Today in History

[Gemini]

1863

Lake Victoria, in Africa, was declared to be the source of the River Nile by British explorers John Speke and J.A. Grant.

[Gemini]

1809

The third Theatre Royal Drury Lane was destroyed by fire. It was uninsured and still not paid for, so it was a financial disaster for the owners, who included Sheridan.

[Gemini]

1979

Accused of forging old masters, painter Tom Keating’s trial at the Old Bailey was halted due to Keating’s ill health. Keating, a brilliant technician, went on to present a television series on painters and became a celebrity in his remaining years.

[Daisy]

I vaguely remember all the publicity at the time. A story of (alleged) poacher turned gamekeeper.

[Gemini]

1999

While trying to circumnavigate the world in a hot air balloon, British pilots Colin Prescot and Andy Elson set a new endurance record after being in a hot air balloon for 233 hours and 55 minutes.

[Daisy]

That's a long time to be underneath a lot of hot air!

[Gemini]

1888

In a Belfast street, a small boy named Johnny Dunlop was riding his tricycle under the supervision of his father. The two rear wheels of the tricycle were the world's first pneumatic tyres and he was testing them. The test was so successful that his father was granted patent number 10607 on 23rd July.

[Gemini]

1964

The Queen's cousin, Princess Alexandra, gave birth to a son at her home in Surrey. The baby, James Robert Bruce, who was more than a week overdue, is believed to be the first-ever royal
baby to be born on 29th February.

[Daisy]

Gem - Wow, he's celebrating his 14th birthday today.

[Gemini]

1978

Charlie Chaplin's coffin was stolen from a Swiss cemetery.

[Daisy]

Gem - who on earth would want to steal a coffin! How awful.

[Gemini]

2001

Joanne Kathleen Rowling (J. K. Rowling), author of Harry Potter, received an OBE from HRH Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace.

[Gemini]

1966

The BBC announced that it would begin broadcasting television programmes in colour in 1967.

[Gemini]

1972

Kenneth Grimes, from Hampshire became the first individual to win more than £500,000 on the football pools.

[Daisy]

Gem - in the early 70s I worked in the Littlewoods Pools building in Liverpool (for a different company) and the girls and women who checked the entries worked incredibly hard. They were even timed on going to the loo! I wish I could remember if they got a bonus if they found a big winner - they certainly deserved an incentive!