Today in History

[Daisy]

What a formidable list of firsts. She must have faced a huge amount of opposition in most of those fields.

[Gemini]

1994

After a wait of 800 years, girls were invited to join the Cathedral Choir at Wells in Somerset.

[Daisy]

That was a long time to wait! I think some of the other Cathedral Choirs took even longer to recognise that girls can sing too.

[Gemini]

1998

Northern Ireland Secretary Dr. Mo Mowlam made a controversial visit to the Maze Prison in Belfast, Northern Ireland to talk to Loyalist and Republican terrorists.

[Gemini]

1895

The National Trust was founded by three Victorian philanthropists - Miss Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley.
Octavia Hill was concerned about the poor availability of open spaces for poor people. She campaigned against development on existing suburban woodlands, and helped to save London's Hampstead Heath and Parliament Hill Fields from being built on.
The National Trust is now the largest membership organisation in the United Kingdom, and one of the largest UK charities by both income and assets. Its aim is to preserve places of historic interest or natural beauty for the enjoyment of the British public. Its stately homes are well know, but the National Trust also owns vast tracts of countryside and coastal areas including the Needles.

[Oma]

You never think about how it came about do you , very interesting Gem ,

[Daisy]

We were at the Needles a few months ago and were a little bit disappointed. It was out of season, but the fairground which the children used to love had gone, and with it some of the atmosphere. But hopefully it's as lively as it used to be in better weather. We went down in the chairlift to the beach but the wind was too strong to 'land' - very bracing.

The views are still spectacular.

[Gemini]

1964


Capital Records grudgingly released the first Beatles record, ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand’, in the US to, as they said 'see how it goes’. It became their fastest selling single ever. Within only three weeks, a million copies had been sold.

[Daisy]

... and the rest, as they say, is history!

[Gemini]

2014

Monkeys at Paignton Zoo in Devon were banned from eating bananas. Keepers said - "Giving monkeys bananas that have been cultivated for humans is like giving them cake and chocolate. Reducing the sugar in their diets has calmed them down and made their group more settled."

[Gemini]

1859

The National Portrait Gallery opened to the public in Great George Street. There were only 56 portraits and viewing was by appointment on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

[Daisy]

That sounds rather small, but I suppose all collections have to start somewhere. I wonder if there was an entrance fee?

[Gemini]

2014

Cambridge City Council said that apostrophes on new street signs would be abolished, a decision that was condemned by language traditionalists. The naming policy also banned street names which would be "difficult to pronounce or awkward to spell" and any that "could give offence" or would "encourage defacing of nameplates". After an intervention by cabinet minister Eric Pickles, local people in Cambridge started to edit street signs, adding apostrophes if they were necessary.

[Daisy]

Who knew street signs could be so contentious!