Today in History

[Gemini]

1666

The end of the Great Fire of London, that had started on 2nd September at the bakery of Thomas Farriner on Pudding Lane. 10,000 buildings including St. Paul's Cathedral had been destroyed, but only 6 people are known to have died.

[Gemini]

1852

Britain's first free lending library opened, in Manchester.

[Daisy]

And what an amazing facility they've been all that time.

[Gemini]

1548

Catherine Parr, 6th wife of Henry VIII, died in childbirth.

I thought I knew a lot about the wives of Henry 8th, but I didn't know this.

[Daisy]

Gem - I never managed to remember what order they came in!

[Gemini]

I once heard a radio play about Catherine Howard (who has the same name as my daughter but spelt differently) There was a song in it which was 'As plain Kate Howard I was born, and 5th queen I was made'. That always stuck in my mind, probably as it was DD's name at the time. I knew which Catherines were first and last, and knew Jane was 3rd, so it has been easy to remember the order. Not that it has been much use to me in my daily life, unless it comes up in quiz

( It goes Catherine, Anne, Jane, Anne, Catherine, Catherine )

[Daisy]

Thanks Gem. At least with 3 out of 6 Catherine's it must have helped Henry VIII avoid to many mistakes in the name department.

[Gemini]

1958

There were race riots in London's Notting Hill Gate, with television crews accused of encouraging the rioting by staging reconstructions in the streets.

[Gemini]

2001
The '911' terrorist attacks in New York. On This Day hijackers crashed two airliners into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre 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.

A terrible day never to be forgotten.

[Daisy]

Gem - it's one of those awful events we'll always remember, and I bet most of us remember where we were when we heard about it.

RIP all those thousands of people who lost their lives that terrible day.

[Gemini]

1980

Hercules, the bear who went missing on Benbecula (in the Outer Hebrides) while being filmed for a Kleenex television commercial, was recaptured after 24 days 'on the run'.

[Gemini]

1752

The 3rd of September became the 14th as the Gregorian Calendar was introduced into Britain. Crowds of people rioted on the streets demanding, 'Give us back our 11 days.'

[Gemini]

1985

Tony Jacklin's team of golfers beat the United States in the Ryder Cup for the first time in 28 years.

[Gemini]

1915

The opening of Britain’s first Women’s Institute, (regularly referred to as simply the WI) at Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysilio gogogoch, Anglesey, Wales.
Its two aims were to revitalise rural communities and to encourage women to become more involved in producing food during the First World War. It is now the largest women’s voluntary organisation in the UK.

[Gemini]

2014

The world famous golf club, the Royal & Ancient at St. Andrews, voted overwhelmingly to end its 260-year ban on female members, with immediate effect.


Good grief, only 5 years ago!!!