On this day...

[Kat_lov]

Today is April fool's day!

That it is...

Here are some hoaxes made on this day throughout history:

Swiss Spaghetti Harvest

On this day in 1957, the trusted BBC fooled the nation with a spoof documentary about spaghetti crops in Switzerland.
The hoax Panorama programme was narrated by Richard Dimbleby, who documented a family from Ticino in Switzerland carrying out their annual "spaghetti harvest".





Colour TV

On this day in 1962 in Sweden, their only channel broadcast was in black and white. The station's technical expert, Kjell Stensson, announced that there was a new technology developed which meant that viewers could convert their existing televisions to display colour reception. All they had to do was pull a nylon stocking over their tv screen, which he demonstrated on the news.




Planetary Alignment Decreases Gravity

On this day in 1976, British astronomer Patrick Moore announced on BBC Radio 2 that at 09:47 a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event was going to occur wherein the planet Pluto would pass behind Jupiter, temporarily causing a gravitational alignment that would counteract and lessen the Earth's own gravity. He explained to his listeners that if they jumped in the air at the exact moment that this planetary alignment occurred, they would experience a strange floating sensation.

BBC Radio 2 received phone calls from hundreds of listeners claiming to have experienced the floating sensation, one of whom reported that she and her 11 friends had risen from their chairs and floated around the room.




The Derbyshire Fairy

On this day in 2007, images of an 8-inch mummified creature resembling a fairy were posted on the website of the Lebanon Circle Magik Co.

The site went into detail as to how the creature had been found by a man walking his dog in rural Derbyshire. Dan Baines, the owner of the Lebanon Circle Magik Co site, had used his skills as a prop-maker to create the creature. Although even after his confession, he continued to receive numerous emails from people who refused to accept the fairy wasn't real.

[Kat_lov]

2nd April

On this day in 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas).

The Falklands are a group of islands in the south Atlantic 300 miles East of the Argentina coast.

Britain gained administrative control of the islands from 1833 and this continued until the invasion by the Aregntinian Navy in 1982. The conflict claimed the lives of 655 Argentine soldiers, and 236 British soldiers as well as some civilians.

Lasting 72 days, the war not only aided the popularity and re-election of Margaret Thatcher in Britain, but also brought about the fall of Leopoldo Galtieri bringing restoration of democracy in Argentina.



Also on this day....

In 1966, novelist C.S. Forester died aged 66.

[Kat_lov]

3rd April

On this day in 1948, U.S. President Harry S. Truman signed the Foreign Assistance Act, commonly known as the Marshall Plan, into law.

Named so after U.S. Secretary of State George C. Marshall, the Marshall Plan channeled over $13b in aid to Europe between 1948 and 1951 in order to strengthen European currency, and facilitate international trade. It was to bring about a stable democracy and enable economic recovery following the devastation of World War II.





4th April

On this day in 1968, civil rights activist Dr Martin Luther King was shot dead by James Earl Ray on the balcony of his hotel room in Memphis, Tennessee.

Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, Dr King was best remembered for his incredible work within the modern civil rights movement.

His charismatic and passionate addresses had a massive impact across the world and set the foundation on which civil liberations were to build upon. One of the most famous speeches known as simply "I Have A Dream" was delivered on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on 28th August 1963 during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.





5th April

On this day in 1994, Kurt Cobain died. Lead guitarist and singer of the band Nirvana, Kurt Cobain had a history of depression and drug abuse which led to his suicide. To this day fans are split on whether it was truely a suicide.

Giving birth to the grunge scene with notable bands such as Mudhoney, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and the Melvins, Nirvana paved the way into the mainstream with their 1991 album Nevermind.

He died by shot gun to the head in the spare room above the garage at his Lake Washington home. He left his estranged wife Courtney Love and daughter Frances Bean (named as Kurt thought she looked like a kidney bean on the first sonogram he saw of her).



p.s. If you can get hold of it take a listen to "that day" as performed by Michael Pitt in the Cobain biopic Last Days...its rather good

[Kat_lov]

6th April

On this day in 1868, the Ku Klux Klan were founded in the US.

The Ku Klux Klan began with a group of ex-Confederates opposing the Reconstruction policies of the radical Republican Congress and pushed to maintain ìwhite supremacy.î

The group are infamous for their racial attacks and extremism, their "uniform" being white hooded robes.

Although membership in the Klan is secret, they have throughout the years developed codes in which to identify one another, and there are now different Klan robes distinguishing origin and rank.

Thousands of people have been lynched, attacked and killed by the KKK and although they have depleated in number there are still thousands of members, mainly within South US.




7th April

On this day in 1739, highwayman Dick Turpin was hung.

Richard (Dick) Turpin was one of the most famous highwaymen in British history. He has been romanticised in film and literature, portrayed as a heroic figure. In life he was in fact known for highway robbery, burglary and was accused of murder for which he was eventually hung on this day in 1739 at York.

[Kat_lov]

Catch up....sorry for letting it lapse! Busy bee...


8th April

1986:
American actor Clint Eastwood is elected Mayor of Carmel in California.

1907:
Britain and France confirm the independence of Siam (now Thailand).

1973:
Spanish painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso - pioneer of Cubism, dies
aged 91.



9th April

1626:
Francis Bacon, English philosopher and statesman died.

1865:
Confederate General Robert E.Lee surrenders to General Grant in Virginia bringing the American Civil War to a close.

1770:
English explorer Captain Cook discovers Australia



10th April

1981:
Rioting starts in the London suburb of Brixton.

1912:
British-built luxury liner Titanic sets sail on its maiden voyage from
Southampton to New York.


1955:
In England, Ruth Ellis shoots her lover David Blakely outside a pub
in Hampstead in North London. Following her murder trial, Ruth Ellis
becomes the last woman to be hanged in Britain.




11th April

1979:
Ugandan dictator Idi Amin flees the Ugandan capital of Kampala as
Tanzanian troops and forces of the Uganda National Liberation Front
close in.

1929:
Cartoon character Popeye the Sailor makes his first appearance as a
supporting character in a cartoon strip in several newspapers in New York.





12th April

1961:
Aboard the spacecraft Vostok, Soviet Major Yuri Gagarin becomes
the first human being to travel into space.

1606:
The Union Flag officially becomes England's national flag.

1945:
United States President Franklin D.Roosevelt dies of a brain
hemorrhage less than a month before the end of World War II.


13th April

1970:
Houston, We Have A Problem. An explosion on board Apollo 13
forces the cancellation of the planned moon landing. It is several
days before the three astronauts return safely to earth after battling
against a defective spacecraft and a lack of oxygen.

1964:
In America, actor Sydney Poitier becomes the first black man to win
an Oscar. - awarded Best Actor for 'The Lillies Of The Field'.




14th April

1865:
At Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C., actor John Wilkes Booth fatally shoots U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.

1988:
British MP John Stonehouse dies. Most famous for faking his own death before disappearing with his girlfriend Sheila Buckley.


15th April

1912:
The luxury liner R.M.S. Titanic sinks just two hours after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic.

1989:
Britain's worst football disaster at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield when 95 football fans are crushed to death shortly after the start of the FA Cup semi-final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

1925:
Author James Barrie donates his copyright fee for the story of Peter
Pan to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children in London.

[brammelaar]

On the first of May we had Labour day. In Turkey and Germany also known as national riot day.

On the second of May, in 1953 Valeri Gergiev was born, that is 293 years after Allessandro Scarlatti.

On the third of May, in 1791 Poland had the first written constitution of Europe. So today is the Day of the Constitution.

[Kat_lov]

4th May

On this day in 1979, Margaret Thatcher was sworn in as the UK Prime Minister.

Margaret Thatcher first entered parliament in 1959 and was the longest serving PM since since 1827, serving a total of 11 years, 209 days.

Privatisation, trade union reform, the Falklands, tax reform, Ronald Reagan, opposition to the EU, unemployment; the "Iron Lady" brought about a lot of changes to Britain, whether viewed positively or not.



"It will be years before a woman either leads the Conservative Party or becomes prime minister. I don't see it happening in my time" (in 1970)



Also on this day in 1984, Diana Dors lost her battle with cancer and sadly died.

Being touted as Britain's answer to Marylin Monroe, Diana Dors was one of the film industries' many blonde bombshells and starred in films such as Good Time Girl, Yield to the Night, An Alligator Named Daisy...over 65 during her career.

Although she was often given quite sexually charged roles during her youth, with age she began to show the world the real actress beneath.


"They asked me to change my name. I suppose they were afraid that if my real name, Diana Fluck, was in lights, and one of the lights blew..."

[brammelaar]

On the 4th of May the dutch remember the victims of WW II. (which is becoming more and more of a parody, in my opinion: too much politics, not enough (faked) sincerity)

On the 5th of May the Dutch celebrate their liberation from the German occupation in WW II.

Also on the 5th of May:
In 1762 Russia and Prussia sign the Treaty of St. Petersburg.
In 1813 S¯ren Kierkegaard, Danish philosopher, was born.
In 1818 Karl Marx, German political philosopher, was born.
In 1835 in Belgium, the first railway in continental Europe opens between Brussels and Mechelen.

[brammelaar]

On the 6th of May

In 1889 the Eiffel Tower is officially opened to the public at the Universal Exposition in Paris.


In 1937 the Hindenburg disaster took place: The German zeppelin Hindenburg catches fire and is destroyed within a minute while attempting to dock at Lakehurst, New Jersey. Thirty-six people are killed.


And in 1945 Bob Seger, American singer/songwriter, was born.

[i are scientist]

On this day in 1820 (12th May), Florence Nightingale was born.

She's famous for services to nursing during the Crimean war, although I'm sure I read some sort of revisionist piece recently which stated she didn't do that much after all. Reading her wikipedia entry, I'm wondering if it's because she insisted the high death rate in the army hospitals was due to poor nutrition and exhaustion, but then considering this was before the germ theory of disease, such criticism would seem to be a bit harsh. Apparently she didn't actually do much to reduce the death rate though.

I hadn't realised that she was actually a bit of a whizz with statistics, and also a bit of an early feminist.

[Kat_lov]

13th May

On this day in 1969, riots known as the May 13th Incident broke out in Malaysia.

Over 196 people were killed between May 13 and July 31 as a result of the riots which followed the General Election on 10th May 1969.




Also on this day in 1842, English composer Sir Arthur Sullivan was born.

He is best known alongside W.S Gilbert, with whom produced operettas including 'The Mikado', 'The Pirates of Penzance' and 'The Gondoliers'.

He finally succumbed to heart failure after battling pneumonia at the age of 58 at his flat in London on 22nd November 1900.

[Kat_lov]

14th May

On this day in 1995, Alison Hargreaves, became the first woman to reach the top of Mount Everest alone, and without the aid of oxygen or without the aid of Sherpas.

Derbyshire born mother of 2 reached the 29,028ft (8,847.7m) summit at 1208 local time (0723 GMT). She then radioed her base camp to send a fax to her two children, Tom and Kate, who were at home near Fort William, Scotland. The message was: "I am on the top of the world and I love you dearly."





Also on this day in 1727, Thomas Gainsborough was born.

English painter of portraits, and landscapes, he is said to have been one of the most individual geniuses in British art.

[Kat_lov]

15th May

On this day 1930, Ellen Church welcomed aboard passengers as the world's first air hostess.

Ellen Church, a registered nurse from Iowa, approached Boeing Air Transport with the idea of hiring nurses as stewardesses in order to combat the public's fear of flying. Welcoming aboard passengers flying the BAT route from Oakland Airportin California to Chicago, she became the world's first air hostess.

The requirements for stewardesses in the 1930s were strict. In addition to being registered nurses, the women had to be single, younger than 25 years old; weigh less than 115 pounds; and stand less than 5 feet, 4 inches tall.





Also on this day:


1987 - Rita Hayworth died.




1886 - American Poet Emily Dickinson died.




1909 - British actor James Mason was born.

[Kat_lov]

19th May

On this day in 2008, Antony Carter (a.k.a "the boy") finally handed in his final piece of work for Uni.

Born in Birmingham, 27 years ago, Mr Carter moved to Southampton to begin a Film & English BA at Southampton University. After what seems like the longest 3 years of his life (and mine!) he finally handed in his last 2 pieces of work following a gruesome week of no sleep and stress.

Finger crossed for 21st June...the End of Days




Also on this day,

1536
Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII of England and mother of Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth) is executed outside the Tower of London for alleged adultery.



1997
British Government controversially announces it is banning sports sponsorship by tobacco companies - but gives a temporary exemption for Formula One motor-racing, who's owner had donated £1m to the Labour Party only a few months earlier....hmmm really?

[Shackleton's man]

Congrats to "the boy" for all the hard work. Now get out there and get yerself a JOB!!!!
W