I don’t know about you, but there is always a pile of books on my bedside locker. Usually two or three of them are part read, and the others are waiting to be started.
Whilst rummaging through the pile of books, I came across one which is a must have for all those Pub Quiz addicts. It’s called “On This Day in History” and is compiled by Simon Mayo and Simon Jenkins. Laid out in time order (by each day of the year) are some fascinating facts about what happened on each particular day.
Let me give you a few samples.
Did you know that on October 31st Harry Houdini, the famous escapologist died as a result of getting a punch in the stomach. Harry prided himself in being able to take a punch in the stomach, and had invited a visitor to his dressing room to punch him, but the visitor hit him before he was ready, as a direct result of this Harry died of a burst appendix!
July 22nd Revd Archibald William Spooner toasted the Queen with these words “Let us drink to the Queer old Dean” He was the gentleman who gave Spoonerisms to us. Another of his famous ones was telling a cyclist to "Go Boil your Icicle".
On Dec 1st 1900 thousands of gallons of beer were poured into the sewers of Liverpool and Manchester, because the beer had an unusual additive – arsenic! Four people were killed as a result of drinking the brew and a further 2,000 were injured.
So what about today February 16th?
Today in 1960 the U.S. nuclear submarine set off on the first underwater voyage around the world without surfacing.
Today in 1834 marks the death (on dry land!) of Lionel Lukin – inventor of the lifeboat.
In 1959 John McEnroe the tennis star made his first grunts – when he was born!
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