in London, UK. Made more than two dozen films, played Dorothy in the 1939 film ‘Wizard Of Oz’, sang ‘Over The Rainbow’ in the film, (voted the ‘Song Of The Century’ in a 2001 poll published in America). 1961 US No.1 comeback album ‘Judy At Carnegie Hall’.
1971 – The second Glastonbury Festival in England took place. Held over 5 days to coincide with the summer solstice, (the weather was, for a British ‘summer’ very good). Acts who appeared included: Melanie, Quintessence, David Bowie, The Edgar Broughton Band, Pink Fairies, Terry Reid – with David Lyndley and Linda Lewis, Gong, Hawkwind, Arthur Brown, Brinsley Schwarz, Fairport Convention, Family and Traffic. Over 7,000 fans attended the event.
1973 – David Bowie released the single ‘Life On Mars’, which peaked at No.3 on the UK chart. The track which was first released in 1971 on the album Hunky Dory, features guest piano work by Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman. The line “Look at those cavemen go” is a reference to the song “Alley Oop,” a one-off hit in 1960 for American doo-wop band The Hollywood Argyles.
1985 – Bryan Adams started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Heaven’, his first No.1 single, it made No.35 in the UK. The song had been featured in the film ‘Night In Heaven’. The song was later covered by Spanish DJ and producer, DJ Sammy in 1991.
2008 – Coldplay went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Viva La Vida’, their first UK No.1. History was made by this single, as it had no physical CD-single release in the UK, being available by internet download only. The song won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 2009.
2019 – Sir Elton John was awarded France’s highest civilian award, the Legion d’Honneur. The British musician was presented with the award by President Emmanuel Macron during a ceremony at the Élysée Palace. President Macron’s office praised Sir Elton as a “melodic genius” and as one of the first gay artists to give a voice to the LGBT community.
Today in history
1377 – At the age of 10, Richard II became King of England following the death of his grandfather Edward III, the previous day.
1535 – Cardinal John Fisher was beheaded on Tower Hill, London, for refusing to acknowledge Henry VIII as head of the Church of England.
1611 – Henry Hudson, English navigator, was cast adrift with some of his crew after a mutiny in the bay that now bears his name. It was the last time they were seen alive.
1802 – Britain’s Health and Morals of Apprentices Act limited children to a maximum twelve hour working day; whilst under nines were banned from the mills.
1893 – The Royal Navy battleship HMS Camperdown accidentally rammed the British Mediterranean Fleet flagship HMS Victoria near Tripoli, Lebanon. HMS Victoria sank, taking 358 crew with her, including the commander of the British Mediterranean Fleet, Vice-Admiral Sir George Tryon.