September 5th
 

After keeping the rush-hour trains running over the body of a woman who dived onto the tracks in 1997, the Sydney Ambulance Service explained: "It was pretty obvious after a few trains ran over her, that she was dead!!" Those caring, lovable Aussies, huh?!


Today in 1871, French author Victor Hugo returned to Paris to a hero's welcome after his political exile on Guernsey, with the manuscript of Les Miserablesin his pocket!


In 1980, after 21 years work, the Swiss opened the world's longest raod tunnel - the ten-mile St. Gotthard, from Goschenen to Airolo, at a cost of 690 Million swiss Francs


France's greatest king, Louis XIV, was born in 1638 after his parents, Louis XIII and Anne of Austria, had been married for 23 years

September 6th
 

In 1759, General Wolfe defeats the French on the Plains of Abraham, and Canada becomes English...... for a while!! :)


In 1952 a prototype de Havilland 110 jet-fighter exploded while breaking the Sound barrier at the Farnborough Air Show, and crashed into the ground. The aircraft killed 27 people, and injured 63 more.


Wickets consisting of three stumps, were used for the first time at a cricket match in Surrey between Coulsdon and Chertsey, in 1776.


Colombian (soccer) goalkeeper Rene Higuita brightened up a 0-0 friendly against England in 1995, by saving a lob with a "Scorpion-kick", with his heels kicking up behind his head! I saw this move quite a few times.... WHAT a show-off!!! ;)

September 7th
 

A gentleman by the name of Henry Bliss becomes the first automobile fatality in the U.S. toay in 1899.


In 1986, Bishop Desmond Tutu became the first black head of the Anglican Church in South Africa, when he was 2enthroned2 as Archbishop of Capetown.


The first use of submarines in warfare came this day in 1776, when the Americans tried to blow-up the Royal Navy flagship in New York harbour using a midget submarine - they failed!!


Citizens of Loretto, Italy, like to believe that angels moved the home of Mary & Joseph from Nazareth to their city, on this day in 1295.

September 8th
 

In 1968, at the first U.S. Open Tennis Championships at Forest Hills, Britains Virginia Wade defeated America's Billie Jean King in the final.


The first example of Hitler's V2 secret rocket bomb landed in Chiswick in 1944, killing three people.


The Dutch settlement New Amsterdam, renamed New York by the British, was swapped in a peace treaty for the spice-island of Run, thought at the time to be more valuable!!!

September 9th
 

Chairman Mao Tse-tung, leader of Communist China's 800 MILLION people, and author of the Little Red Book , died at the age of 82 today in 1976


The United States of America was born today in 1776, when the Continental Congress changed the name of ther nation from the "United Colonies"


TV crews filming reconstruction on the streets were blamed for the race-riots that erupted in London's Notting Hill area, in 1958

September 10th
 

In 1981, after 40 years in the U.S., Pablo Picasso's painting Guernicawent back to Spain. He had forbidden its exhibition in Spain until democracy was restored


The world's first recognised motorway (freeway/interstate-type road, for our American friends!!) opened on a six-mile stretch known as the Avus Autobahn, in Berlin in 1921


Also in 1981, two aggressive pelicans had to be moved to London Zoo from St. James's Park, because they had taken to eating ducklings!!

September 11th
 

Don't really need to mention the first one, do I?


In 1275, a huge earthquake destroyed much of Glastonbury in Somerset, including the early Saxon church of St. Michael on top of the famous Tor


Britain's first widely available bootleg LP (anybody remember THEM?) was a two-album Bob Dylan collection called Great White Wonderwhich, unofficially, reached UK shops today in 1969


Not sure this last one's in too good taste, but anyway;

Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci watched the events of 9/11 unfold on TV, in the company of members of the Bin Laden family, at a Merchant bank's annual meeting

September 12th
 

In 1953, Nikita Khrushchev, the man who was publicly to acknowledge Stalin's crimes, was elected First Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party


On this day in 1960, a law came into force stipulating that all cars in Britain more than three years old had to pass a Ministry of Transport test of their roadworthiness (The start of the Dreaded MOT!!)


Cleopatra's Needle was erected on the Thames embankment in 1878, but the 69ft obelisk predates the qqueen (born i n 69BC) by several hundred years

September 13th
 

In 1940, the Luftwaffe dropped six bombs on Buckingham Palace, one of which exploded just 80 yards from where King George VI was sitting at his desk


Work began in 122 A.D. on building a wall from the Tyne to the Solway, to defend one of the farthest outposts of the Roman Empire from the marauding Picts. It becake known as Hadrian's Wall.


The England soccer teams plans to retain the World Cup in Mexico were hampered in 1970 when skipper Bobby Moore was put under house-arrest, falsely accused of shoplifting a bracelet.

September 14th
 

In 1812, Napoleon entered Moscow, which the Russians had abandoned. Later that day, a fire destroyed much of the city, and Napoleon retreated! Cincidence? I don't think so!! :eek:


Joesph Heath of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club took the first penalty kick in a Football League game, scoring the second goal of Wolves' 5-0 win over Accrington Stsanley in 1891.


In 1773 Dr. Samuel Johnson said "I have, all my life, lain in bed till noon; yet I tell all young men that nobody who does not rise early will ever do anything good". One up for hypocrisy, huh?? :)

September 15th
 

Back to four, this week (bit of a SNAFU last week!!)


In 1885, Phineas T. Barnum's prize elephant Jumbowas hit by a train in Ontario


In 1980, Prince Charles was awarded his international diving licence, after five dives on the wreck of the Mary Rose


H.M.S. Resolution, Britain's first nuclear-powered submarine, was launched by H.M. The Queen Mother at Barrow-in-Furness in 1966.


The Goons' second hit record, The Ying Tong Song, entered the UK charts today in 1956. It went on to reach number three i the hit-parade How many out there remember THAT one?!?! :)

September 16th
 

The fires in Moscow, set by the Russians two days earlier to deny Napoleon the riches of the city, finally die down. 80% of the city was levelled by the force of the fire.


King Harold marched his army from London to meet his brother in battle in Yorkshire in 1066, before returning to nearlydefeat William of Normandy at Hastings (on October 14th)

Think about that for a minute....... marching upwards of 700 miles, and TWO battles, in less than a month!!!


(Brit) comedian Steve Coogan first introduced us to his new creation, the ghastly broadcaster "Alan Partridge", in his TV show Knowing Me, Knowing You in 1994.


Businessman Clarence Birdseye first got the idea for his frozen-foods firm in 1920, while watching Eskimos catching and storing fish.

September 17th
 

In 1862, 23,100 men became casualties in the Civil War battle of Antietam - the bloodiest single day i U.S. military history.


Today in 1948, members of a Zionist extremist group assassinated Count Folke Bernadotte, the United Nations mediator for Palestine


In 1900, Queen Victoria signed the document that united the six Australian colonies into the Federal Commonwealth of Australia. Happy 103rd Birthday, Oz!!! :bday:


In the battle of Antietam, Union General George McClellan was able to halt Confederate Robert E. Le's advance after a soldier found his plans wrapped around a cigar! Bet he wished he'd smoked it!!! :)

September 18th
 

Jimi Hendrix was found dead in London this day in 1970 Another one who died FAR too young!


In 1798, Napper Tandy and General Rey landed a French?Irish army in Donegal, nd handed out proclamations and green cockades in the last armed invasion of Great Britain


French engineers began work on a special tunnel under a motorway near Toulon, so tortoises could cross the road in safety


The cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington was laid in 1793, in a distinctly "Masonic" ceremony presided over by George Washington

September19th
 

William Joyce, aka Lord Haw-Haw, is sentenced to death for treason in 1945. He had broadcast German propaganda to Britain during WW2


Also today, in 1945, seventeen-year-old screen star Shirley Temple wed actor John Agar. The marriage ended in divorce after just four years.


In 1975, BBC TV showed A Touch of Class, the first episode of John Cleese's "Fawlty Towers"series. It was cooly received. For our American friends..... Fawlty Towers is now widely acclaimed as a Comedy Classic! :)


In 1791, Hartley Coleridge planned a walking trip with (the poet) Wordsworth, but went into a shop, forgot about it, and left by the back door. He was gone for six weeks. Talk about MIA!! :)