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Today in history
The document outlines an engaging educational approach for teachers, utilizing historical events from the book '3sixty5' to enhance English language lessons through storytelling and listening exercises. By sharing interesting historical facts, students practice language skills in both English and Spanish, while keeping the content relevant and updated with contemporary events. The author encourages teachers to adapt and expand upon the idea for a more interactive and informative classroom experience.
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Today in history
- 1. TODAY IN HISTORY JoséA. Alcalde Some years ago I found an interesting book, “3sixty5” by Vicky Anderson and Robert Campbell (published in Barcelona by IT's magazine in 1995). It was a compilation of historical facts for the whole year, along with their didactic exploitation in the classroom. I kept it for a long time until very recently I found “another” way to make some use of it (we teachers are masters of creating new and different uses of old stuff, aren't we?). What I do is really simple: I pick some of the funniest, most shocking or amazing events to tell my students in Englislh and later, they have to tell it to the rest of the group in Spanish. It is kind of a listening comprehension exercise but with some interesting and different, unusual content. It is great to practice dates, past tenses, place-names, question forms, etc. Now it is a routine at the beginning of my lessons and my students LOVE it! If I forget to do it for any reason, they immediately ask for it with the statement “Didn't anything important happen today in History, Sir?”. Over the years I have added more updated facts with a teenage audience in mind. Feel free to browse the events and add any other of relevance for you or your students (sport, music, cinema, literature, art, science, local or international events, you name it). Even ask your students to add more events along the year to keep it updated. In time, if you go on using this document like me, you will realize that some events (usually related to celebrities) become quickly outdated! When possible or interesting I have also added website links to make this document more interactive and informative in this multimedia world where we teach today. The events mentioned could also be a hint to be expanded, explained, etc., through project work. I am quite confident some teachers will expand even more the possibilities of this idea. Don't miss the opportunity of taking the History of the World into your English lesson! You won't regret!! NOTE: Below are some useful websites I found when preparing this document. Check out the ones that suit you most. • Historical events at http://www.historyorb.com/events • Celebrities' birthdays at http://www.famousbirthdays.com
- 2. 1st January 1927 BBC established 1958The EC (current EU) came into being 2nd January 1900 First electric omnibus service in NYC 1920 Isaac Asimov, US biochemist and science fiction writer, born 3rd January 1875 Pierre Larousse, French encyclopaedist, died 1888 JRR Tolkien, British author of “Lord of the Rings”, born 1959 Alaska became the 49th and largest state of the USA (bought to the Russians) 4th January Sri Lanka National Day 1885 First successful appendix operation performed 5th January 1855 King Camp Gillette, US inventor of safety razor, born 1896 Roentgen gave first demonstration of X-rays 1940 FM radio demonstrated for first time in US 6th January New Zealand National Day 1838 Samuel Morse first demonstrate his new code 1912 New Mexico became the 47th state of the USA 7th January 1610 Galileo discovered the four satellites of Jupiter 1927 First transatlantic phone service began between London and NYC 8th January 1935 Elvis Presley, US singer, born 1942 Stephen Hawking, English physicist, born 9th January 1969 First trial of Concorde, the supersonic airliner 10th January 1863 The first section of the London Underground opened 11th January 1569 The first state lottery was held in England 1963 World's first disco,”Whisky-a-go-go”, opened in Los Angeles 12th January 1948 First supermarket opened in Britain 1976 Agatha Christie, detective story writer, died 13th January 1978 NASA selected first women astronauts 15 years after USSR 14th January 1937 First Gallup opinion poll published in Britain 15th January Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the USA 1880 First telephone directory in the UK published 1929 Martin Luther King Jr., civil right leader, born 16th January 1547 Ivan the Terrible crowned first Tsar of Russia 1957 The Cavern Club, the birthplace of The Beatles, opened 17th January Feast of St Anthony of Egypt, patron saint of domestic animals 1994 Earthquake (6.6 on Ritcher scale) hits Los Angeles 18th January 1896 X-Ray machine exhibited for the first time 1904 Cary Grant, real name Archibald Alexander Leach, born 1964 Plans for WTC in NY presented 19th January 1809 Edgar Allan Poe, US writer, born 1839 Paul Cezanne, French artist, born 1903 First Tour de France announced in Paris 20th January Feast of St Sebastian, patron saint of athletes 1892 Basketball first played in Massachusetts 21st January 1930 BBC made its first word broadcast from London 22nd January 1775 André Ampére, French physicist who gave us the term “amp”, born 1902 Marconi's first successful radio transmission 23rd January 1556 An earthquake in China killed 830,000 people 1832 Edouard Manet, French impressionist painter, born 1941 Nylon was first produced 24th January 1848 James Marshall discovered gold in California (USA) starting the Gold Rush 1935 Beer for the first time sold in cans 25th January Kuwait National Day 1759 Robert Burns, Scottish poet, born 1917 US bought Virgin islands for $25 million 1924 First Winter Olympics in France 26th January Australia National Day 1839 Michigan became 26th state of the USA 27th January 1756 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Austrian composer, born 1880 Thomas Alba Edison patented the electric light bulb 1926 First public demonstration of television by John Logie Baird 28th January 1896 First speeding fine given in UK 1935 Iceland became the first country to legalise abortion 29th January 1886 First petrol driven car patented by Karl-Friedrich Benz 30th January World Peace Day 1790 First lifeboat launched 31st January 1867 Nelson's column in London completed 1876 All US native American Indians forced to move into reservations 1983 Wearing seat belts became compulsory in UK
- 3. 1st February 1851 Mary Shelley,English author of Frankenstein, died 1884 First edition of Oxford English dictionary published 2nd February Groundhog Day 1852 First public flushing toilet opened in London 1882 James Joyce, Irish writer, born 1977 Pompidou Centre opened in Paris 3rd February 1966 First controlled moon landing made by USSR Luna IX 4th February 1976 An earthquake killed over 23,000 people in Guatemala 5th February 1945 Bob Marley, Jamaican reggae singer, born 1985 Cristiano Ronaldo, famous footballer, born in Madeira (Portugal) 6th February 1788 Massachusetts became the 6th state of the USA 1919 Lufthansa, German airline, established 7th February 1812 Charles Dickens, the English novelist, born 1989 It rained sardines in Ipswich, Australia 1976 Joan Bazely became first woman football referee 8th February 1828 Jules Verne, French novelist, born 1965 Cigarrette commercials banned from British television 9th February Feast of Apollonia, patron saint of dentists 10th February 1996 Deep Blue, IBM computer, first wins chess against a human 11th February 1847 TA Edison, American inventor, born 1899 First motor cyclist killed in Britain 1928 First traffic lights in Britain tested in Wolverhampton 12th February 1804 Immanuel Kant, German pholosopher, died 1954 First established link between cigarettes and cancer 13th February International radio day 1633 Galileo arrested by the Church because of his revolutionary theories 14th February Parinirvana, Mahayana Buddhist Festival International Book Giving Day Interational Organ Donor Day 1564 Galileo Galilei, Italian astronomer, born 15th February International Childhood Cancer Day Hippopotamus Day 16th February 1659 First British cheque written 1937 Nylon (named after New York and London) patented in the USA US National almond day 1983 Tragic forest fires in South Africa left 8,500 homeless 17th February 1909 Geronimo, North American Indian, died 2003 London Congestion Charge begins 18th February 1898 Enzo Ferrari, Italian car builder and racer, born 1930 Pluto discovered at the Lowell Observatory in the US World Whale Day 19th February 1878 TA Edison patented the phonograph 20th February USA Love your pet Day World Day for social justice 1962 John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth 21st February International Mother Language Day 1858 First electric burglar alarm installed in the US 1947 First ever TV soap opera started in the US 22nd February 1732 George Washington, US 1st president, born 1819 USA bought Florida from Spain 23rd February 1455 Gutenberg printed his first Bible 24th February 1786 Wilhelm Grimm, German storyteller, born 1887 Paris and Brussels became the first two cities to be linked by telephone 1988 First baby born from an embryo frozen after fertilization of donated egg 25th February 1935 Lumiere screened experimental 3D movie 26th February 1531 Earthquakes killed 200,000 people in Lisbon 1936 Hitler launched the Volkswagen, the people's car 1997 First £1note issued by the Bank of England 27th February 1892 Louis Vuitton dies 28th February 1912 Albert Berry made the first parachute jump 29th February Leap Year Day
- 4. 1st March St. David's Day,patron saint of Wales 1803 Ohio became the 37th state of the USA 1867 Nebraska became the 38th state of the USA 1880 Pennsylvania became first US state to abolish slavery 2nd March 1933 King Kong, the film, opened 1949 First round-the-world non-stop flight ever 1960 Earthquake in Morocco killed 20,000 3rd March 1845 Florida became the 27th state of the USA 1847 Alexander Graham Bell, Scottish inventor, born 4th March 1678 Antonio Vivaldi, Italian composer, born 1791 Vermont became the 14th state of the USA 1924 “Happy Birthday to You” was published 5th March 1907 First radio broadcast of a musical composition aired 1970 Nuclear non-proliferation treaty 6th March 1475 Michelangelo, Italian artist, born 2007 The highest lottery jackpot ever $370m 7th March 1876 Alexander Graham Bell patented first telephone 1897 Corn Flakes served for first time at Battle Creek Sanatorium 8th March International Women's Day 1952 An artificial heart used for the first time 9th March 1562 Kissing in public banned in Naples (punishable by death) 1959 Barbie doll launched 10th March 1886 First dog show held in London 1990 US performs nuclear tests at Nevada test site 11th March 1702 First successful English newspaper, Daily Courant, published 1904 Salvador Dalí, Spanish painter, born 12th March 1913 Canberra became federal capital of Australia 1918 Moscow became capital of Russia 1935 30 mph limit introduced 1945 Anne Frank, Jewish Dutch diarist, died 13th March 1781 Uranus discoverd by Sir William Herschel 1930 Discovery of Pluto announced 1974 Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris opened 14th March 1879 Albert Einstein, German-born Swiss physicist and mathematician, born 15th March World Consumer Rights Day 16th March 1888 First recorded sale of a car in Paris 1829 Ohio authorised high school night classes 17th March St. Patrick's Day, patron saint of Ireland 1977 CNN begins Spanish broadcasts 18th March 1662 First public buses ran in Paris 1940 NATO set up 19th March Feast of St. Joseph, patron saint of fathers 721BC First eclipse ever recorded 20th March Tunicia National Day 1727 Sir Isaac Newton, English scientist, died 1852 Uncle Tom's Cabin, anti-slavery novel, published 1980 The first British pirate radio station, Radio Caroline, first broadcasting 21st March Earth Day Against Racial Discrimination International Day The spring equinox, officially the first day of spring 1896 First British cinema opened 22nd March World Water Day 1895 First celluloid film presented by Auguste and Louis Lumiere 23rd March World Meteorological Day 1891 Goal nets used for first time 24th March 1911 Denmark abolished capital punishment 2012 China stops taking/selling organs from executed prisoners 25th March National Day of Greece 1807 The British parliament abolished the slave trade 1948 London Heathrow Airport opened 26th March 1885 First person officially cremated in Britain 27th March 1914 First successful blood transfusion in a Brussels hospital 28th March 1977 Morning TV started as experiment 29th March 1886 Coca Cola invented by Dr John Pemberton of Atlanta 1981 First London Marathon 30th March 1853 Vincent Van Gogh, Dutch painter, born 1867 Alaska bought from the Russians by US for $7.2m 31st March 1889 Eiffel Tower officially opened 1896 First zipper patented
- 5. 1st April April Fools' Dayor All Fools' Day 1939 Spanish Civil War ends 1960 US launched first weather satellite 1966 Jean Claude Van Damme, Belgian actor, born 2nd April International Children's Book Day 1805 Hans Christian Andersen, Danish author of fairy tales, born 3rd April 1860 The Pony Express began 4th April 1581 Francis Drake returned to England after circumnavigating the world 1934 Cat's Eyes first used on Britain's roads 1949 NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) was created 1968 Martin Luther King Jr., US civil rights leader, murdered 5th April 1986 Record for a throw-and-return boomerang toss is set (121m) 6th April 1789 George Washington became first president of the USA 1974 Harry Houdini, American escapologist, born 1992, Isaac Asimov, US science fiction writer, died 7th April World Health Day 1827 First box of matches sold in England 1860 William Kellog, inventor of the breakfast cereal, born 1948 The WHO (World Health Organization) was formed 8th April 1973 Pablo Picasso, Spanish painter, died 9th April 1838 Official opening of the National Gallery in London 10th April 1633 Bananas sold for the first time in Britain 11th April 1775 Last execution of witches in Germany 12th April 1606 The Union Jack was adopted as the official flag of the UK 13th April 1970 Explosion in Apollo 13's Service Module on flight to the Moon 14th April 1527 Ortelius, Dutch cartographer who produced the first atlas, born 1828 Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language first published 1931 The Highway Code first published in Britain 15th April 1852 First screw-top bottles patented 1912 The Titanic ocean liner hit an iceberg and sank 1955 McDonald's, the world's largest hamburger chain, founded by Ray Kroc 1970 First pocket electronic calculator announced in Japan 16th April 1867 Wilbur Wright, US aviation pioneer, born 1889 Charlie Chaplin, British film comedian, born 17th April Syria National Day 1421 An estimated 100,000 people drowned in floods in Holland 18th April 1881 Natural History Museum opened in London 1934 First launderette openen in Fort Worth, Texas 19th April 1951 First Miss World contest took place in London 1965 First all news radio station 1897 First Boston marathon (the oldest of the new era) 20th April 1862 First pasteurization test by Louis Pasteur 21st April 753BC Romulus founded Rome 22nd April 1500 Brazil was discovered by Portuguese explorer Pedro Alvarez de Cabral 23rd April Book international Day 1564 William Shakespeare, English playwright, born and died on the same day in 1616 24th April 1981 IBM-PC computer introduced 25th April 1792 The guillotine first used in Paris 1792 La Marseillaise, the French national anthem, written 1874 Marconi, Italian pioneer of radio, born 26th April 1452 Leonardo da Vinci, Italian artist and inventor, born 1986 The nuclear reactor at Chernobyl exploded 27th April 1791 Samuel Morse, US inventor of the Morse Code, born 1828 The London Zoo opened in Regents Park 28th April 1919 The UN (United Nations) was created 1770 Australia discovered by Captain Cook 1919 First parachute jump made in the USA 29th April National Day of Japan 1930 Inauguration of the UK-Australia telephone service 30th April National Day of the Netherlands 1803 USA bought Lousiana and New Orleans from France 1900 Hawaii ceded itself to the USA
- 6. 1st May May Day orLabour Day celebrated in many countries 1927 First hot meals served on an aeroplane 1931 The Empire State Building was opened in NYC 2nd May 1923 First non-stop flight across the USA 1933 Loch Ness monster sighted 2011 Osama Bin Laden killed by US forces 3rd May World Press Freedom Day 1494 Christopher Columbus discovered Jamaica 4th May Feast of Florian patron saint of firefighters 1655 Bartholomme Cristofori, Italian craftsman who developed the first piano, died 5th May Europe Day 1818 Karl Marx, social philosopher and founder of Communism, born 1821 Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France, died 6th May 1626 Peter Minuit bought Manhattan Island (NY), from the Indians 1851 Sigmund Freud, pioneer of psychoanalysis, born 7th May 1994 The famous painting “The Scream” recoverd after three months stolen 8th May Cezch Republic National Day World Red Cross Day 1828 Jean Henri Dunant, Swiss founder of the Red Cross, born 9th May 1927 Camberra inaugurated as the new capital of Australia replacing Melbourne 1944 First eye bank opened in NYC 1962 The Beatles sign their first record contract 10th May 1937 Britain's first frozen food (asparagus) went on sale 1994 Nelson Mandela, first black president of South Africa 11th May 868 First printed book published in China 1904 Salvador Dalí, Spanish surrealist artist, born 1981 Bob Marley, reggae musician, born 12th May 1935 AA, Alcoholic Anonymous founded in Ohio (USA) 13th May 1981 Pope John Paul is shot in Rome 14th May 1984 Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, born 1991 2 bullet trains crashed in Japan killing 40 15th May Feast Day of Dympna, patron saint of the insane 16th May 1929 The first Oscar film awards ceremony held in Hollywood (USA) 1975 Japanese woman clibms Mount Everest 17th May World Telecommunication and Information Society Day Norway National Day 1620 First merry-go-round appeared in Turkey 1861 First package holiday organized by Thomson Holidays 18th May 1897 Dracula, a novel by Irish author Bram Stoker is published 19th May 1715 Early years of species protection 1926 Malcolm X, US Black Muslim leader, born 20th May Cameron National Day 1939 First regular commercial flights between US and Europe 1959 First person arrested through use of an identikit picture 21st May 1884 Statue of Liberty finished 1904 FIFA, Football Federation's international body was established 1916 Clocks in Britain went forward one hour for first daylight- savind day 22nd May 1813 Richard Wagner, German composer, born 1859 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Scottish-born novelist, born 23rd May 1988 First underwater marriage took place in Mauritius 1929 New gold rush starts in Australia 24th May 1686 Gabriel Fahrenheit, German physicist, born 1844 First morse code message sent on US telegraph line 25th May Geek Pride Day 1850 First hippopotamus arrives in London's Regent Park Zoo 1889 Igor Ivanoch Sikorsky, US inventor of the helicopter, born 26th May 1994 Michael Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley 27th May 1923 First Le Mans 24 hours race 1937 The Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco opened 28th May 1908 Ian Fleming, English novelist and writer of 007, born 29th May 1917 John F Kennedy, 35th US President, born 1953 Edmund Hillary, first person to climb Mount Everest 30th May 1911 First ever running of the Indianapolis 500 miles 31st May National Day of South Africa World No Tobacco Day 1859 Big Ben started operating
- 7. 1st June Samoa National Day 1880First telephone box for public use installed 1926 Marilyn Monroe, US actress, born 2nd June 1962 Britain's first legal casino opened in Brighton 3rd June 1946 First bikini presented in Paris 4th June 1937 First supermarket trolleys in Oklahoma (USA) 5th June World Environment Day 6th June Sweden National Day 1599 Velázquez, Spanish painter, born 1933 First drive-in cinema opened in New Jersey 1936 Britain's Gatwick airport opened 7th June Italy's National Relax Day 1848 Paul Gaugin, French painter, born 1929 Vatican City established in Rome 8th June International Oceans Day 1912 Universal Pictures founded 1988 Nippon Airways painted eyes on planes to scare birds 9th June 1870 Charles Dickens, English novelist, died 1963 Johnny Deep, US actor, born 10th June 1793 First public zoo opened in Paris 1943 Ball point pens patented by Lazlo Biró 11th June 1975 First oil pumped from North Sea oilfield 12th June 1929 Anne Frank, German diarist, born 13th June 1956 First European Cup won by Real Madrid 14th June 1777 Stars and Stripes adopted as official US flag 1928 Che Guevara, Cuban revolutionary, born 15th June 1869 Celluloid patented 16th June 1963 Valentina Tereshkova became first woman in space 17th June World Day to Combat Desertification 1944 Iceland became an independent republic 18th June 1822 US-Canada border determined 1908 Japanese massive migration to Brazil begins 19th June 1623 Blaise Pascal, French inventor of calculating machine, born 20th June 1963 The White House and the Kremlin agreed to set up the hot line for emergencies in the Cold War 21st June The Summer Solstice 1876 First gorilla arrived in Britain 22nd June 1676 Royal Greenwich Observatory established by King Charles II 1847 Game of lawn tennis introduced 23rd June Luxemborg National Day 1848 Adolphe Sax patented saxophone 24th June Midsummer Day 25th June 1630 Forks introduced to American dining habits 1788 Virginia became the 10th state of the USA 1835 First building in San Francisco (The Yerbabuena) 26th June 1945 United Nations Charter signed 27th June 1693 First magazine for women, “Ladies' Mercury” published 1967 First cash dispenser in UK started operating 28th June LGBT Pride Day 1498 Toothbrushed invented in China using boar bristles 1577 Peter Paul Rubens, Flemish artist, born 1896 First movie theatre in the USA opens in New Orleans (10c a movie) 29th June Feast Day of St. Peter, patron saint of fishermen 1829 First policeman was murdered in Britain 1900 Antoine de SaintExupery, French writer, born 1966 The Barclaycard, Britain's first credit card, introduced 30th June 1966 First pop-up toasters went on sale in the US 1966 Mike Tyson, US boxing champion, born 1985 Michael Phelps, US Olympic swimmer, born
- 8. 1st July Canada National Day 1916Coca Cola created its distinctive bottle 1929 Popeye, the cartoon character, is born 1941 First TV commercial shown in the US 2nd July 1566 Nostradamus, French astrologer and physician, died 3rd July 1890 Idaho became 43rd state of the US 1962 Tom Cruise, US actor, born 4th July US Independence Day 1848 The Communist Manifesto published 1884 Statue of Liberty presented 1946 US gave Phillipine islands their independence 5th July Venezuela National Day 1865 First speed limit (2 mph) imposed in Britain 1946 Bikini fist modelled 6th July 1946 Sylvester Stallone, US actor, born 7th July 1988 Eleven-year-old boy became youngest person to fly the Atlantic 8th July 1839 John D Rockefeller, US multimillionaire, born 1892 First person convicted on evidence of fingerprints 9th July Argentina National Day 1877 First Wimbledon Lawn Tennis championship staged 1956 Tom Hanks, US actor, born 10th July 1099 El Cid, Castillian knight, died 1890 Wyoming became 40th state of the US 1900 Paris metro opened 1958 Parking meters came into operation in the UK 11th July 1974 World Football League plays 1st games 12th July 1884 Amadeo Modigliani, Italian painter, born 13th July 1930 World Cup football competition instituted 14th July Bastille Day, National Day of France Iraq National Day 1867 Alfred Nobel demonstrated dynamite 15th July 1606 Rembrandt, Dutch painter, born 1881 Billy the Kid, US outlaw, killed 1948 British branch of Alcoholic Anonymous founded 1965 First close-up pictures of Mars 16th July 1661 First banknotes in Europe issued by the Bank of Stockholm 1872 Roald Amundsen, Norwegian explorer of the North Pole, born 17th July 1995 Bill Gates is the richest man in world, worth $12.9 billion dollars 18th July 1877 Edison carried out first successful recording of voice 1892 Thomas Cook, English travel agent, died 1918 Nelson Mandela, South African leader, born 19th July 1903 Maurice Garin became first winner of the Tour de France 1961 First ever in-flight movies 20th July Colombia National Day 1837 First railway station in London (Euston) opened 21st July Belgium National Day 1984 James F Fixx, the man who popularized jogging, died while jogging 22nd July Poland National Day 23rd July Ethiopia and United Arab Republic National Day 24th July 1775 Eugéne Francois Vidoq, founder of first detective agency, born 25th July 1917 Mata Hari, famous spy, sentenced to death 1978 Lousie Brown, first test tube baby, born 26th July Liberia National Day 1788 New York became 11th state of the USA 1908 FBI established in Washington DC 27th July 1949 World's first jet airliner made its maiden flight 28th July Peru National Day 1586 First potatoes arrived in Britain from Columbia 1858 Fingerprints first used for identification 1959 Post codes introduced in Britain 29th July Feast Day of Martha, patron saint of housewives 1890 Vincent van Gogh, Dutch painter, died 30th July 1947 Arnold Schwarzenegger, Austrian-born actor, born 31st July 1950 Britain's first self-service store, Sainsburys, opened
- 9. 1st August Switzerland National Day 1774Joseph Priestley discovered oxygen 1778 First savings bank opened in Hamburg (Germany) 1876 Colorado became 38th state of the Union 2nd August 1865 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland first published 3rd August 1778 La Scala Opera House opened in Milan 1811 Elisha Graves Otis, US safety lift inventor, born 1924 Joseph Conrad, British novelist, died 4th August 1870 Red Cross founded in Britain 1875 Hans Christian Andersen, Danish writer, died 5th August 1962 Marylin Monroe, US actress, died 6th August Bolivia National Day 7th August 1876 Mata Hari, Dutch spy, born 8th August 1900 The Davis Cup played for first time 1937 Dustin Hoffman, US actor, born 9th August Aborigin tribes International Day 1979 First British nudist beach established in Brighton 10th August 1675 Foundation stone of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, laid 1821 Missouri became 24th sate of the USA 11th August 1897 Enyd Blyton, English writer, born 12th August 1925 Norris and Ross McWhirter, creators fo Guinnes Book of Records, born 13th August 1899 Alfred Hitchcok, English film director, born 1961 Berlin Wall began to go up 14th August 1893 First car registration plates introduced in France 1908 First International Beauty Contest staged in Britain 15th August 1769 Napoleon Bonaparte, French leader, born 16th August 1958 Madonna (Louise Veronica Ciccone), US singer, born 1977 Elvis Presley, US rock star, died 17th August Indonesia National Day 1896 First pedestrian killed by motor vehicle in Britain 1943 Robert de Niro, US actor, born 18th August 1743 First rules of boxing introduced in Britain 19th August 1883 Coco Chanel, French fashion designer, born 20th August 1956 First nuclear power generated 21st August 1911 Leonardo's Mona Lisa stolen from Louvre Museum 1959 Hawain became the 50th state of the USA 1976 Mary Langdon became Britain's first woman firefighter 22nd August 1908 Henri Cartier, French photojournalist, born 23rd August 1305 William Wallace, Scottish patriot, is executed for high treason by Edward I of England 24th August 79 Vesubius volcano erupted and buried Pompeii 25th August Uruguay National Day 1530 Ivan the Terrible, Tsar of Russia, born 1970 Claudia Schiffer, German model, born 26th August 580 Chinese invented toilet paper 1498 Michelangelo is commissioned to carve the Pietà 27th August 1910 Mother Theresa, Yugoslavian-born missionary, born 28th August 476 West Roman Empire formally disbands/emperor Romulus August ousted 1963 Martin Luther King Jr's "I have a dream speech" at Lincoln Memorial 29th August 1958 Michael Jackson, US rock star, born 1918 British policemen went on strike for the first time 30th August 1797 Mary Shelley, English novelist, born 1881 First stereo system patented in Germany 31st August 1900 Coca Cola first went on sale in UK
- 10. 1st September Lybia National Day 1951Britain's first supermarket opened in London 2nd September 1666 The Great Fire of London started 1964 Keanu Reeves, US actor, born 1987 Phillips launched the CD-video 3rd September 1967 Sweden switched to driving on the right 4th September 1981 Beyoncé, American singer, born 1927 John McCarthy coined the term “artificial intelligence” 5th September 1946 Freddie Mercury, rock singer, born 6th September 1852 First free lending library in Britain opened in Manchester 7th September Brazil National Day 8th September International Literacy Day 1157 Richard the Lion Heart, King of England, born 9th September 1087 William the Conqueror died after his horse fell 1850 California became 31st state of the USA 10th September 1894 First person ever charged with drunk driving in UK 11th September 2001 Terrorist attack on Twin Towers in NYC (USA) 1965 Moby, talented American electronic muscian, born 12th September 1910 Los Angeles appointed first ever policewoman 1970 Concorde landed at Heathrow airport for first time 13th September 490BC Greeks defeated Persians at Battle of Marathon 1902 First conviction on fingerpirnt evidence in UK 1916 Roald Dahl, British author, born 14th September 1759 First recorded English board game sold 15th September 1891 Agatha Christie, English crime novelist, born 16th September Mexico National Day Ozone Layer International Day 1620 The Mayflower set sail from Plymouth with the Pilgrim Fathers 1953 Cinemascope demonstrated by 20th Century Fox 17th September 1787 US Constitution was approved 18th September Chile National Day 1851 New York Times published for first time 1970 Jimi Hendrix, US rock guitarist, died 1981 France abolished the guillotine 19th September 1783 First manned hot air ballon ascent 1839 George Cadbury, English chocolate manufacturer, born 1888 First ever beauty contest held (in Belgium) 20th September Yom Kippur Jewish celebration 1863 Jakob Grimm, German collector of folk tales, died 1946 First Cannes Film Festival 21st September International Day of Peace Alzheimer International Day Malta National Day 22nd September 1791 Michael Faraday, British scientist, born 23rd September Saudi Arabia National Day 1846 Johan Galle discovered Neptune 1848 Chewing gum first commercially produced 1949 Bruce Springteen, US singer-songwriter, born 24th September 1896 F S Fiztgerald, US novelist, born 25th September 1690 First newspaper in the US published in Boston 1818 First blood transfusion using human blood 1897 First motor bus service in Britain 1992 12-year-old boy won divorce from biological parents 26th September 1769 First recorded cremation in Britain 1887 Emile Berliner's gramophone granted a patent 27th September 1984 Avril Lavigne, Canadian singer, born 1972 Gwyneth Paltrow, American actress, born 28th September 1987 Hillary Duff, American singer, born 1968 Naomi Watts, American actress, born 29th September 1916 John Rockefeller became worl's first billionaire 1950 First automatic telephone answering machine tested in US 30th September Botswana National Day
- 11. 1st October International Day ofOlder People Music International Day National Day of China and Nigeria 1974 First McDonalds opened in London 2nd October 1608 First telescope demonstrated 1925 First double-decker buses ran in London 3rd October 1906 SOS became first international distress signal 1922 First facsimile picture transmitted over phone 4th October 1976 First fast trains in Britain 5th October 1880 First ball pen patented 6th October 1883 First Orient Express journey 7th October 1919 KLM, the oldest airline, was established 1959 Russian stellite transmitted first photograph of the far side of the moon 8th October 1967 First breathalyser test on a driver in UK 9th October World Post Day 1940 John Lennon, English singer-song-writer, born 1947 First phone call made between car and plane 10th October 1813 Giuseppe Verdi, Italian composer, born 11th October 1854 Bill White became the first bespectacled baseball player 12th October 1935 Pavarotti, Italian opera star, born 1901 US President Theodore Roosevelt gave The White House its name 13th October 1884 Greenwich adopted as universal time meridian 1904 Freud's “The Interpretation of Dreams” published 14th October 1979 Usher, American rap singer, born 1939 Ralph Lauren, American fashion designer, born 15th October 1962 Amnesty International formed in London 1993 Nelson Mandela and President de Klerk awarded Nobel Peace Prize 16th October World Food Day 17th October Against Poverty International Day 1860 First professional golf championship in Scotland 18th October Feast Day of Luke, patron saint of doctors and painters 1887 Russia transferred Alaska to the USA 1922 The BBC was formed 19th October 1862 Auguste Lumiere, French photographic pioneer, born 1931 John le Carré, English novelist, born 20th October 1973 Sydney Opera House opened by Queen Elizabeth II 21st October 1833 Alfred Nobel, Swedish industrialist and founder of the Nobel Prizes, born 1879 Thomas Alba Edison invented the electric light bulb 1911 First UK fan magazine published 22nd October 1797 First successful parachute jump made from ballon over Paris 1811 Franz Liszt, Hungarian-born composer, born 23rd October 1940 Pelé, Brazilian footballer, born 1946 First meeting of General Assembly of the UN 24th October United Nations Day 1857 First football club formed in Sheffield,UK 25th October 1881 Pablo Picasso, Spanish artist, born 26th October Austria National Day 1863 English Football Association formed in London 27th October 1901 First “gateway” car used when thieves robbed as shop in Paris 28th October 1492 Columbus discovered Cuba 1929 First baby born on a plane (above Florida) 1965 Death Penalty for murder abolished in Britain 29th October 1863 The Red Corss was founded 1929 The Wall Street Crash 30th October 1925 Logie Baird tested first TV pictures 1960 Maradona,Argentinian footballer, born 31st October Halloween 1864 Nevada became 36th state of the USA 1926 Houdini, escapist and magician, dies after drowning 1951 First zebra crossing introduced in UK
- 12. 1st November 1848 WH Smithopened first railway bookstall in London 2nd November 1755 Marie Antoinette born 1889 North Dakota became the 39th state of the USA 1889 South Dakota became the 40th state of the USA 1953 Samaritans phone counselling service founded 3rd November 1718 Lord Sandwich, inventor of sandwiches, born 1957 Sputnik II orbits the earth with dog Laika, the first living creature in space 4th November 1914 First fashion show held in NYC 1946 UNESCO established 5th November Guy Fawkes Night in Britain 1927 Britain's first automatic traffic lights installed 6th November 1861 James A. Naismith, inventor of basketball, born 1988 Virus crippled 6,000 US Defence Department computers 7th November 1783 Last public hanging in UK 1876 Marie Curie, scientist and discoverer of radium, born 8th November 1656 Edmund Halley, astronomber who discovered Halley's Comet, born 1847 Bram Stoker, Dracula's author, born 1889 Montana became the 41st of the USA 1896 Willima Roentgen, German scientist, discovered X-rays 9th November 1985 Sales of cassettes exceded for first time vynil records 1989 Berlin Wall falls 10th November 1483 Martin Luther, founder of Protestantism, born 11th November Feast Day of Saint Menas who had power to find lost objects 1889 Washington became the 42nd state of the USA 1952 First video recorder demonstrated 12th November 1859 Flying trapeze act first performed by Jules Leotard at a circus in Paris 13th November 1850 Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island's author, born 1914 The bra was patented 14th November 1942 Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, born 15th November 1901 First electrical hearing aid patented 1969 First colour TV commercial (fro frozen peas) shown in Britain 16th November Tolerance International Day 1907 Oklahoma became the 46th state of the USA 17th November Feast Day of Hilda, patron saint of business and professional women 1869 The world's first cycle Road Race from Paris to Rouen 18th November 1477 First book published in Britain by William Claxton 19th November 1893 First colour supplement published with Sunday paper 1942 Calvin Klein, US fashion designer, born 20th November Universal Children's Day 1963 The oldest dog in the world died aged 27 years and 3 months 21st November World TV Day 1789 North Carolina became 12th state of the USA 1898 René Magritte, Belgian painter, born 22nd November Feast of St Cecilia, patron saint of music, singers and poets 1906 SOS was adopted as the international distress signal 1963 J F Kennedy, US president, assassinated in Dallas 23rd November 1859 Billy the Kid, US outlaw, born 1889 First jukebox installed in San Francisco (USA) 24th November 1859 Charles Darwin published Origin of the Species 25th November 1844 Karl Benz, German inventor of the motor car, born 26th November 1789 First Thanksgiving Day in the USA 1987 Court case began to decide if drawings of English bank notes were art or forgery 27th November 1701 Anders Celcius, Swedish inventor of centigrade thermometer, born 1914 First two policewomen in UK 1942 Jimi Hendrix, US guitarist, born 28th November 1948 First Polaroid cameras went on sale 1968 Enid Blyton, children's author, died 29th November 1864 Massacre of Indians in the USA 1898 C S Lewis, Chronicles of Narnia's author, born 30th November St Andrews Day, patron saint of Scotland 1835 Mark Twain, US writer, born 1965 Ben Stiller, US actor, born
- 13. 1st December AIDS Day 1887 SherlockHolmes made his first appearance 1990 Completion of the Channel Tunnes linking France and England 2nd December Against slavery International Day 1697 St Paul´s Cathedral opened 1901 King Camp Gillete marketed a safety razor 1942 First nuclear chain reaction at University of Chicago 3rd December 1818 Illimois became 21st state of the USA 1894 R L Stevenson, author of Treasure Island, died 1926 Agatha Christie disappeared and wasn't found until the 14th 1982 First heart transplant performed in South Africa 4th December 1791 The Observer, Britain's oldest Sunday newspaper, first published 1935 Monopoly, the board game, launched 5th December 1766 James Christie held his first auction 1901 Walt Disney, US pioneer of cartoons, bonr 6th December Feast of St Nicholas, the original Father Christmas 1774 Austria became the first nation to introduce a state education system 1877 Edison made the first recording of voice 7th December 1787 Delaware became the first state of the USA 8th December 1934 London to Australia airmail service inaugurated 1980 John Lennon shot and killed by Mark Chapman 9th December International Anti-corruption Day 1931 Spain becomes a Republic 10th December Human Rights Day (First Declaration in 1848) Nobel Prize Day (First awarded in 1901) 1817 Mississippi became the 20th state of the USA 1845 Pneumatic tyres patented by Robert Thomson 11th December 1816 Indiana became the 19th state of the USA 1894 First motor show opened in Paris 12th December 1787 Pennsylvania became the 2nd state of the USA 1925 First motel opened in California (USA) 13th December 1884 Jehovah's witnesses, religions sect, founded 1989 Deaf choir gave the first ever sign language concert 14th December 1503 Nostradamus, French astrologer and physician, born 1819 Alabama became the 22nd state of the USA 15th December 1832 Gustave Eiffel, French engineer, born 1979 Two Canadians created the game Trivial Pursuit 16th December 1985 London's Heathrow airport became the busiest in the world 17th December Aviation Day 1770 Beethoven, German composer, born 1903 The Wright Brothers made first successful aeroplane flight in North Carolina (USA) 18th December 1787 New Jersey became the 3rd state of the USA 1865 USA officially abolished slavery 19th December 1989 First “The Simpsons” episode aired 20th December 1879 Edison demonstrated electric light at his home 21st December Winter Solstice (or 22 or 23 December) Feast Day of St Thomas the Apostle, patron saint of architects 22nd December 1858 Giacomo Puccini, Italian opera composer, born 23rd December 1888 Vincent Van Gogh cut off his ear 24th December Christmas Eve 25th December Christmas Day 1800 First Christmas tree in UK 26th December Boxing Day in Britain Feast Day of Saint Stephen 1898 Pierre and Marie Curie discovered radium 27th December 1822 Louis Pasteur, French scientist, born 1945 International Monetary Fund formed 28th December Feast of the Holy Innocents 1846 Iowa became the 29th state of the USA 1895 First cinema opened in Paris 1908 Earthquake in Sicily killed over 75,000 29th December 1845 Texas became the 28th state of the USA 30th December 1913 Paramount Studios opened in Hollywood (USA) 31st December New Year's Eve 1869 Henri Matisse, French painter, born