Today in History

[Gemini]

Daisy, being a Yorkshire child my mum and dad told me this story quite often growing up

[Gemini]

2009

The Met. Office forecasted 'odds on for a barbecue summer', with no repeat of the washouts of the previous two years but ..... average rainfall for the summer was up 40%.

[Gemini]

1965

Britain's Early Bird satellite began transmitting TV programmes to more than 300 million viewers. The first programme was:- 'Out Of This World'.

[Daisy]

I can't remember this, but it must have seemed like science fiction at the time.

[Gemini]

2014

Science students at the University of Leicester concluded that the wooden puppet Pinocchio (who was prone to telling tales and whose nose would double in length for each lie) could only have told a maximum of 13 lies. After 13 lies it was concluded that the nose would be 140 metres long and the force exerted downwards would cause his neck to snap.

[Daisy]

Gem, this made me laugh and reminded me of when I worked at a research centre. Queuing for lunch one day two of the (very brainy) boffins worked out that growing peas was 0.7% efficient.

[Gemini]

1955

World famous American virologist Dr Jonas Salk witnessed a ceremonial polio vaccination in London when Margaret Jenkins from Kent became the 500,000th person in London to receive the vaccine to prevent the crippling disease poliomyelitis.


The mum of one of my schoolfriends had polio and walked with difficulty in callipers all her life. From an early age it made me thankful that my generation was born when the vaccine was available.

[Daisy]

Gem, being a bit older than you, I can remember the worry whenever there was a local outbreak of polio. My parents wouldn't let me go swimming or anywhere where there were crowds of people. There were horrific pictures in the papers and on tv of people in iron lungs, unable to move. Just awful. The vaccine was quite literally a life saver.

[Gemini]

1997

The Bank of England was given independence from political control. It was the most significant change in its 300 year history.

[Gemini]

1945

World War II: The Channel Islands were liberated by the British after five years of German occupation.

[Daisy]

I haven't been to the Channel Islands for several years, but everywhere I've been there was evidence of war-time defences and memorials to brave locals who risked their lives trying to defend the Islands.

[Gemini]

1768

John Wilkes (English radical, journalist, and politician) was imprisoned for writing an article for the North Briton newspaper severely criticizing King George III. This action provoked rioting in London.

[Gemini]

1945

The publication of the first of the 'Thomas the Tank Engine' series by the Rev. Wilbert Awdry. It was entitled 'The Three Railway Engines' and featured Edward, Gordon and Henry. The book quickly sold the initial print run of 22,500 copies and there were a further two print runs by the end of the year. Awdry was born at Ampfield vicarage in Hampshire and his father was vicar of Ampfield Church.

[Daisy]

I read that there are some newly episodes of Thomas in the pipeline which brings them more up to date , eg female engines and other characters.

[Oma]

We loved watching Thomas with the boys who Were both obsessed with it 😁