Today in History

[Gemini]

1998

18 year old Michael Owen became the youngest ever England international goalscorer with the only goal in a 1-0 friendly against Morocco in Casablanca

[Gemini]

1907

The first Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) motor cycle races were held. The winner was Charlie Collier on his pedal assisted Matchless, at an average speed of 38.22 mph. It was argued that rival Jack Marshall, riding a Triumph, would have won if he'd fitted pedals, and the following year pedals were banned.

[Gemini]

1977

Nigel Short, an 11 year old English schoolboy , qualified as the youngest ever competitor in a national chess championship. He had already beaten Viktor Korchnoi during an exhibition game.

[Gemini]

1889

A painting of a small dog listening to a phonograph was shown to the general manager of 'The Gramophone Company' in London by the painter, Francis Barraud. It was of his dog, Nipper. The phonograph was painted out and a gramophone substituted. It soon became the famous trademark for the company 'His Master's Voice'

[Daisy]

Bringing that thought of the dog wondering where his master's voice was coming from - all our family's dogs start looking when they hear voices they know on the phone!

[Gemini]

1935

Britain introduced the compulsory use of 'L' plates for learner drivers. Also On This Day, all people who had started to drive on or after 1 April 1934 needed to have passed the test. Legislation for compulsory testing was introduced for all new drivers with the Road Traffic Act 1934 but the test was initially voluntary to avoid a rush of candidates.

[Daisy]

Gem - I remember my dad telling me he had never had to take a test, even though he was driving lorries during the War.

[Gemini]

2012

The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant took place on the Tideway of the River Thames, as part of the celebrations of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
Despite the cold, wet weather, 670 boats took part, including military, commercial and pleasure craft. According to Guinness World Records, it was the largest ever parade of boats, surpassing the previous record of 327 vessels set in Bremerhaven, Germany, in 2011. Sailing vessels (including the Matthew, a replica of a Tudor merchant ship from Bristol) and others too tall to pass under the bridges were moored as an 'Avenue of Sail' downstream of London Bridge. British media organisations estimated that one million spectators watched from the banks of the Thames.


We were on holiday in Majorca but saw TV footage, it was such a shame the weather was so bad.

[Daisy]

We watched it on tv, and thought both Her Majesty and The Duke of Edinburgh were stoic in standing in the freezing cold for all that time. The Duke was in hospital for a couple of days afterwards and missed the service at Westminster Abbey. They were so determined to stick it out, but it was an amazing spectacle.

[Gemini]

1805

The first official Trooping The Colour took place at Horse Guards Parade in London.

[Gemini]

1993

The Holbeck Hall Hotel in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, fell into the sea following a landslide, making news around the world.

[Daisy]

Gem - it must have been terrifying to watch. The sea is so powerful though.

The golf club where I meet friends for lunch is right on the coast. A couple of years ago there was a group who played the first 9, went into the club house for lunch and when they went back out the next hole had disappeared - over the cliff. Thank goodness they weren't there when it happened.

[Gemini]

1949

Eighty-Four, George Orwell’s prophetic novel of a world ruled by Big Brother, was published.

[Gemini]

2000

Animal welfare companies praised a policeman who closed a section of the M5 in Devon to rescue three ducklings.

[Gemini]

1536

The English Parliament met and settled the succession on the future children of Henry VIII by Jane Seymour. The Princesses Mary and Elizabeth were declared illegitimate.