Monday, June 30th "2025" Daily Prep
Welcome to day 181, known as International Asteroid Day, Social Media Day. Your star sign is Cancer and your birthstone is Pearl (Alexandrite and Moonstone is also recognised).
2012 – Rufus, the hawk that patrolled Wimbledon’s tennis courts to frighten away pigeons, was stolen from a car parked outside his owner’s home. Three days later he was returned, to a national animal charity in London.
Todays birthdays
1949 – Andy Scott (76), Welsh musician, songwriter and backing vocalist with glam rock band Sweet (“Blockbuster”, Teenage Rampage”), born in Wrexham, North Wales.
1959 – Vincent D’Onofrio (66), American actor (Full Metal Jacket, Men in Black, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Godfather of Harlem), born in Bensonhurst, New York, United States.
1966 – Mike Tyson (59), American professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005, born in Fort Greene, New York, United States.
1972 – James Martin (53), English chef and television presenter (Sweet Baby James, Saturday Kitchen), born in Malton, North Yorkshire.
1975 – Ralf Schumacher (50), German former racing driver and younger brother of Michael Schumacher, born in Hürth, Germany.
1983 – Cheryl Tweedy (42), English singer and member of the girl group, Girls Aloud (“Sound of the Underground”, “Something Kinda Ooooh”), born in Newcastle upon Tyne.
1983 – Katherine Ryan (42), Canadian comedian (Taskmaster, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Never Mind the Buzzcocks), now residing in the UK, born in Ontario, Canada.
Famous deaths
2017 – Barry Norman (b. 1933), English film critic, television presenter and journalist.
The day today
1937 – The world’s first emergency telephone number, 999, was introduced in London. 999 was chosen was because it could be dialled on the old rotary dial telephones by placing a finger against the dial stop and rotating the dial to the full extent three times, even in the dark or in dense smoke. This enabled all users, including the visually impaired, to easily dial the emergency number.
1957 – The British Egg Marketing Board stamped a crowned lion on British eggs as a sign of freshness. In the first week 80% of all eggs sold carried the stamp.
1992 – Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher took her place in the House of Lords as Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven.
1998 – Violence erupted at the inquiry into the 1993 murder of the 18 year old, black teenager Stephen Lawrence when the five suspects left the courtroom. It was suggested that the murder was racially motivated and that the handling of the case by the police and Crown Prosecution Service was affected by issues of race.
2005 – Spain legalized same-sex marriage. This made Spain the fourth country in the world to do so.
2007 – A blazing vehicle, packed with gas canisters, was driven into the front of the Glasgow airport’s Terminal One building in a suspected terror attack. The failed terror attacks were to prove a serious first test for new Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who had taken over at Number 10 and unveiled his first Cabinet revamp only the day before.
2012 – Rufus, the hawk that patrolled Wimbledon’s tennis courts to frighten away pigeons, was stolen from a car parked outside his owner’s home. Three days later he was returned, to a national animal charity in London.
Today in music
1956 – ‘I’m Walking Backwards For Christmas’, written and performed by arch-Goon Spike Milligan, entered the British singles chart six months after Christmas.
1976 – Stuart Goddard, (Adam Ant), placed the following ad in the classified section of the Melody Maker, ‘Beat on a bass, with the B-Sides.’ Andy Warren answered the ad and the pair went on to form Adam and The Ants.
1973 – Slade were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Skweeze Me Pleeze Me’, the group’s fifth UK No.1 and second single to enter the chart at No.1.
1975 – Cher married Greg Allman four days after her divorcing Sonny Bono, the couple split after ten days, followed by a three year on and off marriage.
1979 – Tubeway Army started a four-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Are ‘Friends’ Electric’. The song by Gary Numan was the first electronic/synthesizer-based record to become a hit in the post-punk era.
1979 – One Hit Wonder Anita Ward started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Ring My Bell’, also a UK No.1.
2001 – Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya and Pink were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Lady Marmalade’. A hit for LaBelle in 1975, and then it was at No. 1 in 1998 for the British girl group All Saints. This version was from the Baz Luhrmann film Moulin Rouge.
2014 – Ed Sheeran’s second album X (pronounced Multiply), became the fastest-selling UK album of the year so far after selling 182,000 copies in its first week, 14,000 more than Coldplay managed with Ghost Stories which was released in May.
2019 – Taylor Swift’s former label, Big Machine, was sold to Scooter Braun’s company for an estimated $300 million, giving him control of her back catalog, including the master recordings. In response, Swift accused Braun of bullying her and said she would re-record all her old albums to devalue his purchase.
Today in history
1596 – An English expedition under Lord Howard of Effingham and the Earl of Essex attacked Cadiz, ravaged the Spanish coast, and captured much booty. Philip II was thus prevented from sending an Armada against England.
1643 – The Battle of Adwalton Moor (also called Atherton Moor) in the English Civil War. The Royalists, under the Earl of Newcastle, defeated the Parliamentarians.
1704 – John Quelch, aged 38 and an English pirate, was hanged for piracy in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the first person to be tried for piracy outside England under Admiralty Law and thus without a jury.
1859 – Charles Blondin, a French tightrope walker and acrobat, became the first person to cross Niagara Falls by walking across a tightrope. The wire was just two inches thick but 2,200 feet long. He walked the length there and back in about 23 minutes.
1894 – London’s Tower Bridge was officially opened to traffic by the Prince of Wales. After the ceremony the bascules were raised to allow a flotilla of ships and boats to sail down the Thames.