Today in History

February 22nd

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On February 22, 1305, Sir William Wallace was executed in London.Details: Wallace was a leader in the Wars of Scottish Independence against England. Known for his role in the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297, Wallace became a symbol of Scottish resistance. Captured by the English in 1305, he was put on trial for treason and brutally executed. His death was part of King Edward I’s efforts to suppress Scottish rebellion.

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The Act of Union between England and Scotland, which created the Kingdom of Great Britain, came into effect on February 22, 1707.
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On 22nd February 1797, 1,400 members of the French Legion Noire of the French Revolutionary Army landed in Carregwasted bay near Fishguard, which remains the last time Britain was invaded a foreign military force.

Irish revolutionary leader, Wolfe Tone had received support from France to help end British rule in Ireland. Part of the plan was to organise French invasions of Britain to divert and weaken the British forces, with the overall aim of sending a much larger force to Ireland to overthrow the British there. However, bad weather and poor organisation resulted in only the invasion through Wales, to target Bristol and the west of England, going ahead.

The invasion force was led by an Irish American colonel, William Tate and consisted of 1,400 men, nearly half of whom however were deserters and convicts. An initial attempt to land was unsuccessful due to the defensive cannons at Fishguard fort, so the fleet landed 3 miles away in the bay at Carregwasted under the cover of darkness. They moved inland and established their headquarters at a nearby farmhouse, but the convicts and pressed men deserted, got drunk and ran away.
The next morning the French moved inland and occupied strong defensive positions on high rocky ground. Meanwhile, the British, although outnumbered, decided to attack, with many Fishguard locals volunteering to fight, notable among whom was Jemima Nicholas, who single-handedly took twelve French soldiers prisoner in St Mary's Church armed only with a pitchfork.

These actions convinced Tate that although he had much the superior forces, he had to accept an unconditional surrender and the following afternoon the French laid down their weapons on Goodwick sands.
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1903The Cunard Liner Etruria arrived in New York with a copy of the first newspaper ever published in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. It featured news reports transmitted from Britain by wireless while the ship was at sea. Marconi, the inventor of wireless telegraphy, was one of the ship's passengers.


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On 22nd February 2017, MPs were permitted for the first time ever to use the Welsh language in parliamentary debates of the Welsh Grand Committee at the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Westminster. The Government's Procedure committee that investigated the issue stated that: “The committee recognises the unique status of Welsh as a language".
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Music
1967: The Beatles work on a single note for the end of their song "A Day In The Life" with John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with engineer Mal Evans, playing a simultaneous E-flat on different pianos and producer George Martin using a harmonium. Even this isn't enough and the recording has to be overdubbed several times to get the final 43 second note.



1969 David Bowie begins a UK tour with T.Rex where he doesn't sing, but does a mime act.
 
On a personal note,I started this thread 'Today in History' 7 yrs ago because I've always loved history. It has evolved over the years.Many thanks to all who have posted here and lets keep it going
1876
Johns Hopkins Univ in Baltimore, Maryland opens, due to a $7million bequest by Johns Hopkins who was a philathropist.It was the 1st U. S. research university
1907
London's 1st cabs with taxi meters begin operating
1934
movie' It Happened One Night' directed by Frank Capra, starring Clark Gable&Claudette Cobert. It became the 1st movie to win the 5 major Oscar catergories pic/ director, actor/ actress, screenplay. Two other movies have joined this list 1975' One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest' 1991'Silence of the Lambs'
1942
Pres Franklin Roosevelt orders Gen. Douglas MacArthur out of the Philipines due to the collapse of American defense
1958
Egypt&Syria form United Arab Republic{UAR}
1980
at Lake Placid,NY Winter Olympics USA's men's hockey team{ college kids} upset heavy favorite Soviet Union team 4-3 in one of the biggest upsets in Olympic history,go on to win the gold medal.It became known as "Miracle on Ice" ABC play by play sportscaster,Al Michaels famous words'Do You Believe in Miracles,Yes"
 
On a personal note,I started this thread 'Today in History' 7 yrs ago because I've always loved history. It has evolved over the years.Many thanks to all who have posted here and lets keep it going
1876
Johns Hopkins Univ in Baltimore, Maryland opens, due to a $7million bequest by Johns Hopkins who was a philathropist.It was the 1st U. S. research university
1907
London's 1st cabs with taxi meters begin operating
1934
movie' It Happened One Night' directed by Frank Capra, starring Clark Gable&Claudette Cobert. It became the 1st movie to win the 5 major Oscar catergories pic/ director, actor/ actress, screenplay. Two other movies have joined this list 1975' One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest' 1991'Silence of the Lambs'
1942
Pres Franklin Roosevelt orders Gen. Douglas MacArthur out of the Philipines due to the collapse of American defense
1958
Egypt&Syria form United Arab Republic{UAR}
1980
at Lake Placid,NY Winter Olympics USA's men's hockey team{ college kids} upset heavy favorite Soviet Union team 4-3 in one of the biggest upsets in Olympic history,go on to win the gold medal.It became known as "Miracle on Ice" ABC play by play sportscaster,Al Michaels famous words'Do You Believe in Miracles,Yes"
And 46 years later USA are playing Canada in the Olympic Final and Al Michaels is still commentating On Amazon Prime
 
February 23rd

FEBRUARY 23, 1739
The identity of English highwayman Dick Turpin was uncovered by his former schoolmate, who recognised his handwriting, leading to Turpin's trial.





1820British police uncovered 'The Cato Street Conspiracy', planned by Arthur Thistlewood, to assassinate Cabinet ministers. Five of the eighteen conspirators were publicly hanged outside Newgate prison on 1st May 1820, six were transported to Australia for life, and the rest were either rewarded or released due to their status as spies, agent provocateurs, or men who had turned King's Evidence.






FEBRUARY 23, 1836
Texas Revolution: The Siege of the Alamo (prelude to the Battle of the Alamo) begins in San Antonio, Texas.





1874Major Walter Clopton Wingfield patented an outdoor game he called ‘Sphairistike’, later known as lawn tennis. Eventually it was adopted by the All England Croquet Club which sponsored the first Wimbledon championships in 1877.




1920The first regular broadcasting service in Britain started from Marconi’s studio in Writtle, near Chelmsford. The 30-minute programme was transmitted twice daily. Peter Eckersley opened with 'Hello! Hello! This is Two-Emma-Toc, Writtle testing.' Two-Emma-Toc stood for 2MT, the licence granted to Marconi by the General Post Office.
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1945: During the Battle of Iwo Jima, a group of United States Marines reach the top of Mount Suribachi on the island and are photographed raising the American flag. The picture would become one of the most iconic of the Pacific war.









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On 23rd February 1959, the flag currently in use was officially recognised as the national flag of Wales.🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
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2010: Abbey Road Studios is made a Grade II listed building, protecting it from a potential threat of sale to property developers. Then Culture Minister Margaret Hodge listed the studios on the advice of English Heritage saying it had "produced some of the very best music in the world". Later in the year the famous zebra crossing outside the studios would also be granted Grade II listed status.
 
1896
"Tootsie Roll' is introduced by Leo Hirschfield in NYC, sold as 'penny candy' The name 'Tootsie' was the nickname of Hirschfield's daughter, Clara
1904
U. S. acquires control of Panama Canal Zone for $10 mil
1940
Walt Disney animated movie' Pinocchio' directed by Ben Sharpsteen&Hamilton Luske is released. The story of an inquisitive wooden puppet who long to become a real boy. The movie won 2 Academy Awards; Best Music Score, Best Original Song' When You Wish Upon A Star'
1968
Walt Chamberlain becomes the 1st NBA player to score 25,000 points
1980
U. S. speed skater, Eric Heiden sweeps all 5 speed skating events at Lake PLacid, NY Winter Olympic Games. He's the only athlete to win 5 gold medals at 1 winter games
1997
NBC broadcasts movie' Schindler's List' uncensored, without any commerical interruptions. 65 million viewers tuned in
2021
discovery of the oldest Australian rock art 17,300 yr old painting of a kangaroo is found in Western Australia
 
February 24th


1616 Galileo GalileiQualifiers delivered their unanimous reportOn February 24 the Qualifiers delivered their unanimous report: the proposition that the Sun is stationary at the centre of the universe is "foolish and absurd in philosophy, and formally heretical since it explicitly contradicts in many places the sense of Holy Scripture"; the proposition that the Earth moves and is not at the centre of the universe "receives the same judgement in philosophy; and ... in regard to theological truth it is at least erroneous in faith."

The
Execution of Charles I (1649)Another significant event in British history occurred on February 24, 1649. King Charles I, who had been imprisoned and tried for treason, was executed in front of the Banqueting House in Whitehall, London. This event marked the culmination of the English Civil War, a conflict between the monarchy, led by Charles I, and Parliamentarians who opposed his rule.
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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.1909Suffragettes attempted to break into the Houses of Parliament. The police made 29 arrests.




On 24th February 1852, The Times reported that Robert Stephenson had approved Isambard Kingdom Brunel's design for the railway bridge at Chepstow.
Chepstow Railway Bridge was used for the first time on 19 July 1852, which allowed the Great Western Railway to open its London to Swansea line.

It is considered as one of Brunel's major achievements, because the span of 300 feet needed to be self- supporting, as the Monmouthshire side is low-lying sedimentary deposit subject to regular flooding and the height requirement of 84 feet above high water imposed by the Admiralty ruled out an arched bridge.

Brunel therefore designed the bridge to be suspended by chains from two cast iron tubes, 9 feet in diameter. The new railway line and bridge reduced the travelling time between London and Swansea from 15 hours, by rail, road and ferry, to 5 hours by rail.
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On 24th February 1871 an explosion at Pentre Colliery, Ton Pentre, killed 39 men and nine horses.

The probable cause of the explosion was ‘Firedamp’ which is a flammable gas, usually methane, found naturally in coal mines.
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1917: The U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom is given the 'Zimmermann Telegram', which had been intercepted and decoded by British intelligence. In it Germany pledges to ensure the return of New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona to Mexico if Mexico declares war on the United States. This revelation helped generate support for the United States declaration of war on Germany in April of that year.

1920 The Nazi Party is founded.
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1962The Beatles played a concert at the Birkenhead YMCA for a fee of £30. The audience didn't enjoy the show and the Beatles were booed off stage. They left early for a second gig at Liverpool's Cavern Club, and the rest, as they say, is history.


1963 The Rolling Stones take over as the Sunday house band at the Station Hotel near London. They are paid £24 ($67) to entertain a crowd of 66 people.
 
February 25th

1601Robert Devereux, the second Earl of Essex and former favorite of Elizabeth I, is beheaded in the Tower of London for high treason.




FEBRUARY 25, 1843

Lord George Paulet occupies the Kingdom of Hawaii in the name of Great Britain in the Paulet affair.
Lord George Paulet CB was a British officer of the Royal Navy.



1856 – A Peace conference opens in Paris after the Crimean War.




On 25th February 1858, 19 men were killed in a mining accident at Lower Duffryn Colliery, Mountain Ash.


The Opening of the Royal Albert Hall (1871)On February 25th, 1871, the Royal Albert Hall in London officially opened its doors. This grand venue, named in honor of Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, was designed to be a center for the arts and sciences, showcasing concerts, exhibitions, and other cultural events.



1963 -

February 25
The first Beatles' single is released in America by Chicago's Vee Jay Records. The 45 featured "Please Please Me" as the A-side, but the name of band is misspelled "Beattles".

1964 -

February 25
Paul McCartney records his final vocal tracks for "Can't Buy Me Love" at EMI Studios in London. The bed tracks had been previously recorded at EMI's Pathe Marconi Studios in Paris, France on January 29th. The band then went on to lay down the B-side of the record, "You Can't Do That"
 
1836
Samuel Colt patents 1st practical revolving multi shot revolver allowing it to fire multiple shots without reloading
1950
'Your Show of Shows' debuts on NBC 1950-1954 Sat evening starring Sid Cesar&Imogene Coca. It was an original 90 min live weekly comedy show. Some of other regulars were Carl Reiner, Howard Morris, Bill Hayes,writers included Mel Brooks,Neil Simon, Woody Allen, Lucille Kallen
1981 Grammy Award winner:
singer/ songwriter, Christopher Cross became the 1st artist to sweep the'Big 4', Album,Song,Record of the Year for ' Sailing', he also won Best New Artist
1995
Frank Sinatra performs for the last time in front of a live audience of 1,200 selected guests at Palm Desert Marriott Ballroom in Palm Desert, Calif
2024
the largest mosque in the world' Great Mosque of Algeres' opens able to hold 120,000 worshipers
 
February 26th

1606 -
Dutch explorer, Willem Jansz becomes the first recorded European to land on Australia's shores

1955 - For the first time, 45 rpm records outsold 78 rpm discs in the United States. The 45 designation came from subtracting Columbia's 33 rpm from 78. RCA introduced the format on March 31, 1949, releasing 104 single vinyl records. The first 45 to reach the Billboard charts was Perry Como's "You're Adorable", on May 7th, 1949.
 
February 26th1233 – Mongol–Jin War: The Mongols capture Kaifeng, the capital of the Jin dynasty, after besieging it for monthsThe Mongol siege of Kaifeng, the capital of the Jin dynasty, concluded with the city's capture on this date. This event was a critical moment in the Mongol–Jin War, significantly weakening the Jin dynasty and showcasing the military prowess of the Mongols under Genghis Khan's leadership.



The Execution of Lord Lovat (1747)On February 26, 1747, Simon Fraser, the 11th Lord Lovat, was executed for his involvement in the Jacobite Rebellion. He was one of the last men to be executed at the Tower of London, and his death marked the end of a tumultuous chapter in British history.



1797The Bank of England issued the first ever one pound note. Printed on watermark paper with a vignette of Britannia on the top left hand corner, the hand-signed white £1 notes were withdrawn in the 1820s.1839The first Grand National Steeplechase was run at Aintree near Liverpool. The winner was 'Lottery' ridden by Jem Mason.


1815 Napoleon Bonaparte escapes from exile on Elba. Sent to the Mediterranean island following his defeat by Russia and its allies in 1814, the former French emperor had agreed to be exiled but changed his mind when he heard rumors of discontent in France. He left the island with an army of loyalists and briefly resumed power, ruling for just 100 days before he was exiled again to the island of Saint Helena.


On February 26, 1852, the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) officially opened its doors to the public in South Kensington, London. The museum would go on to become one of the world's leading institutions for the arts and design.




1909 – Kinemacolor, the first successful color motion picture process, is first shown to the general public at the Palace Theatre in LondonKinemacolor was a groundbreaking two-color film process and the first commercially successful color motion-picture process. It was invented by George Albert Smith and Charles Urban and was first shown to the public at the Palace Theatre in London.








The Welsh Guards came into existence on 26th February 1915.






On Monday, 26th February 1990, the sea wall at Towyn was breached due to a combination of high tides and extreme weather, resulting in flood damage to 2,800 homes, and the evacuation of over 2,000 people.

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1987 The Beatles", more commonly called "The White Album", became the first Beatles ' LP to be issued on CD.


2009: A high quality bootlegged version of The Beatles "Revolution 1" appears on the internet. The ten minute long song, known as "Revolution Take 20" was recorded on 4th June 1968, after which John Lennon took away a copy. It's likely that this tape is the source for the bootleg.
 
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1560The Treaty of Berwick which would expel the French from Scotland, was signed by England and the Protestant noblemen known as the Congregation of Scotland.


1700The island of New Britain (close to New Guinea) was discovered by William Dampier, English buccaneer, sea captain, author and scientific observer. He dubbed the island with the Latin name Nova Britannia.







On 27th February 1860 all 45 people on board the paddle steamer Nimrod drowned, when it was wrecked off St David's Head.

The Nimrod, which was operating as a cargo and passenger service between Liverpool and Cork suffered engine failure and was heading for Milford Haven under sail, when she was spotted by the Captain of another steamer called, the City of Paris, who offered to tow her to Milford Haven for £1,000. Captain Lyall of the Nimrod refused as the weather seemed moderate, but after the two steamers parted, the wind increased to hurricane force and shreaded her sails into tatters.
Captain Lyall lowered both anchors, but the chains of both broke, causing the Nimrod to smash into Porth Llong cliffs, near St. David’s Head and break into pieces.



A landmark event occurred on February 27, 1900, with the founding of the British Labour Party. This was a pivotal moment in British political history as it marked the formal establishment of a party that aimed to represent the interests of working-class citizens. The Labour Party emerged from various trade unions and socialist groups that sought greater political representation for workers.




1933: The Reichstag, Germany's parliament building, in Berlin is set ablaze, apparently by communist Marinus van der Lubbe who was arrested at the scene. Hitler and the Nazi's were able to use the incident to suspend democratic rule and institute mass arrests of their bitter rivals.


1964: The Italian government seeks international help to stablise the Leaning Tower of Pisa and prevent its imminent collapse. But the resulting Azores conference is told to retain the current tilt, due to the role that the anomaly plays in promoting the tourism industry of Pisa.



1964
For the first time ever, all ten spots on the UK Top Ten were British acts, led by 21-year-old Cilla Black's version of "Anyone Who Had A Heart". Her song would prove to be the fourth best-selling single of 1964 in the UK, with sales of nearly 950,000 copies.


1967 Pink Floyd try to record a new version of "Arnold Layne" after signing with EMI, but the version recorded a month earlier at Sound Techniques Studios, London would become their debut release in March instead.
 
Feb 27th:
1827
1st Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans
1883
Oscar Hammerstein patents 1st cigar rolling machine
1949
scientist/statesman, Chaim Weizmann becomes Israel's 1st President, served 3 yrs 9 months,died in office in 1952
1974
People Magazine debuts , with actress Mia Farrow,picture from movie' The Great Gatsby' on the cover,price was 35 cents, The newstand price now is $5.99
2002
singer/ songwriter, Joni Mitchell receives Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
2019
smallest baby boy ever born in Tokoyo hospital weighing 9.45oz.He successfully recovers and was discharged, today he weighs 7.1 pounds
 
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