On This Day In History
This day 61 years ago – 8 November 1960 – nine Irish peacekeeping soldiers were killed in an ambush by Baluba tribesmen in Niemba, Katanga.
For more info, pick up a copy of This Day in Irish History, available online and in all good bookshops now.https://t.co/Y4VENustgB pic.twitter.com/0n7qBCOzHR
— This Day in Irish History (@ThisDayIrish) November 8, 2021
#otd in 1920 Mary Tourtel, artist and author, saw her iconic character, Rupert Bear ("Little Lost Bear") published for the first time in the UK's Daily Express newspaper. Tourtel's works have sold 50 million copies internationally. Happy birthday Rupert!https://t.co/FGOS6LwdoV pic.twitter.com/yV6EP8wd09
— On This Day She (@OnThisDayShe) November 8, 2022
On this day in 1889, a white mob took 18-year-old Orion “Owen” Anderson from jail in Leesburg, Virginia, and lynched him for allegedly frightening a white girl. To overcome racial inequality, we must confront our history. https://t.co/0lv4Cwigmw
— Equal Justice Initiative (@eji_org) November 8, 2022
8 November 1656. Edmond Halley, was born in Haggerston, Middlesex. In September 1682, he carried out a series of observations of what became known as Halley’s Comet. His name became associated with it because of his work on its orbit and for predicting its return in 1758. pic.twitter.com/43hYZNYDdo
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) November 8, 2022
8 November 1674. English poet, John Milton, died (aged 65). He wrote at a time of religious flux and political upheaval, and is best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost (1667), which is widely considered to be one of the greatest works of literature ever written. pic.twitter.com/4KHQ39DGHT
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) November 8, 2022
8 November 1886. Fred Archer (aged 29), the greatest British flat racing jockey of the 19th century, committed suicide, due to severe depression, and constant dieting to keep his weight down. He was Champion Jockey for 13 consecutive years until 1886, riding 2,748 winners. pic.twitter.com/RDXNMTPb2h
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) November 8, 2022
8 November 1895. Wilhelm Röntgen discovered X-Radiation, which led to X-Rays being used in medical diagnosis. This remarkable achievement earned him the first Nobel Prize in Physics, and remains one of the most important breakthroughs in medical history. pic.twitter.com/yRIKYOAP6b
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) November 8, 2022
8 November 1920. Rupert Bear appeared in the Daily Express for the first time. Rupert was born because newspaper owner Lord Beaverbrook noticed rival newspapers featured animal-based cartoons, but not the Express, but Rupert was not given his own daily cartoon strip until 1935. pic.twitter.com/6QbuU9c863
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) November 8, 2022
8 November 1922. Christian Barnard was born in Beaufort West, South Africa. He performed the world’s first heart transplant operation on 3 December 1967, when he transplanted the heart of Denise Darvall into 54-year-old, Louis Washkansky, who only survived for 18 days. pic.twitter.com/Zx6aOpIl76
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) November 8, 2022
8-9 November 1923. Adolf Hitler led a bungled atttempt to seize power in Bavaria during the Munich Beer-Hall Putsch. It failed miserably and he was arrested, and charged with “high treason”. pic.twitter.com/PujSqZCDqb
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) November 8, 2022
8 November 1927. Comedy legend and singer, Ken Dodd, was born in Knotty Ash, Liverpool. His TV programmes and his live stand-up performances were hugely popular. He also notched up 18 Top 40 hits, including, Tears, the 3rd best selling UK single of the 1960s. pic.twitter.com/NQ6E38JEG3
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) November 8, 2022
8 November 1939. Adolf Hitler narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by Georg Elser (pictured). Hitler was making his annual speech at a Munich beer hall on the anniversary of the 1923 Munich Beer Hall Putsch, but he left 13 minutes before a bomb exploded. pic.twitter.com/fAoblVoV10
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) November 8, 2022
8 November 1943. Football legend, Martin Peters, was born in Plaistow, Essex. He played club football for West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Norwich City and Sheffield United. He played 67 times for England, scoring 20 goals, and was a member of the 1966 World Cup winning team. pic.twitter.com/3m63oD3PRI
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) November 8, 2022
8 November 1965. The Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965, became law, thereby abolishing the death penalty in the UK. It has never been restored. pic.twitter.com/dOkHKASgZC
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) November 8, 2022
8 November 1987. An IRA bomb exploded before a Remembrance Day Service at the Cenotaph in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, killing 11 people. (10 civilians and 1 police officer). The IRA said its real target had been British soldiers parading to the memorial. pic.twitter.com/BODjzW10Iq
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) November 8, 2022
8 November 2007. Anglican cleric, Chad Varah, died (aged 95). He founded The Samaritans help line to help people contemplating suicide. He answered the first ever call made to the brand new helpline. A person whose life made a real difference to preserving the lives of others. pic.twitter.com/NfNAF6AIaB
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) November 8, 2022
With over 120 photographs - this is the definitive one volume narrative political history of this fascinating period. Pre order on Amazon. pic.twitter.com/HHUnuUv0qX
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) November 8, 2022
November 9th
1494 Piero the Unfortunate of the de' Medici family, ruler of Florence, loses his power and flees the state
1799 Napoleon Bonaparte pulls off a coup and becomes the dictator of France under the title of First Consul
1980 Iraqi President Saddam Hussein declares holy war against Iran
1994 Darmstadtium, Chemical element 110, discovered at GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research near Darmstadt, Germany
1998 Brokerage houses are ordered to pay 1.03 billion USD to NASDAQ investors to compensate for price-fixing - largest civil settlement in US history
2020 Drugmakers BioNTech and Pfizer announce their COVID-19 vaccine to be over 90% effective in a first look at the results from their phase 3 trial involving nearly 44,000 people
Did You Know?
Jack the Ripper's 5th and probably last victim, Mary Jane Kelly, found on her bed
Today in History in 1888
Would You Believe?
The first U.S. design patent for typefaces and borders was issued to George Bruce of New York City
Today in History in 1842
This day 29 years ago – 9 November 1990 – Mary Robinson was declared elected President of Ireland, the first woman to hold the office.
Speaking that night, she said, “I want to be a president for all the people. Because I was elected by men and women of all parties and none.” pic.twitter.com/JK5ZvTCZ6j
— This Day in Irish History (@ThisDayIrish) November 9, 2019