September 11th "2024" Daily Prep
Welcome to day 255 of the year! Known as National Make Your Bed Day, No News is Good News Day. If you were born today you were likely conceived the week of December 19th in the previous year. Your star sign is Virgo and your birthstone is Sapphire.
2001 – Hijackers crashed two airliners into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, killing everyone on board and thousands of those working in the buildings. Both towers collapsed within two hours, destroying nearby buildings and damaging others.
Todays birthdays
1958 – Mick Talbot (66), English rock keyboardist (Style Council – “You’re The Best Thing”; “My Ever Changing Moods”), born in Wimbledon, London.
1965 – Moby, born Richard Melville Hall (59), American singer-songwriter, musician, and DJ (“Porcelain”, “Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?”), born in Harlem, New York, United States.
1970 – Johnny Vegas (54), English comedian, actor, writer, and director (Benidorm, Shooting Stars), born in St Helens, Lancashire.
1971 – Richard Ashcroft (53), English musician, singer, and songwriter (The Verve – “Bitter Sweet Symphony”), born in Higher End, Orrell, Greater Manchester.
1977 – Chris “Ludacris” Bridges (47), American rapper (“Act a Fool”) and actor (Fast and Furious Franchise), born in Champaign, Illinois, United States.
Famous deaths
2014 – Richard Kiel (b. 1939), American actor known for portraying Jaws in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979).
2020 – Diana Rigg (b. 1938), British actress known for her roles as Emma Peel in the TV series The Avengers (1965–1968) and Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, wife of James Bond, in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969).
The day today
1942 – “Five on a Treasure Island” the first of Enid Blyton’s “Famous Five” children’s novels, is published.
1978 – Janet Parker became the last person to die of smallpox in Birmingham, United Kingdom. During the 20th Century, the smallpox virus killed around 300 million people in total.
1987 – Four men were arrested on charges of plotting to steal a dolphin worth £25,000 from the Marineland Oceanarium in Morecambe, Lancashire.
1997 – In a national referendum on devolution, the people of Scotland voted ‘Yes’ to creating their own Parliament, for the first time in more than 300 years.
2001 – The ‘911’ terrorist attacks in New York. In the aftermath, Prime Minister Tony Blair deployed British troops in the invasion of Iraq (March 2003), supporting the US President George Bush and his ‘War on Terror’. Hijackers crashed two airliners into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, killing everyone on board and thousands of those working in the buildings. Both towers collapsed within two hours, destroying nearby buildings and damaging others. A third airliner was crashed into the Pentagon and a fourth plane was redirected towards Washington, D.C., targeting either the Capitol Building or the White House, but it crashed in a field near Shanksville in rural Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to retake control of the airliner. There were no survivors from any of the flights.
Today in music
1977 – David Bowie recorded a guest appearance on ‘Bing Crosby’s ‘Merrie Olde Christmas’ TV show duetting with Crosby on ‘Peace On Earth – Little Drummer Boy. The track became a UK No.3 hit five years later in 1982.
1988 – Michael Jackson appeared at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England on his Bad World Tour. Over 3,000 fans were treated by the St. John Ambulance service for passing out, hysteria and being crushed amongst the crowd of 125,000 fans, the largest concert of the 123-date world tour.
1993 – Mariah Carey started a eight week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Dreamlover’. Also on the same day her fourth album ‘Music Box’ went to No.1 in the UK.
2001 – Walking to work in New York (as a comic book illustrator) Gerard Way witnessed the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre. The day’s events inspired him to start a band, which became My Chemical Romance with Gerard becoming their lead singer.
2015 – Mark Ronson’s hit ‘Uptown Funk!’ became the fifth biggest-selling single in British chart history with over two million UK sales and overtaking Paul McCartney & Wings’ 1977 chart-topper ‘Mull Of Kintrye/Girls’ School’.
Today in history
1297 – Scottish hero William Wallace defeated the English at Stirling Bridge. Wallace’s statement before the battle was – ‘We come here with no peaceful intent, but ready for battle, determined to avenge our wrongs and set our country free.’
1777 – American troops led by George Washington were defeated by the British at the Battle of Brandywine Creek, in the American War of Independence.
1836 – Register Office marriages were introduced in Britain.
1879 – 268 miners died in an explosion at the Prince of Wales Colliery, at Abercarn, South Wales.
1895 – The prestigious FA Cup trophy was stolen from football outfitters William Shillock of Birmingham. 68 years later an 83 year old man confessed he’d melted it down to make counterfeit halfcrown coins.