Today in History

[Gemini]

____________

So sad

[Gemini]

1904
The first performance in London of James Barrie’s most famous work, Peter Pan. A Broadway production was mounted in 1905 and the play has since seen adaptation as a pantomime, a stage musical, a television special, and several films, including a 1924 silent film, a 1953 animated Disney full-length feature, and a 2003 live action production with state of the art special effects.

[Gemini]

1975 New legislation introducing a woman's right to equal pay and status in the workplace, and in society, came into force in the UK.

[Gemini]

1923 The chimes of Big Ben were broadcast on radio for the first time by the BBC.

[Gemini]

1951The first episode of the BBC’s radio serial The Archers - farming folk of Ambridge. It is the world's longest running radio 'soap'. By 18th December 2011 it had reached 16,600 episodes

( I love The Archers )

[Daisy]

Gemini - do you like the more 'gritty' storylines they're running these days, or do you think it should stay as it was, more gentle and 'pottering'?

[Gemini]

Daisy, I like a mixture! I think we need the grittier storylines these days, and mostly I enjoy them. I do wish we had slightly more farming however!

[Gemini]

1987The publishers of Enid Blyton's Noddy books bowed to pressure groups and agreed to expunge racism by changing the golliwog characters to gnomes.

[Daisy]

1961: The United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba at the height of the Cold War.

During the last 12 months some of the trade embargoes which stopped Cuba trading with the rest of the world, have been lifted and there seems to be a thawing of relations between the two nations.

[Gemini]

1941
Amy Johnson, record-breaking English aviator, died whilst flying an aircraft from Blackpool to Kidlington (Oxfordshire) in foggy conditions as her role in the Air Transport Auxiliary that ferried new, repaired and damaged military aircraft between UK departments. Her plane was found, 100 miles off course, in the muddy water of the Thames, but her body was never recovered. Reportedly out of fuel she had been seen alive in the water, but a rescue attempt failed and the incident also led to the death of her would-be rescuer, Lt. Cmdr. Walter Fletcher. Amy Johnson was one of the world’s great aviators. She was the first woman to fly solo from Britain to Australia in 1930 and she also set numerous long-distance records during the 1930s.

[Gemini]

1940
World War II: Britain introduced food rationing. Restaurants were initially exempt from rationing, but this was resented, as the rich could supplement their food allowance by eating out frequently and extravagantly, so new rules were introduced

[Daisy]

I can remember the local council running cafes/canteens while there was still food rationing after the War! I'm not sure why, except I suppose it was difficult for privately-run cafes to get foods which were still on ration or allocation.

[Gemini]

1929
Alexander Fleming successfully treated his assistant Stuart Craddick’s infection with a penicillin broth, at St Mary’s, Paddington.

[Gemini]

1839
Indian tea was auctioned in Britain for the first time. Previously, only China tea had been available, at great expense. After the introduction of Indian tea, prices fell and tea became so affordable that it was soon the national drink.

[Gemini]

1569
The first state lottery took place in England. Lots were sold at the West Door of St Paul’s Cathedral. National lotteries continued until 1826 when it was felt that " the inducement to gambling held out by lotteries is a great moral evil, helping to impoverish many and diverting attention from the more legitimate industrial modes of moneymaking."