On this day...

[The Hallucinating Goose]

1 hour ago, DavidM said:

Yeh I read articles saying tens of thousands were at these battles but really it was only about 50 . And god knows how the French conquered so much and won so many battles coz they just walk forward in a line and fall down screaming 

Yeah, they got in range of the British lines and didn't even bother firing on them, just kept walking forward chanting and never put up a fight when the British troops half heartedly jogged forward and casually thrust a bayonet between the French soldiers' torsos and left arms. Tell you what though, those bayonets must have been powerful to kill the French with just a little scratch and the French must have had weak skulls to be killed by a little tap on the head when the British used their rifles to club the French. Not very well disciplined either if 4 shots fired against the entire French army sent them into retreat. Thinking about it, they were bloody useless weren't they?

Edited June 22, 2022 by The Hallucinating Goose

[The Hallucinating Goose]

On this day in 1807, the HMS Leopard fired on and boarded the USS Chesapeake after the American vessel refused to allow the British to search it for deserters. The incident was a contributing factor to the US declaration of war that would instigate the War of 1812. The Chesapeake was captured during that war and taken into the service of the Royal Navy. 

[DavidM]

Galileo forced to recant his view that the Sun not the Earth is at the centre of the Universe 1633

Slavery abolished by Act of Parliament 1772

Napoleon abdicates , again , after getting spanked by Sharpe at Waterloo 1815

George V crowned 1911

French ask for armistice 1940

Rommel made field marshal after Tobruk 1942

[DavidM]

Separate post for this being so seismic -

Germany invades the Soviet Union , Operation Barbarossa 1941 . The beginning of the end for Hitler and his vile regime … three years later it’s day 1 of Operation Bagration , The Red Army going on to destroy 28 of 34 Wehrmacht divisions in Army Group Centre  and giving Germany their biggest ever military defeat

[Exiled Townie]

Happy St Albans Day

On this date, Alban, a Roman Centurion is traditionally believed to have been beheaded in Verulamium,  (modern St Albans) sometime during the 3rd or 4th century.

You can't beat a good, gory story -

Alban met a Christian priest fleeing from persecutors and sheltered him in his house for a number of days.  Alban was so impressed with the priest's faith and piety he converted to Christianity. Roman soldiers began to search for the priest. As they came to seize the priest, Alban put on the priest's cloak and clothing and presented himself to the soldiers in his place and the priest escaped.  Alban was tortured to give up the priest, but when the judge realized that the tortures would not shake his faith, he gave orders for Alban to be beheaded. The execution was to be at the top of a hill. Alban reached the summit of the hill, he began to thirst and prayed God would give him water. A spring immediately sprang up at his feet. It was there that his head was struck off. However, immediately after delivering the fatal stroke, the eyes of the executioner popped out of his head and dropped to the ground, along with Alban's head.  Alban's head rolled down the hill  and a well sprang up where it stopped. St Albans Cathedral now stands on the site of the execution.      

[The Hallucinating Goose]

1 hour ago, Exiled Townie said:

Happy St Albans Day

On this date, Alban, a Roman Centurion is traditionally believed to have been beheaded in Verulamium,  (modern St Albans) sometime during the 3rd or 4th century.

You can't beat a good, gory story -

Alban met a Christian priest fleeing from persecutors and sheltered him in his house for a number of days.  Alban was so impressed with the priest's faith and piety he converted to Christianity. Roman soldiers began to search for the priest. As they came to seize the priest, Alban put on the priest's cloak and clothing and presented himself to the soldiers in his place and the priest escaped.  Alban was tortured to give up the priest, but when the judge realized that the tortures would not shake his faith, he gave orders for Alban to be beheaded. The execution was to be at the top of a hill. Alban reached the summit of the hill, he began to thirst and prayed God would give him water. A spring immediately sprang up at his feet. It was there that his head was struck off. However, immediately after delivering the fatal stroke, the eyes of the executioner popped out of his head and dropped to the ground, along with Alban's head.  Alban's head rolled down the hill  and a well sprang up where it stopped. St Albans Cathedral now stands on the site of the execution.      

Very interesting! Thanks for that! 

[DavidM]

https://www.boxing247.com/boxing-news/joe-louis-stopped-jimmy-bradd/225382

Two big days for the brown  bomber

Edited June 22, 2022 by DavidM

[Futtocks]

As this is generally a RL forum, on this day in:

1971 - Gary Connolly was born.

1985 - Thomas Leiluai was born.

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

8 hours ago, Exiled Townie said:

Happy St Albans Day

On this date, Alban, a Roman Centurion is traditionally believed to have been beheaded in Verulamium,  (modern St Albans) sometime during the 3rd or 4th century.

You can't beat a good, gory story -

Alban met a Christian priest fleeing from persecutors and sheltered him in his house for a number of days.  Alban was so impressed with the priest's faith and piety he converted to Christianity. Roman soldiers began to search for the priest. As they came to seize the priest, Alban put on the priest's cloak and clothing and presented himself to the soldiers in his place and the priest escaped.  Alban was tortured to give up the priest, but when the judge realized that the tortures would not shake his faith, he gave orders for Alban to be beheaded. The execution was to be at the top of a hill. Alban reached the summit of the hill, he began to thirst and prayed God would give him water. A spring immediately sprang up at his feet. It was there that his head was struck off. However, immediately after delivering the fatal stroke, the eyes of the executioner popped out of his head and dropped to the ground, along with Alban's head.  Alban's head rolled down the hill  and a well sprang up where it stopped. St Albans Cathedral now stands on the site of the execution.      

Thanks, ET.

The Church of England suggests he died circa 250 AD.  They consider him to be the first Christian martyr in Britain.

[Futtocks]

27 minutes ago, Wiltshire Warrior Dragon said:

Thanks, ET.

The Church of England suggests he died circa 250 AD.  They consider him to be the first Christian martyr in Britain.

Not the only Christianity-based story from that part of England: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/may/09/have-you-been-to-the-graden-of-eden-its-in-bedford 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

On this day in 1973, a fire at a house in Hull kills a six year old boy and is passed off as an accident. It would later be realised that it was the first in a series of 26 deaths caused by serial arsonist Peter Dinsdale over a period of 7 years. 

[DavidM]

Battle of Bannockburn begins 1314

Henry VIII and Francis I sign a secret treaty against Charles V 1532

IOC formed 1894

Hitler visits newly conquered Paris 1940

[Futtocks]

Six years ago, certain people were pushing for June the 23rd to be a national holiday, because of the result of a referendum.

Seems like only Nigel Porridge is still banging on about it this year, obviously because it has all been such a massive success.

[DavidM]

55 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

Six years ago, certain people were pushing for June the 23rd to be a national holiday, because of the result of a referendum.

Seems like only Nigel Porridge is still banging on about it this year, obviously because it has all been such a massive success.

I deliberately didvf post it because I really didn’t want to get into all that here 

[DavidM]

Today is the day Trajan inaugurated the Aqua Traiana , an aqueduct to channel water from Lake Bracciano 25 miles away , an amazing achievement . 109 AD when it started , being builders it’s probably finished by now. 
 

Eton is founded , 1441 . Hurrah !

Cabot lands in North America 1497

Henry VIII ( boo ! ) and Catherine of Aragon crowned 1509

France adopts it’s first republican constitution 1793

BIG DAY HERE … Napoleon crosses into Russia 1812

BIG DAY HERE … Huge bombardment begins Battle of the Somme 1916

Mary Pickford becomes first million dollar female movie star … also 1916

Kenneth Arnold makes first widely documented UFO report , describing them similar to saucers skimming across water 1947 … 50 years later the Roswell Report comes up with some story to explain that event before the next story to explain it

Start of the Berlin blockade 1948

SAfrica win RU World Cup 1995 infront of Mandela

In shock other news Berlusconi is found guilty of abusing power and sexual deviance 2013

Edited June 24, 2022 by DavidM

[The Hallucinating Goose]

10 minutes ago, DavidM said:

Today is the day Trajan inaugurated the Aqua Traiana , an aqueduct to channel water from Lake Bracciano 25 miles away , an amazing achievement . 109 AD when it started , being builders it’s probably finished by now. 
 

Eton is founded , 1441 . Hurrah !

Cabot lands in North America 1497

Henry VIII ( boo ! ) and Catherine of Aragon crowned 1509

France adopts it’s first republican constitution 1793

BIG DAY HERE … Napoleon crosses into Russia 1812

BIG DAY HERE … Huge bombardment begins Battle of the Somme 1916

Mary Pickford becomes first million dollar female movie star … also 1916

Kenneth Arnold makes first widely documented UFO report , describing them similar to saucers skimming across water 1947 … 50 years later the Roswell Report comes up with some story to explain that event before the next story to explain it

Start of the Berlin blockade 1948

SAfrica win RU World Cup 1995 infront of Mandela

In shock other news Berlusconi is found guilty of abusing power and sexual deviance 2013

I think that covers just about everything I was about to post! 

Though you did miss the most important thing, on this day in 1981, the Humber Bridge opened to traffic! 

[Exiled Townie]

8 minutes ago, DavidM said:

Today

BIG DAY HERE … Napoleon crosses into Russia 1812

Read a story about Napoleons retreat from Moscow,  with all his army in disarray and dying, he handed the command over to Murat and rode on ahead to reach Paris before news of the disaster arrived.  At one of the river crossings, he boarded a ferry and said to the old ferryman, "Have any deserters from the army crossed over before me?", and the old chap answered, "No, you're the first."

[Futtocks]

Picasso's first exhibition, 1901.

Some very different birthdays - Ambrose Bierce (1842), Horatio Kitchener (1850) and Jack Dempsey (1895).

Plus the death of Lucrezia Borgia (1519), which probably relieved a lot of people.

[DavidM]

7 hours ago, Exiled Townie said:

Read a story about Napoleons retreat from Moscow,  with all his army in disarray and dying, he handed the command over to Murat and rode on ahead to reach Paris before news of the disaster arrived.  At one of the river crossings, he boarded a ferry and said to the old ferryman, "Have any deserters from the army crossed over before me?", and the old chap answered, "No, you're the first."

Funnily enough that ferryman never turned up for work the next day …

[The Hallucinating Goose]

On this day in 1876, the Battle of Little Bighorn took place. 

On this day in 1950, the Korean War began. 

[DavidM]

France surrenders 1940

Berlin airlift begins 1948

Croatia and Slovenia declare independence 1991

[The Hallucinating Goose]

26th June has been a very busy day in history, here are just some of the highlights. 

On this day in 1483, Richard III becomes king of England. 

On this day in 1794 at the Battle of Fleurus during the French Revolutionary Wars, aircraft are used for the first time in warfare. 

On this day in 1830, William IV becomes king of Britain and Hanover. 

On this day in 1843, the Treaty of Nanking comes into effect which cedes Hong Kong Island to Britain. 

On this day in 1857, the first investiture of the Victoria Cross takes place. 

On this day in 1936, the initial flight of the first practical helicopter, the Focker-Wulf Fw61, takes place. 

On this day in 1963, JFK gives his "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech in West Berlin. 

On this day in 1974, the first barcode was scanned to sell a pack of Wrigley's chewing gum in Troy, Ohio. 

[DavidM]

Peter the Great wins the Battle of Poltava , ending Sweden as a great power and starting Russian hegemony in Northern Europe 1709

Battle of Denningen . The last time a British monarch led troops into battle ( George II ) 1743

AEJ Collins scored the highest score recorded in cricket , 628 . 1899

Battleship Potemkin uprising 1905

Truman decides to send troops to fight in Korea 1950

WC QF between Hungary and Brazil turns into a massive fight 1954

USSR’s first nuclear power station opens  1954

Nixon visits USSR 1974

Blair resigns 2007

[The Hallucinating Goose]

On this day in 1976, Air France Flight 139 was hijacked on route to Paris by terrorists and redirected to Entebbe in Uganda. 

[DavidM]

Edward IV crowned after deposing Henry VI following the battle of Towton , the bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil , 1461

The coronation of Victoria 1838

Ned Kelly captured 1880

This is it … Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated by Gavrilo Princip 1914

Treaty of Versailles signed 1919

Mercedes Benz formed by two companies owned by Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz merge 1926

Start of German summer offensive in the East , Case Blue 1942

N Korea captures Seoul 1950

Tyson bites Holyfield’s ear off 1997

Molosevic taken to ICTY to stand trial 1997