November 16th "2024" Daily Prep
Welcome to day 321 of the “leap” year! Known as Guinness World Records Day, National fast Food Day, National Clairnet Day. Your star sign is Scorpio and your birthstone is Topaz.
1907 – Cunard Line’s RMS Mauretania, sister ship of RMS Lusitania, set sail on her maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York City. The Mauretania’s maiden voyage was a challenging one due to the harsh weather, which included high winds, large seas, and squalls.
Todays birthdays
1953 – Griff Rhys Jones (71), Welsh comedian (Alas Smith and Jones), writer, actor (Morons From Outer Space), and television presenter, born in Cardiff.
1961 – Frank Bruno (63), British former professional boxer who competed from 1982 to 1996, born in Hammersmith, London.
1967 – Lisa Bonet (57), American actress (Enemy of the State) best known as Denise Huxtable on the sitcom The Cosby Show, born in San Francisco, California, United States.
1974 – Paul Scholes (50), English football coach, pundit, former player (Manchester United), and co-owner of Salford City, born in Salford, Greater Manchester.
1984 – Gemma Atkinson (40), English actress (Hollyoaks, Casualty, Emmerdale), former glamour model and influencer, born in Bury, Greater Manchester.
Famous deaths
2015 – Warren Mitchell (b. 1926), English actor and screenwriter best known for playing bigoted cockney Alf Garnett (Till Death Us Do Part, In Sickness and in Health).
2020 – Des O’Connor (b. 1932), English comedian, singer and television presenter (Today with Des and Mel, Take Your Pick!, Countdown).
The day today
1904 – English engineer John Ambrose Fleming received a patent for the thermionic valve (vacuum tube). It drove the expansion and commercialisation of radio broadcasting, television, radar, sound recording, large telephone networks, and analogue and digital computers until the invention of the transistor.
1938 – Willie Hall of Tottenham Hotspurs scored five goals for England against Ireland with his three goals in 3 minutes, setting a record for the fastest ever in an international match.
1940 – World War II: In response to the heavy bombing of Coventry two days previously, the Royal Air Force bombed Hamburg. Much of Coventry was destroyed, including the Cathedral.
1976 – Seven men who took part in an £8m bank robbery raid at the Bank of America in Mayfair, London, received jail terms totalling nearly 100 years. Only £1/2m was recovered. The judge said the sentence ensured that the thieves would not enjoy the fruits of their haul.
2014 – A couple who had been married for 65 years died moments apart. Harry Stevenson (88) died just minutes after care home staff informed him of the death of wife, Mavis (89), at the Derby care home.
Today in music
1962 – The Beatles recorded their second appearance on Radio Luxembourg, for the program The Friday Spectacular. The Beatles were interviewed and then they played in front of a live audience both sides of their latest single, ‘Love Me Do’ and ‘P.S. I Love You’.
1968 – Led Zeppelin played their first ever show in the North of England when they appeared at Manchester College of Science & Technology. Zeppelin were paid £225 for the gig.
1985 – Former Undertones singer Feargal Sharkey had his only UK No.1 single with the Maria McKee song ‘A Good Heart’ written about her relationship with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers keyboard player Benmont Tench. Sharkey followed up the single with Tench written ‘You Little Thief’, this time about Tench’s relationship with McKee.
1996 – The Beatles ‘Anthology 3’ went to No.1 on the UK album chart. The album included rarities and alternative tracks from the final two years of the band’s career, ranging from the initial sessions for The Beatles (also known as The White Album) to the last sessions for Let It Be and Abbey Road in later 1969 and early 1970.
2006 – Queen’s ‘Greatest Hits’ album was declared the Best Selling UK album of all time by The Official UK Charts Company. The chart which was made up of sales figures from the last fifty years showed their Greatest Hits compilation had sold 5,407,587 copies. The Beatles occupied second place with Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band.
Today in history
1272 – Whilst travelling during the Ninth Crusade, Prince Edward became King of England upon the death of Henry III, but he would not return to England for almost two years to assume the throne.
1519 – Due to mosquito infestations, the city of Havana was relocated to its final location.
This was not the first time the city’s location was moved, as it had been relocated twice before, within the first four years of establishing Havana.
1724 – Jack Sheppard, Stepney born highwayman, was hanged at Tyburn in front of 200,000 spectators.
1855 – British explorer David Livingstone was the first European to see Victoria Falls (Mosi-oa-Tunya).
1857 – Twenty four Victoria Crosses were awarded in the Second Relief of Lucknow (British India). It was the most awarded in a single day.