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 315 of the year.

Tuesday, November 11th Daily Prep.

Known as Remembrance Day (UK), Veterans Day (USA), World Orphans Day, National Origami Day. Your star sign is Scorpio and your birthstone is Topaz.
1918 – At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the Great War ended. In 1919, Britain introduced a two minute silence at 11:00 a.m. to remember those who died in World War I.
At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the Great War ended. In 1919, Britain introduced a two minute silence at 11:00 a.m. to remember those who died in World War I.
Today’s birthdays
1953 – Andy Partridge (72), English guitarist, singer-songwriter and co-founder of the band XTC (“The Mayor of Simpleton”), born in Mtarfa, Malta.
1956 – Ian Craig Marsh (69), English musician, composer and founding member of the electronic band the Human League before founding Heaven 17, born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
1960 – Stanley Tucci (65), American actor (The Hunger Games, The Devil Wears Prada) and filmmaker, born in Peekskill, New York, United States.
1962 – Demi Moore (63), American actress (Ghost, A Few Good Men, G.I. Jane), born in Roswell, New Mexico, United States.

1974 – Leonardo DiCaprio (51), American actor (Titanic, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Revenant), born in Los Angeles, California, United States.

1994 – Ellie Simmonds (31), English former Paralympian swimmer (2 x Gold in Beijing 2008 and 2 x Gold in London 2012), born in Derbyshire.
Famous deaths
2016 – Robert Vaughn (b. 1932), American actor (The Magnificent Seven), best known for his role as the secret agent Napoleon Solo on The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
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The day today
1918 – After nearly four and a half years of cataclysmic conflict, World War I ended. The bloodshed finally halted after an armistice was signed between Germany and the Allies. Over sixty-eight million people lost their lives in just under half a decade, civilians and soldiers alike.

1919 – Britain’s King George V introduced the two-minute silence at 11:00 a.m. on November 11, 1919, to mark the first anniversary of the end of World War I and to remember those who died. This annual tradition became a central part of Armistice Day, also known as Remembrance Day. The silence was set for 11:00 a.m. because that was the time the armistice took effect in 1918.

1946 – Stevenage was officially designated the first New Town under the 1946 New Towns Act, and it was one of ten towns planned to help relieve London’s post-war housing issues. The plan was to rehouse Londoners displaced by bomb damage or overcrowding and provide them with a better living and working environment.
1953 – The BBC’s Panorama was first broadcast. The initial episode was a fortnightly magazine show, but due to technical hitches, it was nearly canceled. The program was revamped and returned a month later, becoming a weekly fixture in September 1955.
1954 – British writer J. R. R. Tolkien, famous for writing The Lord of The Rings fantasy novels, published his second volume of the series, The Two Towers.
1997 – Britain’s Labour Party admitted to accepting a £1m donation from Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone, but claimed it would be repaid and that it had nothing to do with the Government’s decision to exempt motor racing from the ban on tobacco-related sports sponsorship.
1998 – In the first joint engagement of its kind, the Queen and the Irish president, Mary McAleese, unveiled a peace tower in memory of the Irish dead of the First World War.
2011 – The much-anticipated Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was released for PC, PS4, and Xbox 360. Due to Bethesda being acquired by Microsoft, this was the last Elder Scrolls game to be released for a PlayStation console.
2013 – Sean Conway (32), made history by completing a marathon swim from Land’s End to John O’Groats. He left Cornwall on 30th June, swimming along the west coast to the most northerly point of the UK mainland. He swam around 10 miles a day, slept on a yacht or in accommodation onshore and raised thousands of pounds for the War Child charity in the process.
Today in music
1954 – Bill Haley scored his first US Top ten single with ‘Shake Rattle And Roll’. He had dropped his cowboy image about a year and a half earlier, while renaming The Saddlemen to Bill Haley and His Comets. The song became the theme song for the Springfield Indians of the American Hockey League. ‘Shake, Rattle and Roll’ was originally made popular by Big Joe Turner.

1971 – BBC TV’s Top Of The Pops celebrated its 400th show. The UK chart show was presented by Tony Blackburn with guests; Tom Jones, Dana, John Kongos, Cher, Slade, Cilla Black, The Piglets, Clodagh Rodgers and The Newbeats.

1972 – Gilbert O’Sullivan was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Clair’, the singers first of two UK No.1’s. The Irish singer songwriter would dress as a 1920s worker in flat cap, braces and baggy trousers.
1983 – Mick Jagger appeared on the UK TV show The Tube to defend the video to The Rolling Stones latest single ‘Undercover Of The Night’ which had been banned by the Independent Broadcasting Authority. The Tube aired the video, minus the scene where Mick was shot through the head. The single peaked at No.8 on the UK chart.
1984 – Chaka Khan was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘I Feel For You.’ Written by Prince, the song featured Stevie Wonder on harmonica and the Rap was by Grandmaster Melle Mel. The repetition of Khan’s name by rapper Melle Mel at the beginning of the song was originally a mistake made by producer Arif Mardin, who then decided to keep it.
1989 – Chris Rea started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘The Road To Hell.’ The iconic album cover features art by the English artist, Adrian Chesterman who was also responsible for creating cover art for, amongst others, Motörhead for their 1979 ‘Bomber’ album.
1989 – Lisa Stansfield was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘All Around The World’. The British singers debut solo single was a No.1 hit in 11 other countries and a No.3 hit in the US.
1999 – Britney Spears won four MTV Awards; Best Female Singer, Best Pop Act, Best Song, ‘…Baby One More Time’, Best Breakthrough Artist. Best Rock Act went to The Offspring, Best Male Act, Will Smith and Bono won the Free Your Mind award.hit making team Stock, Aitken and Waterman went to court fighting over song rights. Stock and Aitken claimed Waterman owed them hundreds of thousands of pounds as musicians and songwriters.
2004 – Robbie Williams, The Rolling Stones and Queen were inducted into the UK’s first music Hall of Fame at a ceremony in London. One act had been chosen by TV viewers of a Channel 4 program to represent each decade since the 1950s. Williams represented the 1990s, Michael Jackson the 1980s, Queen the 1970s, the Rolling Stones the 1960s, and Cliff Richard the 1950s.
2004 – Coldplay fan Sarah Sainsbury wrote to the band asking for their autographs so she could sell them to raise funds at her school charity. Coldplay sent her a triple platinum disc worth over £4,000.
Today in history
1100 – Henry I of England marries Matilda of Scotland, the daughter of Malcolm III of Scotland and a direct descendant of the Saxon king Edmund Ironside; Matilda is crowned on the same day.
1493 – Christopher Columbus discovered Sint Maarten in the West Indies. The island is called St. Martin, with the southern portion of it still called Sint Maarten.
1620 – The Mayflower Compact was signed aboard ship in what is now Provincetown Harbour near Cape Cod. It was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony and was written by those who had fled to America in the ship the Mayflower to escape religious persecution from King James VI of Scotland (James I of England). Note:- The Pilgrim Fathers were thwarted in their first attempt to sail to America when they left from Havenside, near Boston, Lincolnshire in September 1607.
1724 – The highwayman Joseph Blake, alias Blueskin, was hanged in London. He had attracted attention for attacking the nation’s leading policeman and ‘Thief Taker’ Jonathan Wild with a pocket knife. The policeman was also a successful gang leader and became the most infamous criminal in Britain during the 18th century. The attack by Blake left Wild incapacitated for weeks, and his grip over his criminal empire started to slip during his recuperation. Like Blake, he too was later hanged for his crimes.
1887 – Work started on building the Manchester Ship Canal at Eastham, Merseyside. The Manchester end of the canal ended at an area now known as Salford Quays, a residential area with shopping precincts and home to the Lowry Theatre, the Imperial War Museum North and the TV studios – Media City UK.