On this day thread

[Neath_Jack]

The Dan yr Ogof Caves were first discovered on 27th December 1912 by Tommy and Jeff Morgan, who were trying to find the source of the river Llynfell which flowed through their farm land.
The brothers had tried previously but had been prevented from penetrating far into the mountain by a large lake. Undeterred they returned with coracles, candles, a piece of rope and an old revolver, using arrows in the sand to find their way back. They crossed not one lake but four and discovered a labyrinth of caves, passages and chambers, a 330 million years old wonderland of stalactites and stalagmites. They were eventually stopped by a small passage that was too small to crawl through.
Not long afterwards, they started charging a small entrance fee to take people into the caves by candle light and opened the caves properly to the public in 1939. However, during World War II, the government closed the caves down and used them to store ammunition and works of art. Water from the caves was also piped to Swansea when the water mains were damaged by bombs during the blitz on the city.
In 1963, a local girl called Eileen Davies, a member of the South Wales Caving Club, managed to crawl further into the caves to discover over 10 more miles of caves and passages. Expert cavers believe that there are still more to discover.

 

[Neath_Jack]

Born on this day 1931 in Swansea,
John Charles, former Wales soccer international who is considered by many to have been the greatest footballer that Britain ever produced.
Charles was a world class centre-half or centre-forward, who could also play full-back or midfield, if required. At 6ft 2ins and 14 stone, Charles had a tremendous physique, but he was also extremely agile for a big man. He possessed a delicate first touch, good control and was masterful in the air. Following his transfer from Leeds United to Italian giants Juventus in 1957, he became probably the most successful import to Serie A where his name is still revered.

 

[TheLoneRanger]

https://youtu.be/IOvrAXaZKfg

 

[Muteswan]

29th. December.
1170 English Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket assassinated before the high altar of Canterbury Cathedral by four knights.
1675. Parliament ordered the closing of all coffee houses on the basis that they were centres of malicious gossip about the Government.
1776. Charles Macintosh, Scottish chemist and inventor (waterproof fabric), born in Glasgow, Scotland (d. 1843).
1916. Grigori Rasputin, Russian monk and confidant of Russian Tsar Nicholas II, assassinated by conservative Russian aristocrats at 47.
1940. Worst German air raid on London as over 10,000 bombs including the 1st incendiary bombs are dropped on the city as part of the Blitz.
1947. Cozy Powell [Colin Flooks] English rock drummer (Jeff Beck Group, Whitesnake, ELP), born in Cirencester, (d. 1998).
1965. "Thunderball", 4th James Bond film starring Sean Connery and Claudine Auger premieres in Tokyo.
1970. Aled Jones, Welsh singer, born in Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales.
1975. New legislation introducing a woman's right to equal pay and status in the workplace, and in society, came into force in the UK.
1984. Band Aid were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with Do They Know It's Christmas?
2003. Bob Monkhouse, English comedian and game show host (b. 1928) died today.
2012. Tony Greig, English cricket captain, all-rounder (1972-77) and commentator, dies from a heart attack at 66.
2013. 7-time world F1 motor racing champion Michael Schumacher suffers a serious head injury in a ski accident in the French Alps; his condition still remains unclear.

 

[TheLoneRanger]

William Fuller VC, one of the first Victoria Cross recipients in the First World War, but the first Welsh recipient, dies today in Swansea on the 29th December 1974.

 

[Monty]

1

 

[Best_loser]

29

 

[Muteswan]

1

29th today

 

[Muteswan]

30th. December.
1865. Rudyard Kipling, English author (Jungle Book, Gunga Din-Nobel 1907), born in Bombay, British India (d. 1936).
1879. The first performance of the Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera, 'The Pirates of Penzance', at the Royal Bijou Theatre, Paignton, Devon.
1921. Born today in Blaenavon, Monmouthshire,Ken Jones, arguably Wales’ greatest ever all-round sportsman.
Jones was a Welsh and Lions international, who won 44 consecutive caps for Wales. His most famous score came in 1953, against the All Blacks. His pick up and try from a Clem Thomas kick gave Wales a famous victory and is still the last time that Wales have beaten New Zealand. He also triumphed as a sprinter at the Olympic Games of 1948, when he was part of the Great Britain 4x100 metres relay team which won silver. He also won an individual silver medal in the 220-yard sprint at the 1954 European Championships, when he had the additional honour of captaining the British team.
1922. Creation of the USSR formally proclaimed in Moscow from the Bolshoi Theatre, Soviet Union organized as a federation of RSFSR, Ukrainian SSR, Belorussian SSR and Transcaucasian SSR.
1926. Stan Tracey, British jazz pianist and composer (Under Milk Wood), born in Denmark Hill, South London, England (d. 2013).
1928. Bo Diddley [Ellas Bates McDaniels], American rock `n' roll pioneer guitarist, born in McComb, Mississippi (d. 2008).
1934. Del Shannon, American rock musician and songwriter (Runaway), born in Grand Rapids, Michigan (d. 1990).
1937. Gordon Banks, English goalkeeper (World Cup 1966, 73 England caps), born in Sheffield, England (d. 2019).
1939. American music producer, songwriter, vocalist, and bass guitarist Felix Pappalardi.
1946. Football league players threatened to strike over the proposed maximum wage of £11 a week.
1947. Jeff Lynne, British rock singer-songwriter and record producer (ELO), born in Shard End, Birmingham, England.
1961. Ben Johnson, Canadian athlete (Olympic 100m gold 1988-disqualified), born in Falmouth, Jamaica.
1967. Beatles' "Hello Goodbye" single goes #1 & stays #1 for 3 weeks in USA.
1968. Frank Sinatra first records "My Way" with lyrics were written by Paul Anka.
1974. Beatles are legally disbanded (4 years after suit was brought).
1975. Tiger Woods, American golfer, born in Cypress, California.
1979. Rock group, Emerson, Lake & Palmer break up.
2006. Saddam Hussein, President of Iraq (1979-2003), hanged in Baghdad at 69.
2020. The Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine was approved by the UK medicines regulator, opening up the possibility of rapidly scaling up vaccination against Covid-19.

 

[Muteswan]

1st January.
1 Origin of the Christian Era.
404 Last gladiator competition in Rome.
1772 First traveler's cheques go on sale in London, can be used in 90 European cities.
1781. The first all-iron bridge in the world, Iron Bridge in Shropshire was opened to traffic.
1785 "Daily Universal Register" (Times of London) publishes 1st issue.
1788 London's Daily Universal Registrar becomes the Times.
1801 The Irish Parliament votes to join the Kingdom of Great Britain, forming the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
1818 Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus" is published.
1863 Emancipation Proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln to free slaves in US confederate states.
1876 Bass Ale’s ‘Red Triangle’ became the first registered trade mark in Britain.
1881 Dr John Watson is first introduced to Sherlock Holmes in story written by Arthur Conan Doyle.
1894 Manchester Ship Canal in England opens to traffic.
1909 In Great Britain, the Old Age Pension Law is finally instituted, providing pensions for every British subject over 70 with low income.
1923 Britain's Railways are grouped into the Big Four: LNER, GWR, SR, and LMSR.
1934 Alcatraz officially becomes a federal prison.
1937 Safety glass in vehicle windscreens becomes mandatory in Great Britain.
1948 Transport Act of 1947 comes into force in the United Kingdom, nationalizing the British rail system under the name British Railways.
1951 The first episode of the BBC’s radio serial The Archers - farming folk of Ambridge.
1953 The first TV detector van, used to track down users of unlicensed television sets, begins operation in the UK.
1958 European Economic Community, better known as the European Common Market starts operation.
1965 49 year old former England international forward Stanley Matthews becomes only player to be awarded a knighthood while still playing (Stoke City).
1966 Simon & Garfunkel's "Sounds of Silence" reaches #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
1973 Britain, Ireland & Denmark become 7th-9th members of Common Market.
1995 Fred West, the 53 year old Gloucestershire builder charged with 12 murders, was found dead in his prison cell.
1999 The Euro currency is introduced.
2002 Euro banknotes and coins become legal tender in twelve of the European Union's member states.
2013 Christopher Martin-Jenkins, British cricket journalist & broadcaster (President MCC; BBC Radio), dies of cancer at 67.

 

[Muteswan]

2nd. January.
1769 The Royal Academy, founded through a personal act of King George III on 10th December 1768, was opened in Piccadilly, London.
1839 1st photo of the Moon (French photographer Louis Daguerre).
1879 Australian fast bowler Fred Spofforth dismisses 3 English batsmen with consecutive deliveries during the 3rd Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for Test cricket's first "hat-trick".
1923 Ku Klux Klan surprise attack on black residential area Rosewood Florida, 8 killed (compensation awarded in 1995).
1926 The first issue of The Melody Maker went on sale priced at 3d.
1938 Ian Brady [Ian Duncan Stewart], British serial killer (Moors Murders), born in Glasgow (d. 2017).
1944 1st use of helicopters during warfare (British Atlantic patrol).
1965 Martin Luther King Jr. begins a drive to register black voters.
1969 Filming began at Twickenham studios in England of The Beatles rehearsing for the 'Let It Be' album. The project ran into several problems including George Harrison walking out on the group on January 10th.
1971 Sixty six spectators were crushed to death and more than 200 others injured at the Ibrox football ground in Glasgow at the end of a Rangers v Celtic derby.
1974 Museums and Galleries began charging admission for the first time.
1980 British Steelworkers went on strike over pay.British Steel had just reported half-yearly losses and claimed it needed to reduce its workforce by approximately 30% in order to get back into profit. The steel workers feared British Steel's long term plans for profitability would mean the closure of some plants with the loss of thousands of jobs and the workers at Port Talbot and Llanwern in South Wales feared their plants would be the first to close. After spreading to the privatised steel works, the strike lasted nearly 14 weeks with the plants reopening after a pay package was agreed. Later that summer, however, 17,000 of the 24,000 South Wales steel workers were put on short time and by the end of 1980 British Steel had completed the closure of a number of outdated and loss-making plants, reducing its overall workforce from 268,500 employees to 130,000.
1982 Erica Rowe became the first sports 'streaker' when she ran across the Twickenham ground at the England v Australia rugby match waving her bra in the air. She was arrested, with policemen covering her 40" breasts with their woefully undersized helmets.
1983 Richard "Dick" Emery, British comedian & actor dies from cardio-respiratory failure at 65.

 

[Muteswan]

3rd January
1496 Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tests a flying machine.
1833 Britain seizes control of Falkland Islands in South Atlantic.
1892 J. R. R. Tolkien, British author (The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings), born in Bloemfontein, South Africa (d. 1973).
1905 Ray Milland, Welsh actor (Lost Weekend-Academy Award 1945), born in Neath, Wales (d. 1986).
1910 British miners strike for 8 hour working day.
1926 George Martin, British record producer (The Beatles; Jeff Beck; America), born in London, England (d. 2016).
1946 John Paul Jones [John Baldwin], English rock bassist and songwriter (Led Zeppelin), born in London.
1956 Mel Gibson, American actor (Mad Max, Lethal Weapon) and filmmaker, born in Peekskill, New York.
1961 The production of the millionth Morris Minor, designed by the Greek born Sir Alec Issigonis.
1967 Jack Ruby, American assassin who killed assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, dies of pulmonary embolism at 55.
1969 Michael Schumacher, German auto racer (World F1 champion 1994-95, 2000-05), born in Hürth, Germany.
1977 Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs incorporate Apple Computer, Inc.
1980 Joy Adamson [Friederike Viktoria Gessner], Austrian naturalist and author (Born Free), murdered at 69 by her servant.
1984 The launch of the FTSE 100, an index of the 100 leading shares listed on the London Stock Exchange, measured by their market value.
1988 Margaret Thatcher becomes longest-serving British PM this century.
2003 Greta Thunberg, Swedish climate change activist, born in Stockholm, Sweden.
2014 Phil Everly, American singer & half of the rock and roll duo "The Everly Brothers" dies of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at 74.
2014 Along the whole of Wales' coastline dozens of roads were closed and the rail network was also badly affected as storm surges brought flooding chaos around Wales' coast.
2020 Gerry Marsden (Gerry and the Pacemakers) died today aged 78.

 

[Muteswan]

4th January
1809 Louis Braille, French educator and inventor of a system of reading and writing for the blind, born in Coupvray, France (d. 1852)
1813 Isaac Pitman, English teacher and inventor of Pitman shorthand, born in Trowbridge, England (d. 1897)
1847 Samuel Colt sells his first revolver pistol to the United States government.
1850 Born on this day in Bettws, Bridgend, Griffith Jenkins Griffith,- Welsh- American industrialist and philanthropist, who donated 3,015 acres of land to the City of Los Angeles which later became Griffith Park.
1942 John McLaughlin, British jazz-rock fusion guitarist (Mahavishnu Orchestra), born in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England.
1954 Elvis Presley records his 1st demo for Sun Records at a recording studio in Memphis.
1961 Erwin Schrödinger, Austrian physicist and Nobel Laureate (wave mechanics), dies at 73.
1965 T. S. Eliot, American-born British poet (The Waste Land) and Nobel laureate (1948), dies in London at 76.
1967 English land and boat racer Donald Campbell is killed while driving jet-powered boat Bluebird K7 on Coniston Water in England trying to beat his own water speed record.
1974 Nixon refuses to hand over tapes subpoenaed by Watergate Committee.
1981 British police arrest Peter Sutcliffe, the "Yorkshire Ripper".
1986 Irish singer, songwriter and bassist Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy died of heart failure and pneumonia after being in a coma for eight days following a drug overdose aged 36.
2007 Gren, Welsh newspaper cartoonist (b. 1934) died today.
2011 Gerry Rafferty, Scottish guitarist and vocalist (Baker Street), dies at 63.
2021 Oxford Covid vaccine begins rollout today.
2021 Boris Johnson calls a new Lockdown for England, similar to the other devolved nations.

 

[Muteswan]

5th January
1066 Edward the Confessor, last King of England from the House of Wessex (1042-66), dies at 60-63.
1855 King C. Gillette, American businessman and inventor of inexpensive and disposable safety razor blades, born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin (d. 1932).
1886 "Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson published by Longmans, Green & Co.
1896 "Die Presse" newspaper (Germany) publicly announces Wilhelm Röntgen's discovery of X-rays and their potential for new methods of medical diagnoses.
1930 Bonnie Parker meets Clyde Barrow for the first time at Clarence Clay's house.
1939 Amelia Earhart, American aviator (1st woman to fly solo across the Atlantic), is declared dead at 41 after disappearing over the Pacific Ocean in 1937.
1941 Amy Johnson, British pilot who was the first female pilot to fly alone from Britain to Australia, dies during a ferry flight at 37.
1959 Buddy Holly releases his last record "It Doesn't Matter"; he was killed in a plane crash 29 days later.
1960 The last journey of The Mumbles Railway the oldest in the world. It was set up in 1804 as a goods railway running from Swansea to Mumbles Head, Wales, and began carrying passengers in 1807. The railway still holds the record for the highest number of forms of traction of any railway in the world - horse-drawn, sail power, steam power, electric power, petrol and diesel.
1965 Vinnie Jones, English-born Welsh footballer and actor, born in Watford, United Kingdom.
1967 Pink Floyd and Eyes of Blue appeared at The Marquee Club London, England.
1971 The first ODI was played today between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. When the first three days of the third Test were washed out officials decided to abandon the match and, instead, play a one-off one day game consisting of 40 eight-ball overs per side. Australia won by 5 wickets (with 42 balls remaining).
1979 American jazz double bassist, pianist, composer and bandleader Charles Mingus died aged 56.
1981 Peter Sutcliffe, a truck driver confesses that he is the "Yorkshire Ripper" and murdered 13 women.
1991 Iron Maiden went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter.
1993 Brian Lara scores his maiden test century, 277 runs West Indies v Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
1994 Brian Johnston, British cricket commentator (BBC radio commentator & cake connoisseur), dies at 81.
1998 David Bairstow, English cricket wicket keeper, (4 Tests; father of England Test 'keeper Jonny), dies from suicide at 46.
2001 A report funded by The Department of Health found that the convicted serial killer, former GP Harold Shipman, may have killed in excess of 300 of his patients.
2014 Eusébio da Silva Ferreira, Portuguese footballer (top goalscorer-1966 World Cup), dies from heart failure at 71.
2016 First batsman to ever score 1000 runs in a single innings in cricket - 15 year-old Mumbai schoolboy Pranav Dhanawade is 1009 not out.

 

[Muteswan]

6th January
1066 The coronation of Harold II, the last Anglo-Saxon King of England, succeeding Edward the Confessor. He reigned for ten months before he died at the Battle of Hastings, fighting the Norman invaders led by William the Conqueror.
1412 The birth of St Joan of Arc, the Maid of Orléans.
1838 Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail demonstrate their telegraph machine in New Jersey.
1852 Louis Braille, French educator and inventor of a system of reading and writing for the blind, dies of tuberculosis at 43.
1916 World War I - The British Government introduced conscription, to replace the many thousands killed in the trenches in France.
1930 Australian cricket icon Don Bradman scores 452 not out for New South Wales v Queensland in Sydney.
1937 American singer Doris Troy was born today, probably best known for singing on Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon.
1945 Born on this day in Cefneithin, Gwendraeth Valley, Barry John - former Wales and Lions rugby international, who became known as 'The King' and is considered by many to be the greatest fly-half in the sport's history.
1946 Syd Barrett guitarist, singer, songwriter with Pink Floyd born today. He was a co-founding member, left Floyd in 1968.
1953 Malcolm Young, guitarist with Australian rock band,AC/DC born today.
1955 Rowan Atkinson, English comedian and actor (Mr Bean, Blackadder), born in Consett, County Durham, England.
1958 Gibson guitars launched it's 'Flying V' electric guitar.
1960 Nigella Lawson, English chef and writer, born in London, England.
1974 United Kingdom begins three-day work week during energy crisis.
1975 Pink Floyd started sessions at Abbey Road Studios London for their album Wish You Were Here.
1977 EMI records drop punk rock group Sex Pistols.
1979 The Village People's Y.M.C.A becomes their only UK #1 single. At its peak it sold over 150,000 copies a day.
1982 Eddie Redmayne, English actor (The Other Boleyn Girl, The Theory of Everything), born in London.
1986 British Defense Secretary Michael Heseltine resigns after the 'Westland affair'.
1993 John B "Dizzy" Gillespe, blues trumpeter, dies of cancer at 75.
2000 The flu outbreak in Britain puts pressure on NHS.
2012 Robert (Bob) Holness, English radio and television presenter, dies at 83.