On this day in UK history – 31st December

On this day in UK history:

31^st December 1966 - Pirate Radio 390 (Radio Invicta) an offshore pirate radio station in England resumed transmitting.

On this day in UK history – 30th December

On this day in UK history:

30^th December 1995 - The lowest ever United Kingdom temperature of -27.2°C was recorded at Altnaharra in the Scottish Highlands. This equalled the record set at Braemar Aberdeenshire on 11^th February 1895 and 10^th January 1982.

On this day in UK history – 29th December

On this day in UK history:

29^th December 1766 - Charles Macintosh Scottish chemist was born. 

Charles was best known for his invention in 1823 of a method for making waterproof garments by using rubber dissolved in coal-tar naphtha for cementing two pieces of cloth together – the mackintosh. The mackintosh garment was named for him. 

On this day in UK history – 28th December

On this day in UK history:

28^th December 1950 - The Peak District becomes the United Kingdom's first National Park.

On this day in UK history – 27th December

On this day in UK history:

27^th December 1904 – J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan (The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up) debuted at London's The Duke of Yorks Theatre 

On this day in UK history - 26th December

On this day in UK history:

26^th December 1998 – Severe gales over Ireland / northern England and southern Scotland caused widespread disruption and power outages in both Northern Ireland and southern Scotland.

On this day in UK history – 25th December

On this day in UK history:

25^th December 2012 – Queen Elizabeth II shared her Christmas message with her Commonwealth subjects – referring to the “humbling” experience of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. Her speech this year was broadcast in 3D for the first time.

On this day in UK history – 24th December

On this day in UK history:

24th December 1965 - A meteorite landed on Barwell, Leicestershire weighing about 100lbs. 

Want to know more? Check out one / all of the following websites: 

• http://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council-services/lc/leicester-city-museums/museums/nwm-art-gallery/dinosaurs/podcastthebarwellmeteorite//
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/eastmidlands/series7/barwell_meteorite.shtml
• http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/britains-largest-meteorite---landed-5582157
• 
  

On this day in UK history – 23rd December

On this day in UK history:

23 December 1834 English architect - Joseph Hansom registered the patent design of his 'Safety Cab' better known as the Hansom cab - on the suggestion of his employer.

The Hansom cab had distinctive safety features including: a suspended axle / larger wheels and lower position of the cab. The safety features led to less wear and tear and fewer accidents. Joseph went on to sell the patent to a company for £10,000 however, due to the purchaser's financial difficulties - the sum was never paid.

The first Hansom cab travelled down Coventry Road in Hinckley in 1835. The Hansom cab was improved by later modifications and exported worldwide to become a feature on many 19th-century street scenes.

On this day in UK history - 22nd December

On this day in UK history:


22nd December 1965 - Great Britain sets national maximum road speed at 70 miles per hour

On this day in UK history - 21st December

On this day in UK history:

21st December 1804 Benjamin Disraeli was born in London 
He was the UK Prime Minister between: 1874-1880 
His occupation was classed as: Prime Minister and Novelist 
Books he wrote are: 
Vivian Grey (1826–27, novel)
The Young Duke (1831, novel)
Contarini Fleming (1832, novel)
Henrietta Temple (1837, novel)
Coningsby; or The New Generation (1844, novel)
Lothair (1870, novel, 3 vols.)
Endymion (1880, novel, 3 vols.)
Disraeli died on 19th April 1881 in London

On this day in UK history - 18th December

On this day in UK history: 

18th December 1961 - Britain's EMI Records originally rejected the Beatles (who would have thought) :D 

On this day in UK history - 20th December

On this day in UK history:

20th December 1955 - Cardiff was proclaimed the capital city of Wales.

Cardiff was made a city in 1905 / proclaimed the capital of Wales in 1955 / is the largest city in Wales and is the tenth largest city in the United Kingdom. 

Cardiff is the county town of the county of Glamorgan - later known as South Glamorgan.

It the seat of the National Assembly for Wales. 

National Assembly for Wales 

Cardiff is a significant tourist centre and the most popular visitor destination in Wales and in 2011 Cardiff was ranked sixth in the world in National Geographic's alternative tourist destinations.

The city is the base for most of the national cultural and sporting institutions such as: Millennium Stadium (home of the Wales National rugby union team and the Wales National football team) / the SWALEC Stadium (home of Glamorgan County Cricket) / Cardiff City Stadium (home of Cardiff City football team) and Cardiff Arms Park (home of Cardiff Blues and Cardiff RFC rugby union teams).  

Millennium Stadium 

Finally Cardiff was awarded with the European City of Sport in 2009 due to its role in hosting major international sporting events. It has been announced that Cardiff will again be the European City of Sport in 2014. 

And by the way the Millennium Stadium hosted 11 football matches as part of the 2012 Summer Olympics including the games' opening event and the men's bronze medal match.

On this day in UK history - 19th December

On this day in UK history: 

19th December 1843 - Charles Dickens publishes "A Christmas Carol"

A Christmas Carol by English author Charles Dickens was first published by Chapman & Hall on this day in history - 17th December 1843. 

It is the story of bitter old miser Ebeneezer Scrooge and his transformation resulting from supernatural visits by his late business partner Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past / Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come. 

This story is still popular today - one of my favourites :D 

On this day in UK history - 17th December

On this day in UK history: 

17th December 1986 - First heart / lung & liver transplant

• The first triple transplant patient was Davina Thompson born on 28th February 1951.  
• Davina was from Rawmarsh in South Yorkshire - UK. 
• On 17 December 1986 she underwent surgery for seven hours by a team of 15 headed by chest surgeon Mr John Wallwork and Prof. Sir Roy Calne.
• The operation took place at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge
• She passed away at the age of 47 on 13 August 1998 - 12 years after the operation that gave her a new heart / lungs and liver

On this day in UK history - 16th December

On this day in UK history: 


16th December 1775

Jane Austen was born on 16th December 1775 in Steventon, Hampshire
She was initially educated by Mrs Ann Cawley until she became ill and was educated at home until she went to boarding school. 
She was an English novelist who wrote romantic fiction and is one of the most widely read and respected writers in English literature - loved by readers and critics.
Jane Austin died on 18th July 1817 in Winchester, Hampshire

For information about Jane Austin's House Museum see: http://www.jane-austens-house-museum.org.uk/

On this day in UK history - 15th December

On this day in UK history: 



15th December 1815 - Jane Austen's "Emma" was published. 

On this day in UK history - 14th December

On this day in UK history:

14th December 1918 - For the first time in Britain women (over the age of 30) voted in a General Election. 

On this day in UK History - 13th December

On this day in UK History: 

13th December 1904 The first electric train came into service on London's Metropolitan Railway.

London Metropolitan Railway became part of London Underground and is now part of the Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines.

On this day in UK history - 12th December

On this day in UK history: 

12th December 1966 English sailor Francis Chichester arrived at Sydney in his ketch Gipsy Moth IV - half way in his bid to become the first man to sail solo around the world. 

On 28 May 1967, after 226 days, he arrived back in Portsmouth and became the first person to achieve a true, solo, circumnavigation of the world from West to East via the great capes. The voyage was also a race against the clock as Chichester wanted to better the typical times achieved by the fastest fully crewed clipper ships during the heyday of commercial sail in the 19th century.

Thanks to: http://www.beautifulbritain.co.uk/htm/onthisday/onthisday.htm

For more information about Sir Francis Chichester check out the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Chichester

Sir Francis Chichester aboard Gypsy Moth IV