Today in History

[Gemini]

Thank you so much Oma

[Oma]

Your welcome 😁♥️

[Gemini]

1968

Start of the first Open Wimbledon lawn tennis championships - open to both professional and amateur players.

[Daisy]

That decision was quite controversial, wasn't it, but it certainly changed the game.

[Gemini]

1967

An estimated worldwide audience of 350 million in 26 nations watched the world’s first, live, televised satellite hook up; the Beatles' recording of 'All You Need Is Love' at Abbey Road. The event, which lasted just over two hours, had the largest television audience to date and around 10,000 technicians, producers and translators were involved.

[Gemini]

2012

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh attended a ceremony in London's Green Park when the first national memorial dedicated to more than 50,000 fallen personnel from World War 2's Bomber Command was unveiled. The ceremony culminated in a poppy drop from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

[Gemini]

1620

After denouncing smoking as a health hazard, King James I of England banned the growing of tobacco in Britain.

[Daisy]

Incredible that it took over 300 years for the medical world to catch up with James I!

[Gemini]

1937

The world's first emergency telephone number, 999, was introduced in London.
999 was chosen was because it could be dialled on the old rotary dial telephones by placing a finger against the dial stop and rotating the dial to the full extent three times, even in the dark or in dense smoke. This enabled all users, including the visually impaired, to easily dial the emergency number.

[Daisy]

It's interesting that we still use old-fashioned terminology as well. You still hear people saying they'll dial a number, or I dialled the wrong number, and "I'll ring you" even though most people these days don't seem to use a traditional Brr-brr ring tone for their phones.

There's a lovely video somewhere on the internet where teenagers are shown an old dial style phone and left to try and work out how to use it. They work out that they have to pick up the receiver, but then put it down again before dialling a number. Even the dial itself is a thing of wonder to them.

[Oma]

I have seen that video Daisy, they have no idea do they 😁

[Gemini]

1996

It was announced that the Stone of Scone, the symbol of Scottish nationalism, stolen by Edward I of England in 1296, was to be returned to Scotland from Westminster Abbey where it has been used in the coronation of 30 British monarchs.

[Gemini]

1903

Dorothy Levitt became the first English woman in the world to compete in a 'motor-race'. She was the most successful female competitor in Great Britain, also a victorious speedboat driver, holder of the Water Speed record and holder of the Ladies World Land speed record. She even instructed Queen Alexandra and the Royal Princesses on how to drive.

[Daisy]

There must have been very few female drivers in those days. Even when I learned in the 60s it was still relatively unusual for women to be behind the wheel. At least for people of ordinary backgrounds.

[Gemini]

2014

Five pupils from Nottingham's Djanogly City Academy staged an unsuccessful 'Great Escape' breakout from school, by trying to tunnel under a 12ft (3.6m) high security fence with cutlery. (Pupils had been banned from leaving the school at lunchtime to ensure that they stayed safe and to improve attendance).