Today's The Day - 1st September

1st September 2006 - National Courtesy Month

National Day of Libya.

Religious events today...
Feast Day of St Fiacre,
St Giles or Aegidiu
St Drithelm,
St Lupus or Leu of Sens,
St Sebe,
St Priscus of Capua,
and St Verena.

History Test for September 1st
Born today in 1923, who was the only undefeated world heavyweight boxer? -Rocky Marciano
Today in 1972, who became the first American world chess champion when he beat Boris Spassky? -Bobby Fischer
Actress Yvonne de Carlo was born today in 1924. Name the 137-year-old character she played in a cult TV series. -Lily Munster in 'The Munsters'
Name the Sun King of France, who died today in 1715 after the longest reign in European history. -Louis XIV
Painter Franz Hals died today in 1666. What was his nationality? -Dutch

QUOTE
“It is impossible to win gracefully at chess. No man has yet said `Mate!’ in a voice which failed to sound to his opponent bitter, boastful and malicious.” - A.A. Milne, English author, 1919.

Events today...
70AD The destruction of Jerusalem under Titus took place.
1159 Death of Pope Adrian IV, the only English pope.
1557 Death of Jacques Cartier, French explorer of North America.
1666 Death of Franz Hals, Dutch portrait painter.
1715 France's Sun King, Louis XIV, died aged 77. Louis succeeded to the throne at the age of four and ruled France for 73 years, longer than any other monarch. His reign was absolute, brilliant and bloody. He was only 23 when he seized full control. A cultural extravaganza blossomed for 20 years at Louis' magnificent palace at Versailles, accompanied by an economic boom and French domination of the world stage. However, Louis' brutal suppression of the Protestant Huguenots was a disaster, and a long succession of wars subsequently sapped France's strength. In his final years his health was failing, and the last of his celebrated mistresses, Madame de Maintenon, had persuaded him that his sufferings were God's punishment for the blood he had spilled all over Europe. On his deathbed he counselled his five-year-old heir Louis XV to avoid wars and extravagance.
1752 The Liberty Bell arrived in Philadelphia, U.S.A.
1830 The poem "Mary Had a Little Lamb" was published by Sarah J. Hales in Boston.
1833 A 23-year-old printer published the first edition of a new kind of newspaper in New York. The New York Sun was a daily, half the size of the big news-sheets (much easier to read on a crowded streetcar), and was a fraction of the price of all other New York papers. Written and typeset by proprietor Benjamin Day himself - the Sun's four pages are packed with articles calculated for popular appeal rather than merely to inform. Day hit on an innovative way of selling the newspaper, employing boys to hawk it on the streets.
1853 The world's first triangular postage stamps were issued by the Cape of Good Hope.
1856 Death of Richard Westmacott, British sculptor.
1865 The first surgery using antiseptic was performed by Joseph Lister.
1870 The siege of Metz (Franco-German War) started.
1886 The Severn Tunnel was opened for goods traffic.
1896 The Chinese dish chop suey was devised to appeal to Chinese and American tastes.
1904 A young woman who had been both blind and deaf since the age of two graduated from college, with honours. Helen Keller, 24, now held a doctor's degree from Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. When she was an infant a brain fever left her in a silent, dark world. She was confined to hysterics, screams and tantrums until an inspired teacher, Anne Mansfield Macy, helped her to read Braille and write using a special typewriter. In 1902 Helen published her autobiography, The Story of My Life- but her story was far from over.
1920 The French created the state of Lebanon, naming Beirut as the capital.
1923 A massive earthquake in Japan killed more than 300,000 and devastates Tokyo and Yokohama.
1928 Albania was declared a kingdom, with Zog I as king.
1933 The Shape of Things to Come, the classic science fiction novel by H G Wells, was published.
1939 Germany invaded Poland, starting World War II and Switzerland declared its neutrality.
1948 Chairman Mao set up a provisional government in China.
1951 Britain's first supermarket, the Premier, opened in London.
1951 The Anzus Treaty, a mutual defence treaty between Australia, New Zealand and the United States, was signed.
1967 Death of English poet Siegfried Sassoon, famous for his brutally realistic war poems.
1969 Libyan Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi seized power after the monarchy was overthrown.
1970 André Previn and Mia Farrow married.
1970 Death of François Mauriac aged 84. Novelist
1972 Bobby Fischer became the first American world chess champion. The temperamental 29-year-old boy wonder from Brooklyn finally triumphed over defending champion Boris Spassky of the USSR after a marathon two-month struggle, which also established Fischer as the one of the world's unreasonable people. Fischer, who was US champion at 14 and an international grandmaster at 15, sailed undefeated through the qualifying matches to face Spassky, and then argued with the champion over petty details for months before agreeing to play. The showdown in Reykjavik in Iceland drew avid media attention - Fischer's constant tantrums made riveting viewing. The two men played in an atmosphere boiling with resentment, yet the chess was brilliant.
1983 Mick Jones was sacked by fellow band members of The Clash.
1985 French and American scientists discovered the wreck of the SS Titanic which had sunk in 1912 approximately 560 miles off Newfoundland.
1989 Captain Mark Phillips and HRH Princess Anne announced their separation.
1992 Gloria Estefan and her husband Emilio organised a relief project in Miami for the victims of Hurricane Andrew.
1999 Seventy people died as an Argentine jet crashed on take-off.
1999 Following the IRA bombing three years earlier, Manchester’s first new street for 50 years, New Cathedral Street was officially opened.
2003 An audiotape said to be from Iraq's ex-leader, Saddam Hussein, denied any involvement in the murder of a senior Shia cleric.
2003 Colonel Gaddafi announced Libya was to pay compensation for the 1989 bombing of a French airliner, paving the way for an end to sanctions.
2003 The Russian navy had failed to pull any bodies from the K-159 submarine which sank in the Barents Sea three days earlier.
2003 Dr Kelly's widow Janice described his decline into despair as the pressure mounted in the run-up to his apparent suicide.
2003 An investigation cleared British Army officer Colonel Tim Collins of war crimes during the Iraqi conflict.
2003 Hollywood actor Charles Bronson, gritty star of films such as The Magnificent Seven, died at the age of 81.
2003 Bolton boss Sam Allardyce missed out on signing Sergei Rebrov but did land Burnley's Glen Little on loan. Also, Leicester City completed the season-long loan signing of Ipswich Town striker Marcus Bent.
2004 A siege at a south Russian school continued into the night, with a gang holding at least 200, many of them children.
2004 Champion jockey Kieren Fallon was released on police bail over allegations of horse race fixing.
2004 Tony Blair and David Beckham attended a ceremony to mark the "topping off" of Wembley stadium.
2004 A re-released Westlife single was named number one in the UK's first official music download chart.
2004 Carl Wayne, the lead singer of influential 1960s pop group the Move, died at the age of 61 after battling cancer.
2004 Steve Harmison took a hat-trick as England beat India by seven wickets in the NatWest Challenge at Trent Bridge.
2005 His agent, Al Embry, said that blues musician Fats Domino was among those missing after Hurricane Katrina.
2005 George Clooney admitted stealing other directors' ideas as he unveilled his movie at the Venice Film Festival.
2005 Australia's women won a thrilling match at Taunton by four runs to claim the one-day series against England.

BIRTHDAYS (for 01 September 2006)
Amilcare Ponchielli, 172 (born 01 September 1834)
Italian composer of the opera La Gioconda.
Englebert Humperdink, 152 (born 01 September 1854)
Died 1921. German composer
Sir Roger Casement, 142 (born 01 September 1864)
Irish nationalist and British diplomat, sentenced to death by the British after he attempted to arrange for Irish World War One prisoners in Germany to take part with him in a Republican rebellion.
Edgar Rice Burroughs, 131 (born 01 September 1875)
American novelist who created the fictional character Tarzan in Tarzan of the Apes and many sequels, but who never visited Tarzan's native Africa. Died 1950.
Marilyn Miller, 108 (born 01 September 1898)
American actress, dancer and singer who rose to fame with the Ziegfeld Follies in the 1920s.
Chuck Jones, 94 (born 01 September 1912)
Animation director - Bugs Bunny - creator of Road Runner
Yvonne De Carlo, 84 (born 01 September 1922)
Actress - Lily Munster
Rocky Marciano, 83 (born 01 September 1923)
American heavyweight boxer who became world champion in 1952 and remained undefeated in 49 professional fights.
Art Pepper, 81 (born 01 September 1925)
Died 1982. Jazz sax player
Tommy Evans, 79 (born 01 September 1927)
Singer with The Drifters - biggest UK hit - 'Save the Last Dance For Me'
Boxcar Willie, 75 (born 01 September 1931)
Country singer
Lord Cecil Parkinson, 75 (born 01 September 1931)
Politician
Conway Twitty, 73 (born 01 September 1933)
Died 1993. Country singer
Lily Tomlin, 67 (born 01 September 1939)
Comedian/actress - '9 to 5' 'All of Me'
Archie Bell, 62 (born 01 September 1944)
Singer of Archie Bell & The Drells - biggest hit 'Here I Go Again'
Barry Gibb, 60 (born 01 September 1946)
Singer of The Bee Gees
Bruce Foxton, 51 (born 01 September 1955)
Bass player with The Jam - biggest UK hits 'Going Underground' 'Beat Surrender'
Gloria Estefan, 49 (born 01 September 1957)
Singer - biggest UK hit - 'Dr Beat'
Ruud Gullit, 44 (born 01 September 1962)
Dutch footballer
Craig McLachlan, 41 (born 01 September 1965)
Actor / singer - 'Neighbours' 'Bugs'

Today's The Day - 31st August

31st August 2006

National Day of Malaysia
National Day of Trinidad and Tobago.

Religious Events today...
Feast Day of St Paulinus of Trier,
St Aidan of Lindisfarne,
St Raymond Nonnatus,
and The Servite Marcyrs of Prague.

History Test for August 31st
What did Charles Blondin attempt to walk across on a tightrope today in 1859? -Niagara Falls
Which popular economic board game was patented today in 1935? -Monopoly
Which popular fizzy drink went on sale for the first time in Britain today in 1900? -Coca Cola
Which classical actor married Vivien Leigh today in 1940? -Sir Laurence Olivier
Born today in 1918 which American lyricist collaborated with Frederick Loewe on a number of musicals? -Alan Jay Lerner

Events today...
1422 In Paris, King Henry V died of dysentery aged 34. Henry VI, aged nine months, became King.
1688 Death of John Bunyan (aged 59), English author famed for Pilgrim’s Progress.
1867 Death of Charles Pierre Baudelaire, French poet.
1888 The body of Mary Ann `Polly' Nichols, the first victim of Jack the Ripper, was found mutilated in Buck's Row, in London's East End.
1897 The Kinetograph movie camera was patented by Thomas Edison.
1900 In the UK, Coca-Cola arrived in Britain 14 years after going on sale in America.
1902 Mrs Adolph Landeburg was the first female to wear a split skirt when she rode a horse.
1907 In Montreal, the largest luxury theatre for the screening of animated pictures opened. Its 1,200 seats constituted a world record.
1908 W.G. Grace decided to call it a day and retire from first-class cricket. In a career, spanning 43 years, Grace scored a phenominal 54,896 runs, notched up 126 centuries, knocked 2879 wickets and grabbe 871 catches.
1928 The Brecht-Weill musical The Threepenny Opera was first performed, in Berlin.
1942 The German offensive was halted by the British at the Battle of Alam al-Halfa, marking the tuming-point in the North African Campaign.
1944 Russia ended its presence in East Germany and the Baltics after 50 years.
1944 In London, King George VI made Montgomery a field marshal.
1951 In West Germany, Deutsche Grammophon launched the first 33 rpm `long playing' record.
1955 Sidney Adams Turner was fined by a London Judge for "creating an abominable noise" after playing "Shake Rattle and Roll" by Bill Haley and the Comets at full volume for two and a half hours saying to his neighbours "I will drive you mad".
1957 Malaya, later Malaysia, achieved independence from Britain.
1961 John Leyton was at No.1 with `Johnny Remember Me’.
1962 Chris Bonington and Ian Clough became the first Britons to conquer the north face of the Eiger.
1962 In the Carribean, the islands of Trinidad and Tobago become an independent nation within the British Commonwealth.
1963 Death of Georges Braque, French painter.
1964 In London, at the height of Beatlemania, their film `A Hard Day's Night', brought the pop group to an even wider public.
1965 India and Pakistan threatened war over Kashmir.
1966 In the UK, the first Hawker Siddeley Harrier jump jet made its initial hovering flight.
1967 In the UK, thousands of hippies turn out for the `Festival of the Flower Children' organised by the Duke of Bedford at Woburn Abbey.
1968 Death of Dennis O'Keefe aged 60. Actor
1968 In the US, actor Robert Redford opened an ecological ski resort, Sundance, created and named by him.
1969 In the US, Rocky Marciano, the only world heavyweight champion who never lost a professional fight, was killed in a plane crash, just hours short of his forty-sixth birthday.
1971 Astronaut Dave Scott made history when he was the first person to drive a motor vehicle on the Moon (the moon buggy).
1972 In Germany, US swimmer Mark Spitz won five gold medals at the Munich Olympics. (He later won seven in total)
1973 Death of John Ford aged 78. Directed most of John Wayne's films.
1976 George Harrison was found guilty of "Subconscious plagiarism" of the melody line of "He's so fine" by the Chiffons when he wrote "My Sweet Lord". Appeals lasted for over 5 years.
1978 William and Emily Harris (founders of the Symbionese Liberation Army) pleaded guilty to the kidnapping of Patricia Hearst, the newspaper heiress.
1982 The PLO was driven out of Beirut by the Israelis.
1983 The USSR shot down a South Korean airliner, killing 269 people aboard.
1984 A tropical storm hit the Philippines, killing over 1,000 people.
1986 Death of Henry Moore, major English sculptor.
1986 Bob Geldof and Paula Yates married. Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox were the witnesses.
1986 Death of Henry Moore aged 88. Sculptor and Cartoonist
1989 Buckingham Palace officially confirmed that the marriage of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips was on the rocks. Speculation had heightened when it was revealed that the Princess’s equerry, Commander Tim Lawrence, had written affectionate letters to her.
1994 In Belfast, the IRA announced a "complete cessation of military operations" - ending its 25 year armed campaign.
1997 In the early hours of the morning, Princess Diana was killed in a car crash, along with her companion Dodi Fayed, and their chauffeur. They were being pursued by freelance photographers as they entering a road tunnel in Paris. The French chauffeur was discovered to have been almost three times over the legal drink/drive limit, and the speedometer was frozen at 121mph.
2003 Libya said it had reached agreement with relatives of those killed in the 1989 bombing of a French airliner.
2003 Gay groups in the Netherlands published a manual in response to the Vatican's campaign against same-sex unions.
2003 Number 10's new media chief, David Hill, had to give up thousands of share options in a PR company before he started work.
2003 Sir Elton John has scored his fourth UK number one single with a song first released in 1979.
2003 James Beattie scored a late winner as Southampton deservedly beat Man Utd 1-0. And, Arsenal came from behind to beat Man City 2-1 at the City of Manchester Stadium.
2004 Sixteen people were killed in simultaneous explosions on two buses in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba.
2004 At least 10 people died in a possible suicide bombing outside an underground railway station in Moscow.
2004 Man Utd signed England star Wayne Rooney from Everton on a six-year deal.
2004 Lawrence Dallaglio retired as England's rugby captain.
2004 Tim Henman overcame a back injury to beat Ivo Karlovic at the US Open.
2005 The City Mayor said that Hurricane Katrina had killed "hundreds, maybe thousands" of people in New Orleans.
2005 Actor Michael Sheard, who played teacher Mr Bronson in BBC children's drama Grange Hill, died aged 65.
2005 England forward Michael Owen signed for Newcastle for a club record £17m fee.

BIRTHDAYS (for 31 August 2006)
Caligula, 1994 (born 31 August 12AD)
Roman Emperor remembered for his murderous reign. Died 41AD.
Samuel Sotheby, 201 (born 31 August 1805)
Auctioneer
Maria Montessori, 136 (born 31 August 1870)
Italian educationist who developed the Montessori teaching system which encourages children to take the initiative.
Dubose Heyward, 121 (born 31 August 1885)
American author of Porgy.
Richard Basehart, 92 (born 31 August 1914)
(1914-1984) US actor best remembered as `Admiral Nelson' in the TV adventure series `Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea'; films include `Moby Dick' (1956).
Sir Bernard Lovell, 92 (born 31 August 1914)
Astronomer
Alan Jay Lerner, 88 (born 31 August 1918)
Died 1986. Lyricist - 'American in Paris' 'My Fair Lady' 'Gigi'
Larry Grayson, 83 (born 31 August 1923)
(1923-1995) English comedian and entertainer who took over the `Generation Game' for three years with Isla St Clair in 1978.
Buddy Hackett (Leonard Hacker), 82 (born 31 August 1924)
Comedian / actor - 'Love Bug' 'It's a Mad Mad World'
James Coburn, 78 (born 31 August 1928)
American actor and producer whose tough-guy appearance helped land him many western and action films including `The Magnificent Seven' (1960).
Roy Castle, 74 (born 31 August 1932)
(1932-1995) Huddersfield born actor, presenter and trumpet player best known for hosting the television series `Record Breakers'.
Wilton Felder, 66 (born 31 August 1940)
Saxophone player with The Crusaders
Clive Lloyd CBE, 62 (born 31 August 1944)
West Indian former cricket captain who transformed his country's team into the world's best.
Van Morrison, 61 (born 31 August 1945)
Belfast-born singer and songwriter who shuns the pop bandwagon. UK hits include `Bright Side Of The Road' from 1979.
Itzhak Perlman, 61 (born 31 August 1945)
Violinist
Richard Gere, 57 (born 31 August 1949)
Actor - 'Officer and Gentleman' 'Pretty Woman' 'American Gigolo'
Edwin Moses, 51 (born 31 August 1955)
American athlete who made a world record when he ran the 400m hurdles in 1976- his first Olympics.
Glenn Tilbrook, 49 (born 31 August 1957)
Singer / songwriter with Squeeze - biggest UK hits 'Cool for Cats' and 'Up the Junction
Gina Schock, 49 (born 31 August 1957)
Drummer with The Go Gos - biggest UK hit - 'Whole World Lost It's Head'
Debbie Gibson, 36 (born 31 August 1970)
American singer and songwriter. UK hits include `Shake Your Love' from 1988; also starred in the West End show `Grease' and had a hit with `You're The One That I Want' with Craig McLachlan from 1993.

Today's The Day - 30th August

30th August 2006

Religious Events today...
Feast Day of St Margaretlx and Audauctus,
St Fantinus,
St Ward,
and St Ruan or Rumon.

History Test for August 30th
Which song about Julian Lennon became the first Beatles release on Apple Records today in 1968? -`Hey Jude'
Name the director of the film `A Bridge Too Far', who made his stage debut today in 1934. -Sir Richard Attenborough
Woolworths heiress Barbara Hutton divorced which suave British actor today in 1945? -Cary Grant
Born today in 1871, which New Zealand-born physicist pioneered modern atomic science? -Ernest Rutherford
Which short-lived TV soap opera, set in a market, began today in 1985? -`Albion Market'

Events today...
30BC Cleopatra (Egyptian Queen) committed suicide.
1146 The crossbow was outlawed as a weapon.
1483 Death of Louis XI, King of France.
1762 The French defeated Frederick II, King of Prussia, at Johannesburg.
1780 The U.S. was betrayed by General Benedict Arnold when he failed to surrender and fled to England.
1856 Death of John Ross, Scottish explorer.
1860 The first British tramway operated by the Birkenhead Street Railway was inaugurated by an American, George Francis Train.
1862 'Stonewall' Jackson led the Confederates to victory at the second Battle of Bull Run, in Virginia, during the American Civil War.
1881 The first stereo system, for a telephonic broadcasting service, was patented in Germany by Clement Adler.
1884 Jack Dempsey won the Middleweight title in the first match involving gloves.
1900 In Glasgow, Bubonic plague broke out.
1901 Hubert Cecil Booth patented the vacuum cleaner.
1906 In the UK, the first express train ran from London to Dublin via Fishguard in Wales.
1916 Paul von Hindenburg became Chief of the General Staff of Germany.
1918 Czechoslovakia became an independent state.
1922 Death of Georges Sorel, French socialist philosopher.
1930 In Oxford, Morris announced their new 14.9hp Morris Major, which would cost £215.
1933 In France, the air line Air Francewais created.
1936 In Southampton, the super-liner Queen Mary regained the Blue Riband for Britain after crossing the Atlantic in a record 3 days 23 hours and 57 minutes.
1939 In anticipation of German bombing, the great evacuation of children from British cities began, four days before the outbreak of World War II.
1940 Actors Laurence Olivier and Vivian Leigh married.
1940 Death of J(oseph) J(ohn) Thomson, English physicist.
1941 The seige of Leningrad by German forces began (ended in jan 1943).
1952 In Berlin, it was announced that 16,000 people had fled from East Germany that month.
1956 In the UK, the introduction of traffic wardens was planned to enforce parking controls.
1957 In Asia, Britain's last major Asian colony, Malaya, became independent.
1957 Paul Anka was at No.1 with `Diana’
1958 In Nottingham, 36 people were charged after police clash with 500 Teddy Boys.
1963 The "hot line" between Russia (Moscow) and the U.S.(Washington) was introduced to reduce the risk of accidental nuclear war.
1963 The jackets made famous by the Beatles (Nehru Jackets) which did not have any collars went on sale and were an instant sell out.
1972 John Lennon's first publicised solo concert since leaving the Beatles. He took part in the "One to One" charity in New York's Madison Square Garden with Yoko Ono, Stevie Wonder, Roberta Flack and Sha Na Na.
1988 In the UK, Environment secretary Virginia Bottomley banned the ship, Karin B, from landing in Britain with its 2,000-ton cargo of toxic chemicals.
1989 In the UK, Major Peter Phillips, father of Captain Mark Phillips, announced the separation of his son and Princess Anne.
1991 In Tokyo, long distance runner Liz McColgan, won the 10,000 metres final at the World Championships.
1993 In New York, Briton Mark Nyman clinched the World Scrabble Championship with the word wet (20 points).
1993 Death of Richard Jordan aged 55. Director of films such as 'Hunt for Red October'
1994 Death of Lindsay Anderson aged 71. Director 'If'
1995 Former husband and wife James Taylor and Carly Simon took to the stage at the "Livestock 95)"benefit concert. It is the first time that they had performed in concert together for 16 years. They were divorced in 1981.
1995 In Sarajevo,100 NATO aircrafts carried out a retaliatory bombing of Bosnian Serb positions, after the Serbs killed dozens of civilians by shelling a market place.
2003 Angry Palestinians called for revenge after two militants were killed in an Israeli missile strike in Gaza.
2003 Spain's PM chose his deputy, Mariano Rajoy, to succeed him and lead the ruling party into the 2004 election.
2003 Russian president Putin said he would not oppose a UN-backed international force in Iraq under US command.
2003 No 10 press chief Alastair Campbell began handing over to successor Dave Hill, amid tributes and criticism.
2003 Stella McCartney married on a Scottish island at a wedding attended by dozens of celebrities.
2003 Rugby: France ended England's 14-match winning streak with a hard-fought 17-16 victory in Marseille.
2003 Michael Owen scored twice and Harry Kewell notched up his first Liverpool goal as Liverpool beat Everton 3-0 at Goodison Park, while Chelsea were held 2-2 by Blackburn.
2004 Two French hostages in Iraq urged France to lift a ban on Muslim headscarves in schools to save their lives.
2004 Team GB arrived back in the UK after winning 30 medals in Athens.
2004 Newcastle sacked manager Sir Bobby Robson after five years at the club.
2005 Rescue efforts were under way after Hurricane Katrina killed up to 80 in a single US Gulf Coast county before moving inland.

BIRTHDAYS (for 30 August 2006)
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, 209 (born 30 August 1797)
(1797-1851) English writer who eloped with poet Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1814. Best known for her novel `Frankenstein' (1918).
Raymond Massey, 110 (born 30 August 1896)
(1896-1983) Canadian actor best remembered as `Dr Gillespie' in the 60s `Dr Kildare' series.
Shirley Booth, 108 (born 30 August 1898)
Died 1992. Actress
Fred MacMurray, 98 (born 30 August 1908)
Died 1991. Actor - 'My Three Sons' and lots of Disney films
Baron Denis Healey, 89 (born 30 August 1917)
British statesman who was Chancellor of the Exchequer in Harold Wilson's Labour Government 1974-79. A keen photographer who published a book on the subject in 1980.
Johnny Mann, 78 (born 30 August 1928)
Musical director
John Phillips, 71 (born 30 August 1935)
Co-founder and member of Mamas and Papas - biggest UK hit 'Dedicated to One I love
Bruce McLaren, 69 (born 30 August 1937)
(1937-1970) New Zealand born motor racing driver who became the youngest ever winner of a world championship race at the age of 22. Formed his own racing team in 1960 but was killed testing a new car.
John Peel, 67 (born 30 August 1939)
Died 2004. English disc jockey who started his career in America and then joined BBC Radio One where he remains as the only DJ left from the original line-up. (Born John Ravenscroft.
John McNally, 65 (born 30 August 1941)
Singer guitarist with The Searchers - 'Needles and Pins'
Micky Moody, 56 (born 30 August 1950)
Guitarist with Whitesnake - biggest hit 'Is This Love'
Dana, 55 (born 30 August 1951)
Irish singer who won the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest for her country with the ballad `All Kinds Of Everything', which sold over 1 million copies world-wide. (born Rosemary Brown)
Timothy Bottoms, 55 (born 30 August 1951)
Actor - 'Last Picture Show'
Murial Gray, 48 (born 30 August 1958)
TV Presenter
Peter Cunnah, 40 (born 30 August 1966)
Northern Ireland-born singer and songwriter with the group D:Ream. UK hits include `Things Can Only Get Better' and `U R The Best Thing', from 1994.
Cameron Diaz, 34 (born 30 August 1972)
Actress - 'The Mask

Quiztime Weather Quiz

1. What is the study of weather called?
Meteorology
2. What name is given to a line on a weather map linking places of equal atmospheric pressure?
Isobar
3. What is the term for mild weather in late Autumn?
Indian Summer
4. If the weather is calm what is the wind force on the beaufort scale?
Zero
5. In the rules of golf what type of bad weather can stop play?
Lightning
6. What plant is sometimes called the poor mans weatherglass?
Scarlet Pimpernel
7. In 1983, breakfast television came to Britain, who was the regular weatherman on BBC's' Breakfast Time', now to be found on Sky News?
Francis Wilson
8. What word is used to describe plants that can stand harsh weather?
Hardy
9. What type of cloud signifies bad weather?
Nimbus
10. What type of weather is associated with 'dog-days’?
Hot weather
11. What was the catchphrase of Caroline Aherne’s Mediterranean weathergirl in “The Fast Show”?
Scorchio
12. “Looks like we’re in for nasty weather” is a line from which 1969 hit by Credence Clearwater Revival?
Bad Moon Rising
13. True or False - In 1778, fashionable Parisian women never went out in windy weather unless they had a lightning rod attached to their hats?
True
14. Which company sponsors the ITV national weather?
Powergen
15. Geri Halliwell had a hit in 2001 with "It's Raining Men". Who had the original hit with this song?
The Weathergirls - Izora Armstead and Martha Wash
16. In which film did Bill Murray play a weatherman?
Groundhog Day
17. Which weatherman got it wrong about the 1987 hurricane?
Michael Fish - broadcast his last forecast on Wednesday 6th October 2004
18. What device is normally used to measure wind direction?
Weather Vane
19. In the shipping forecast, what element of the weather can be described as poor, moderate or good?
Visibility
20. A figure of who appears on the weathercock at Lords Cricket Ground?
Old Father Time

21. Which weather phenomenon is formed when the sun shines through water droplets?
Rainbow
22. What kind of storm do Americans refer to as a 'twister'?
Tornado
23. What Is The Name Given To The Lightning Which Clings To Ships' Masts?
St Elmo's Fire
24. Which weather phenomenon translates from the Spanish for "the infant"?
El Nino
25. What Is a Hurricane Called In The Pacific Areas?
Typhoon
26. What is the name of the scale used to measure wind speed?
Beaufort
27. In meteorology what do you call a high pressure area with counterclockwise winds in the Southern Hemisphere and clockwise winds in the Northern Hemisphere?
Anticyclone
28. What name is given to the high speed air flow in the atmosphere forming air rivers several hundred miles across that generally move west to east and mark the boundary that separates two global air masses with significant differences in temperature?
Jet Stream
29. True or False - The pop group Wet Wet Wet named themselves after the Scottish weather?
False - from a Scritti Politti song
30. If you were using a pine cone to forecast weather, how would you know it was going to rain?
It closes
31. What is the study of long term weather conditions called?
Climatology
32. What is the name for the sort of insurance you can take out against inclement weather?
Pluvious Insurance
33. There are four types of weather that are collectively known as precipitation?
Sleet, Rain, Snow and Hail
34. Which former TV weathergirl presented the game show ‘Dog Eat Dog’ in 2001?
Ulkrika Jonsson
35. What is the name of a weather front, where a cold front has overtaken a warm front?
Occluded
36. Of which weather condition is ombrophobia a fear?
Rain
37. What is represented by the number 12 on the Beaufort Scale?
Hurricane
38. Which of the X-Men characters has the mutant power to control the weather?
Storm
39. In which movie did Steve Martin play a weather man who pretaped his weather segments?
LA Story
40. The world’s first weather satellite, “Tiros 1", was launched in which year?
1960

Tiebreaker - The London Daily News carried the worlds fist Weather report in which year?
1848

100 Free Questions & Answers

1 Which film director said, “There’s no terror in a bang, only the anticipation of it”?
Answer-Alfred Hitchcock
2 Which Bolivian city has an airport named after John F Kennedy?
Answer-La Paz
3 In 1962 who became the first woman to be voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year?
Answer- The swimmer Anita Lonsborough
4 What does the AA stand for in the name of A.A Milne?
Answer- Alan Alexander
5 In which sitcom did Nicholas Lyndhurst play Adam Parkinson?
Answer- Butterflies
6 Which model appeared on the front cover of the Roxy Music album Sirens?
Answer- Jerry Hall who at the time was engaged to Bryan Ferry
7 What is the largest castle in Wales?
Answer- Caerphilly
8 What would your job be if you used a queen excluder?
Answer- Beekeeper
9 Which knighted actor died on Boxing Day 2001 aged 72?
Answer- Sir Nigel Hawthorne
10 What appointment was taken up by Michael Bloomberg on New Years Day 2002?
Answer - Mayor of New York
11 Which three states of the USA have just five letters in their name?
Answer- Texas, Maine and Idaho
12 In which film did Oliver Reed wrestle naked with Alan Bates?
Answer- Women In Love
13 Which TV series was a spin off from a TV film called Panic at Malibu Beach?
Answer- Baywatch
14 Which London statue is also known as The Angel of Charity?
Answer- Eros
15 What is the English translation of Moulin Rouge?
Answer- Red windmill
16 How many years of marriage are celebrated for a Sapphire Anniversary?
Answer- 45 years
17 If canine equals dog, what does cervine equal?
Answer- Deer
18 Who was on the back of a £10 note directly before Charles Dickens?
Answer- Florence Nightingale
19 Who played the wife of Phil Collins in the film Buster?
Answer- Julie Walters
20 In which country is the Eiger Mountain?
Answer- Switzerland
21 Ding Dong Bell is cockney rhyming slang for what?
Answer- Hell
22 Which song opens with the line, “Picture yourself in a boat on a river”?
Answer- Lucy in the sky with diamonds
23 If an object is described as cordate what part of the body is it shaped like?
Answer- The heart
24 In which country is the most westerly point of South America?
Answer- Peru
25 What colour is the maple leaf on the flag of Canada?
Answer- Red
26 Who played the bongo drums on the Shadows hit Apache?
Answer- Cliff Richard
27 Which 1953 film opened with the song The Deadwood Stage?
Answer- Calamity Jane
28 There are 23 pairs of what in the human body?
Answer- Chromosomes
29 Which sport uses a ball called a slitter?
Answer- Hurling
30 Which cricket county plays its home matches at the Oval?
Answer- Surrey
31 In which city was Martin Luther King assassinated?
Answer- Memphis
32 What state is considered to be the Vampire State of the USA?
Answer- Rhode Island
33 Who played Daisy Duke in the Dukes of Hazzard?
Answer- Catherine Bach
34 What was the first film sequel to won Best Film Oscar?
Answer- The Godfather II
35 Which sugar occurs naturally in milk?
Answer- Lactose
36 Which former Coronation Street actor died in January 2002?
Answer- Peter Adamson
37 In which year was the decimal half penny withdrawn from circulation?
Answer- 1984
38 What is the world’s largest island with just four letters in its name?
Answer- Java
39 Baron Greenback is the archenemy of which cartoon character?
Answer- Dangermouse
40 Which 1981 hit for the Pointer Sisters is also the nickname of Eric Clapton?
Answer- Slowhand
41 Who played Molly Brown in the 1997 film Titanic?
Answer- Kathy Bates
42 Which war was ended by the Treaty of Panmunjon?
Answer- Korean War
43 Alphabetically what is the last chemical element?
Answer- Zirconium
44 What sport is played by the Sheffield Sharks?
Answer- Basketball
45 Which children’s TV series featured a schoolteacher called Mr Onion?
Answer- The Herbs
46 What is the opposite of convex?
Answer- Concave
47 Which entertainer sued the Daily Mirror in 1959 for questioning his sexuality?
Answer- Liberace
48 What was Peter Conrad the third man to do?
Answer- Set foot on the moon
49 For which Bond movie did Sheena Easton sing the theme?
Answer- For Your Eyes Only
50 Which skater was allegedly attacked by Tonya Harding prior to the 1994 Winter Olympics?
Answer- Nancy Kerrigan
51 Which actress was the fourth wife of Humphrey Bogart?
Answer- Lauren Bacall
52 Who murdered George Cornell in the Blind Beggar pub?
Answer- Ronnie Kray
53 Whose autobiography is entitled Citizen Jane?
Answer- Jane Fonda
54 Which boys name is also the name for a young pike?
Answer- Jack
55 What were first classified by the Galton-Henry system in 1901?
Answer- Fingerprints
56 The Pink Floyd album The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn was named after a chapter from which classic novel?
Answer- The Wind In The Willows
57 Who was the first black man to host a TV show in the USA?
Answer- Nat King Cole
58 What number of jersey is usually worn by a rugby union full back?
Answer- 15
59 Who played Winston Churchill in the TV drama The Wilderness Years?
Answer- Robert Hardy
60 Who is the central character in Oscar Wilde’s only novel?
Answer- Dorian Grey
61 Turpentine is obtained form which tree?
Answer- Pine tree
62 Which jockey nicknamed The Choirboy won the Derby on Shergar?
Answer- Walter Swinburn
63 On TV who has played a Time Lord and a scarecrow?
Answer- Jon Pertwee
64 Who did Madonna marry on a Malibu cliffside?
Answer- Sean Penn
65 Which mountain range extends through Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria?
Answer- Atlas Mountains
66 In 1967 which team won the first Superbowl?
Answer- The Green Bay Packers
67 Who played Flash Harry in the St Trinians films?
Answer- George Cole
68 Whose death warrant was signed by Elizabeth I on February 1, 1587?
Answer- Mary Queen of Scots
69 Which cartoon character has two nephews called Prezley and Waldo?
Answer- Mr Magoo
70 Which 200-page document was signed on June 28, 1919?
Answer- The Treaty of Versailles
71 Which actress provided the voice of ET in the film?
Answer- Debra Winger
72 In 2002 the actor Sean Bean joined the board of directors of which football club?
Answer- Sheffield United
73 Which literary character is also the middle name of footballer Emil Heskey?
Answer- Ivanhoe
74 In 2002 which group unveiled 23-year-old Johnny Shentall as their new member?
Answer- Hear’ Say
75 What do the initials HB stand for on a pencil?
Answer- Hard black
76 What are the three middle names of Prince William?
Answer- Arthur Philip Louis
77 Which Dickens novel features a body snatcher called Jerry Cruncher?
Answer- A Tale Of Two Cities
78 The world’s first motorway was opened in 1924 in which country on the European mainland?
Answer- Italy
79 Which animal is the symbol of the Republican Party in the USA?
Answer- Elephant
80 What type of hat takes its name from the Spanish for shade?
Answer- Sombrero
81 Who played Dr Philip Chandler in the TV series St Elsewhere and went on to become a major Hollywood star?
Answer- Denzel Washington
82 In which film did Whitney Houston play a singer called Rachel Marron?
Answer- The Bodyguard
83 In which 1993 film did Bette Midler play an evil witch?
Answer- Hocus Pocus
84 Which European country is the world’s leading exporter of salmon?
Answer- Norway
85 Which Greek hero beheaded the Gorgon Medusa?
Answer- Perseus
86 Who solved the murder in the Agatha Christie novel Murder Most Foul?
Answer- Miss Marple
87 A statue of who was unveiled at Wimbledon in 1984?
Answer- Fred Perry
88 Which actress played a Matron in five Carry On films?
Answer- Hattie Jacques
89 Who created the literary character of Sam Spade?
Answer- Dashiel Hammett
90 In which language does God morgon mean Good morning?
Answer- Danish
91 What is cryptozoology the study of?
Answer- Mythical or legendary animals
92 In which country did the Smurfs originate?
Answer- Belgium
93 In ten pin bowling what bird’s name is the name given to three successive strikes?
Answer- Turkey
94 What is the only English Football League team whose name starts with five consonants?
Answer- Crystal Palace
95 Which substance in the blood causes clotting?
Answer- Fibrin
96 What does a grabologist collect?
Answer- Ties
97 George Burns and Marjorie Proops both died in which year?
Answer- 1997
98 In which 1996 film did Eddie Murphy play seven roles?
Answer- The Nutty Professor
99 Which famous man was shot dead on July 15, 1997?
Answer- Gianni Versace
100 If a creature is described as squamos, what is it covered with?
Answer- Scales

Quiztime UK Quiz Vault

Phone-in prize shows

TV programmes which invite viewers to call premium-rate numbers may have to be run as lotteries

Viewers call a premium-rate number hoping to win £100,000 for answering a simple question INTERACTIVE quiz channels such as ITV Play could be shut down amid a surge in complaints, investigations by regulators and fears that callers are running up crippling telephone bills. Up to a million people a night watch big money prize shows in which presenters in- vite viewers to call a premium-rate number and answer a simple question for rewards of up to £100,000. There are 11 quiz channels generating up to 20,000 calls a day, including Big Game, Avago and ITV Play — the most high-profile because it is also broadcast on ITV1 after midnight. Callers spend typically a 60p-75p flat rate per call. Just a handful get past recorded messages saying they have not been selected. Under existing gambling laws, any game that has a fee to enter and “does not depend to a substantial degree on the exercise of skill” is classified as a lottery, requiring a licence and 20 per cent of the revenues to go to charity. ITV has no such licence. But broadcasters are exploiting a legal grey area that allows them to classify these games as “prize competitions” by having an alternative, free route of entry on the website. A spokeswoman for ITV Play said that the free-entry route was adequately advertised. During a half-hour segment, monitored by The Times, of The Mint , a game broadcast nightly on ITV1, it was not mentioned once by the presenters. ITV Play has proved a financial lifeline for the network since its launch on April 19. According to results this month, ITV Play produced £27 million of revenue and £9 million of profits in its first four months. Another channel, Big Game TV, was raided by police amid accusations that it was failing to answer calls for up to two hours. It denies the allegations. Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator, and Icstis, the premium-rate telephone regulator, have promised investigations into the quiz channels after a surge in complaints. The Gambling Commission could try to shut down the channels for potentially breaking the 1976 Lotteries and Amusements Act. However, its latest consultation document, Prize Competitions and Free Draws, indicates that laws due in September next year are much tougher. It says: “Many of the commercial schemes which currently operate as competitions are, in the commission’s view, [complex lotteries]. Good examples are the TV quiz shows on dedicated channels . . . All such channels will either have to stop operating altogether or operate under the provisions relating to lotteries or ensure that they operate such that they fall within the provisions relating to either prize competitions or free draws set out below.” An ITV spokeswoman said: “ITV is a responsible broadcaster and we take this position very seriously. Our programmes exceed all current regulatory guidelines for prize competitions, with routes of entry via phone, text and for free via the web. All of these entry methods are clearly displayed on screen and regularly referred to by the presenters. “We have a dedicated in-house customer service team which constantly monitors call patterns and proactively contacts high users. We also have an automated telephone system which alerts viewers when they have made 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 calls.” Hugo Swire, the Shadow Culture Minister, said: “The high degree of luck needed . . . and the spurious nature of the questions mean that in fact these games are closer to a lottery than a quiz. The danger is that unsuspecting callers could easily be misled into thinking that just one call could get them through to take part in the game . . . and run up huge telephone bills in the process.” SERIAL CALLING IN SEARCH OF BIG CASH The Times took part in The Mint, a show on ITV Play The challenge was to guess what word is jumbled up in these letters: C O R L F N A K E The presenters gave a string of clues, including suggesting that “you eat them for breakfast”, and “they taste good covered in chocolate”

The Times telephoned 15 times during the programme, but failed to get on air, at a cost of £11.25

The game lasted ten minutes before the presenter took a call, a delay that could leave some viewers thinking that there were few or no callers

The presenters repeatedly said: “Please do not delay calling.” They never directly commented on the number phoning in at any point.

# The presenters did not mention the free-entry route, instead insisting: “You need to be making a call.” It was shown on an onscreen ticker
# Most callers were women

B-Words

1.When Coronation Street started in 1960, which family lived at Number 3?
Barlow’s

2.In which organ of the body is the pineal gland?
Brain

3.Of which former Soviet bloc country is ex-King Simeon the Prime Minister?
Bulgaria

4.Dijon is the capital of which French region?
Burgundy

5.Paraguay has borders with Argentina, Brazil and which other country?
Bolivia

6.Which European Capital stands on the River Spree?
Berlin

7.The duffel coat took its name from a town in which country?
Belgium

8.In the series "Futurama" what is the name of the robot?
Bender

9.In which Spanish city is the Juan Miro Foundation ?
Barcelona

10.The film ‘Dancer in the dark’ features which pop star ?
Bjork

11.Which eponymous animal in a children’s story had friends called Merrylegs and Ginger?
Black Beauty

12.Mexico shares a southern border with Guatamala and which other country?
Belize

13.What name is given to the cap worn by a cardinal?
Biretta

14.What type of fruit are “Malling Jet” & “Wellington XXX”?
Blackcurrants

15.The curtal, dulzian and pommer are all ancestors of which orchestral instrument?
Bassoon

16.Which Tweenie is the tallest and has a blue face?
Bella

17.In which US City is the TV programme' Ali McBeal' based?
Boston

18.Which British animal has the scientific name Meles Meles?
Badger

19.What type of creature is a Fritillary?
Butterfly

20.Which herb is used to make "Pesto Sauce"?
Basil

Spoons

Last week I took some friends out to a restaurant and noticed that the
waiter who took our order carried a spoon in his shirt pocket. It seemed
a little strange but I ignored it. However, when the drinks waiter
brought our water and utensils, I noticed he also had a spoon in his
shirt pocket.

I looked around the room and saw that all the waiters had a spoon in
their pocket. When the waiter came back to check on our order, I asked:
"Why the spoon?"

"Well," he explained, "the restaurant's owners hired Consultants At
Large, experts in efficiency, in order to revamp all our processes.
After several months of statistical analysis, they concluded that
customers drop their spoons 73.84% more often than any other utensil.
This represents a drop frequency of approximately 3 spoons per table per
hour. If our personnel is prepared to deal with that contingency, we can
reduce the number of trips back to the kitchen and save 1.5 man-hours
per shift."

As we finished talking, a metallic sound was heard from behind me.
Quickly the waiter replaced the dropped spoon with the one in his pocket
and said: "I'll get another spoon next time I go to the kitchen instead
of making an extra trip to get it right now."

I was rather impressed. The waiter continued taking our order and, while
my guests ordered, I continued to look around. Then I noticed that there
was a very thin string hanging out of the waiter's fly.

Looking around, I noticed that all the waiters had the same string
hanging from their flies. My curiosity got the better of me and, before
he walked off, I asked the waiter: "Excuse me, but can you tell me why
you have that string right there?"

"Oh, certainly!" he answered, lowering his voice. "Not everyone is as
observant as you. That consulting firm I mentioned, also found out that
we can save time in the lavatory."

"How so?"

"See," he continued, "by tying this string to the tip of... you know...
we can pull it out over the urinal without touching it and that way
eliminate the need to wash the hands, shortening the time spent in the
lavatory by 76.39%."

"Okay, that makes sense, but... if the string helps you get it out, how
do you put it back in?"

"Well," he whispered, lowering his voice even further, "I don't know
about the others, but I use the spoon."

Quiztime Quiz Vault

Round 1 Blue Films

Questions
1. Which Berlin born star’s first major film was The Blue Angel in 1930.
Marlene Dietrich
2. What was the name of the character in the film ?
Lola-Lola
3. What was the second film in which Bing Crosby co-starred with Fred Astaire ?
Blue Skies
4. Who directed “The Blues Brothers” ?
John Landis
5. Who played the headmistress in “Blue Murder at St Trinians “ ?
Alistair Sim
6. Who recorded the theme song to “Soldier Blue”
Buffy Sainte-Marie
7. Which actress played the part of Elvis Presley’s mother in the film Blue Hawaii and later went on to play a TV detective ?
Angela Landsbury
8. Remade in 1980 starring Christopher Atkins and Brooke Shields, who played the female lead in the original 1949 version of the Blue Lagoon ?
Jean Simmons
9. The inspiration for the long running TV series “Dixon of Dock Green” was called what ?
The Blue Lamp
10. What was the method of transport featured in the 1986 film “Blue Thunder” ?
Helicopters

Round 2 Geography

1. The capital of Western Australia shares its name with which Scottish city ?
Perth
2. Which wind blows from the Sahara to southern Italy ?
Sirocco
3. Which city has a street called The Bowery ?
New York
4. Which falls lie on the Zambesi river ?
Victoria
5. Which country has most neighbouring countries ?
China
6. In which country is the largest expanse of sand in the world ?
Saudi Arabia
7. Which Baltic state has Tallinn as its capital ?
Estonia
8. How was Botswana known immediately prior to independence ?
Bechuanaland
9. Which country has the oldest flag in the world ?
Denmark
10. Which US island was a registration point for immigrants until 1954 ?
Ellis Island

Round 3 Sport

1. Which Ben won the US Masters in 1995 ?
Crenshaw
2. Who was the female competitor excused a sex test at the 1976 Olympics ?
Princess Anne
3. Who did Steven Redgrave win Olympic Gold with in 1988 ?
Andrew Holmes
4. Who is the Crafty Cockney ?
Eric Bristow
5. Who is Michael Schumacher’s younger racing driver brother ?
Ralf
6. Who coached Torvill and Dean to Olympic success ?
Betty Callaway
7. Which snooker star was born on August 22 1957 in Plumstead ?
Steve Davis
8. Who was the English captain of the 1980 British Lions tour ?
Bill Beaumont
9. Who was the Manchester United manager when they were last relegated ?
Tommy Docherty
10. Who was the jockey who rode Aldaniti to Grand National Success ?
Bob Champion

Round 4 History

1. Which British monarch succeeded Queen Victoria ?
Edward VII
2. Who was the last wife of Henry VIII ?
Catherine Parr
3. Under what name is Gregor Efimovich better known ?
Rasputin
4. Whose last words were reputed to be “My neck is very slender”?
Anne Boleyn
5. Which ruler referred the English to a nation of shopkeepers ?
Napolean Bonaparte
6. In what year did Edward VIII abdicate ?
1936
7. Which US President was assassinated at the theatre ?
Abraham Lincoln
8. Who was the famous captain of the ship the Golden Hind ?
Sir Francis Drake
9. By what name was King Richard I known as ?
Lionheart
10. Which British bank crashed as a result of unwise derivatives trading ?
Barings

Round 5 Popular Music

1. Who wrote “Everything I own” ?
David Gates
2. Which number 1 begins “Starry, starry night”
Vincent
3. What was Clarence Carter’s one and only hit ?
Patches
4. What finally knocked Wet Wet Wet’s “Love is all Around” off No 1 ?
Saturday Night
5. Eddie Reader had her first No 1 with which group ?
Fairground Attraction
6. Freddie Heath and the Nutters became who for a 1960’s No 1 ?
Johnny Kidd and the Pirates
7. Which group were first to get a cover of a Beatles album track to No 1 ?
The Overlanders
8. Which No 1 mentioned “a friend of Sacha Distel” ?
Where do you go to my lovely
9. Who left the Go Gos in 1985 and had her first UK No 1 in 1988 ?
Belinda Carlisle
10. In the 1990s who got into a legal battle with Sony over his record contract ?
George Michael

Round 6 Science Fiction

1. Who plays the robot gunfighter in “Westworld” ?
Yul Brynner
2. Who directed “Close encounters of the third kind” ?
Steven Speilberg
3. Who was the actress who played the female equivalent of the bionic man ?
Lyndsay Wagner
4. In what car does Michael J Fox go back to the futue in ?
De Lorean
5. Which pop star played an alien in “The Man Who Fell to Earth” ?
David Bowie
6. Which character makes a series of Quantum Leaps ?
Dr Sam Beckett
7. What was Steve Zodiac’s spacecraft ?
Fireball XL5
8. Which 11th Century wizard became trapped in the 20th Century ?
Catweazle
9. In which Sci-fi series did David McCallum & Joanna Lumley star ?
Sapphire & Steel
10. Who directed Star Wars ?
George Lucas

Round 7 Television

1. How were the mature Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia known ?
The Golden Girls
2. In which show did Brenda and Malcolm enjoy ornithology ?
Watching
3. Which character did Kevin Whateley play in “Auf Wiedersehen Pet” ?
Neville Hope
4. Which show’s theme song was “Holiday Rock” ?
Hi-De-Hi
5. In the “Upper hand” what did Charlie do before he was a housekeeper ?
Footballer
6. What was the goat called in “The Good Life” ?
Geraldine
7. How was Bombadier Beaumont known in “It Ain’t Half Hot Mum” ?
Gloria
8. What was Henry Crabbe’s restaurant called ?
Pie in the Sky
9. By which film star’s name did Alf Garnett refer to his son in law ?
Shirley Temple
10. What was Captain Mainwaring’s first name in dad’s Army ?
George

Round 8 Literature

1. Which Frederick wrote “Day of The Jackal”?
Frederick Forsyth
2. Who created “Thomas the Tank Engine”?
Reverend Awdry
3. Who wrote “The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”?
Douglas Adams
4. Which British author has written over 700 books and sold over 60 million copies about one particular character?
Enid Blyton
5. What was the name of the boy in “The Jungle Book”?
Mowgli
6. Who wrote “The Downing Street Years”?
Margaret Thatcher
7. Which fictional barrister referred to his wife as “She who must be obeyed”?
Horace Rumpole
8. Who wrote “The Female Eunuch”?
Germaine Greer
9. Who wrote “Murder on the Orient Express”?
Agatha Christie
10. In which county was Catherine Cookson born?
County Durham

Round 9 Food & Drink

1. What colour is the flesh of an avocado?
Green
2. What colour wine goes into sangria?
Red
3. Which spirit is used in a Manhattan?
Whiskey
4. What is Sake wine made from?
Rice
5. What type of milk has a bottle with a blue & silver checked cap?
Skimmed
6. What flavour is the drink Kahlua?
Coffee
7. Everards beers were originally based near which city?
Leicester
8. What type of meat is used in moussaka?
Lamb
9. In Indian cookery what is naan?
Bread
10. Who is the female wine expert on the BBC’s “food & Drink” programme?
Jilly Goolden

Round 10 Famous Animals

1. What was the name of Tonto’s horse in the Lone Ranger ?
Scout
2. What was the name of the dog that found the World Cup after it had been stolen in 1966 ?
Pickles
3. In the Wizard of Oz what was the name of Dorothy’s dog ?
Toto
4. In the series of Tarzan films what was the name of his chimpanzee ?
Cheetah
5. What sort of animals were Chi-Chi and An-An ?
Giant Pandas
6. What was the name of the dog that used to appear on HMV records ?
Nipper
7. What type of animal was Laika the first living creature to be sent into space ?
Dog
8. In Dicken’s Oliver Twist what was the name of Bill Sykes’ dog ?
Bull’s Eye
9. What type of animal was Baloo in Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book ?
Bear
10. In the Beano what is the name of Dennis the Menace’s dog ?
Gnasher

Quiztime UK Quiz Vaults

Today's The Day - 29th August

29th August 2006

Religious events today...
Feast Day of St Sabina of Rome,
St Edwold of Cerne,
and St Medericus or Merry.

History Test for August 29th
Which group played its last live gig in Candlestick Park, San Francisco, today in 1966? -The Beatles
Born today in 1915, which actress won Oscars for her roles in the films `Gaslight' and `Anastasia'? -Ingrid Bergman
Name the British naturalist, who founded the Wildfowl Trust at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire and died today in 1989. -Sir Peter Scott
Born today in 1958, who married Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie? -Michael Jackson
Who committed suicide today in 30BC with the help of an asp? -Cleopatra

Events today...
1526 The Hungarians were defeated by the Turks at the Battle of Mohacs.
1533 In Peru, on the orders of the governor Francisco Pizarro, the Inca chief Atahualpa was executed, although he had already paid millions of pounds for his ransom.
1572 In the West Indies, Francis Drake landed at Nombre de Dios and seized Spanish treasure.
1640 King Charles I signed a declaration of peace with Scotland.
1671 In London, Captain Thomas Blood, caught trying to steal the crown jewels three months beforehand, was given a full pardon and granted lands in Ireland worth £500 a year.
1831 Michael Faraday successfully demonstrated the first electrical transformer at the Royal Institute, London.
1835 The city of Melbourne, Australia, was founded.
1842 The Treaty of Nanking was signed between the British and the Chinese, ending the Opium War, and leasing the Hong Kong territories to Britain.
1848 The Boers were defeated by the British army at Boomplatz.
1877 Death of Brigham Young, US Mormon leader.
1882 Australia defeated England at cricket for the first time; the Sporting Times published an 'obituary' for English cricket.
1893 The "Clasp-locker" was patented by Whitcomb L. Judson.
1895 The Rugby League (called the 'Northern Union' until 1922) was formed from 21 clubs in the North of England.
1904 The third Olympic Games opened at St Louis, Missouri.
1929 Graf Zepelin, a German airship completed its round the world trip.
1931 In London, Mahatma Gandhi arrived in Britain to attend the second Round Table conference on India.
1945 Hong Kong was liberated from Japan by the British.
1947 In the US, scientists announced the discovery of plutonium fission, suitable for nuclear power generation.
1950 Death of Cesare Pavese, Italian novelist.
1953 The Warner Brothers cartoon "Cattails for Two" saw the first appearance of "Speedy Gonzales".
1953 The USSR exploded a hydrogen bomb.
1957 In the US, the `Drunkometer' was tested, it measured the amount of alcohol on the breath.
1964 According to Billboard magazine sales of electric guitars in the U.S. and the UK had gone through the roof because of Elvis Presley and the British pop scene.
1966 At Candlestick Park, San Francisco, the Beatles played their last live concert.
1967 Dr Richard Kimble was finally cleared of murdering his wife in the long running television series "The Fugitive" when the one armed man, who was the real killer was finally caught. This was the day that the U.S. audience finally got confirmation of the doctor's story. It achieved the highest television rating for a single episode at that time.
1967 In the US, ex-child star Shirley Temple Black announced she is standing for congress.
1975 Death of Eamon de Valera, Irish nationalist politician.
1982 In London, Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman died of cancer on her 67th birthday.
1982 Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Charles Burton completed their 3 year trip aboard their craft "Benjamin Bowring". They had sailed around the world by way of both the North and South Poles.
1982 In the UK, American Ashby Harper, 65, became the oldest person to swim the English Channel.
1987 Lee Marvin died aged 63. Actor whose films include 'The Professionals' and 'Man Who Shot Liberty Valance'
1987 Rick Astley was at No.1 with `Never Gonna Give You Up’
1991 In the UK, Sir Alastair Burnet made his last `News At Ten' broadcast.
1991 The Supreme Soviet voted to suspend formally all activities of the Communist Party.
1995 In Georgia, the Georgian leader and presidential candidate, Eduard A. Shevardnadze, was superficially wounded in an assassination attempt, by a car bomb.
1995 In London, yachtswoman Lisa Clayton was confirmed as the first woman to sail non-stop and single-handed around the world starting from the northern hemisphere.
1995 The notorious tape recordings of detective Mark Fuhrman were played in the absence of the Jury in the OJ Simpson murder trial, and contained many racial slurs.
2003 Iraq's top Shia Muslim politician was among about 80 people killed by a car bomb at a shrine in Najaf.
2003 An American teenager was charged with releasing the MSBlast worm, infecting computers worldwide.
2003 Downing Street media chief Alastair Campbell resigned, with an ex-Labour press director succeeding him.
2003 Around 1,800 ferry passengers were stranded in Dover harbour as the discovery of a suspect package closes the port.
2003 John Capel won the men's 200m at the World Athletics Championships with Britain's Darren Campbell fourth.
2003 Steve McManaman was poised to join Manchester City, subject to a medical.
2003 Blackburn Rovers completed the signing of Barry Ferguson from Rangers for £7.5m.
2004 At least seven people died in a powerful explosion in front of a US security firm in Kabul.
2004 British lightweight boxer Amir Khan took silver after losing 30-22 to triple Olympic champion Mario Kindelan.
2004 Three people trapped after seating collapsed at a Christian festival near Lincoln were freed by rescuers.
2004 Victoria and David Beckham announced they were expecting their third baby the following March.
2004 It was announced that Dame Helen Mirren was to play The Queen in a film about the aftermath of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.
2004 US pop star Laura Branigan, who had hits with Gloria and Self Control in the 1980s, died unexpectedly in her sleep.
2004 The 2004 Olympics came to an end with a spectacular closing ceremony in Athens.
2005 Hurricane Katrina wrought havoc as it unleashed high winds and hard rain upon southern US coastal areas.
2005 Revellers packed the streets of west London for the main day of the 41st Notting Hill Carnival.
2005 Green Day won seven awards, out of eight nominations, at the MTV music awards in Miami.
2005 Iron Maiden and Foo Fighters topped the bills on the last day of the Reading and Leeds music festivals.

BIRTHDAYS (for 29 August 2006)
John Locke, 374 (born 29 August 1632)
English philosopher
Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, 226 (born 29 August 1780)
French painter
Oliver Wendell Holmes, 197 (born 29 August 1809)
author and poet
Preston Sturges, 108 (born 29 August 1898)
Died 1959. Satirist / director
Ingrid Bergman, 91 (born 29 August 1915)
(1915-1982) Swedish born actress who was lured to Hollywood by David O. Selznick after he saw her in the film `Intermezzo' (1933). Other films include `Casablanca' (1942) and `For Whom The Bell Tolls' (1943).
Charlie 'The Bird' Parker, 86 (born 29 August 1920)
Died 1955. Jazz performer/composer
Lord Richard Attenborough, 83 (born 29 August 1923)
Cambridge born actor and film director whose his films include `Gandhi' (1982) (Best Director Oscar) and `Jurassic Park' (1993).
Dinah Washington, 82 (born 29 August 1924)
Died 1963. Jazz singer
Charles Gray, 78 (born 29 August 1928)
Actor - 'Diamonds are Forever'
Elliott Gould, 68 (born 29 August 1938)
Actor - 'MASH' 'ER'
William Friedkin, 67 (born 29 August 1939)
Director - 'Exorcist'
James Hunt, 59 (born 29 August 1947)
(1947-1993) English motor racing driver who became Formula One world champion in 1976 with the McLaren team.
Richard Gere, 57 (born 29 August 1949)
American actor whose films include `An Officer And A Gentleman' (1982) and `Pretty Woman' (1990).
Deena Payne, 52 (born 29 August 1954)
Actress - Viv Windsor in Emmerdale
Lenny Henry, 48 (born 29 August 1958)
Dudley-born comedian and actor best known for his role as `Gareth Blackstock' in `Chef'; heavily involved in the `Comic Relief' appeals and runs the Crucial Films production company.
Michael Jackson, 48 (born 29 August 1958)
American singer known as `The King Of Pop'. Rose to stardom aged 11 with the Jackson Five. Recent hits include `They Don't Care About Us' from 1996.
Lenny Henry, 48 (born 29 August 1958)
Comedian
Eddi Reader, 47 (born 29 August 1959)
Singer - Fairground Attraction - biggest hit 'Perfect'
Rebecca DeMornay, 45 (born 29 August 1961)
American actress whose films include `Risky Business' (1983) and `The Hand That Rocks The Cradle' (1992).

BPI demands action on pirate CDs

UK record companies have demanded stronger action on CD piracy, saying 37m pirated CDs were sold last year.

The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) says intellectual property crime should be "higher on the police's agenda".

A survey suggests CD piracy cost the industry £165m in lost revenue in 2005 - nearly 10% of total sales.

Car boot sales and markets accounted for over a third of pirated CDs, while a quarter were bought from friends, the survey found.

The survey found that 37 million pirated CDs were sold in the UK in 2005, the value of which was more than the combined legal sales of the leading 13 albums in the UK.

It is the first time the industry has estimated the projected losses caused by pirated CDs.

Full Story

Today's The Day - 28th August

28th August 2006

Religious Events today...
Feast Day of St Augustine of Hippo,
St Alexander of Constantinople,
St Edmund Arrowsmith,
St Julian of Brioude,
and St Moses of Abyssinia.

History Test for August 28th
Actor Windsor Davies was born today in 1930. In which TV comedy series did he and Donald Sinden play rival antique dealers? -`Never the Twain'
Today in 1963, who proclaimed "I have a dream"? -Martin Luther King
Who reached Number One in the UK pop charts today in 1987 with `Never Gonna Give You Up ? -Rick Astley
What traditional prison task was last witnessed in Britain today in 1987? -Sewing mailbags
Born today in 1963, who plays Brandon Walsh in the TV series 'Beverley Hills 90210'? -Jason Priestley

Events today...
1640 The Indian War in New England ended with the surrender of the Indians.
1645 Death of Hugo Grotius, Dutch jurist and politician.
1837 John Lee and William Perrins started to manufacture Worcester Sauce. Both were pharmacists.
1839 Death of William Smith, British geologist.
1849 Venice was taken by the Austrians after a seige.
1850 The Channel telegraph cable was laid between Dover and Cap Gris Nez.
1859 Death of Leigh Hunt, critic and poet.
1883 John J Montgomery made the first controlled glider flight in California.
1912 In Los Angeles, Mack Sennett and his troupe started filming the first Keystone comedies.
1914 The Battle of Heligoland Bight, the first major naval battle of World War I was fought.
1921 In Hollywood, America's idol, Douglas Fairbanks played D'Artangnan, "the best swordsman in France", in his new film `The Three Musketeers'.
1922 Britain was defeated 8-4 in the first Walker Cup international golf tournament.
1933 For the first time, a BBC-broadcasted appeal was used by the police in tracking down a wanted man.
1940 Movie star and singer, Judy Garland resigned from MGM who had increased her salary to $2000 per week.
1945 US forces under General George Marshall landed in Japan.
1946 In New York, ex-acrobat Burt Lancaster made his screen debut in the film, `The Killers'.
1952 In the UK, Prime Minister Macmillan consented to council tenants buying their houses.
1957 In the UK, figures released showed that the average, household spent £1, 8shillings a week on food.
1958 Death of Ernest Orlando Lawrence, US physicist.
1961 Motown's first number 1 record was released. "Please Mr Postman" by the Marvelettes.
1961 In Sussex, the earliest known Roman mosaics were uncovered at Fishbourne near Chichester.
1963 Over 200,000 people attended the Peace Rally in Washington D.C. where civil rights leader Dr Martin Luther King made his famous speech "I have a dream........" in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
1972 Prince William of Gloucester was killed in an air crash.
1972 Mark Spitz the U.S. swimmer won the first of his seven gold medals at the Olympic games in Munich.
1973 Princess Anne visited Russia, the first member of the Royal Family to do so.
1981 John Hinckley Jnr appeared in court on charges of attempting to kill President Ronald Reagan and pleaded not guilty.
1981 In Brussels, after a week of breaking records, Sebastian Coe ran the mile in 3 minutes 47.53 seconds.
1987 Death of John Huston (aged 81) Actor and Director. Best known for 'African Queen' and 'Key Largo’.
1988 Death of Max Shulman (aged 69) Novelist, screenwriter
1988 Three jets crashed at an air display in West Germany sending debris into the crowd and killing 70 people including the pilots. It was the worst air disaster in history.
1988 The Yan Hee Polyclinic in Bangkok, Thailand, reported on a new slimming technique. Overweight Thais were suppressing their appetites by sticking lettuce seeds in their ears and pressing them in ten times before meals.
1991 In New York, court hearings resumed in Manhattan in the continuing battle between Woody Allen and Mia Farrow over the custody of their children.
1994 In the UK, the new Sunday Trading Act came into effect allowing large stores to open for up to six hours, and small shops for as long as they want.
1996 The marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales was officially dissolved in London.
1999 Ruud Gullit walked out on Newcastle United after managing the side for twelve months. The club had not yet won a match that season. Bobby Robson looked likely to be his replacement.
2003 Israel's prime minister ordered the army to take "all necessary steps" against militants after they fired a rocket on an Israeli city.
2003 The World Trade Organisation agreed a deal to give the world's poorest countries access to cheap drugs.
2003 Experts proposed radical ways to ease the burden on Germany's pension system, including later retirement.
2003 Power was restored to London and the South East but the transport system was still struggling.
2003 Insurers of a valuable Leonardo da Vinci painting stolen from a Scottish castle offered a reward for its return.
2003 The Rolling Stones played at the 2,000-capacity Astoria in London - yards from where they made their 1960s debut.
2003 Lleyton Hewitt overcame a shaky start to beat Hyung-taik Lee in the second round of the US Open.
2003 Man City beat TNS 2-0 to complete a 7-0 aggregate win in the UEFA Cup preliminary round.
2003 Sir Alex Ferguson was charged with misconduct following his sending-off at Newcastle.
2004 Britain's Kelly Holmes made Olympic history by adding 1500m gold to her 800m title.
2004 Britain's men's 4x100m relay team won a stunning gold medal in Athens.
2004 Man Utd made a second bid for Everton's Wayne Rooney, exceeding Newcastle's offer.
2005 New Orleans' mayor told residents to get out of the Louisiana city as Hurricane Katrina approached.
2005 England held on to beat Australia by three wickets and led an Ashes series for the first time since 1997.
2005 Dutch authorities investigated plans for a contestant to give birth on the reality TV show Big Brother.
2005 Rock band Oasis topped the singles chart with their new release The Importance Of Being Idle.

BIRTHDAYS (for 28 August 2006)
Count Leo Tolstoy, 178 (born 28 August 1828)
(1828-1910) Russian soldier and writer whose novels include `War And Peace' (1869), considered by many to be the greatest novel ever written, and the tragedy `Anna Karenina' (1877).
Sir John Betjeman, 100 (born 28 August 1906)
(1906-1984) English poet, broadcaster and writer on architecture who succeeded Cecil Day-Lewis to become Poet Laureate in 1972.
Donald O'Connor, 81 (born 28 August 1925)
Died 2003. Actor and dancer - 'Singin in the Rain'
Windsor Davies, 76 (born 28 August 1930)
London born actor best known as `Sergeant Major Williams' in `It Ain't Half Hot Mum'. Films include `Carry On England' (1976).
Annie "Honey" Lantree, 63 (born 28 August 1943)
The Honeycombs
David Soul, 63 (born 28 August 1943)
American actor and singer who played `Det. Ken Hutchinson' in the TV series `Starsky And Hutch'. UK hits include `Don't Give Up On Us' from 1976.
Lou Piniella, 63 (born 28 August 1943)
baseball manager.
Emlyn Hughes OBE, 59 (born 28 August 1947)
Died 2004. English midfield footballer who captained Liverpool, Wolverhampton Wanderers and England; appeared on the TV quiz `A Question Of Sport'.
Daniel Seraphine, 58 (born 28 August 1948)
Drummer with Chicago
Hugh Cornwell, 57 (born 28 August 1949)
Singer with The Stranglers - biggest hit 'Golden Brown'
Wayne Osmond, 55 (born 28 August 1951)
Singer with Osmond family - biggest hit 'Love me for a Reason'
Daniel Stern, 49 (born 28 August 1957)
Actor - 'Home Alone'
Eddi Reader, 47 (born 28 August 1959)
Scottish singer and actress formerly with Fairground Attraction. Solo albums include `Candyfloss and Medicine' from 1996.
Kim Appleby, 45 (born 28 August 1961)
English singer and songwriter. Hits include `Respectable' from 1987 sung with sister, Mel. Solo hits include `Don't Worry' from 1990.
Shania Twain, 41 (born 28 August 1965)
Country singer
Jason Priestly, 37 (born 28 August 1969)
Actor - 'Beverly Hills 90210'
Leann Rimes, 24 (born 28 August 1982)
Singer - 'How Do I Live'

Quiztime 270806

1. What starts with `T`, ends with `T` and has `T` in it?
A Teapot
2. Under British Law, what is the maximum amount of time a sentence can be suspended for?
Two Years
3. One point each - This weekend, which three Royal residences are being featured in Time Team programmes?
Holyrood House, Buckingham Palace, and Windsor Castle
4. What fruit is used to make a traditional Black Forest Gateau?
Cherries
5. Anagram - A GRANNIE KNOT is an anagram of which well known singer?
Ronan Keating
6. Which Bond film features the villain Dr Kananga?
Live And Let Die
7. Which scientist wrote "A Brief History Of Time" and "The Universe In A Nutshell"?
Stephen Hawking
8. Ulaanbaatar is the capital of which country currently being visited by the Dalai Llama?
Mongolia
9. Which theme park is built on the former home of the Earl of Shrewsbury?
Alton Towers
10. Where did Charles Darwin succeed Charles Dickens?
On the back of a ten pound note
11. Who played the leads Crocket and Tubbs in the original TV series of Miami Vice?
Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas
12. True or false - The Chairman of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association is a vegetarian?
True
13. Which entertainer is suing the former owners of Elvis Presley’s first home, claiming breach of contract, after he thought he had bought the house by bidding on eBay?
Uri Geller
14. In May 2006, Belfast Airport officially changed its name in honour of which famous Irishman?
George Best
15. Which Train Operating Company runs the trains known as Pendolinos?
Virgin - West Coast
16. Which sporting star has a line of designer clothing called Aneres?
Serena Williams (Aneres is Serena spelt backwards)
17. What surname is shared by an England footballer and the police officer who pursued `The Fugitive`?
Gerard (Steve and Lieutenant)
18. Carson City is the capital of which American state?
Nevada
19. How much does a colour Television Licence currently cost in the UK?
£131.50
20. One point each - In which five films did Clint Eastwood play Harry Callaghan?
Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, The Enforcer, Sudden Impact, The Dead Pool

21. Which Year - Niki Lauda was seriously burned in an accident in the German Grand Prix, In Northern Ireland, a rally of 20,000 Protestants and Roman Catholics launched the Women’s Peace Movement, The American spacecraft ‘Viking II’ landed on Mars, Mao Tse-Tung died after a series of strokes and The Bee Gees reach number 1 in the U.S. charts with the song "You Should Be Dancing" after the song has been featured in the movie "Saturday Night Fever"?
1976
22. Which modern motor manufacturer was originally known as Laurin & Klement?
Skoda
23. In which European country is the world`s highest road bridge?
France
24. In the Disney film “Lady and the Tramp” what breed is Lady?
Cocker Spaniel
25. Which World War II action had the code name Operation Chastise?
The Dambusters Raid - 617 Squadron
26. What is the name of the American actor who played Ike Turner in `Whats Love Got to Do With It` and Morpheous in `The Matrix`?
Laurence Fishburne
27. With which band did the TV presenter Jools Holland play?
Squeeze
28. `Question or Nominate` was a phrase commonly heard on which UK TV quiz show?
Fifteen-to-one
29. Which country is bordered by Costa Rica and Columbia?
Panama
30. Which player scored England`s first goal in the 2006 World Cup?
Carlos Gamarra (own goal)
31. In which county is the Lyth Valley, renowned for its damsons?
Cumbria
32. What was the first film that Nick Park made featuring Wallace and Gromit?
A Grand Day Out
33. In English law, what is deemed to be the first priority for payment from the estate of a deceased person?
The funeral expenses
34. The Pulmonary Artery carries blood from the heart to which organ?
Lung
35. What colour is the dye cochineal?
Red
36. What type of fish takes it’s name from the Portuguese for "Fish With Teeth"?
Piranha
37. In Chinese cuisine, what is the essential or main ingredient in a Foo Yung dish?
Eggs
38. Who owns and runs the London Eye?
British Airways
39. Who had hits in the 90s with "Rotterdam", "My Book", and "I’ll Sail This Ship Alone"?
Beautiful South
40. Which group had a hit record in the 1970s, the 1980s and the 1990s and each time they had a completely different line up?
The England World Cup Squad
- Why was the 2006 Superbowl larger than usual?
As it was the 40th Superbowl it was called `Superbowl XL`

Tiebreaker - According to the AA handbook, what is the distance between Sheffield and London in miles?
169 miles

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More

Rugby League - St Helens

Scrum-half Long set up two of his side's seven tries

St Helens scrum-half Sean Long paid tribute to his Challenge Cup-winning team-mates after collecting the Lance Todd Trophy for a record third time.

"I'm really honoured to have achieved it that many times," said Long. "It's the stuff that dreams are made of.

"I'm thankful that I'm playing in a legend of a team and playing off great forwards - it makes my job much easier.

"We knew we had to play as a team and we did that today - all 17 men were absolutely awesome."

Long, who also won the man of the match trophy in 2001 and 2004, was in fine form as his side romped to a 42-12 victory over Huddersfield at Twickenham.

He scored his side's second try as well as setting up two others with a kicking game that was a constant threat.

Jon Wilkin overcame a broken nose
to play a key role for St Helens

A final try from Jason Cayless leaves the score at 12-42 and seals a convincing Challenge Cup triumph for St Helens

Paul Sculthorpe and man-of-the-match Sean Long parade the trophy in front of their supporters at Twickenham

Trivia Hall Of Fame

Join us for 12 questions about today's ruling heads!

She married Prince Ernst August in 1999. As head of the House of
Hanover, the prince is also the senior male descendent of George III of
England, and as such, what Monaco princess started calling herself a Royal
Princess of Great Britain
Use the form at http://www.triviahalloffame.com

LAST WEEK'S ANSWER
? What TV series included an episode called "To Serve Man", famous
for its trick ending?
? TWILIGHT ZONE. For the full list, and for past questions, see
http://www.triviahalloffame.com/archive.htm

NEXT WEEK
? Twelve new questions on that old Jeopardy stand-by, "unreal estate"!

MORE PLANETARY MADNESS!
? International Astronomical Union ... you're now officially "on notice."
? They have voted down last week's deeply annoying proposal to create
a whole class of little-brother planets called "plutons."
? Instead, Pluto has been kicked off the grown-up's table, and will
be the sole "dwarf planet."
? Those of you who recall last week's posting on the subject will
recall why this really, really vexes me.
? However, this being said, I think they made the right choice!

PRETENDERS TO THE THRONE
Ever wonder what happens to the heir's of history's deposed monarchies?
Here's a "where are they now"?
? Afghanistan's last king, Mohammed Nadir Shah, returned to the
country after the US invasion, to open the Loya Jirga. He again lives in
the old palace as Father of the Nation.
? Albania?s pretender is Leka Zogu, a crazed gun dealer who once shot
up an airport in Botswana and who tried to organize a coup in Albania after
a 1997 referendum on his restoration failed.
? Otto von Habsburg, aka Archduke Otto, has represented Austria as a
member of the European Parliament, having renounced his claim to be Emperor
of Austria and Hungary.
? Prince Luís of Orléans-Braganza is the pretend Emperor of Brazil,
although a cousin of his also has a claim.
? Simeon of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was once Tsar Simeon II of
Bulgaria. And from 2001 to 2005, as Simeon Sakskoburggotski, he was prime
minister. (He had become tsar when he was six in 1943 when his father died
mysteriously after a dinner meeting with Adolf Hitler. The monarchy was
abolished by the communists three years later, and he fled to Alexandria,
Italy, where his grandfather, the former Victor Emanuel III of Italy, was
also living.)
? As Puyi's cousin, Yuyan could step up to be Emperor of China,
although given how much time he has spent in jail, I don?t think he?s
counting on it.
? Fuad II became king of Egypt when he was six months old, when
Farouk was pushed out by Gamal Nasser. But he was never crowned and today
lives in France.
? Haile Selassie's grandson, Zera Yacob, is back in Ethiopia and is
heir to that country's Solomonic Dynasty, although he ain't getting it.
? Henri, Duke of France, claims the French throne, although he once
did legal battle with a Spaniard over the matter. The French courts refused
to get involved.
? George Frederick is the great-grandson of Kaiser Wilhelm II, but
probably has a greater chance of reaching the British throne, to which he
is 148th in line.
? Speaking of Britain, if you don't accept that King James II was
overthrown in the 1680s, the current Jacobite heir is Franz, Duke of
Bavaria. As a bachelor, when he dies the line of succession will eventually
lead to Joseph Wenzel, the future Prince of Liechtenstein, who as it
happens is also the first heir to the Jacobite claim to be born in England
since James Francis Edward Stuart in 1688.
? The former Constantine II, King of the Hellenes, was dumped by the
Greeks in 1974 (even though he'd won a gold medal in sailing at the 1960
Olympics). He made such a nuisance of himself that Greece took away his
citizenship, offering it back only if he picks a last name. Constantine, by
the way, is married to Anne-Marie, sister of the Danish queen, and his own
sister Sofia is married to King Juan Carlos of Spain. And England's Prince
Philip was the grandson of Greece's King George I.
? Quentin Kawananakoa was once minority leader of the Hawaiian state
legislature, and is a Republican in both senses, despite being the current
head of the House of Kawananakoa.
? Reza Cyrus Pahlavi soldiers on in Potomac, Maryland, hoping
somebody the people will cheer him back as the Shah of Iran. Mohammad
Hassan Mirza, the pretend King of Iraq, lives in Dallas, meanwhile.
? The anti-Semitic Victor Emmanuel IV of Italy renounced the throne
so that he could return to Naples in 2002. In a 1978 dispute over a rubber
dinghy, he shot a man dead ... the wrong man ... and in 2004, at a Spanish
royal affair, he punched out another pretender to the Italian throne.
? Ertugrul Osman V is the 43rd Head of the Imperial House of Osman,
which ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1281 to 1923.
? Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza, swore an oath of loyalty to the
Portuguese republic when he joined the military. He ended up in the air
force, trying to help Portugal hang on to Angola.
? The former King Michael of Romania, wasdeposed by the communists
when he was 26, despite having staged a coup against the country?s Axis
government. He got a job as a pilot, but now lives in Romania again. In
1997 he lobbied for Romania's admission to NATO and the EU.
? The claim to the Russian throne is a mess, but the best claim is
probably Maria Vladimirovna, who refers to herself in upper case, as in
attempts to disparage My rights. No wonder the Russians hated those people.
? Alexander Karageorgevitch is the pretender to the Yugoslav throne,
which is doubly useless, since the country doesn't exist anymore, although
he now lives in Belgrade's royal palace.
? Sedavacantists are Catholics who argue that Vatican II was such a
travesty, all following popes have been illegitimate. In 1990, David Bawden
got himself elected Pope Michael I by the six people who bothered to show
up for his conclave in Belvue, Kansas. Even though he isn't even a priest.
However, Mel Gibson is believed to be a sedavacantist, and it's not like
Mel would have any crazy ideas or anything.

Play Trivia - http://www.triviahalloffame.com

Did You Know? - Canadians are forbidden from being contestants on The US version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and also can't be called as Phone a Friends unless they are at a US address!!!

TV Adverts

Ever find that you hear a tune used in an advert, it goes through your head all day and yet you can't find the name of it? Me too! So, without further ado, try What's That Tune? The definitive guide to music used in UK and Irish television advertisements.
Visit - http://www.whatsthattune.co.uk/
The site has been set up with the end user in mind.
If you can't get what you want here you can see all the listed adverts, search the database, or check the user forum to see if they can be of any help to you!
The site was last updated on 26/08/2006.

Quiztime Rating *****

It's frustrating! Trying to find the answer to the question "Who does the tune to that advert I seen on television last night?". Well, at What's That Tune they provide you with a simple way to get that answer. All you have to do is select one of the three search options below, and hey presto! And remember, if you can't get what you want here you can check the complete database listing or the message board to see if they can be of any help to you!
Search for an advert by company name, product name or artist name.
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Quiztime Quiz Index - Update

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New users now need to be approved by admin before they can access the quizzes. The time taken for approval may vary owing to pressure of other work.
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On a more positive note, thankyou to those who have recently posted their own work on the forum and I hope we will see more in the future.
At the end of next month the annual fee from the board owners will be due and I ask all that if you find this service to be of use in your quiz compiling that you send a small donation towards the continued service.
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Happy Quizzing & Enjoy the Bank Holiday (Weather Permitting!)
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Quiztime UK
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Today's The Day - 27th August

27th August 2006

Religious Events today...
Feast Day of St Caesarius of Arles,
St David Lewis,
Little St Hugh,
St Monica,
St Margaret the Barefooted,
St Marcellus of Tomi,
and St Poemen.

History Test for August 27th
Which record-breaking book was first published today in 1955? -`The Guinness Book of Records'
Born today in 1908 who replaced John F. Kennedy as American President? -Lyndon B. Johnson
Which volcano erupted today in 1883, causing an · explosion heard 2,000 miles away? -Krakatoa
Name the manager of the Beatles, who died today in 1967. -Brian Epstein
Born today in 1910, who founded the Missionaries of Charity? -Mother Theresa of Calcutta

Events today...
1576 In Venice, the painter, Titian, known as the "prince among painters", died of the plague aged 86.
1748 Death of James Thomson, Scottish poet.
1784 The first balloon ascent was made in Britain by James Tytler at Edinburgh.
1813 In Germany, the Allies were defeated by Napoleon at the Battle of Dresden.
1816 Algiers, then a refuge for Barbary pirates, was bombarded by Lord Exmouth.
1859 Edwin Drake was the first in the USA to strike oil - at Titusville, Pennsylvania.
1883 Krakatoa erupted which resulted in tidal waves killing 36,000 in Java and Sumatra.
1900 In the UK, the first long-distance bus service, between London and Leeds began, taking a total of two days.
1910 In New Jersey, after two years' development, inventor Thomas Edison demonstrated the first talking motion picture at his laboratory.
1913 The first aerobatic manoeuvre was performed by Lieutenant Peter Nestrov of the Imperial Russian Air Service when he did a loop in a monoplane.
1919 Death of Louis Botha, South African statesman.
1928 The anti-war Kellogg-Briand Pact was signed by 15 nations.
1932 Over 200,000 textiles workers went on strike in Great Britain.
1932 In the UK, three-letter car number plates appeared; the first in London was AMY 1.
1939 Frank Whittle and Hans J.P. von Ohain invented the first jet powered aircraft to fly. The Heinkel He-178 aircraft took to the skies.
1945 U.S. troops started landing in Japan following the surrender of the Japanese Government at the end of the Second World War.
1950 In France, Richard Dimbleby and Alan Adair presented the first overseas TV broadcast.
1953 In the UK, the De Havilland Comet II made its first test flight.
1958 The USSR launched Sputnik 3, carrying two dogs.
1964 Walt Disney released "Mary Poppins" starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer.
1965 Death of Le Corbusier, Swiss architect.
1967 In London, the former Liverpool record store owner who discovered and then managed the Beatles, Brian Epstein, was found dead in his flat. He was 32 and had committed suicide (drugs overdose).
1970 It was announced that in the UK, wages rose on average by 9.9 per cent in the first seven months of the year.
1971 A new record was set as the first speedboat crossed the Atlantic.
1975 Death of Haile Selassie, deposed Emperor of Ethiopia.
1977 The Floaters were at No.1 with `Float On’
1978 The actor Robert Shaw died, aged 51. He starred in 'Jaws' and 'The Sting’.
1979 In Ireland, Earl Mountbatten of Burma was killed when his boat was ripped apart by an IRA bomb. He was 79.
1981 In London, Moira Stuart was appointed the BBC's first black female newsreader.
1984 The first "citizen astronaut" was announced by President Ronald Reagan. He said that the first choice would be a school teacher. Christa McAuliffe was later selected but sadly died in the ill fated flight of `The Challenger’ space shuttle which exploded minutes after it was launched in January 1986.
1987 At about 30,000 feet above the USA, the amorous behaviour of a just-married couple caused the pilot of a jet-liner on a coast-to-coast flight to land in Houston; the couple faced a maximum of one year in prison.
1990 Death of Stevie Ray Vaughan (aged 35) Blues singer
1992 Federal troops were ordered into Florida to help with emergency relief following the devastation caused by Hurricane Andrew.
1994 The Choreographer Michael Peters died aged 46. He is probably best known for Michael Jackson's 'Thriller’.
1995 Microsoft launched `Windows 95’
1996 Death of Albert 'Cubby' Broccoli (aged 87) Movie Producer Bond films
1996 Death of Greg Morris (aged 61) Actor. Barney in Mission Impossible
1998 Ruud Gullit was confirmed as the new manager of Newcastle United taking over from Kenny Dalgliesh.
2003 A man opened fire at a Chicago warehouse, killing at least six people, before being killed himself.
2003 France debates scrapping a holiday to finance health care for the elderly, after thousands died in a summer heatwave.
2003 A retired naval officer pleaded guilty to charges relating to the bombardment of the Croatian city of Dbrovnik in 1991.
2003 Clubs from Italy's top two divisions discussed a protest which could disrupt the first day of the new season.
2003 Geoff Hoon insisted there was no plan to publicly name Dr David Kelly, as the Hutton inquiry heard details of the scientist's final phone calls.
2003 Talks between the Royal Mail and its staff union aimed at averting the first national postal strike in seven years broke up without agreement.
2003 Police recovered a car believed to have been used by a gang who stole a valuable painting by Leonardo da Vinci from a Scottish castle.
2003 Newcastle United were dumped out of the Champions League after losing to Partizan Belgrade on penalties.
2003 Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj claimed his fourth consecutive 1500m world title.
2003 Roger Federer beat Jose Acasuso in four sets in the first round of the US Open.
2003 Shota Arveladze scored the winner as Rangers defeated Copenhagen 2-1 to qualify for the Champions League.
2004 Former British SAS officer Simon Mann was convicted of attempting to buy arms amid claims of a coup plot in Equatorial Guinea.
2004 The Electoral Commission rejected the idea of all-postal ballots in the UK after a review of earlier trials.
2004 Paula Radcliffe dropped out of the Olympic 10,000m final with eight laps to go, days after quitting the marathon in tears.
2004 The BBC's John Humphrys attacked reality TV at Edinburgh TV festival's prestigious McTaggart lecure.
2004 A bag of rubbish that was part of a Tate Britain work of art was accidentally thrown away by a cleaner.
2004 Britain's Amir Khan reached the lightweight boxing final with a conclusive points victory over Serik Yeleuov.
2004 Everton's Wayne Rooney handed in an official transfer request.
2005 BBC boss Mark Thompson said the corporation's TV channels would be made available on the internet.
2005 Milan Baros scored on his debut to give Villa their first victory of the season.

BIRTHDAYS (for 27 August 2006)
Charles Stewart Rolls, 129 (born 27 August 1877)
(1877-1910) English motorist and aeronaut who formed Rolls Royce in 1906 with Henry Royce. He was killed in a flying accident shortly after becoming the first to make a return flight across the English Channel.
Samuel Goldwyn, 124 (born 27 August 1882)
(1882-1974) Polish born film producer and executive who was responsible for the successful careers of Gary Cooper, David Niven and many others.
C S Forester, 107 (born 27 August 1899)
Died 1966. Novelist
Mother Teresa Of Calcutta, 96 (born 27 August 1910)
Yugoslavian born Christian missionary in India who started the `Missionaries Of Charity'; was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Died 1997.
Pat Coombs, 80 (born 27 August 1926)
English comedy actress whose sitcom credits include "You're Only Young Twice" more recently seen in `Eastenders' and `Noel's House Party'.
Daryl Dragon, 64 (born 27 August 1942)
Singer - The Captain of Captain and Tennille - biggest hit 'Do That to me One More Time'
Tuesday Weld, 63 (born 27 August 1943)
Actress
Barbara Bach, 59 (born 27 August 1947)
Actress - married to Ringo Starr
Charles Fleischer, 56 (born 27 August 1950)
Comedian - voice of Roger Rabbit
Derek Warwick, 52 (born 27 August 1954)
Hampshire born racing driver who won the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1992 for Peugeot, with Mark Blundell.
John Lloyd, 52 (born 27 August 1954)
Essex born tennis player who is currently the last British player to reach the final of a grand slam event, the 1977 Australian Open.
Glenn Matlock, 50 (born 27 August 1956)
Bass player with The Sex Pistols
Bernhard Langer, 49 (born 27 August 1957)
Germany's greatest ever golfer who won The Masters in 1985 and 1993. European tour earnings now top £3 million.

10 THINGS WE DIDN'T KNOW THIS TIME LAST WEEK

Snippets harvested from the week's news, chopped, sliced and diced for your weekend convenience.

1. Trap-jaw ants have been recorded closing their jaws at 66 mph, the fastest known speed for an animal moving its body parts.

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2. Caprice's surname is Bourret.

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3. There is only one cheddar cheese maker in Cheddar, even though cheddar is the most popular hard cheese in the English-speaking world.

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4. Cartoon cat Tom smoked roll-ups. But a scene showing him rolling his own cigarette, only using one hand, is to be cut from screenings on children's television.

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5. For every 10 successful attempts to climb Mount Everest there is one fatality, says a report from a medical journal.

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6. Cows can have regional accents, says a professor of phonetics, after studying cattle in Somerset

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7. Cups of tea can be healthier than water, according to some nutritionists.

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8. Despite the iPod's success, Apple has had to pay Creative for use of its patented technology.

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9. There are 300,000 people aged 90 or over in the UK.

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10. A million guitars were sold in the UK last year, more than double the number sold five years ago.

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Quiztime Quiz Vault

1 Who recorded the album “Tubular Bells”?
2 In which city is the Obelisk of Luxor?
3 Which day of the week is named after the moon?
4 In the USA what is a greenback?
5 Who composed the tune to “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”?
6 Which Charles wrote "The Origin Of Species7
7 Donnerstag is German for which day?
8 Jennyanydots was what kind of cat?
9 What is the federal republic of Switzerland divided into?
10 Who wrote “Rebecca”?
11 Which part did Michael Jackson play in "The Wiz"?
12 What is the currency of Austria?
13 Which childhood disease is also known as rubella?
14 Who recorded the album "Definitely, Maybe"?
15 In "Coronation Street", what is the name of Mike Baldwin's wife?
16 Cab is a shortening of which word?
17 In rhyming slang what is meant by dickory dock?
18 How is Priscilla White better known?
19 Who wrote "Maple Leaf Rag"?
20 The Tsar Kolokol is the biggest what in the world?

Answers

1 Mike Oldfield.
2 Paris.
3 Monday
4 A dollar bill.
5 Mozart.
6 Darwin.
7 Thursday
8 Gumbie Cat.
9 Cantons.
10 Daphne du Maurier.
11 The Scarecrow.
12 Schilling.
13 Measles.
14 Oasis.
15 Alma.
16 Cabriolet.
17 Clock.
18 Cilla Black.
19 Scott Joplin.
20 Bell.

1 What is the boiling point of water?
2 Alphabetically, which is the second sign of the zodiac?
3 What is Goldfinger's first name?
4 Who had a No 1 hit with the song “I Just Called To Say I Love You”?
5 Who wrote “The Owl and The Pussycat”?
6 What are beds of snooker tables traditionally made of?
7 By what name was travelling show tap dancer Luther Robinson known?
8 What was the name of the 'Neighbours" character played by Kylie
Minogue?
9 What word describes the permanent disappearance of a species?
10 The Star of Africa is what type of gem?
11 In education, what does BA stand for?
12 In the human body, what has four chambers?
13 Which creature can turn its stomach inside out?
14 There are 78 cards in which type of pack?
15 What is arachnophobia the fear of?
16 Which two writers created “Auf Wiedersehen, Pet”?
17 How many cards of the same suit are needed for a flush in poker?
18 What name is given to an athletics event such as running or hurdling?
19 Which war in Europe took place between 1936-9?
20 Under what name did Samuel Clemens write?

Answers

1 100 degrees Celsius.
2 Aries.
3 Auric.
4 Stevie Wonder.
5 Edward Lear.
6 Slate.
7 Bojangles.
8 Charlene.
9 Extinction.
10 Diamond.
11 Bachelor of Arts.
12 The Heart.
13 Starfish.
14 Tarot
15 Spiders.
16 Clement and La Frenais.
17 Five.
18 Track.
19 Spanish Civil War.
20 Mark Twain.

Quiztime UK Quiz Vault

Today's The Day - 26th August

26th August 2006

Religious Events today...
Feast Day of St Bergwine, archbishop of Canterbury,
St John Wall,
St Mary Desmaisieres,
St Pandonia,
and St Teresa Jomet Ihars.

History Test for August 26th
Born today in 1676, who is regarded as the first British Prime Minister? -Sir Robert Walpole
Born today in 1980, who starred in the film 'Home Alone'? -Macaulay Culkin
Which team did Ossie Ardiles join when he left Spurs today in 1988? -Oueens Park Rangers
In which battle did Edward III beat the French today in 1346? -Crecy
In which city did the Olympic Games open today in 1972? -Munich

Events today...
55BC Julius Caesar landed in Britain.
580 AD The Chinese invent toilet paper but it took another 1000 years to reach the West!
1346 King Edward III, aided by the Black Prince his son, defeated the French at the Battle of Crecy.
1666 Death of Frans Hals, Dutch painter.
1676 Death of Sir Robert Walpole English statesman.
1789 The French Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man.
1819 Death of Prince Albert, Consort to Queen Victoria.
1846 Mendelssohn's oratorio Elijah was first performed, Birmingham Festival.
1850 Death of Louis Philippe, 'Citizen King' of France.
1873 Death of Lee De Forest, US physicist.
1883 Krakatoa, the island volcano, began erupting, killing thousands.
1885 Death of Jules Romains, French novelist, playwright and poet.
1902 In London, it was announced that the General Post Office and the American Express Company had agreed to carry parcels between the UK and the US.
1904 Death of Christopher Isherwood, English novelist.
1912 In the UK, Norwich and other towns were cut off by floods in the worst August rainfall on record with six inches falling in twelve hours.
1920 Women in the USA were granted the right to vote.
1929 The U.S. built the first of its roller coasters.
1930 The actor Lon Chaney died, aged 47. He is best known for 'The Phantom of the Opera' and 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame’.
1936 In London, the BBC broadcasts it first full television programme.
1936 The Anglo-Egyptian alliance was signed.
1940 In Germany, the RAF bombed Berlin for the first time after Luftwaffe raids on London the weekend before.
1945 Japanese envoys boarded the U.S. battleship Missouri to receive instructions to surrender at the end of World War II.
1946 Animal Farm was published by George Orwell.
1946 Norma Jean Baker signed with 20th Century Fox. She had to change her name. Marilyn Monroe is chosen for her. She was dropped a year later.
1952 In Oxfordshire, the first `short, sharp shock' juvenile detention centre opened.
1952 The USSR announced that it had successfully tested the ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile).
1957 The Edsel automobile rolled off the production line in the US for the first time on this day. The Ford Motor Company went on to produce 110,847 of them.
1962 In the US, the Mariner II space probe was launched towards Venus.
1965 In the UK, Sonny and Cher got their first UK number one with `I Got You Babe', which instantly became a hippie anthem.
1970 The Isle Of Wight Pop Festival got under way. Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan were among the acts to appear at the Festival.
1972 The XXth Olympic Games opened in Munich.
1972 The yachtsman Sir Francis Chichester died aged 70. He was the first to sail solo around the world .
1974 Death of Aviator Charles Lindburgh (aged 72). The first person to fly solo across the Atlantic.
1978 Death of Charles Boyer (aged 78) Actor.
1978 In Rome, Cardinal Albino Luciani was elected Pope, he chose the name of John Paul I.
1980 Death of Tex Avery (aged 72) Innovative cartoon director; Creator of Bugs Bunny
1981 Steve Ovett set a new world record for running the mile in 3:48:40 and won the title back from his rival Sebastian Coe who had previously set the world's best time the week before beating Ovett.
1985 Ryan White (aged 13) attended classes at Western Middle School in the U.S. via a telephone hook-up after school officials had banned him due to the fact he had AIDs.
1987 Former singer Sonny Bono (Sonny and Cher) announced that he would run for Mayor of Palm Springs.
1994 In London, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber considered issuing a counter-writ against Faye Dunaway who was suing him over being sacked from the LA production of `Sunset Boulevard'.
1995 In California, former Dallas actor Larry Hagman was recovering in hospital after having a liver transplant.
2003 The crushing win for Rwanda's leader, President Kagame was tarnished by opposition complaints of intimidation.
2003 The low-cost airline, Ryanair, was forced to suspend its London-Strasbourg service because of a row over regional subsidies.
2003 One of Britain's senior intelligence advisers defended the claim that Iraq could launch weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes.
2003 Former Tory Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath was in hospital in London after falling ill while visiting Austria.
2003 Actress Julianne Moore, star of Hannibal and Magnolia, married her partner of six years in New York.
2003 Teddy Sheringham scored a hat-trick as Portsmouth thrash Bolton 4-0.
2003 Mozambique's Maria Mutola won the women's 800m from Britain's Kelly Holmes at the World Championships.
2003 Andre Agassi lost just five games as he beat Alex Corretja in the first round of the US Open.
2003 Chelsea secured their place in the Champions League group stages with a 3-0 win over MSK Zilina.
2004 Chile's Supreme Court stripped Augusto Pinochet of immunity, paving the way for a possible trial on human rights abuses.
2004 Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri was arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences.
2004 The Darkness triumphed at the Kerrang! Awards, beating the likes of Muse and Ash to the best British band title.
2005 France pledged better housing for the vulnerable, after 17 people - including 14 children - died in a fire in Paris.
2005 The former leader of the SDLP Lord Fitt died at a relative's home in England following a long illness.

BIRTHDAYS (for 26 August 2006)
Joseph Michel Montgolfier, 266 (born 26 August 1740)
(1740-1810) French inventor who with his brother, Jacques, constructed the first ever person-carrying hot air balloon in 1783, which flew 3,000ft.
Prince Albert, 187 (born 26 August 1819)
(1819-1861) German born Prince Consort to his first cousin, Queen Victoria. Responsible for the Great Exhibition in 1851 at Crystal Palace. Died of Typhoid.
John Wilkes Booth, 168 (born 26 August 1838)
presidential assassin.
John Buchan, 131 (born 26 August 1875)
Scottish novelist
Christopher Isherwood, 102 (born 26 August 1904)
English Author
Chris Curtis, 65 (born 26 August 1941)
Died 2005. Drummer with The Searchers - 'Sweets for my Sweet'
Jet Black, 63 (born 26 August 1943)
Drummer with The Stranglers - biggest hit 'Golden Brown'
HRH Prince Richard, 62 (born 26 August 1944)
Duke of Gloucester, son of Prince Henry and husband of Birgitte vans Deurs.
Alison Steadman, 60 (born 26 August 1946)
Liverpool born actress and wife of director Mike Leigh. Major TV credits include `Abigail's Party', `The Singing Detective' and `The Wimbledon Poisoner'. Also starred as Pauline Collins' travelling companion in `Shirley Valentine' (1989).
Valerie Simpson, 58 (born 26 August 1948)
Singer of Ashford and Simpson fame
Steve Wright, 52 (born 26 August 1954)
Broadcaster
Branford Marsalis, 46 (born 26 August 1960)
Jazz Saxophonist
Roger Kingdom, 44 (born 26 August 1962)
American hurdler and only the second to win two Olympic 110m titles, holding the world record time from 1989 to 1993.
Chris Boardman MBE, 38 (born 26 August 1968)
English cyclist who won the Olympic pursuit gold medal in 1992 on his revolutionary Lotus bicycle. After breaking the world record for the mile in 1993 he was invited to compete in the Tour de France road races.
Macaulay Culkin, 26 (born 26 August 1980)
American actor whose films include `Home Alone' (1990) and `Richie Rich' (1995).

Plants Quiz

1 What is the main characteristic of the wood of the balsa tree? Light

2 Plantain is a type of which fruit? Banana

3 What is another name for the blackthorn? Sloe

4 Which industry's demands meant that rubber production increased in the last century? Automobile

5 What does a berry typically contain? Seeds

6 In a biennial plant, when do flower and seed production usually occur? Second Year

7 What name is given to small hardy plants ideal for rockeries, such as saxifraga? Alpines

8 The name tulip is derived from a Turkish word meaning what type of headgear? Turban

9 What type of soil is vital for growing rhododendrons? Lime Free

10 What is the most common colour of primula vulgaris or common primrose? Yellow

11 Clematis is a member of which family of wild flowers? Buttercup

12 How many petals does an iris usually have? Three

13 What nationality was the botanist who gave his name to the dahlia? Swedish

14 How is the wild Rosa canina better known? Dog Rose

15 What colour is the rose of York? White

16 Antirrhinums are also called what? Snapdragons

17 What is gypsophilia mainly grown for? Flower Arranging

18 Which Busy plant has the name Impatiens? Lizzie

19 Forget Me Nots are usually which colour? Blue

20 Which TV cook Ms Lawson shares her name with the Love In A Mist flower? Nigella

21 How are the papery daisy-like flowers of helichrysum better known? Everlasting Flowers

22 In which season do Michaelmas daisies flower? Autumn

23 Which best describes leaves of a hosta - scalloped, spiky or very large? Very Large

24 Which of the following flowers are not grown from bulbs - pansies, snowdrops and tulips? Pansies

25 What sort of bell is a campanula? Canterbury Bell

26 Muscari are what type of hyacinth? Grape

27 What is used to make a mulch - chemicals, organic material or seeds? Organic Material

28 What is always to be remembered about the seeds of the laburnum? Poisenous

29 What colour are the ripe fruits of the mulberry tree? Dark Red

30 What is the most common colour for alyssum, often used in borders and hanging baskets? White

Quiztime Friday Quiz

1. How many digits does the Giant Panda have on each paw?
2. What is H2SO4?
3. In which Charles Dickens novel does 'Wackford Squeers’ appear?
4. Who was the only female tennis player to reach the semi-finals of all 4 Grand Slam events in 2001?
5. In 1958, which US submarine was the first to go under the North Pole?
6. 'Colchester’s' & 'Whitstables' are kinds of what?
7. What is Carnophobia the fear of?
8. In 1953, Winston Churchill won which Nobel Prize?
9. In which animated film would you see the characters: - 'Count Down Clowns'; 'Hidden Persuaders' & 'Butterfly Stompers'?
10. What was the name of the German republic that existed from 1919 until Hitler’s accession in 1933?
11. Which book written by a 19 year old has been filmed many times including a 1993 version with Randy Quaid in the lead role?
12. In which modern day country was Parthia which reached the peak of its power under Mithridates I in the 2nd century BC?
13. What is the name of the dog in "Peter Pan"?
14. How many dots are used in each letter of the Braille system?
15. Which city in terms of population is the largest in Australia?
16. In the 1999 movie The Matrix, Keanu Reeves stars as computer nerd Thomas, what was the name of his alter ego?
17. According to the Guinness Book of Records did the Worlds most mother give birth to 49, 59 or 69 children?
18. What color is the first ring of the Olympic symbol?
19. Which aristocratic sport forbids any competitor to play left-handed?
20. Which planet is the largest in the Solar system?
21. In the Wizard of Oz which of Dorothy’s companions did she meet first?
22. Where in the body would you find the Temporal bone?
23. What spirit is used in fortifying red wine to create port?
24. What is the highest mountain in the European Alps?
25. What is the name given to the spiked steel device fitted to a mountain climbers boots?

ANSWERS

1. Six
2. Sulphuric Acid
3. Nicholas Nickelby
4. Jennifer Capriatti
5. USS Nautilus
6. Oysters
7. Meat
8. Literature
9. Yellow Submarine
10. The Weimar Republic
11. Frankenstein
12. Iran
13. Nana
14. Six
15. Sydney
16. Neo
17. 69
18. Blue
19. Polo
20. Jupiter
21. Scarecrow
22. Side of Skull
23. Brandy
24. Mont Blanc
25. Crampon

1. The island of Madeira is in which ocean?
2. Who is the creator and executive producer of the television show ER?
3. What early three word Shakespeare play has the initials LLL?
4. Which Irish poet has published collections entitled Field Work and Station Island?
5. In history, was Edward III the ‘Son’ or ‘Grandson’ of Edward II?
6. In which year of the 50’s was the Guggenheim Museum of Art in New York opened?
7. The lotus flower is the national symbol of which Asian country?
8. The song 'Luck Be A Lady Tonight' comes from which musical?
9. Otology is the study of what part of the body?
10. Which character did Bill Murray play in the 1984 movie ‘Ghostbusters’?
11. Who played Captain Billy Tyne in the year 2000 movie 'The Perfect Storm'?
12. The comic actor Dudley Moore was also known for playing jazz on which instrument?
13. Saddam Hussein became President of Iraq in what year?
14. In nature, what describes the loss of water from a plant’s leaves through tiny holes?
15. In January 2000, which former German Chancellor resigned as honorary chairman of the Christian Democratic Union Party in the wake of a corruption scandal?
16. Which 1970's American pop group had members who dressed as a construction worker, a policeman, a soldier and a cowboy?
17. In classical music, what French word normally used to refer to a small group of players or singers?
18. In which African country would you find Mombasa?
19. In art, what is the practice of applying a layer of gold leaf to the surface of an object and then burnishing it?
20. What color is the crown of the last hoop or wicket on a croquet field?
21. What name is given to the large tent, or canopy over the entrance to a hotel?
22. What 1969 movie starred Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper?
23. In 1973 which space station became the heaviest object ever put into space?
24. Which one is the name of a military aircraft: Pandacat, Tigercat or Wolfcat?
25. The French writer and soldier Cyrano de Bergerac was born in which century?

ANSWERS

1. Atlantic Ocean
2. Michael Crichton
3. Love’s Labor’s Lost
4. Seamus Heaney
5. Son
6. 1959
7. India
8. Guys and Dolls
9. Ears
10. Dr Peter Venkman
11. George Clooney
12. Piano
13. 1979
14. Transpiration
15. Helmut Kohl
16. Village People
17. Ensemble
18. Kenya
19. Gilding
20. Red
21. Marquee
22. Easy Rider
23. Skylab
24. Tigercat
25. 17th

Quiztime UK Quiz Vault

What's cooking at the seaside?

What's cooking at the seaside

By Nigel Barden Food critic, BBC London

A sweet tooth helps at the seaside

Holidays are all about indulgence, but there's more to UK seaside food than candyfloss and ice cream.

As an ankle biter, I always thought that sandwiches wolfed down on the beach were named after the key ingredient, sand.

The gritty texture dominated the potted beef, or apricot jam fillings. I never liked apricot jam, but was too frightened of my grandmother to say anything.

Ham fat on toast (nice and crispy by the time we hit the Blackpool beach) was particularly good at attracting the gritty stuff, as we were regularly engulfed by the mistral which swept that part of the Lancashire coast.

Seaside holidays spent in North Wales, Yorkshire & Lancashire evoke memories of fish & chips, ice-cream, pints of prawns and chewing on whelks, which had the texture of a squash ball. Fish was usually battered and chips were everywhere and particularly good for taunting seagulls.

For islanders we eat remarkably little sea fish Nigel Barden

Enjoying the working class resorts of the North, I appeared to share the same diet as the other kids on the beach.

As we under-five-footers gathered in gangs, shivering behind wind breaks, it became apparent I wasn't the only one to think that sand was the main component of sarnies.

Now as an adult I've holidayed in other British seaside resorts (yes I journeyed south) and fish and chips, candy floss and shellfish in polystyrene containers appear to be pretty uniform.

Maybe they owe their success to the holiday atmosphere encouraging visitors to indulge in food that isn't good for them, as in batter, chips and spun sugar.

For islanders we eat remarkably little sea fish and only really opt for a few varieties, such as cod, haddock, halibut, plaice and sole, with the odd bit of mackerel and skate on occasion.

Padstein

However, fishing villages have become popular with tourists, helping to supplement the income brought in from a declining fishing industry.

Padstow in Cornwall has been reinvented as a culinary destination and affectionately known as Padstein, owing to Rick's influence.

Everyone loves fish and chips

An overnight success of more than 30 years, he pays the perfect homage to British sea food by not messing around too much with it and using as much locally caught produce as possible.

He does however decry the fact that the fisherman's traditional breakfast is based around bacon and eggs, rather than the contents of his nets.

It isn't just munching on sea creatures that attracts diners to the coast.

Having woken with the mother and father of all hangovers whilst holidaying on the southern Welsh coast in my early 20s (too much Brain's bitter, good as it was), I was served a blotting paper fried breakfast including laver, a spinach shaped red seaweed rolled in oatmeal and fried.

Seaside cuisine is set to get healthier

I managed to keep it down and since then have often enjoyed it (honest).

In Ireland, dulse, another seaweed, is harvested. It's a tough beggar and needs plenty of soaking before boiling until tender and then served as a veg.

Marsh samphire is a coastal plant and often served with fish. The green tip is about 3cm high and 2mm across and it's a tender, salty mouthful.

Now you might think I'm getting a bit poncy here and moving away from proper seaside grub, but like all things our diets are evolving and I first had samphire at a restaurant overlooking the sea, nestling up to a piece of smoked fish.

I now make a regular pilgrimage to a favourite restaurant, the Butley-Orford Oysterage, in the middle of the ever-so-cute coastal Suffolk village of Orford, which is run by a family of fishing folk who happen to have a smokery next door.

It's a cross between a sit-down fish and chip shop and a fishmonger, with its tiled walls and wooden tables.

Foodie king

This Suffolk coast is a great foodie destination, as further north is Southwold, home of Adnams brewery, and fish can be bought directly from the fishermen in their huts on the pebble beach.

Next door, the village of Walberswick even has a fish and chip hut on the beach and there are fab English wines produced near by to wash it all down.

The coastal restaurants of France and Italy are famous for the freshness of their fish and local ingredients and let's hope we see more of this from our eateries which overlook the briny.

More Brits are holidaying at home, lured by our "getting hotter by the moment" summers, deterred by lengthy airport check-ins and an increasing interest in food.

It's therefore likely that seaside cuisine will become healthier and more varied and ideally based around ingredients harvested on and off our own shores.

So I'm off to grab my Speedos, bucket and spade and Good Food Guide.

Pluto loses its planetary stature

Pluto was stripped of its planetary status in a shock decision by astronomers yesterday.

Science text books will have to be rewritten and new mnemonics devised after the move to redefine Pluto as a "dwarf planet".

Members of the general assembly of the International Astronomical Union voted to overrule the advice from the body's expert committee, which had proposed a new definition that would have increased the number of planets to 12.

Exclusive membership of the planetary club is now restricted to the eight "classical" planets in the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Pluto does not make the grade because its oblong orbit overlaps with that of Neptune. The uneasy fudge over the definition of a planet had remained in place since the discovery of Pluto in 1930.

This became unsustainable with the discovery last year of UB313 (Xena), the largest body found in the solar system since Neptune in 1846, by Prof Michael Brown, of the California Institute of Technology.

Immediately after the vote, Prof Brown said: "This is a big shock. I am very surprised. UB313 is the largest dwarf planet. That's kind of cool."

Pluto was discovered in 1930
by the American Clyde Tombaugh

More - Pluto vote 'hijacked' in revolt

Drive-time blues

Bank holiday weekend, and the nation takes to its cars - so why don't we have our own tradition of road songs?
As subjects for great songs go, it's not the most promising. The singer hands out unsolicited advice on the best route to take from A to B. He lists some of the places his addressee will pass through, choosing them as much for their ability to rhyme with each other as any other qualities. It's a strange collision between a gazetteer, a route planner and a rhyming dictionary. But it works. The central invitation is still impossible to refuse: "Get your kicks" - a well-judged pause - "on Route 66". And it helps that the road in question once wound all the way from Chicago to LA.

Route 66 is a classic, lapidary yet adaptable. Written in 1947 by Bobby Troup, the song started life as a slice of smooth supperclub jazz, sung by Nat King Cole. By the 1960s, it had turned into a R&B standard, recorded not just by Chuck Berry, one of the founding fathers of rock'n'roll, but by the Rolling Stones, the band who took his template furthest. Like the road itself, the song covers an enormous distance: there are versions by everyone from Nancy Sinatra to Dr Feelgood to Depeche Mode. It features, too, in this summer's Pixar/ Disney animation, Cars.

Transport songs were two a penny in the mid 20th-century, and the tunes that celebrate the railroads feel dated now. Somehow Route 66 doesn't. It's partly the song itself, with its unfading urgency, and it's partly the subject matter. The American road goes on, it seems, forever. It represents romance and freedom and individuality.

To be an American singer is to write about the road at some point, from Robert Johnson with Highway 61, to Ray Charles with Hit the Road Jack, to Dylan with Highway 61 Revisited, to Simon and Garfunkel with America, to Jonathan Richman with Roadrunner, to Bruce Springsteen with dozens of songs about roads and cars. The American road song is deeply embedded in the country's way of life. But where does that leave the British road song?

We spend as much time in our cars as Americans do - probably more, since our progress is so slow. We have gone from a nation of 4m cars in 1968 to one of 32m cars now. This weekend, millions of us will get in the car to go and see relatives or friends, to go to the beach or just to get away. As we do so, we may well be listening to CDs. But how many will include a British road song? Is there such a thing?

Motorways arrived in Britain in 1959, in time for the beat boom of the 1960s, and bands spent long hours on them. Yet they turn up hardly at all in the work of the great British songwriters. Ray Davies wrote a song called Motorway, but it's no kind of celebration. His genius lies in capturing urban and village life, not the open road. The Who did a song called Going Mobile, about getting a mobile home, but what it celebrated was English eccentricity. The Clash wrote about the Westway, but what interested them was the squalor underneath it, not the escape it offered. Tom Robinson had a hit with 2-4-6-8 Motorway, which packed a punchy riff, but with lines like "whizz-kid sitting pretty on your two-wheel stallion", it was a case of interesting man, shame about the sub-Springsteen imagery. In fact, where America celebrates roads, we salute streets. The quintessential British lyric goes: Our house, in the middle of our street.

There is no British equivalent of Route 66, no great road celebrated in a great song. The M1, our first motorway, is the subject of The M1 Song, an a capella number by the Oxford folk singer Chris T-T. But again it's no celebration: the song starts with T-T breaking down, "waiting for the RAC", and turns into a lament for the trees that were "slain and chopped up" to make way for the motorway. There is a cult song set on the M1, but it, too, has a curious, English twist: it homes in on what happens when the driving stops. It is Watford Gap by Roy Harper, the soulful folk-rocker from the 1970s. "Watford Gap, Watford Gap," goes the chorus, "a plate of grease and a load of crap." We may not have many road songs, but here, at least, is a fine example of a service-station song.

"It's a silly song," Harper tells me from his home in Ireland. "A bit of light relief, with undertones and overtones. The reason I wrote it was because the service stations of the time were serving bad food. And everybody would meet at Watford Gap because it was the one place after a show where you were guaranteed a bit of a sit-down at 2am. We were a captive audience, tired geezers flying up the motorway. Once there were two or three bands there, there would be a bit of revelry going on. The counterculture meeting the straight culture."

When Harper talks about the menu, he sounds like a food campaigner of today. "It was junk, absolute junk. I tried to get the media food commentators of the day interested, but none of them would help me because they were all kind of bought off in some way, they were in the pockets of the corporations. I got a reply from Bernard Levin - he agreed with me but wouldn't go public about it." Listening to this, I wondered if Harper's memory might have been playing tricks. But then I read more about the song, and learned that it was taken off its 1977 parent album, Bullinamingvase, for a few years because one of EMI's directors was also on the board of Blue Boar, which owned Watford Gap services. So the counterculture did collide with the straight culture.

Harper sees Watford Gap as a road song, "in so far as it was intentionally written about a specific place". But he agrees that America has the edge when it comes to road culture. "It's because theirs was established long before ours. Transport was up and running there in the 1920s. And they've got the open highway, it's a big country, lots of stuff moving around." The American road didn't just inspire American songs: it also fired the imagination of aspiring British singers. Harper was inspired to sing for a living by the hobo's bible, On the Road. "Kerouac is my number one influence. I was a beatnik when I was a boy, and the way I live my life now is still very much in the manner of a beat poet."

But we do have one major road that has offered some inspiration to songwriters: the M62, which crosses the Pennines from Liverpool to Hull. There's a hit from the 1980s, Driving Away From Home by It's Immaterial - a synthesizer mood piece of the kind later done by the Pet Shop Boys. "Driving away from home," murmurs the singer, "Thirty miles or more ... Why don't we cross the city limit/ And head on down the end of 62?/ It's only 39 miles." The effect is pleasantly creepy: you're trapped in a car with a statto.

"I was aware of the lack of a tradition of any narrative travel songs in Britain," says It's Immaterial's John Campbell. "And one of the reasons for that, I thought, might have been the names of our towns and cities, which aren't very musical. We have these Anglo-Saxon names, which don't work as well as the French, Spanish and German place names of America." Driving Away from Home, Campbell says, was an attempt to work our unromantic place names into a musical structure.

The problem, though - as he was forced to acknowledge in the song - is that our roads just don't go far enough to provide the sense of escape that American songs manage. "There's an irony in my singing that it's only 39 miles and 45 minutes to Manchester," says Campbell, a Mancunian transplanted to Liverpool. "Because that's how far I'd been able to escape my roots."

Nearly 20 years later, the M62 popped up again on Doves' album The Last Broadcast, on another moody, reflective track called M62 Song. The title suggests a cast-iron road song, but again there's a twist. "We were trying for the vibe you get when you're younger and you're not allowed in the pub, so you go drinking under motorway bridges," says Andy Williams, Doves' drummer, who sings the song. "It's not so much a travelling song. It's more boozing under a motorway."

To capture the mood fully, Doves recorded the song under a motorway bridge in Northenden, south Manchester, near where the other two members of the band, Jez and Jimi, had once lived. "You can hear some of the cars speeding past." The lyrics mention car lights without specifying a road. They called it M62 Song because they thought it was the M62 flyover that they were recording under. "Then someone told us that it's not the M62 any more, it's the M60. But 62 sounded better, it felt right even though we were under the wrong motorway."

Doves didn't include the song in their live set "because it's quite low-key and we like to keep the energy levels up," but then found they were getting a lot of requests for it, so they started performing it last year. "People in America are like, What is the M62? So we explain. I think it sounds romantic to them. Little do they know!"

It's been weeks now, and I'm still searching for a British song that really celebrates a road. Finally, on the limited-edition bonus disc of a Billy Bragg compilation, I find one: A13 Trunk Road to the Sea. It's rough and ready, almost punk-folk, and the tune is familiar - hang on, it's Route 66. But the words are original. "If you ever go to Shoeburyness," Billy yells, "Take the A road, the OK road, that's the best." The rhymes may be rudimentary but the record glows with warmth. You are left in no doubt that this road means something.

The song makes you want to get in the car and drive the A13, all the way from the East End to the sea. So I do, taking a slightly puzzled 12-year-old boy for company. We tick off the landmarks in the lyrics: Bragg's hometown of Barking, the huge Ford plant at Dagenham, Thurrock and Basildon. We play the song at either end of the road and sniff the sense of freedom and local pride. As well as the song, Bragg wrote an article about the A13 (posted at billybragg.co.uk), which sets out with lyrical erudition what the road means to him. He shows how it represented fun when he was young because it was the road to the beach, but also works in plenty of politics, from the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, which began in the Essex villages, to the struggles in the Docks in the 1880s that led to the founding of the Labour party. Bragg's road song isn't just geography: it's history.

He wrote it in 1977, when he was singing with an "edgy, pre-punk R&B" band, Riff Raff, who used to play Route 66. "I just objected to singing about these places that I didn't know," Bragg says. "I wanted to put the A13 on level pegging with Route 66, as there's a tradition of driving down the A13 to the glory of Southend. Growing up in Barking, that was the promised land, in quite a Springsteenish way. Later, when I saw where Springsteen is from, the New Jersey Turnpike, it did look a lot like Essex."

Bragg didn't record the song until a Peel session in 1985, and didn't release it until he put together The Essential Billy Bragg in 2003; it was going to be on his first album, in 1983, but was held up by problems getting permission to use the tune of Route 66. In concert, it has loomed larger. "It was a staple of my early solo set. It was a way of saying who I was and where I was from. I was often opening for other acts and it helped get people's attention."

As he became more successful, the song didn't go away. "I get a lot of requests for it, particularly from the expat Brits in Australia and America. If I sang it every time I was asked, I'd be doing it every night. So now I stipulate that I'll only sing it when I'm in Essex."

Bragg doesn't claim to have matched Route 66. "It's hard to compete with the Windy City and the City of Angels. Route 66 has become iconic in US culture, it's all about escaping from where you are to somewhere more exciting. The Americans have this thing of driving to the horizon. They think nothing of driving across two states to a gig. That idea of 'from sea to shining sea', we don't have much of that. But I hope there's a bit of it in A13."

Today's The Day - 25th August

25th August 2006 - National Day of Uruguay.

Religious Events today...
Feast Day of St Ebba,
St Genesius the Comedian,
St Gregory of Utrecht,
St Louis IX,
King of France,
St Mennas of Constantinople,
and St Patricia.

History Test for August 25th
Born today in 1938, who wrote the novels 'The Fourth Protocol' and `The Dogs of War'? -Frederick Forsyth
Name the inventor of the electrical battery, who died today in 1867. -Michael Faraday
Opened today in 1924, what was the name of Anfield football ground's most famous stand? -The Kop
Sir Henry Morgan died today in 1688. How did he earn the better part of his living? -As a pirate
Born today in 1930 who played the Soviet submarine commander in the film 'The Hunt for Red October'? -Sean Connery

Events today...
291BC Poison gas was used for the first time in warfare. (In China)
325AD The Council of Nicaea set the rules for the computation of Easter.
1691 Death of Jan Vermeer, Dutch painter.
1776 Death of David Hume, Scottish philosopher.
1822 Death of William Herschel, English astronomer.
1830 A revolution against the Netherlands union erupted in Brussels.
1867 Death of Michael Faraday (aged 75) English Inventor, chemist and physicist.
1875 In Calais, the English seaman, Captain Matthew Webb, became the first man to swim across the English Channel.
1900 Death of Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, German philosopher.
1904 In Belfast, the first ocean-going turbine steamer, the Victoria, was launched.
1919 In London, the world's first international scheduled daily air service began between London and Paris.
1931 Ramsay MacDonald formed a National Government.
1940 Crazy but true! The world's first parachute wedding took place between Ann Hayward and Arno Rudolphi in New York.
1940 The RAF made the first air raid on Berlin.
1942 In Iceland, the 39-year-old younger brother of King George VI, the Duke of Kent, was killed when his flying-boat crashed.
1943 Lord Mountbatten was appointed as the Supreme Allied Commander in Asia.
1944 In Paris, the population of the city celebrated their liberation from the Germans as they tore down the swastika from the Eiffel Tower.
1946 In the UK, the black market in nylons, chocolates, perfume and other scarce goods was reported to be flourishing.
1947 Twentieth Century Fox film studios dropped Marilyn Monroe.
1949 In New York, a system for broadcasting colour television was announced by RCA.
1958 In the UK, British composer Vaughan Williams died at the age of 85.
1960 In Rome, the XVIIth Olympic Games opened. For the first time thanks to television, the Games were seen world-wide.
1965 Beatles-mania went crazy when four fans hired a helicopter in Beverly Hills to fly over a mansion where the fab four were staying and lounging around the pool. The girls wanted to shout down greetings messages.
1969 In London, Rupert Murdoch launched a bid to take over The Sun newspaper.
1969 The Shadows were at No.1 with ‘Apache’
1978 In Italy, for the first time in 45 years, Christ's shroud went on display behind a bullet-proof screen.
1979 Death of Stan Kenton (aged 67) Bandleader
1984 Death of Truman Capote (aged 59) Actor, Novelist 'Breakfast at Tiffanys'
1984 The latest toy's craze hit the shops. Transformers (robots in disguise) replaced Trivial Pursuit and Cabbage Patch Kids as favourite.
1985 Samantha King and her father were killed in an air accident. She became famous when she wrote a letter to Russian leader Yuri Andropov asking for world peace and she went on a peace tour of the Soviet Union.
1989 The US space probe Voyager reached Neptune; pictures of Triton, its moon, revealed the existence of two additional moons.
1994 The glitzy showbiz marriage of supermodel Christie Brinkley and singer Billy Joel was dissolved in New York.
1995 In London, the driver of a 15-ton Sherman tank, who hit a Jaguar while driving through a narrow street in Soho was found guilty of careless driving. He said: "I knew that it was going to be a bit of a tight fit”.
1996 Amateur golfer Tiger Woods won his third U.S. Amateur Championship. This had never been done before.
1998 In Manchester, Wythenshawe hospital began to carry out non-emergency operations. The hospital was getting back to normal following the arson attack the week before.
1998 Footballer Paul Gasgoine split from his wife Sheryl in a “quickie-divorce” settlement.
2004 Russian investigators refused to rule out sabotage after two airliners crash minutes apart, killing 89 people.
2004 Mark Thatcher, the son of the former UK prime minister, denied any involvement in an alleged coup in Equatorial Guinea.
2004 Arsenal set an all-time English unbeaten record of 43 games after beating Blackburn.
2004 Comedian Sarah Kendall was the first female stand-up in nine years to be shortlisted for the Perrier Award.
2004 Online auction firm eBay said a first edition copy of a Harry Potter book could fetch up to £20,000.
2004 Man Utd entered the race for Wayne Rooney by offering £20m for the 18-year-old.
2004 In the Athen's Olympics, Britain's Bradley Wiggins and Rob Hayles won a superb cycling bronze in the madison.
2005 US bands Green Day and My Chemical Romance won two prizes each at this year's Kerrang! rock awards.
2005 Liverpool's Steven Gerrard was named most valuable player in Europe last season at a UEFA awards ceremony.

BIRTHDAYS (for 25 August 2006)
Ivan IV, 476 (born 25 August 1530)
(1530-1584) better known as Ivan The Terrible, Russian prince who was the first to assume the title of `Tsar'; got his nickname from the atrocities he inflicted.
Alan Pinkerton, 187 (born 25 August 1819)
(1819-1894) Scottish born detective who went to America and founded the first private detective agency, The Pinkerton National Detective Agency, in 1850.
Van Johnson, 90 (born 25 August 1916)
Actor
Leonard Bernstein, 88 (born 25 August 1918)
(1918-1990) American conductor, pianist and composer famous for creating the musicals `On The Town' (1944) and `West Side Story' (1957).
Sean Connery, 76 (born 25 August 1930)
Scottish actor best known as `James Bond 007'; other films include `The Untouchables' (1987) for which he won an Oscar, and `The Rock' (1996).
Brian Mosley, 75 (born 25 August 1931)
Died 1999. Leeds born actor best known as `Alf Roberts OBE' in `Coronation Street' since episode 64 in 1961, other TV credits include `Z-Cars' and `Crossroads'.
Tom Skerritt, 73 (born 25 August 1933)
Actor - 'Alien' 'Top Gun'
Frederick Forsyth, 68 (born 25 August 1938)
Novelist - 'Odessa File' 'Day of the Jackal'
John Badham, 67 (born 25 August 1939)
Film Director - ''Dracula' 'Short Circuit'
Walter Williams, 64 (born 25 August 1942)
O'Jays
Anne Archer, 59 (born 25 August 1947)
Actress - 'Fatal Attraction'
Gene Simmons, 57 (born 25 August 1949)
American singer, songwriter and bass player with Kiss. UK hits include `Crazy Crazy Nights' from 1987 and `God Gave Rock And Roll To You' from 1992.
Martin Amis, 57 (born 25 August 1949)
Writer
Rob Halford, 54 (born 25 August 1952)
Judas Priest
Elvis Costello, 51 (born 25 August 1955)
English singer, songwriter and guitarist who first came to prominence in 1977. Hits include `I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down' from 1980 adn co-wrote the soundtrack of the controversial TV series `GBH' in 1991.
Matt Aitken, 50 (born 25 August 1956)
Stock, Aitken and Waterman
Tim Burton, 48 (born 25 August 1958)
Film Director - 'Beetlejuice' 'Batman' 'Mars Attacks'
Billy Ray Cyrus, 45 (born 25 August 1961)
Singer - biggest hit 'Achy Breaky Heart'
Candida Doyle, 43 (born 25 August 1963)
Keyboard player with Pulp - biggest hit 'Common People'
Joanne Whalley, 42 (born 25 August 1964)
Actress - 'Scandal' 'Willow' - was married to Val Kilmer

Today's The Day - 24th August

24th August 2006

Religious Events today...
Feast day of St Bartholomew,
The Martyrs of Utica,
and St Audenoeus or Ouen.

History Test for August 24th
Which volcano erupted today in 79AD, burying the city of Pompeii? -Vesuvius
In which city did the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre occur today in 1572? -Paris
Born today in 1957, who played General Hogmanay Melchett in the TV comedy 'Blackadder Goes Forth'? -Stephen Fry
Now a broadcaster which footballer made his debut for Chelsea today in 1957 at the age of 17? -Jimmy Greaves
Born today in 1724, which artist is renowned for his paintings of animals, especially horses? -George Stubbs

Events today...
79AD Death of Pliny the Elder, Roman naturalist and writer.
79AD In Italy Mount Vesuvius erupted and destroyed Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae and a number of smaller settlements.
410AD Death of Alaric I King, of the Visigoths.
1572 Charles IX ordered the massacre of the Huguenots throughout France; in Paris thousands were killed in what became known as the Massacre of St Bartholomew.
1680 Death of Thomas Blood, Irish adventurer.
1690 Job Charnock established a trading post on behalf of the English East India Company in Kalikata, West Bengal.
1704 The French were defeated by the English and Dutch fleets at the Battle of Malaga.
770 Having become increasingly depressed by lack of recognition and persistent charges of forgery, poet Thomas Chatterton, fatally poisoned himself with arsenic at his lodgings in Brooke Street, in the city of London.
1814 In the U.S. British forces invaded Washington D.C. and set fire to the city including the White House.
1832 Death of Nicolas Leonard Sadi Carnot, French physicist.
1891 Movie history was made when Thomas Edison applied for the patent for a motion picture camera.
1906 In Canada, kidney transplants were performed on cats and dogs at a medical conference in Toronto.
1907 In New York, the uncompleted Singer Building became the world's tallest building.
1921 The Turkish army, led by Mustafa Kemal, drove back the Greeks at the Battle of the Sakkaria River.
1932 Amelia Earheart flew non-stop across the U.S. and became the first woman to do so. It took her 19 hours.
1937 In the UK, GEC announced they were making a new television set which would sell for under £50.
1938 Clark Gable signed to play Rhett Butler in "Gone With The Wind".
1940 The Lancet reported the first purification of penicillin by professors Howard Florey and Ernest Chain.
1942 The Duke of Kent, youngest son of George VI, died in a flying boat accident while on active duty.
1951 The Mau Mau rebellion begun, led by Kenyan nationalists.
1956 "Love Me Tender" was recorded by Elvis.
1957 Death of Ronald Knox, British theologian.
1957 In the UK, Chelsea FC caused a stir with their brilliant new star, 17-year-old Jimmy Greaves.
1959 In the UK, Scottish accountant Hugh Fraser's, House of Fraser, took over the Knightsbridge department store, Harrods.
1959 The Manchester Guardian was renamed the Guardian.
1968 A Hydrogen bomb was exploded by France at Mururo testing ground in the South Pacific.
1968 At his birthday party, rock drummer Keith Moon (The Who) drove a Lincoln Continental into the swimming pool at his hotel.
1970 Peter Sellers married Miranda Quarry.
1970 In Cumbria, a part of Windscale nuclear power station was closed after a radioactive leak.
1975 Annabel Hunt gave the first official nude opera performance in Britain in Ulysses - it was also the first nude televised performance.
1978 Death of Louis Prima (aged 66) Jazz musician 'I Wanna Be Like You' (Jungle Book)
1980 David Bowie was at No.1 with `Ashes To Ashes’
1981 A Manhattan Supreme Court judge jailed Mark David Chapman for 20 years to life for shooting dead John Lennon in December 1980.
1988 Death of Nat Stuckey (aged 54) Country singer
1989 In the UK, the brewer, Bass, announced plans to buy the US Holiday Inn chain, becoming the world's largest hotelier.
1990 The Irish hostage Brian Keenan was released from Beirut.
1991 President Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as head of The Communist Party.
1995 In Washington, computer company Microsoft prepared for the midnight launch of its Windows 95 package. Costing an estimated £200 million, it was the most expensive launch ever.
1998 Russian leader Boris Yeltsin sacked his entire cabinet.
2004 British Airways apologised to passengers after a further 31 flights were cancelled because of staff shortages.
2004 Singer and producer Kayne West was nominated for seven awards at this year's Music of Black Origin (Mobo) Awards.
2004 The head of Oslo's Munch museum appealed to thieves who stole The Scream not to destroy it.
2004 Liverpool lost to Austrian side AK Graz but still progressed to the Champions League group stage.
2004 British lightweight Amir Khan beat South Korean Baik Jong-sub to secure at least an Olympic bronze medal.
2004 Britain's Dean Macey finishes a very creditable fourth in the Olympic decathlon.
2005 Emergency services struggled to cope with floods that had caused havoc across Europe, killing up to 34 people.
2005 A fault in the air traffic control computer system caused delays to flights across the UK.
2005 Pop star Justin Timberlake accepted libel damages over a fabricated story he had sex with a model.
2005 Former Coronation Street star Chris Quinten appeared in court on a charge of raping a woman.
2005 Arsenal extended their 39-year unbeaten run against Fulham with a fluid attacking display at Highbury.

BIRTHDAYS (for 24 August 2006)
Robert Herrick, 415 (born 24 August 1591)
English lyric poet and friend of Ben Jonson who wrote Gather ye rosebuds while ye may.
William Wilberforce, 247 (born 24 August 1759)
English philanthropist and anti-slave-trade campaigner.
George Stubbs, 181 (born 24 August 1825)
(1825-1901) Liverpool-born anatomist, painter and engraver best known for his sporting pictures; excelled in painting horses.
Sir Max Beerbohm, 134 (born 24 August 1872)
English caricaturist, writer and wit.
Joshua Lionel Cowen, 126 (born 24 August 1880)
electric toy train inventor.
Jorge Luis Borges, 107 (born 24 August 1899)
Argentinian author who dictated The Book of Imaginary Beings having gone blind.
Yassir Arafat, 77 (born 24 August 1929)
Leader of the Palastinian Liberation Organisation
Mason Williams, 68 (born 24 August 1938)
Musician - 'Classical Gas'
Jim Brady, 62 (born 24 August 1944)
Sandpipers
Jim Capaldi, 62 (born 24 August 1944)
Singer - solo and with Traffic - 'Love Hurts'
Malcolm Duncan, 61 (born 24 August 1945)
Saxophonist - Average White Band - 'Pick Up the Pieces'
Ken Kensley, 61 (born 24 August 1945)
Member of Uriah Heap
Jean-Michel Jarre, 58 (born 24 August 1948)
French composer and keyboard player, and husband of actress Charlotte Rampling. UK hits include `Oxygene' from 1977, noted for his spectacular live performances.
Sam Torrance, 53 (born 24 August 1953)
Scottish born golfer and Ryder Cup regular who clinched the title for Europe in 1985.
Jeffrey Daniel, 51 (born 24 August 1955)
Singer with Shalamar - biggest hit 'Night to Remember'
Stephen Fry, 49 (born 24 August 1957)
London-born actor, comedian and writer best known as `Jeeves' in `Jeeves and Wooster' and for his partnership with Hugh Laurie. Films include `Peter's Friends' (1992). TV credits include `Black Adder II'.
Steve Guttenburg, 47 (born 24 August 1959)
American actor whose films include most of the `Police Academy' series, `Short Circuit' (1986) and `Three Men And A Little Lady' (1990).
Colin Angus, 45 (born 24 August 1961)
Scottish bass player who formed the Shamen. UK hits include `Move Any Mountain' from 1991, and `Ebeneezer Goode' which reached number one in 1992.
Mark Bedford, 45 (born 24 August 1961)
London born bass player with Madness. Hits include `Driving In My Car' from 1982.
Claudia Schiffer, 35 (born 24 August 1971)
Model

Today's The Day - 23rd August

23rd August 2006 - The national day of Romania.

Religious Events today...
Feast day of St Rose of Lima,
Saints Asterius and Claudius, St Tydfil, St Philip Benizi,
and St Eugene or Eoghan of Ardstraw.

History Test for August 23rd
Today in 1938 which England cricketer scored a mammoth 364 at the Oval? -Len Hutton
Name the composer of `The Sound of Music', who died today in 1960. -Oscar Hammerstein II
Born today in 1947, who wrote the plays `Educating Rita' and 'Shirley Valentine'? -Willy Russell
Born today in 1754, which French king married Marie Antoinette? -Louis XVI
Who reached Number One in the UK pop charts today in 1980 with `Ashes to Ashes'? -David Bowie

Events today...
408AD In Italy, Stilicho, the Vandal who became a Roman general, was beheaded by his own rebellius army.
1305 In London, Scottish rebel William Wallace, reported to have killed anyone who spoke English, was hung, drawn, beheaded and quartered, for treason; the quarters were sent to Newcastle, Berwick, Stirling and Perth.
1609 Galileo demonstrated the telescope.
1806 Death of Charles Auguste de Coulomb, French, physicist.
1617 One way streets were introduced in London
1813 The French were driven back by the Prussians under General von Bulow at the Battle of Grossbeeren.
1833 Slavery was abolished in the Colonies by Britain and 700,000 slaves were freed.
1839 Hong Kong was taken by the British.
1914 The British Expeditionary Force fought its first battle at Mons, in the First World War.
1921 Faisal I was crowned as King of Iraq.
1926 In New York, news of the death of film idol Rudolph Valentino caused hysteria, with one fan reported to have shot herself. Aged only 31 the glamorous star went into hospital suffering from a ruptured appendix but died from complications caused by a gastric ulcer. Fans started an association to help circulate his films and do good deeds "in memory of the period when he was without friends or money"
1927 Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, two Italo-American anarchists, were falsely accused of robbery and murder, and were sent to the electric chair.
1933 The first ever televised boxing match took place in London. The match was between Archie Sexton and Laurie Raiteri.
1933 In India, Mahatma Gandhi left jail weighing only 90 pounds after his latest `fast unto death'.
1939 The USSR and Germany signed a non-aggression pact which, although short-lived, eased the way for Hitler's invasion of Poland.
1940 The Blitz began as German bombers began an all-night raid on London.
1948 The World Council of Churches was founded.
1960 Death of Oscar II Hammerstein (aged 65) Lyricist 'Oklahoma' 'Carousel' 'Sound of Music'.
1962 John Lennon and Cynthia Powell married in Liverpool at a secret ceremony.
1966 In the UK, the Cotswolds were designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
1977 Bryan Allen peddled the Gossamer Condor for a mile in California and won the Kremer Prize for the first human-powered flight.
1977 In the UK, new smaller pound notes were introduced.
1986 80 year Sylvia Brett of Great Britain became the oldest person to ever make a parachute jump.
1986 Boris Gardiner was at No.1 with `I Want To Wake Up With You’
1987 A KLM aircraft was hijacked by a 15 year old boy who demanded $1 billion.
1987 Death of Didier Peroni, French racing driver.
1990 Death of David Rose (aged 80) Composer/bandleader 'The Stripper'.
1990 In Beirut, hostage Brian Keenan was freed after 4 years and three months.
1990 Saddam Hussein appeared on Iraqi television with 20 Western hostages whom he called "guests". He informed them that they were being held "to prevent the scourge of war".
1991 In Russia, all Communist Party buildings were closed down.
1993 Duran Duran were honoured when they got their own star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1994 In Victoria, Canada, Annika Reeder, 14 became England's youngest ever Commonwealth Games gold medallist, winning the gymnastic floor exercises.
2004 UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw arrived in Khartoum to discuss the problem of refugee security.
2004 Britain's Kelly Holmes stormed to a sensational Olympic 800m gold in Athens.
2004 A horse stampede in western Norway left 15 British tourists injured, three of them seriously.
2004 Sales of singles in the UK rose for the first time in five years, as the music industry recovered from a slump.
2004 Everton rejected a £20m bid from Newcastle for England striker Wayne Rooney.
2005 Bereaved Russian mothers protested as the first child witnesses gave evidence at the Beslan school siege trial.
2005 A judge approved the divorce of actors Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, ending their four-year marriage.
2005 The lead singer of 1970s pop group the Bay City Rollers appeared in court charged with drug offences.
2005 Liverpool lost on the night but beat CSKA Sofia 3-2 on aggregate to reach the Champions League first round.
2005 Aston Villa signed striker Milan Baros from Liverpool for £6.5m.

BIRTHDAYS (for 23 August 2006)
Gene Kelly, 94 (born 23 August 1912)
(1912-1995) American actor, dancer, director and choreographer whose most notable films include `Anchors Aweigh' (1945) and `Singin' In The Rain' (1952).
Vera Miles, 76 (born 23 August 1930)
Actress - 'Psycho'.
Barbara Eden, 72 (born 23 August 1934)
Actress - 'I Dream of Jeannie' and films.
Keith Moon, 59 (born 23 August 1947)
(1947-1978) English drummer with The Who until his death in 1978. Hits include `My Generation' from 1965 and `Pinball Wizard' from 1969.
Willy Russell, 59 (born 23 August 1947)
Lancashire-born playwright whose works include `Educating Rita' (1979) and `Shirley Valentine' (1986), both have been made into films.
Keith Moon, 59 (born 23 August 1947)
Died 1978. Drummer with the Who - biggest hit 'My Generation'.
Geoff Capes, 57 (born 23 August 1949)
Strongman
Shelley Long, 57 (born 23 August 1949)
American actress best known as barmaid `Diane Chambers' in `Cheers', also starred in the film `The Money Pit' (1986).
Rick Springfield, 57 (born 23 August 1949)
Australian singer and actor - 'Human Touch' 'Jessie's Girl'.
Bobby Gee, 53 (born 23 August 1953)
Singer with Bucks Fizz - biggest hit 'Land of Make Believe'.
Edwyn Collins, 47 (born 23 August 1959)
Singer (Orange Juice) - also did "A Girl Like You"
Gary Mabbutt, 45 (born 23 August 1961)
Bristol born footballer with Tottenham Hotspur.
Shaun Ryder, 44 (born 23 August 1962)
English singer formerly with Happy Mondays, before forming Black Grape. UK hits include `Kinky Afro' from 1990 and `Kelly's Heroes' from 1996.
River Phoenix, 35 (born 23 August 1971)
(1971-1994) American actor whose films include `Stand by Me' (1986), `Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade' (1989) and `My Own Private Idaho' (1991 ).
Rich Neville, 27 (born 23 August 1979)
Singer with Five - 'When the Lights Go Out'.

Great TV turn-offs?

It was the low point in Keith Chegwin's career - and, it turns out, the low point in British television history as a whole.

Naked Jungle, the Channel 5 game show where the former children's presenter and his contestants stripped bare, has topped the list of 50 worst television shows of all time.

• See the list of 50 worst TV shows

Others making the grade include Crossroads with its wobbly sets, Love Thy Neighbour with its racist jokes, and That's Life! with its rudely-shaped vegetables.

Others in TV hell are Wacaday, the children's show featuring Timmy Mallet, and Through The Keyhole where Sir David Frost and Loyd Grossman would snoop around the chintzy homes of low-ranking celebrities.

The list was compiled for this week's Radio Times by TV historian John Naughton. He said the programmes "all represent moments when television went that extra mile to create something memorably rotten - whether it was an inspirationally flawed concept, a supremely botched execution, or suffered from an unusually irritating presenter".

'Anachronistic obscenity'

Seventies sitcom Love Thy Neighbour, about a racist trade unionist horrified when a black couple move in next door, is described as 'a low point in British comedy'.

While The Black And White Minstrel Show, which featured white performers 'blacked up' to sing songs from America's Deep South and ran from 1958 to 1978, was called 'an anachronistic obscenity'.

Prince Edward's foray into TV comedy, the Westminster-set Annie's Bar, is on the list. A ratings flop, it was cancelled after six episodes.

A handful of viewers may remember the 1990 satellite TV sitcom Heil Honey I'm Home!, in which Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun move next door to a Jewish couple. It lasted one episode.

In a surprising addition, Mr Naughton says children's favourite Thomas The Tank Engine "portrays a workplace riven by class envy and where bitching, brown-nosing and backstabbing are the norm".

50 worst TV shows

1 Naked Jungle (2000)
2 Minipops (1983)
3 Triangle (1981-1983)
4 Quickfire Balls (2006)
5 Annie's Bar (1996)
6 Wright Here, Wright Now (2002)
7 Love Thy Neighbour (1972-1976)
8 Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends (1984-1991)
9 Through The Keyhole (1983-)
10 A Year In Provence (1993)
11 Heil Honey I'm Home! (1990)
12 The Black and White Minstrel Show (1958-1978)
13 The Borgias (1981)
14 The Good Old Days (1953-1983)
15 Breakfast Time (1983-1989)
16 Thompson (1988)
17 OTT (1982)
18 George and Mildred (1976-1979)
19 Dream Team (1997-2006)
20 Ross Kemp: Alive In Alaska (1999)
21 Kirsty's Home Videos (2000-2004)
22 Clive Anderson All Talk (1996-1999)
23 Celeb (2002)
24 Diana: Her True Story (1993)
25 Eurovision Song Contest (1956-)
26 Celebrity Wresting (2005)
27 Babes In The Wood (1998)
28 The Edinburgh Military Tattoo (1952-)
29 The Girlie Show (1996)
30 That's Life! (1973-1994)
31 Family Fortunes (1980-2002)
32 Littlejohn: Live and Unleashed (1998)
33 Lock, Stock... (2000)
34 French and Saunders (1987-2004)
35 Alastair Burnet's Royal Interviews (1980s)
36 Eldorado (1992-1993)
37 LA Pool Party (2001-2002)
38 Heartbeat (1992-now)
39 Going For Gold (1987-1996)
40 3-2-1 (1978-1987)
41 Origami (1968)
42 The Gaby Roslin Show (1996)
43 Clive James' Postcar from... (1990-1999)
44 Davina (2006)
45 Kilroy (1987-2004)
46 Wacaday (1985-1992)
47 Fort Boyard (1998-2002)
48 Popstars: The Rivals (2002)
49 Flog It! (2002-)
50 Crossroads (1964-1988, 2001-2003)

Tom can hit Jerry with an axe but Ofcom won't let him smoke

Tom and Jerry can chase each other as much as they like, wielding hammers and axes, but what they must not do, in the eyes of the media watchdog Ofcom, is light up a cigarette. Some 65 years after the quick-tempered cat and opportunistic mouse made their debut in The Midnight Snack, smoking scenes from the series have been cut.

A viewer complained this year that scenes of characters smoking were inappropriate for the young, despite the fact that Hollywood's animation team William Hanna and Joseph Barbera stopped making the series in 1957 when smoking was common. Upset was caused by Texas Tom, made in 1950, and Tennis Chumps, from 1949.

Both were transmitted by Turner Broadcasting's Boomerang cable channel. More than half the audience is aged from four to 14.

In Texas Tom, Tom tries to impress a female cat by rolling a cigarette, lighting it and smoking it with one hand. In Tennis Chumps, Tom's opponent on the court is seen smoking a large cigar. Turner itself proposed to Ofcom that it should edit out scenes whenever smoking appeared to be condoned.

Ofcom adheres to a broadcast code that smoking must be omitted from programmes made primarily for children, unless there is a strong editorial justification.

The regulator said that, "while we appreciate the historic integrity of the animation, the level of editorial justification required for the inclusion of smoking in such cartoons is necessarily high". Turner said last night that, in working through all 162 episodes of Tom and Jerry, it had so far removed three smoking scenes.

Its editors are to paint out the images frame by frame, which are shown at the rate of 25 per second. The process is to be extended to about 1,700 episodes of other shows, among them Scooby Doo and The Flintstones.

Today's The Day - 22nd August

22nd August 2006

Religious events today...
Feast day of St Timothy St Andrew of Fiesole,
St Sigfrid of Wearmouth,
and St John Kemble.

History Test for August 22nd
Name the last Plantagenet King of England, killed today in 1485? -Richard III
Who reached Number One in the US pop charts today in 1964 with `Where Did Our Love Go'? -The Supremes
Married today in 1620, who was England's only dictator? -Oliver Cromwell
Who composed the `Water Music', first performed today in 1715? -George Frideric Handel
Which notorious French prison released its last inmate today in 1953? -Devil's Island

Events today...
1485 In Leicestershire, King Richard III died at the battle of Bosworth Field, which ended the War of the Roses; Henry Tudor claimed the throne.
1553 In England, the duke of Northumberland was executed on the orders of Mary Tudor, for treason.
1642 The Civil War in England began, between the supporters of Charles I (Royalists or Cavaliers) and of Parliament (Roundheads).
1770 Captain James Cook having landed in Australia claimed it for the British Crown.
1788 The British settlement in Sierra Leone was founded, the purpose of which was to secure a home in Africa for freed slaves from England.
1806 Death of Jean Honore Fragonard, French painter.
1846 New Mexico was annexed by the USA.
1851 The yacht "America" defeated fourteen British entries to claim the prize and win the first Royal Yacht Squadron Cup, now known as the America's Cup, at a regatta in England. It was later offered by the New York Yacht Club as a challenge trophy.
1864 The International Red Cross was founded by the Geneva Convention to assist the wounded and prisoners of war.
1865 Liquid soap was patented in New York by William Sheppard.
1910 Korea was annexed by Japan.
1911 In Paris, the `Mona Lisa', painted by Leonardo da Vinci, was stolen from the Louvre, much to the embarrassment of its curators.
1922 Michael Collins, Irish politician and revolutionary, was assassinated by extremist Republicans in an ambush in Ireland.
1927 In Los Angeles, Lita Grey won a divorce and $825,000 from Charlie Chaplin.
1932 The BBC began experimental television broadcasting in the UK.
1940 Death of Oliver Lodge, English physicist.
1942 Death of Michael Fokine, Russian dancer and choreographer.
1962 Fifteen terrorists attacked General de Gaulle in the 22nd of 31 attempts on his life. Despite being sprayed with a volley of 150 shots, the General was only superficially cut.
1963 In the UK, British car tycoon William Morris, Viscount Nuffield, died aged 85.
1966 In London, plans were announced for a 385-foot, 34-floor skyscraper in the West End called Centre Point.
1968 In Bogota, Pope Paul VI arrived in Columbia on the first visit by a Pope to Latin America.
1973 President Nixon selected Henry Kissinger as his Secretary of State.
1973 In the UK, Charlie Wilson, was charged in connection with the Great Train Robbery.
1977 Death of Sebastian Cabot (aged 59) Actor
1978 Kenya's President Jomo Kenyatta died.
1978 The Commodores were at No.1 with `Three Times A Lady’
1985 A British Airtours Boeing 737 burst into flames at the end of the runway at Manchester Airport when take-off was aborted. 55 died in the flames.
1988 In England and Wales, pubs are allowed to stay open all day from then onwards.
1991 Death of Coleen Dewhurst (aged 67) Actress
1994 OJ Simpson was linked to the murder of his estranged Nicole Simpson and Ronald Goldman by DNA tests.
1994 In London, The Princess Of Wales denied allegations that she made nuisance telephone calls to art dealer Oliver Hoare. In a newspaper interview she said: "Somewhere, someone is going to make out that I am mad".
2004 Members of Somalia's first parliament for 13 years were sworn in amid hopes of a return to order and peace.
2004 Armed robbers stole the iconic Edvard Munch painting The Scream in front of stunned visitors at an Oslo museum.
2004 An exhausted Paula Radcliffe failed to finish in Athens as Japan's Mizuki Noguchi won the women's Olympic marathon.
2004 Pop star Natasha Bedingfield went straight in at number one on the UK chart with her second single These Words.
2004 Arsenal equaled Nottingham Forest's 42-game unbeaten League run with a 5-3 win over Middlesbrough.
2004 American Justin Gatlin scorched to Olympic 100m gold ahead of Francis Obikwelu and Maurice Greene.
2005 A number of people were reported injured after a powerful explosion in a northern suburb of the Lebanese capital.
2005 Synthesiser pioneer Dr Robert Moog, who inspired bands such as the Beach Boys, died aged 71.
2005 According to her record company, missing jazz singer Madeleine Peyroux was "found" in New York.

BIRTHDAYS (for 22 August 2006)
Claude Debussy, 144 (born 22 August 1862)
(1862-1918) French composer and pianist whose experiments with sounds led to his works becoming known as `musical impressionism'.
Jacques Lipchitz, 115 (born 22 August 1891)
US sculptor and painter
Dorothy Parker, 113 (born 22 August 1893)
US humorist and writer
Henri Cartier-Bresson, 98 (born 22 August 1908)
Died 2004. French photographer
John Lee Hooker, 89 (born 22 August 1917)
Blues guitarist - biggest hit 'Boom Boom'.
Dr. Denton Cooley, 86 (born 22 August 1920)
heart surgeon.
Ray Bradbury, 86 (born 22 August 1920)
Sci Fi writer - 'Martian Chronicles' 'Illustrated Man'.
Honor Blackman, 81 (born 22 August 1925)
English actress who graduated from the Rank charm school. Credits include `Cathy Gale' in `The Avengers', `Pussy Galore' in `Goldfinger' (1964) and more recently `Laura West' in `The Upper Hand'.
Karlheinz Stockhausen, 78 (born 22 August 1928)
German composer
General Norman Schwarzkopf KCB, 72 (born 22 August 1934)
'Stormin' Norman' - controller of US troops from the 1991 Gulf War - biggest hit.......
Dale Hawkins, 68 (born 22 August 1938)
Fifties Rocker
Valerie Harper, 66 (born 22 August 1940)
Actress - 'Rhoda'.
Ron Dante, 61 (born 22 August 1945)
The Archies, and Cufflinks
Cindy Williams, 59 (born 22 August 1947)
singer
Dr Rob Buckman, 58 (born 22 August 1948)
TV presenter
Steve Davis MBE, 49 (born 22 August 1957)
London born snooker player who dominated the sport during the 1980s winning 22 ranking tournaments and becoming world champion in 1981,1983-84 and 1987-89. Last year he won his 70th professional tournament.
Roland Orzabal, 45 (born 22 August 1961)
Bath-born singer, guitarist and keyboard player with Tears For Fears. Hits include `Mad World' from 1982 and `Everybody Wants To Rule The World' from 1985.
Debbi Peterson, 45 (born 22 August 1961)
Singer with The Bangles - biggest hit 'Eternal Flame'.
Tori Amos, 43 (born 22 August 1963)
Singer - biggest hit 'Cornflake Girl'.
Mats Wilander, 42 (born 22 August 1964)
Swedish tennis player who won the 1982 French Open aged 17, has also won the Australian and US Open with career earnings over $7 million.
Wilf O'Reily, 42 (born 22 August 1964)
Birmingham born speed skater who held British records at all distances in 1985; became the first British winner of the World 1000m Individual event in 1991.
Howie Doragh, 33 (born 22 August 1973)
Singer with Back Street Boys 'We've Got it Goin' On'.

Quiztime Quiz Vault

1 Who wrote the Opera Madam Butterfly? Puccini
2 What links - Goa - Kerula - Assam - Bihar? India
3 Eric Arthur Blaire was the real name of which author? George Orwell
4 Names - Baker Cook obvious what did Cordwainer do? Shoemaker
5 Which country do Sinologists study? China
6 Ruby Stevens became famous under which name? Barbara Stanwyck
7 Which non alcoholic cordial is made from pomegranates? Grenadine
8 What is Orchesis - either professional or amateur? Art of Dancing
9 Taken literally what should you see in a Hippodrome? Horses
10 Who wrote the Man in the Iron Mask? Alexander Dumas
11 Which 1993 Disney film starred Bet Middler as a witch? Hocus Pocus
12 Who piloted the first flight across the English channel? Louis Bleriot
13 What was the first James Bond film? Dr No
14 What 1991 film won best film, actor, actress, director Oscars? Silence of the Lambs
15 What was the capital of Ethiopia? Addis Ababa
16 Aescapalious emblem staff snake Greek Roman god of what? Medicine
17 Giacomo Agostini - 122 Grand Prix 15 world titles what sport? Motorcycle Racing
18 What is the largest state in the USA? Alaska
19 Led Deighton trilogy Game Set Match What 3 Capitals? Berlin MexicoLondon
20 Alan Stuart Konigsberg famous as who? Woody Allen
21 Which human rights organisation founded 1961 got Nobel 1977? Amnesty International
22 Whose autobiography was The long walk to Freedom? Nelson Mandela
23 What was discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter? Tutankamen tomb
24 Clyde Tonbaugh discovered what planet in 1930? Pluto
25 Who won the women's heptathlon at Seoul in 1988? Jackie Joyner-Kersey
26 Who wrote Northanger Abbey? Jayne Austin
27 Who ran through the streets naked crying Eureka? Archimedes
28 Who composed the Brandeberg concertos full names? Johan Sebastian Bach
29 Who won the World Series in 1987? Minnesota twins
30 What is the correct term of address to the Pope? Your Holiness
31 In which city was Alexander Graham Bell born in 1847? Edinburgh
32 Who composed the ballets Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker? Tchaikovsky
33 AG Bell opened school in Boston in 1872 for Teachers of what? The Deaf
34 Benjamin Kubelsky 1894 fame as what comedian? Jack Benny
35 In the Old Testament what book comes between Obadiah - Micah? Jonah
36 Robin Williams dressed in drag for which 1993 film? Mrs Doubtfire
37 Which chess piece could be a member of the church? Bishop
38 Which German word means lightning war used in WW2? Blitzkrieg
39 Broccoli belongs to what family of plants? Cabbage
40 Who designed the first Iron ship the Great Britain in 1845? I. Kingdom Brunel
41 Whose boat Bluebird was recently raised from Coniston water? Donald Campbell
42 in 1951 which (of two) car companies introduced power steering? Buick - Chrysler
43 Who wrote Catch 22 (both names)? Joseph Heller
44 Which country set up the world's first chemistry lab in 1650? Netherlands
45 What links the names Botvinik, Tal, Karpov, Fischer? Chess World Champs
46 What is the national flower of Japan? Chrysanthemum
47 Bombardier Billy Wells was seen on many Rank films - why? Hit Gong
48 Where in France do claret wines come from? Bordeaux
49 What did mathematician John Napier invent in 1614? Logarithms
50 What was the world's first high level programming language 1957? IBM FORTRAN
51 Consumption was the former name of which disease? Tuberculosis
52 Which American state is nicknamed The Diamond State? Delaware
53 What are the Sirocco, Mistral and Chinook? Winds
54 Who wrote about Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? Roald Dahl
55 Who, at USA customs declared, nothing but my genius? Oscar Wilde
56 Issur Danielovitch became famous a who? Kirk Douglas
57 Who sailed in the Golden Hind? Sir Francis Drake
58 What was the name of the plantation in Gone with the Wind? Tara
59 Who won the 1988 Superbowl? Washington Redskins
60 Which group believes in The Great Architect of the Universe? Freemasons
61 Robert Alan Zimmerman real name of who? Bob Dylan
62 Processed Galena produces which metal? Lead
63 Who wrote Gulliver's Travels (both names)? Jonathon Swift
64 What is a Ha Ha? Sunken Fence
65 In Japan what is Seppuku? Hari Kari - suicide
66 Who discovered blood circulation? William Harvey
67 The dunnock is another name for which common bird? Hedge Sparrow
68 If someone said they were from Hellas - which country? Greece
69 Who was the son of Zeus and Maia - Gods Messenger? Hermes
70 Roy Scherer jr became famous as who? Rock Hudson
71 Who wrote Brave New World (full name)? Aldus Huxley
72 What links Calabria, Liguria, Puglia and Veneto? Regions of Italy
73 Which city in Rajasthan has riding breeches named after it? Jodhpur
74 Portugal has had six Kings with what first name? John
75 What martial arts name means gentle way? Judo
76 Jean Claude Killy famous in which sport? Skiing
77 Kimberlite contains what precious item? Diamonds
78 Who directed Dr Strangelove - 2001 - The Shining (full name)? Stanley Kubrick
79 Rene Lalique - Art Nouveau designer worked what material? Glass
80 Who created the land of Narnia and Lion Witch and Wardrobe? Clive Staples Lewis
81 What animal lives in a drey? Squirrel
82 Why is Louise Brown - born 1978 famous? First test tube baby
83 The title of whose book translates as my struggle? Adolf Hitler
84 Anna Mary Robinson - famous American painter - what name? Grandma Moses
85 In which country would you find the Negev desert? Israel
86 Which character has been played by the most actors? Sherlock Holmes
87 In Greek mythology a Hamadryads spirit guarded what? Trees
88 Jocasta was the wife of Laius and the mother of who? Oedipus
89 Who wrote The Rights of Man - and The Age of Reason? Thomas Paine
90 What is the capital of Sicily? Palermo
91 What was invented by Dr Edward Land in 1947? Polaroid
92 Syd Barett, Roger Waters, Richard Wright, Nick Mason - Group? Pink Floyd
93 Carlo Collodi created which famous children's character? Pinocchio
94 What is mainly extracted from pitchblende? Uranium
95 Which connects Delft, Sevres, Wedgwood, Chelsea? Porcelain
96 Which country introduced the worlds first diesel loco in 1912? Germany
97 in 1656 Christian Huygens invented what type of timekeeper? Pendulum clock
98 Duvali, Dushira and Holi are religious days in which religion? Hindu
99 In what industry did John Davidson Rockefeller get rich? Oil
100 The Mau Mau were terrorists in which country late 50s early 60s? Kenya

Today's The Day - 21st August

21st August 2006

Religious Events today...
Feast day of St Pius X, pope,
St Abraham of Smolensk,
St Sidonius Apollinaris,
Saints Bonosus and Maximian,
and Saints Cisellus and Camerinus.

History Test for August 21st
The birth of which member of the British Royal Family, today in 1930, was the last to be witnessed by the Home Secretary? -Princess Margaret
Today in 1858, Sir Sam Browne gave his name to which item of clothing? -A belt
Which state became America's 50th today in 1959? -Hawaii
What footballing first was achieved by Keith Peacock today in 1965? -He was the first substitute in football league
Released today in 1981, which film starred David Naughton as a lycanthropic tourist? -`An American Werewolf in London'

Events today...
1649 Death of Richard Crashaw, English poet.
1841 John Hampton patented the venetian blind in the U.S.
1901 In the US, a new motor car company is founded in Detroit, named after the 18th century explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac.
1902 In Belfast, the Harland and Wolff shipyard launched the 21,000 ton `Cedric', the world's largest ship.
1911 Leonardo da Vinci's painting, the Mona Lisa, was stolen from the Louvre in Paris - it was recovered two years later.
1923 In the US, the city of Kalamazoo in Michigan, forbade dancers to look into their partners' eyes.
1928 In the US, Joseph Schenk, head of United Artists Corporation, said `talkies' were just a fad and would not remain popular.
1930 Death of Aston Webb, English architect.
1931 In New York, Laurel and Hardy made their screen debut in the film-short, `Pardon Us'.
1936 In London, the BBC made its first television broadcast from Alexandra Palace.
1938 Fats Waller recorded the song "Ain't Misbehaving".
1939 Civil Defence, to mitigate the effects of enemy attack, was started in Britain.
1940 In Mexico City, exiled Bolshevik leader, Leon Trotsky was assassinated by an agent working for Joseph Stalin. He was 60.
1943 Japan left the Aleutian Islands in the Pacific.
1951 Death of Leonard Constant Lambert, English composer.
1956 The movie premier of "War and Peace" took place, starring Henry Fonda and Audrey Hepburn.
1959 Death of Jacob Epstein, British sculptor.
1959 Hawaii became the 50th of the United States.
1959 In London, floods caused chaos in the city as three quarters of an inch of rain fell in one hour.
1964 In London, three women are found guilty of indecency for wearing topless dresses.
1971 Diana Ross was at No.1 with `I’m Still Waiting’
1979 In the UK, Essex became County Cricket Champions for the first time.
1980 The Pirates of Penzance - the musical opened on Broadway with singer Linda Ronstadt in one of the leading roles.
1983 Death of Benigno Aquino, Philippine politician.
1984 Clint Eastwood put his hand print and signed "Make my day" in the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1985 The U.S. accused Russia of using spy dust in tracking U.S. staff in Moscow.
1987 In Hollywood, the small-budget ($5 million) film, `Dirty Dancing', starring dancer-turned-actor Patrick Swayze was released.
1988 A cease-fire came into effect between Iran and Iraq who had been at war for 8 years.
1991 An attempted coup d'etat in the USSR failed; faced with international condemnation and popular protests led by Boris Yeltsin, the junta stepped down and Gorbachev was reinstated.
1992 Model Trudie Styler married Sting in London.
1993 Contact with the Mars Observer was lost by NASA.
1993 Death of Tatiana Troyanos, US operatic mezzo-soprano.
1995 A huge libel suit for $10 billion was settled after the ABC News network apologised to Philip Morris, the cigarette company over allegations that they had manipulated the quantity of nicotine in their cigarettes.
1995 In Jerusalem, a suicide bomber killed himself and four passengers aboard a Jerusalem bus. The toll of the injured was put at 100.
2004 A series of blasts rocked an opposition party rally in the Bangladesh capital, killing at least 13 people.
2004 Pakistan arrested suspected al-Qaeda members it said were planning to attack US and Pakistani targets.
2004 A Cornish teacher claimed one of sport's endurance crowns by winning a 3,100-mile race across the US.
2004 Alan Smith scored on his Premiership home debut as Man Utd beat Norwich.
2004 Bradley Wiggins won Great Britain's second cycling gold in the men's individual pursuit.
2005 Pope Benedict XVI warned against secularism and do-it-yourself religion, as his German visit drew to a close.
2005 McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen surged to victory in the inaugural Turkish GP ahead of Renault's Fernando Alonso.

BIRTHDAYS (for 21 August 2006)
William IV, 241 (born 21 August 1765)
(1765-1837) King Of Great Britain and Ireland (1830-37) known as `The Sailor King' after he joined the navy in 1779; was succeeded by his niece, Victoria.
William Allen "Count" Basie, 102 (born 21 August 1904)
died 1984 (aged 80). Bandleader, pianist, composer and arranger. Hits include "Jumpin' At The Woodside" (1938).
Christopher Robin Milne, 86 (born 21 August 1920)
son of A.A.
HRH The Princess Margaret, 76 (born 21 August 1930)
(Died 2002) Sister of Queen Elizabeth II, divorced from photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones,1st Earl Of Snowdon. 11th in line to the throne.
Barry Norman, 73 (born 21 August 1933)
English writer, film critic and television presenter best known for `Film `96' and previous year editions; once directed an episode of `The Saint'.
Kenny Rogers, 68 (born 21 August 1938)
Best selling country artist. Had success in country as well as pop charts. Hits include "Ruby Don't Take Your Love To Town" (1969) "Lucille" (1977) and "Islands In The Stream" (1983).
Tom Coster, 65 (born 21 August 1941)
Musician and songwriter. Member of Santana. Hits include "Samba Pa Ti" (1974) "She's Not There" (1977) and "Well All Right" (1978).
Jackie DeShannon, 62 (born 21 August 1944)
Singer/songwriter and composer who wrote Bette Davis Eyes.
Geoff Capes, 57 (born 21 August 1949)
Lincolnshire born former shot putter; retired in 1975 to follow a strongman career and twice become the `World's Strongest Man'. His hobbies include breeding budgies.
Glenn Hughes, 55 (born 21 August 1951)
Bass player with Deep Purple. Hits include "Black Night" (1970) "Perfect Strangers" (1985) and "Love Conquers All" (1991).
Joe Strummer, 54 (born 21 August 1952)
Singer/songwriter and member of punk rock band The Clash. Hits include "London Calling" (1979) and "Rock The Casbah" (1982)
Nick Kane, 52 (born 21 August 1954)
Musician. Member of The Mavericks. Recent hit "Dancing The Night Away".
Kim Cattrall, 50 (born 21 August 1956)
British actress. Movies include "Rosebud" (1975) "Porky's" (1981) and "Where Truth Lies" (1997).
Ben Onwukwe, 49 (born 21 August 1957)
Famous for his role as "Recall" in the television series "London's Burning".
Kim Sledge, 48 (born 21 August 1958)
American singer with Sister Sledge, along with sisters Debra and Joan. UK hits include `We Are Family' and `Lost In Music' both from 1979, and `Frankie' from 1985.
Matthew Broderick, 44 (born 21 August 1962)
American actor who became known after his film `War Games' (1983), other films include `The Road To Wellville' (1994) and `The Cable Guy' (1996). Also supplied the voice of `Simba' in `The Lion King' (1995).
Liam Howlett, 35 (born 21 August 1971)
Member of Prodigy. Keyboards. Hits include "Charly" (1991) "Firestarter" (1996) and "Breathe" (1996).

Quiztime Quiz 200806

1 Which political party are dumping their blue flaming torch logo in favour of a green tree?
CONSERVATIVE
2 Which letters are written on comedian Jimmy Cricket’s wellies?
L & R (FOR LEFT & RIGHT)
3 Wearing which two articles of clothing together has recently been voted the worst fashion mistake a man can make?
SANDALS AND SOCKS
4 Which is the oldest club in the Premiership?
READING
5 In 1894, the first public striptease was performed in which European city?
PARIS
6 Will Smith topped the UK charts 9 years ago this week, with the theme tune to which film?
‘MEN IN BLACK’
7 Which country is staging the World Rowing Championships?
ENGLAND
8 Which is the greater - The number of test matches played by Allan Border, (with 158) the maximum speed in mph of a human body in free fall, or the number of verses in the Greek national anthem?
NUMBER OF VERSES IN THE GREEK NATIONAL ANTHEM
9 In the game of pool, what colour is the 9 ball?
YELLOW
10 Who ended the Roger Federer’s run of 55 straight hard-court wins?
ANDREW MURRAY
11 Which Brit was recently named the world’s ninth highest earner, raking-in £77 a-minute over the last twelve months?
J K ROWLING
12 At which racecourse does the Shergar Cup take place?
ASCOT
13 Who did Lisa Marie Presley marry just a few days prior to the 25th Anniversary of her father’s death?
NICOLAS CAGE
14 Colchester United fans chanted, “You only need two more” as Kem Izzet was yellow carded by which referee officiating his first match since his World Cup nightmare?
GRAHAM POLL
15 According to Paris Hilton’s latest single what are the stars?
BLIND
16 One Point Each - Athletics - Name the quartet of who won European gold in the 4 x 100m in Gothenburg?
DWAIN CHAMBERS, DARREN CAMPBELL, MARLON DEVONISH AND MARK LEWIS-FRANCIS
17 Gene Simons, the bass guitarist with Kiss, is just as famous for which 13” part of his body as he is for his music?
TONGUE
18 Which banknote features a view of the west face of Worcester Cathedral?
A £20 NOTE
19 Norse explorer, Erik The Red, gave which country its optimistic name to encourage his countrymen to settle there?
GREENLAND
20 Quiztime Survey Question - Name a famous British Inventor?
ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL / GEORGE STEVENSON / JAMES WATT / BARNES WALLIS / FRANK WHITTLE / CHRISTOPHER COCKRIL / CLIVE SINCLAIR

21 Which Year - Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein vowed to take over Kuwait, The French Riviera suffered its biggest art robbery when thieves stole paintings worth £25 million, It was announced that an average employee wasted a week and a half a year waiting for the kettle to boil, Actor Harrison Ford signed a record breaking five movie deal which would earn him £26 million, Snap! were at No.1 with `Rhythm Is A Dancer’, In Budapest, Nigel Mansell won the Hungarian Grand Prix to become the Formula One World Champion and In Tombstone, Arizona, a cowboy was fined £100 for riding his horse without lights?
1992
22 Which famous architect designed London’s St Paul’s Cathedral?
CHRISTOPHER WREN
23 Which team has the largest ground capacity in the Scottish Premier League?
CELTIC
24 Wellington is one of the characters in which Daily Mirror strip cartoon?
THE PERISHERS
25 Natasha Hamilton, Liz McLarnon and Jenny Frost were collectively known as which pop trio?
ATOMIC KITTEN
26 In Greek mythology, what did Paris use to kill Achilles?
A BOW AND ARROW
27 One Point Each - Name the five men who have captained England at football the most times?
BILLY WRIGHT (90), BOBBY MOORE (90), BRYAN ROBSON (65), DAVID BECKHAM (58) AND ALAN SHEARER (34)
28 In which role did Derek Young make regular appearances on ‘The Golden Shot’?
BERNIE (The bolt)
29 A PSV licence is required to drive what type of vehicle?
PUBLIC SERVICE VEHICLE
30 What is the name of the drama about John Prescott's love affair commissioned by ITV?
PREZZA
31 Veteran actor, Patrick Allen, who died last week at the age of 79, starred in which TV ads during the 70’s and 80’s when he arrived on a housing development by helicopter?
BARRATT
32 What type of establishment would you find at Shepton Mallet, Armley and Belmarsh?
PRISONS
33 Which vegetable is added to green pasta to give it that colour?
SPINACH
34 What colours are on the Russian flag?
WHITE, BLUE AND RED
35 In cricket, which Twenty20 Cup competition team are called the Dragons?
GLAMORGAN
36 Which London building once answered their telephone calls with the greeting ‘Whitehall 1212’?
SCOTLAND YARD
37 ‘Tokyo Joe’ gave which singer a 1977 hit single?
BRIAN FERRY
38 In which 1992 film did Mr White, Mr Orange and Mr Pink take part in a botched jewellery raid?
‘RESERVOIR DOGS’
39 Which former coin is also the name of the second most popular pub name in Britain?
THE CROWN
40 Mrs Brown's bungalow is decorated entirely in pink. The carpet, lampshades, ceiling, walls etc are all pink. What colour are her stairs?
Bungalows don't have stairs!
Tiebreaker - How many toilet rolls were used by the housemates during ‘Big Brother 5’? 245
- How many days is the gestation period of a sheep?
175
- According to a recent survey how long did the average commuter spend a year travelling to and from work?
139 hours

Name the 3 new planets in our solar system.
CERES, CHARON AND 2003 UB313

TV Locations Quiz

In which city, town or village (whether real or fictional) were the following TV programmes set?

1. Birds of a Feather Chigwell
2. Coronation Street Weatherfield
3. Dr. Finlays Casebook Tannochbrae
4. Crossroads Kings Oak
5. Dad's Army Walmington on Sea
6. Fawlty Towers Torquay
7. Postman Pat Greendale
8. Heartbeat Aidensfield
9. All Creatures Great and Small Darrowby
10. Lou Grant Los Angeles
11. Inspector Morse Oxford
12. Bread Liverpool
13. Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (1st series) Dusseldorf
14. The Good Life Surbiton
15. Maigret Paris
16. Juliet Bravo Hartley
17. The Untouchables Chicago
18. Neighbours Erinsborough
19. Taggart Glasgow
20. Mork and Mindy Boulder City
21. Cheers Boston
22. Home and Away Summer Bay
23. Casualty Holby
24. Kojak New York
25. Secret Army Brussels

Today's The Day - 20th August

20th August 2006

Religious Events today...
Feast day of St Rognwald or Ronald,
St Bernard of Clairvaux,
St Amator or Amadour,
St Philibert,
and St Oswin.

History Test for August 20th
Today in 1940, who claimed "Never in the field of human conflict..."? -Sir Winston Churchill
At which site was Britain's first nuclear power generated today in 1956? -Calder Hall
Who wrote the `1812 Overture', first performed today in 1882? -Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Born today in 1937 which comedian has the catchphrase "Super! Smashing! Great!"? -Jim Bowen
Which film, released today in 1993, stars Sharon Stone and William Baldwin as her landlord? -'Sliver'

Events today...
1619 The first slaves arrived in Jamestown in Virginia.
1710 The French were defeated by the Austrians at the Battle of Saragossa.
1741 Alaska was discovered by Danish navigator Vitas Bering.
1854 Death of Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling German philosopher.
1882 The "1812 Overture" by Tchaikovsky was premiered in Moscow.
1905 Death of Adolphe William Bouguereau, French painter.
1912 In the UK General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, died at his home in London aged 83.
1913 Adolphe Pegoud of France was the first person to parachute from an aircraft.
1914 German forces occupied Brussels.
1915 Death of Paul Ehrlich, German biochemist.
1924 Although considered the likely winner, British sprinter Eric Liddel refused to run in the 100m heats at the Paris Olympics because it fell on a Sunday.
1924 In London, an agreement was reached to allow 3,000 UK families to emigrate to Canada and live on farms.
1940 Death of Leon Trotsky, Russian politician.
1940 In London, Winston Churchill paid tribute to RAF Battle of Britain pilots saying "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few"
1953 The Soviet Union admitted that they had tested a hydrogen bomb.
1956 Calder Hall nuclear power plant, Britain's first nuclear power station, began operating.
1960 Senegal gained independence from France.
1961 In Berlin, the East Germans erected a five foot concrete wall along the border to replace the barbed wire fence.
1964 In the UK, a lighter `portable' television set weighing only 16lbs went on sale, it was hoped that it would prove useful as a second set in many homes.
1967 The New York Times reported on a new noise reduction system for recording. It was called Dolby after being developed by R and D.W. Dolby who were recording technicians.
1968 Russian troops invaded Czechoslovakia.
1970 Elvis Presley was at No.1 with `The Wonder Of You’
1970 In Columbia, three judges cleared England soccer captain, Bobby Moore, of charges relating to the theft of an emerald bracelet from a hotel shop.
1971 In the UK, Prince Charles got his `wings' at RAF Cornwall.
1977 The US Voyager 1 spacecraft was launched on its journey via Jupiter and Saturn to become the first artificial object to leave the solar system.
1981 In the UK, Jessie Matthews, British singer and actress famous for `Mrs Dale's Diary', died aged 74.
1983 In the UK, Radio Caroline returned to the air three years after its previous ship sank in the North Sea.
1985 In the UK, Amstrad launched its PCW 8256 word processor.
1988 Patrick Sherrill murdered 14 post office colleagues when he shot them at work in Edmond in Oklahoma. He then shot himself.
1990 Sadam Hussein announced that western hostages were being moved close to military and other installations and would be used as human shields in order to deter attacks.
1990 Three airline pilots employed by Northwest Airlines were convicted of flying whilst under the influence of alcohol.
1992 In the UK, Buckingham Palace failed to stop the Daily Mirror publishing topless pictures of the Duchess of York.
1994 In London, German World Cup team-member Jurgen Klinsmann made his debut in English football, scoring the winning goal in Tottenham's victory over Sheffield.
1995 In Russia, a 3,000-year-old tattooed man was found preserved in ice in a burial mound in Syberia.
1999 10,000 protesters gathered in Belgrade to demand the resignation of President Milosevic.
2004 A tense stand-off continued in the Iraqi city of Najaf, despite reports that Moqtada Sadr's gunmen had agreed to pull out.
2004 Scientists in China said they had discovered the highly virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu in pigs.
2004 Unions and managers were still locked in talks aimed at averting a 24-hour strike by thousands of workers at British Airways.
2004 A court heard that Michael Jackson offered to give the boy at the centre of his child abuse case a house.
2004 Jonathan Woodgate passed a medical and signed for Real Madrid in a £13.4m move.
2004 A Greek weightlifter failed a drugs test in Athens, while an Indian athlete was also been thrown out of the Olympic Games for doping.
2005 Pope Benedict XVI called on Muslim leaders to combat the spread of terrorism, during a visit to his native Germany.
2005 Tariq Aziz's family visited him in jail in what was thought to be the first such concession to a Saddam Hussein aide.

BIRTHDAYS (for 20 August 2006)
Benjamin Harrison, 173 (born 20 August 1833)
23rd US president.
Leon Trotsky, 127 (born 20 August 1879)
(1879-1940) Russian jewish revolutionary who created the Red Army; was exiled from the Soviet Union by Stalin after Lenin's death, and subsequently assassinated by one of Stalin's agents.
Alan Reed, 99 (born 20 August 1907)
died 1977 (aged 69). American actor. Movies include "Days Of Glory" (1943) and "Breakfast At Tiffany's" (1962). He provided the voice for Fred Flintstone in the television series.
Jacqueline Susann, 85 (born 20 August 1921)
died 1974 (aged 53) Best selling novelist. Her largest selling novel which was also made into a movie was "Valley of the Dolls".
Jim Reeves, 83 (born 20 August 1923)
died 1964 (aged 41). Legendary country singer who remains very popular years after his death. Hits include "He'll Have To Go" (1960) "Distant Drums" (1966) and "I Love You Because" (1971).
Jim Bowen, 69 (born 20 August 1937)
Former teacher who found fame on "The Comedians" television show which lead to "Bullseye" which he hosted.
Sylvester McCoy, 63 (born 20 August 1943)
Scottish actor. Most famous role as Dr Who (the 7th doctor).
Rajiv Gandhi, 62 (born 20 August 1944)
(1944-1991) Indian statesman and prime minister (1984-9) who was assassinated in 1991 just seven years after his mother, Indira.
Robert Plant, 58 (born 20 August 1948)
Birmingham-born singer with Led Zeppelin until 1980 when the band split. Hits include `Stairway To Heaven' from 1971, solo hits include `Big Log' from 1983.
Phil Lynott, 55 (born 20 August 1951)
died 1986 (aged 35). Lead singer with rock band Thin Lizzy and also had solo hits. Died from drugs overdose. Hits include "Whiskey In The Jar" (1973) "The Boys Are Back In Town" (1976) "Sarah" (1979) "Yellow Pearl" (1981) and "Out In The Fields" (1985)
John Emburey, 54 (born 20 August 1952)
London born cricketer who was the first choice spinner for England in the 1980's.
Rick Olsen, 50 (born 20 August 1956)
Rock guitarist with Berlin. Hits include "Take My Breath Away" (1986) and "Like Flames" (1987).
Lenny Henry, 48 (born 20 August 1958)
Comedian/actor and all rounder. Has appeared in many television series including "The Black and White Minstrels Show"!!!! "The Lenny Henry Show" "Chef" as well as the Comic Relief charity shows. Movie appearances include "The Suicide Club" (1988) and "Tru
Steve McMahon, 45 (born 20 August 1961)
Liverpool born midfield footballer, currently manager of Swindon Town FC.

10 THINGS WE DIDN'T KNOW THIS TIME LAST WEEK

Snippets harvested from the week's news, chopped, sliced and diced for your weekend convenience.

1. Only children are the least likely to be able to make other people laugh, say psychologists. Only 11% of children without siblings have this talent.

More details

2. Newspapers in the UK have given away 54 million DVDs this year, about the same number as have been sold by retailers.

3. The original film footage of the first Apollo XI moon landing has been lost.

More details

4. There are 32,000 workers living on-site at the production centre in China where iPods are manufactured.

More details

5. Televisions with plasma screens can consume four times as much electricity as cathode ray tube televisions.

6. Involuntary bad language, a symptom affecting about one in 10 people with Tourette's syndrome, is called "coprolalia".

More details

7. There's an A-level in critical thinking - Theo Walcott's girlfriend, Melanie Slade, passed it.

More details

8. The town of Barga in Tuscany claims to be "the most Scottish in Italy" - and this week held its annual Scottish festival.

More details

9. There are two million cars and trucks in Brazil which run on alcohol.

More details

10. Watching television can act as a natural painkiller for children, say researchers from the University of Siena.

More details

[2. Reuters, 18 August; 5. The Observer, 13 August; 7. Daily Mirror, 18 August.]

Trivia Hall Of Fame

Join us for 12 questions about trick endings!
http://www.triviahalloffame.com/newgame.htm

. What TV series included an episode called 'To Serve Man,' famous
for its trick ending?

--->>> VERY IMPORTANT!!!!
. If you would rather not have movies spoiled for you, scroll all the
way down to see what movies may (or may not) have their endings revealed!

LAST WEEK'S ANSWER
. Rhode Island is the smallest US state, and Prince Edward Island is
the smallest Canadian province, but how many independent European states
are smaller still?
. SIX or SEVEN, depending on whether you want to include Malta, an EU
member not on the European continent.

NEXT WEEK
. Twelve new questions on the world's monarchies!

PLUTO, CERES, CHARON and XENA: DAMN YOU ALL!
. I'll bet that, when the IAU started messing with the list of
planets, they never even once considered the effect it would have people
who write or answer trivia questions.
. Because, let me tell you, it's raising havoc around here.
. For one thing, I had to sort through the 33,000-question database I
provide for clients, looking for questions that were now outdated.
. Sometimes, the fix meant specifying "classical planets" or adding
"including plutons."
. But there are other problems, now, too. For example, since Ceres
has been upgraded, the order changes. Jupiter is now the sixth planet from
the Sun.
. So let's say, for example, you find yourself being asked in a quiz
to name the sixth planet from the Sun. Is it Saturn or Jupiter? Are they
counting Ceres? Does "planet" mean "classical planet"?
. It'll be chaos, I tell ya. Complete and utter chaos. Friendships
will be shattered. Families torn asunder.
. Say ... I wonder what they call Pluto in the Ivory Coast?

BONUS PLOT TWIST FACTOIDS
. Some trick endings are easier to keep hidden than others. Social
conservatives sought to bring down 'Million Dollar Baby' by revealing its
surprise ending (and by turning rock-ribbed Republican Clint Eastwood into
the second-coming of Michael Moore, but that's another story).
. Here are some of the common trick ending tricks.
. The red herring: Something you thought was true is not true.
. The racconto: The real story is revealed in a flashback.
. Anagnorisis: Somebody isn't who you thought they were.
. The unreliable narrator: The narrator has been lying to
you all along.
. Peripeteia: The plot itself turns in a completely
unexpected direction.
. The deus ex machina: The cheapest trick of all ...
something appears completely out of the blue to change the plot's direction.

LEFTOVER BONUS GEOGRAPHY FACTOID
. Here is a list of the world's largest countries ... by letter.

A: Australia
B: Brazil
C: Canada
E: Ethiopia
F: France
G: Germany (if you exclude Greenland)
H: Honduras
I: India
J: Japan
K: Kazakhstan
L: Libya
M: Mexico
N: Niger
O: Oman
P: Peru
Q: Qatar
R: Russia
S: Sudan
T: Tanzania
U: United States
V: Venezuela
W: Western Sahara (recognized by only 46 countries)
Y: Yemen
Z: Zambia


MOVIES WE'VE RUINED FOR EVERYBODY
. Here are the movies we may be spoiling in this week's quiz.
. But, since knowing there is a trick ending can ruin the surprise, a
chunk of these films actually have NO surprise ending.
. Of course, reading this list could spoil the fun of the game for
you. Oh, the irony!
A Beautiful Mind
Beetlejuice
Casablanca
Chinatown
Citizen Kane
The Crying Game
Dogville
The Empire Strikes Back
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Fight Club
LA Confidential
Mad Max
Memento
Mission: Impossible
North by Northwest
The Others
The Road to Perdition
Planet of the Apes (both versions)
Revenge of the Sith
The Saint
Saw
Seven
Signs
The Sixth Sense
The Sting
Suspicion
Psycho
TransAmerica
Twelve Monkeys
Unbreakable
The Usual Suspects
Vanilla Sky
The Village
Wild Things

VISIT TRIVIA HALL OF FAME

Time Team to seek buried treasure at Buckingham Palace

The Queen's 80th birthday celebrations certainly seem to be taking a toll on her cherished garden at Buckingham Palace. Thousands of guests have tramped over it this year. And now a team of archaeologists is to dig it up.

	Tony Robinson is ready to begin digging up Buckingham Palace

Channel 4's Time Team programme is to take up residence at three of the Queen's homes over next week's Bank Holiday weekend and gouge huge chunks out of her manicured lawns during a four-day live dig at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Holyroodhouse.

Apparently, Her Majesty is as intrigued as the archaeologists as to what they will discover.

The locations are certainly the most unusual in the programme's history.

"The funny thing about it is that the archetypal Time Team would be going into the back garden of someone's terrace house in Northampton," said the presenter, Tony Robinson, yesterday.

"And the people always get really excited about what's under their garden. Well, this is exactly the same. They all seem very excited."

Robinson said he and the Time Team expert Phil Harding had talked to the Queen, Prince Philip, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall at a recent garden party about the forthcoming programme.

"Charles, who knows a thing or two about archaeology, was very interested in the methodology. He got into a very technical discussion with Phil while I chatted to Camilla about how difficult it is to get anywhere quickly on the M4.

"Dad, Philip, was postulating theories all the time. We told him there was this particular ornamental canal we were looking for and he was going 'Oh, I'm not sure that you'll find any evidence of that'.

"He was very funny because he was putting us on the spot, saying 'What proof have you got for this? What proof have you got for that?'

"You can't really say to him, 'I don't bleeding know because we haven't started digging yet'.

"And the Queen, well she is just intrigued. They are really curious to know what's under all the little bumps and lumps. They were all extraordinarily relaxed about the prospect of their gardens being dug up. They were so busy chatting about it that the equerries had to come and lead them away in the direction of other guests."

The Queen has asked Time Team to try to discover the origin of a mysterious mound in the grounds of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

They will also be trying to find out whether Buckingham Palace's garden contains the remains of defences built around London and Westminster by the Roundheads to keep out the King's forces.

"It really amuses me that there is the possibility there might be a Roundhead garrison actually within the confines of Buckingham Palace," said Robinson. The team plans to trace the history of previous houses built on the Palace site and hopes the preserved contents of the silted canal, thought to have been built by the Duke of Buckingham in 1703, will offer tantalising glimpses of London life at the time.

"The gardener thinks he knows where the canal is from the land pattern," said Simon Raikes, the series producer.

Buckingham House was purchased by King George III in 1762 as a private family residence for his wife Queen Charlotte and was enlarged over the years with its conversion into a palace completed in the 1830s.

At Windsor Castle one of the aims is to locate the remains of a building, said to be 200ft wide, which it is believed was built by Edward III in 1348 for a Round Table for his knights. Records show building materials were purchased but it seems it was not completed.

"This was a mysterious building and it would be tremendous to locate it," said Mr Raikes. "From marks on the grass we believe it may be in the Quadrangle in the Upper Ward."

Time Team: Big Royal Dig will be broadcast each evening on Channel 4 from Friday Aug 25 to Monday Aug 28 with live day-time coverage on More4 during the Bank Holiday weekend. Robinson promises that despite the huge trenches they plan to dig, the Queen won't even know they've been there by the time she returns from her summer break at Balmoral.

"There are some very scary people at the palace," he said. "So it's highly unlikely that we would do a cowboy job on their lawn."

Watchdog warns of postal chaos on Monday

Post offices are not ready for Monday's revolutionary shift in the way that mail is priced, the Government's postal watchdog said yesterday.

The decision to charge for mail based on size rather than weight could result in chaos at post offices, Postwatch said.

	Under the new regulations, customers will have to measure their post before they send it

Judith Donovan, the chairman of the organisation's Trade Association Forum, said: "We are concerned that post offices are not ready to help customers.

"Basic sources of information such as posters and leaflets should have been available at all post offices well in advance."

She said that Postwatch had carried out a survey of post offices and found that about a third was not prepared.

Thirty-seven per cent had not put up a poster explaining the changes, known as Pricing in Proportion (PiP). Leaflets explaining the changes were not available at 32 per cent of the 307 offices visited and 34 per cent did not have a measuring template displayed so that customers could check the size of their post.

"A third of post offices failing to do the bare minimum points to a potentially complacent approach in introducing what will be the biggest change to our postal service since the Penny Black," Mrs Donovan said.

Under the new regulations, customers will have to measure their post before they send it. Although most normal letters will cost the same amount to post, chunky handmade cards or those with birthday badges could incur an additional larger letter cost. Parcels will also be judged by size as well as weight.

"Our survey results revealed that, as late as the start of this month, post offices were just not ready," Mrs Donovan said.

"While we understand that, in the immediate post-introduction period, Royal Mail will be flexible in terms of not surcharging customers who have underpaid postage, the best way of ensuring that customers are paying the correct amount is by making every effort to alert them to the change and its implications."

A spokesman for Royal Mail said that the company was training all postmasters to handle PiP queries.

"The Postwatch survey results are not surprising, as the research was conducted in the first week of the month before the distribution of templates, posters and leaflets to post office branches had been completed."

The spokesman added: "Nearly 20,000 counter clerks, sub-postmasters and their staff have now been trained and are geared up to handle customer queries about the new prices."

Royal Mail is sending a size guide to every household in the country, with information about the new system.

Postwatch issued a warning that there would be long queues at post offices because customers would need explanations about the new pricing structure.

Under PiP, the price of an average first class letter will be 32p. However, if its length exceeds 240mm, its width 165mm or its thickness 5mm, it will be considered to be a large letter. Letters of that size will cost 44p to post if they weigh less than 100 grammes.

Anything over 353mm long or 250mm wide or over 25mm thick will be considered to be a packet and will cost between £1 and £4.74, depending on how much it weighs.

Customers will be able to buy new large letter stamps in the same outlets as ordinary first and second class stamps.

The Royal Mail spokesman said that tens of thousands of large letter stamps had been sold. They went on sale last month.

Colin Baker, the general secretary of the National Federation of Sub-postmasters, said that members of his federation, who operate most of the country's post offices, had received "some training and some distance learning and some gizmos".

But he said that the size guide which had been sent through the post by the Royal Mail "does not seem to be very good".

Mr Baker said: "There is no doubt that this will be a nuisance for customers."

He added that the burden would be on his members to make it work.

"The sub-postmasters will manage to get their customers through this," he said. "They always do."

Today's The Day - 19th August

19th August 2006

Religious Events today...
Feast day of St Mocha,
Saints Agapius and Timothy,
St Sebald,
St Thecla,
St Andrew the Tribune,
St Sixtus III,
St Berulf of Bobbio,
St Louis of Anjou,
St John Eudes,
and St Credan of Evesham.

History Test for August 19th
First seen in London today in 1964, which musical is based on the legend of King Arthur? -'Camelot'
Born today in 1883, which fashion designer introduced the `little black dress'? -Coco Chanel
Born today in 1931, which American jockey is nicknamed 'The Shoe'? -Willie Shoemaker
Who married actor Alec Baldwin today in 1993? -Kim Basinger
Born today in 1940, which singer had seventies pop hits with `I Can See Clearly Now' and `Tears on My Pillow'? -Johnny Nash

Events today...
14AD Death of Augustus Caesar, aged 76. The first Roman emperor.
1274 In Westminster Abbey, King Edward I was crowned amid much splendour.
1561 In Leith, Scotland,18-year-old Mary Queen of Scots returned home after 12 years of exile in France.
1662 Death of Blaise Pascal, French philosopher and mathematician.
1796 France and Spain formed an alliance against Britain.
1819 In Birmingham, James Watt, the Scottish inventor who patented the invention of the steam engine, died at the age of 83.
1856 Condensed milk was patented by Gail Borden of New York.
1897 Electric-powered cabs appeared in London; they proved to be uneconomical and were withdrawn in 1900.
1909 A dirt track was opened in the U.S. for road testing cars and it later became famous for the Indianapolis 500 race track.
1929 Death of Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev, Russian chorographer.
1934 A plebiscite was held in Germany giving sole power to Adolf Hitler, the Fuhrer.
1934 In the US, Al Capone was taken on a prison train to the top security Alcatraz jail.
1936 In Spain, the poet Federico Garcia Lorca was shot by Franco's sympathizers, after being forced to dig his own grave.
1940 Orville Wright received his honorary pilot's licence from the newly formed Civil Aeronautics Administration. He was given licence number 1.
1942 British and Canadian troops raided the port of Dieppe, resulting in heavy casualties for the attacking force.
1945 Hollywood favourites June Allyson and Dick Powell got married.
1946 In the UK, footballers threaten to strike for a minimum weekly wage of £7.
1957 A hot air balloon broke the world Altitude record for balloons when it flew higher that 100,000 feet. It was piloted by D.G. Simmons.
1960 An American U-2 pilot was convicted by a tribunal in Moscow of being a spy. Francis Powers later died when his helicopter crashed returning from a television assignment filming a fire.
1960 In the USSR, a spaceship carrying two dogs was launched as a trial run for putting a man into space.
1970 In the UK, the 1,000th episode of TV's `Coronation Street' was screened.
1974 The Three Degrees were at No.1 with `When Will I See You Again’
1976 Death of Alistair Sim, aged 75. Scottish actor/director. Movies include "The Man In The Mirror" (1936), "The Happiest Days Of Your Life" (1950) and "An Inspector Calls" (1954).
1977 Death of Groucho Marx, aged 86. Comedian, television host, movie actor. Numerous movies such as "Animal Crackers" (1930), "Duck Soup" (1933) and "A Day At The Races" (1937)
1988 Death of Frederick Ashton, British choreographer.
1989 Poland became the first eastern European country to end one-party rule, when a coalition government was formed with Tadeuz Mazowiecki as prime minister.
1992 In the US, the Sultan of Brunei was named as the world's richest person, with a fortune of $37 billion.
1994 In Paris, the world's most wanted terrorist, Carlos the Jackal, was at last behind bars.
1995 In Las Vegas, boxer Mike Tyson won his first comeback fight after two years in prison for rape, beating Peter McNeeley after only 1 minute 29 seconds.
1997 The Fleetwood Mac album "The Dance" was released. This was the album that reunited the band after a long separation.
1998 The Real IRA called a ceasefire after carrying out a bombing in Omagh, County Tyrone, four days earlier in which twenty people lost their lives and more than 200 were injured during a carnival procession.
2004 Heavy blasts rocked Najaf hours after the prime minister issues a "final call" to Moqtada Sadr to end his insurgency.
2004 Shares in Google shot up 18% in the first day of trade, helping the internet giant shake-off the humiliation of its cut-price public offering.
2004 A-level results showed a record number of passes - but the government insisted that exams were not getting easier.
2004 A clear-up operation was under way in central Scotland after landslides blocked a road and trapped 57 motorists.
2004 Movie composer Elmer Bernstein, creator of The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape, died aged 82.
2004 A suitcase thought to be full of long-lost Beatles material turned out to be full of photocopies.
2004 Online music service Napster teamed up with Virgin Radio to launch a music download chart.
2004 Britain's Yngling crew won gold on day six and Team GB's overall medal tally rose to eight after a badminton silver.
2004 Ian Bell hits 70 on his debut as England reached 313-5 after day one of the final Test against West Indies at The Oval.
2004 Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms earned silver after losing a thrilling badminton mixed doubles final.
2005 Tributes poured in following the death of former Northern Ireland secretary Mo Mowlam at the age of 55.
2005 Southern England was hit by storms which flooded homes, shops and roads and put pressure on emergency services.
2005 It was revealed that rapper Eminem was getting hospital treatment for addiction to sleeping medication.
2005 Michael Essien finally completed his £24.4m move from Lyon to Premiership champions Chelsea.
2005 England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson was suffering from an inflamed appendix on Newcastle's tour to Japan.

BIRTHDAYS (for 19 August 2006)
Orville Wright, 135 (born 19 August 1871)
died 1948 (aged 77). Aviator, inventor and history maker.
Coco Chanel, 123 (born 19 August 1883)
(1883-1971) French clothes designer who revolutionised women's fashions during the 1920s including the `chemise' dress; also gave her name to a range of perfumes.
Johnny Nash, 66 (born 19 August 1940)
American singer, guitarist and actor. UK hits include `I Can See Clearly Now' from 1972 and `Tears On My Pillow' from 1975.
Roger Cook, 66 (born 19 August 1940)
TV reporter
Ginger Baker, 66 (born 19 August 1940)
Rock drummer. Singer/songwriter in various rock bands, Cream, Blind Faith and Masters of Reality.
Billy J Kramer, 63 (born 19 August 1943)
1960s pop singer. Hits include "Do You Want To Know A Secret" (1963) "Little Children" (1964) and "Trains and Boats and Planes" (1965).
Ian Gillan, 61 (born 19 August 1945)
Rock guitarist, singer/songwriter. Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. Hits include "Black Night" (1970) and "Perfect Strangers" (1985). "Paranoid" (1970) and "TV Crimes" (1992).
Bill Clinton, 60 (born 19 August 1946)
Arizona-born statesman who became the 42nd president after he defeated George Bush in 1992. Married to Hillary and father of Chelsea.
John Deacon, 55 (born 19 August 1951)
Rock bass player with Queen. Hits include "Seven Seas of Rhye" (1974) "Innuendo" (1991) and "The Show Must Go On" (1991).
Adam Arkin, 50 (born 19 August 1956)
TV/movie actor. Appeared in "Northern Exposure" and is a regular in "Chicago Hope". Father is the actor Alan Arkin.
Matthew Perry, 37 (born 19 August 1969)
American television/movie actor. Plays Chandler in the television series "Friends". Movies include "Fools Rush In" (1997).
Mary Jo Fernandez, 35 (born 19 August 1971)
Tennis player.

Today's The Day - 18th August

18th August 2006

Religious Events today...
Feast day of St Helena,
Saints Florus and Laurus,
St Agapitus,
St Alipius,
and St Beatrice or Brites da Silva.

History Test for August 18th
Born today in 1933, who is the Polish director of the films `Chinatown' and `Rosemary's Baby'? -Roman Polanski
What instrument was played by Leslie 'Hutch' Hutchinson, who died today in 1969? -The piano
Which `law abiding' pop group played its first gig as a trio today in 1977? -The Police
Which Mongol emperor, whose name means 'perfect warrior', died today in 1227? -Genghis Khan
Born today in 1952, who starred in the film `Dirty Dancing'? -Patrick Swayze

Events today...
1227 Death of Genghis Khan, aged 65. Conqueror and explorer.
1642 Death of Guido Reni, Italian painter.
1759 The British, under Admiral ('Old Dreadnought') Boscawen, defeated the French fleet at the Battle of Lagos Bay.
1812 Napoleon's forces defeated the Russians at the Battle of Smolensk.
1823 Death of André Jacques Garnerin, French balloonist.
1859 Stuntman The Great Blondin achieved the almost impossible when he carried a man on his shoulders across a tight rope across the Niagara Falls.
1866 The Treaty of Alliance forming the North German Confederation, under the leadership of Prussia, was signed.
1914 In order to keep America out of the 1st World War, President Woodrow Wilson declared a "Proclamation of Neutrality".
1920 In London, two night bus services are introduced for the first time.
1922 Death of William Henry Hudson, US writer.
1930 Pluto the dog made his first appearance in a Walt Disney animation "The Chain Gang".
1930 In Sydney, the two halves of the new Harbour Bridge were joined.
1932 English pilot James Mollisson made history by being the first person to fly across the Atlantic from east to west.
1940 In the UK, the first German plane was brought down over London.
1941 Britain's National Fire Service was established.
1956 In London, actress Vivien Leigh had a nervous breakdown, following a miscarriage.
1958 Television shows came under suspicion when they were investigated in the U.S. for corruption and the fixing of questions for contestants.
1959 In the UK, the first pictures of BMC's new `Mini' were released, the new compact four-seater was to come in Austin and Morris versions and would cost around £500.
1960 The first oral contraceptive was marketed by the Searle Drug Company in the USA.
1962 The team investigating Marilyn Monroe's death released an announcement confirming that she died from a drugs overdose.
1964 South Africa was banned from participating in the Olympics because of its racial policies.
1965 In London, photographer David Bailey married French actress Catherine Deneurve, Mick Jagger was best man.
1967 The town of Long Beach, in California, purchased the liner Queen Mary.
1971 In London, Manchester United's George Best was sent off for persistently arguing with the referee.
1981 Death of Anita Loos, US writer.
1983 Hurricane Alicia claimed the lives of 22 people in Texas and caused more than a $1 billion dollars of damage.
1983 Death of Nikolaus Pevsner, architectural historian.
1984 George Michael was at No.1 with `Careless Whisper’
1987 After 62 days as a hostage Charles Glass escaped from his kidnappers in Beirut.
1990 In New Zealand, the All Blacks lost their first rugby match in four years, beaten 21-9 by Australia.
1992 Death of John Sturges, aged 81. American movie director. Movies included "The Man Who Dares" (1946), "Gunfight At The OK Corral" (1957) and "Ice Station Zebra" (1968).
1993 In New York, Eastman Kodak Co. said it planned to cut 10,000 jobs.
1998 447 Days after his last appearance for Manchester United, Eric Cantona led Eric Cantona’s XI to a 4-1 win in a testimonial at Old Trafford for the remaining survivors of the Munich air disaster 40 years earlier.
1998 Fifty firefighters were called to a blaze in the theatres of Wythenshawe hospital. The Intensive care unit was evacuated. Arson was suspected in the third fire at the South Manchester hospital that year.
2004 Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr agreed to end an uprising in the holy Iraqi city of Najaf, but said a truce must come first.
2004 Rescue helicopters airlifted 57 people trapped by a landslide just north of Lochearnhead in Central Scotland.
2004 Eight men charged with conspiracy to murder and plotting to use toxic materials appeared in court.
2004 It was announced that Sir Ian McKellen was to voice the character of Zebedee in a film of the TV classic The Magic Roundabout.
2004 The Motorcycle Diaries, a movie about Che Guevara, opened the Edinburgh Film Festival.
2004 Leslie Law headed Britain's four-medal haul on a hectic day of Olympic action with eventing silver.
2004 Shaun Wright-Phillips scored on his debut as England cruised to victory against Ukraine.
2004 Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou pulled out of the Games as their case was referred to athletics' governing body.
2004 Britain's three-day eventers won silver and bronze after a chaotic final day but an appeal was pending to upgrade the medals.
2004 Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms became the first Britons to reach the final of the badminton mixed doubles.
2005 The pass rate among A-level entries rose 0.2 to 96.2%, with 22.8% awarded A grades.

BIRTHDAYS (for 18 August 2006)
Meriwether Lewis, 232 (born 18 August 1774)
American explorer.
Max Factor, 102 (born 18 August 1904)
died 1996 (aged 91). Polish artist and founder of the cosmetics empire of the same name.
Shelley Winters, 84 (born 18 August 1922)
US actress whose films include `The Diary Of Anne Frank' (1959) for which she won an Oscar for best supporting actress, and `The Poseidon Adventure' (1972).
Johnny Preston, 76 (born 18 August 1930)
Singer
Roman Polanski, 73 (born 18 August 1933)
French born film director and screen writer whose mother died in a Nazi concentration camp; his wife, Sharon Tate, was murdered by Charles Manson. Films include `Tess' (1979) and `Bitter Moon' (1992).
Willie Rushton, 69 (born 18 August 1937)
died 1996 (aged 59). British actor/writer/satirist/comedian. Appeared on numerous game show panels. Was co-founder of magazine "Private Eye".
Robert Redford, 67 (born 18 August 1939)
American actor, director and producer whose films include `Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid' (1969), `Indecent Proposal' (1993) and `Up Close And Personal' (1996).
Carl Wayne, 62 (born 18 August 1944)
(Died 2004) The Move
Dennis Elliott, 56 (born 18 August 1950)
British drummer with Foreigner. Hits include "Feels Like The First Time" (1978) "Cold As Ice" (1978) and "Waiting For A Girl Like You" (1981).
Patrick Swayze, 54 (born 18 August 1952)
American actor, singer and dance. Movies include "Dirty Dancing" (1987) "Naked Kin" (1989) and "Point Break" (1991). Hit song "She's Like The Wind" (1988).
Marvin Isley, 53 (born 18 August 1953)
Soul singer and member of Isley Brothers. Hits include "Twist and Shout" (1963) "That Lady" (1973) and "Harvest for the World" (1976).
Madeline Stowe, 48 (born 18 August 1958)
American actress. Movies include "Revenge" (1990) "Unlawful Entry" (1992) and "12 Monkeys" (1995).
Christian Slater, 37 (born 18 August 1969)
American actor whose films include `Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves' (1991), `True Romance' (1993) and `Interview With A Vampire' (1995).

Today's The Day - 17th August

17th August 2006
National day of Indonesia.
Religious Events today...
Feast day of St Joan Delanoue,
St Mamas,
St Liberatus of Capua,
St Rock or Roch,
St Clare of Montefalco,
St Hyacinth,
and St Eusebius, pope.
History Test for August 17th
Born today in 1786, who was referred to in the song as the `King of the Wild Frontier'? -Davy Crockett
Born today in 1892, who spoke the line: "Why don't you come up sometime and see me?" in the film 'She Done Him Wrong'? -Mae West
Which high-ranking Nazi died today in 1987 after 46 years in prison? -Rudolf Hess
Which pop group reached Number One in the US charts today in 1974 with `The Night Chicago Died'? -Paper Lace
Name the creator of Sooty, who died today in 1989? -Harry Corbett

Events today...
1743 Champion bare-knuckle fighter Jack Broughton published a set of rules to control boxing.
1784 In Edinburgh, James Tyler became the first man in Britain to make an ascent in a hot air balloon.
1786 Death of Frederick II (the Great) King of Prussia.
1833 The Canadian Royal William, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic entirely under power, set off from Nova Scotia.
1836 Under the Registration Act, the registration of births, deaths, and marriages was introduced in Britain.
1850 Death of Honore de Balzac, French novelist.
1876 The first performance of Wagner's opera Gotterdammerung was given in Bayreuth, Germany.
1896 Gold was discovered at Bonanza Creek in Canada's Yukon Territory, leading to the great gold rush of 1898.
1896 The first pedestrian to be killed by a car was knocked down in Croydon - The car was travelling at just 4mph.
1903 Joseph Pulitzer donated a million dollars to Columbia University and this led to the start of the Pulitzer prizes.
1903 Britain was gripped by postcard mania as 613 million were posted this year.
1938 Stan Laurel was dropped by Hal Roach in a contract dispute and this led to Harry Langdon replacing him.
1939 In Hollywood, `The Wizard Of Oz', starring bright new star Judy Garland, made its premiere.
1940 A total blockade against Britain was ordered by Hitler.
1945 After Japanese occupation during World War Two, Indonesia declared itself a republic under the leadership of Dr. Sukarno.
1945 In the UK, the rate of demobilisation was raised from 115,000 to 171,000 a month.
1953 In London, it was announced that tractor makers Ferguson were to merge with Canadian firm Massey-Harris.
1954 The Newport Jazz Festival got underway.
1955 Death of Fernand Leger, French painter.
1958 The first Moon probe exploded at T +77 seconds.
1959 In the UK, sodium lighting was tested for the first time.
1960 The Beatles started a three month engagement at the Indra Club in Hamburg. This was before they had hit the big time.
1960 In London, Penguin Books shelved plans to publish `Lady Chatterley's Lover', saying it expected legal action.
1961 East German authorities in Berlin, decided to erect a permanent barrier between Eastern and Western sectors of the city.
1962 Peter Fetcher was shot dead trying to cross the Berlin War.
1962 In Los Angeles, Marilyn Monroe's death was probably a suicide, said the LA coroner.
1967 In the UK, Coventry FC manager Jimmy Hill announced he was quitting to pursue a career in television.
1969 In the US, the Woodstock festival ended; around 400,000 attended.
1972 Death of Pearl Bailey, aged 72. Singer and actress. Sang blues and gospel and appeared on Broadway. Movies include "Variety Girl" (1947) and "Porgy and Bess" (1959).
1973 Death of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, US architect.
1973 Paul Williams, an original member of The Temptations shot himself dead in his car in Denver, Colorado.
1976 Earthquakes and tidal waves in the Philippines resulted in the deaths of over 6,000 people.
1980 ABBA were at No.1 with `The Winner Takes It All’
1980 Lindy Chamberlain told Australian police how she watched her nine-week-old baby daughter, Azaria, being carried off into the night by a dingo, a type of wild dog.
1983 Death of Ira Gershwin, aged 86. Together with his brother George he wrote some of the most memorable songs this century including "S'Wonderful" and "The Man I Love". Songs written for the movies "Delicious" (1939), "Goldwyn Follies" (1939), "Cover Girl"(1944) "An American in Paris" (1951) and many more.
1984 At the start of his Breaking Hearts tour Elton John announced it would be his last tour.
1987 Death of Clarence Brown, aged 97. American movie director. Movies include "National Velvet" (1944) and "The Yearling" (1946).
1987 Death of Rudolph Hess, aged 93. Nazi War criminal who was imprisoned for many years in Spandau prison. Said to be a member of Adolf Hitler's inner circle.
1987 Engineers lifted the 40,000-ton Ekofisk North Sea Oil Complex by 21 feet because the sea bed beneath it was beginning to subside.
1988 Death of Mohammad Zia ul-Haq, Pakistani general.
1989 An Australian airliner became the first commercial plane to fly non-stop from London to Sydney.
1989 Richard Hart from Nottingham made legal history by becoming the first Briton to be remanded on electronic tag.
1992 Wayne Newton, a big Las Vegas star filed for bankruptcy owing $20 million.
1994 David Caruso quit top television show "NYPD Blue" to concentrate on a movie career and was replaced by Jimmy Smits.
1994 In New York, the UN Population Fund said there would be 8.5 billion people in the world by the year 2050.
1995 In Paris, a canister of camping gas stuffed with nails and bolts, exploded injuring 16 people. The bombing was the latest in a series of terrorist attacks.
1998 US President Bill Clinton publicly admitted having an “inappropriate relationship” with Whitehouse worker Monica Lewinsky.
2004 Scientists drilling ice cores in Greenland recovered what appeared to be plant remains from nearly 3km (two miles) below the surface.
2004 Anti-terror police charged eight men with conspiracy to murder and plotting to use toxic materials or explosives.
2004 A psychiatrist found the woman accused of threatening Catherine Zeta Jones mentally fit for trial.
2004 Gay rights group OutRage! called on EMI to cancel the contract of "homophobic" singer Beenie Man.
2004 US television host Oprah Winfrey was picked to sit on the jury for a murder trial in her home city of Chicago.
2004 Stephen Parry won Britain's second medal as Michael Phelps got two more golds. Parry came a brilliant third behind Phelps in the 200m butterfly.
2005 The family of a Brazilian man mistakenly shot dead by police hunting would-be bombers called for a public inquiry.
2005 Pop star Madonna was "doing well" after breaking several bones in a horse-riding fall.
2005 Eminem canceled his European tour due to exhaustion, triggering anger at one of the biggest venues.
2005 Denmark scored three goals in seven second-half minutes to humiliate England 4-1.

BIRTHDAYS (for 17 August 2006)
Davy Crockett, 220 (born 17 August 1786)
died 1836 (aged 50) Tennassee born frontiersman and politician who was elected to Congress in 1826. He died fighting for Texas at the Battle of the Alamo.
Mae West, 114 (born 17 August 1892)
(1892-1980) American actress who became the toast of Broadway in 1928 in `Diamond Lil' and the film version, also starring West, `She Done Him Wrong' (1933) broke box-office records and saved Paramount from selling out to MGM.
Maureen O’Hara, 86 (born 17 August 1920)
Irish-born actress who made her mark in Hollywood with such films as The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Black Swan, and The Quiet Man.
George Melly, 80 (born 17 August 1926)
Jazzman
Anthony Valentine, 67 (born 17 August 1939)
villain in `The Knock'
John Humphrys, 63 (born 17 August 1943)
Broadcaster
Robert De Nero, 63 (born 17 August 1943)
American actor, star of many films including The Godfather, The Deerhunter, Raging Bull, and Cape Fear.
Guillermo Vilas, 60 (born 17 August 1946)
Argentine tennis player. Won the U.S. Open (1977) the Australian Open (1978-9) and the French Open (1977).
Alan Minter, 55 (born 17 August 1951)
London born boxer nicknamed `Boom, Boom' who became the undisputed world middleweight champion in 1980, the first since 1915.
Nelson Piquet, 54 (born 17 August 1952)
Brazilian motor racing driver. Winner of the Formula One championships in 1981 1983 and 1987.
Kevin Rowland, 53 (born 17 August 1953)
British singer/songwriter. Lead singer with Dexy's Midnight Runners. Hits include "Dance Stance" (1980) "Geno" (1980) "Come On Eileen" (1982) and "Jackie Wilson Said" (1982).
Robin Cousins MBE, 49 (born 17 August 1957)
Bristol born figure skater who became only the second British male to win an Olympic figure skating gold medal, in 1980.
Belinda Carlisle, 48 (born 17 August 1958)
Californian born singer and songwriter formerly with the Go-Go's. Hits include `(We Want) The Same Thing' from 1990 and `Big Scary Animal' from 1993.
Kirk Stevens, 48 (born 17 August 1958)
Snooker player
David Koresh, 47 (born 17 August 1959)
died. 1993 (aged 33). Leader of a cult "The Davidians". Died along with many of his followers in the "Waco massacre" in 1993.
Sean Penn, 46 (born 17 August 1960)
American movie actor/director. Movies include "Taps" (1981) "At Close Range" (1985) and "Dead Man Walking" (1995).
Maria McKee, 43 (born 17 August 1963)
American singer. Hits include "Show Me Heaven" (1990) "Breathe" (1991) and "I Can't Make It Alone" (1993).
Donnie Walberg, 37 (born 17 August 1969)
American singer. New Kids On The Block. Hits include "Hangin' Tough" (1989) "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" (1989) and "Never Let you Go" (1994).
Jim Courier, 36 (born 17 August 1970)
Former No 1 tennis player and winner of Australian Open (twice). French Open (twice) and other titles

Had a few too many school dinners?

Shocking: How an obese Jamie Oliver would look!
Click enlarge to see the pictures in full

Inside every fat man, it is claimed, there is a thin one trying to get out.

In this case, the thin man is Jamie Oliver.

The 31-year-old celebrity chef spent four hours being cocooned in latex before emerging as a waddling lard-tub for an advert to promote the follow-up to his Jamie's School Dinners series.

He clutched a brace of burgers in his sausage-like fingers before climbing aboard a motor scooter which duly buckled under his weight.

There was no doubting the message that junk food piles on the pounds.

"He did look very convincing as a fat person," said a passer-by who saw the ad being filmed in Peckham, South London.

In his controversial series, Oliver highlighted the shocking lack of healthy food in the average school menu. He used controversial tactics including showing pupils unappetising vats of processed meat to educate them on what they were really eating.

His claim that British school dinners were the "laughing stock of Europe" sparked a major public debate and ministers made plans to encourage healthier eating.

More than 270,000 members of the public signed Oliver's petition to ban junk food from the school canteen.

At the time, dietitian Rosan Meyer said it was "the cleverest piece of public health education we've had in many years".

But the follow-up show, titled Back To School Dinners, will show that many of the Government's promises have not come to fruition while also revealing the incredible changes in children who have been given healthier lunches.

On This Day - 1977

1977: Rock and roll 'king' Presley dies

Elvis Presley, whose singing and style revolutionized popular music in the 1950s, has died.

Presley, 42, was discovered slumped in a bathroom at his mansion in Memphis, Tennessee on Tuesday.

He was rushed to the Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis but was pronounced dead on arrival.

***************************************
Thousands gathered to file past Elvis Presley's body which lay in state at his mansion, Graceland, the day after his death.

Although it was officially stated that he died of heart failure there has always been speculation that an overdose of cocaine and barbiturates also played a part.

Since his divorce from Priscilla in 1973 he had relied heavily on prescription drugs and was known to be a junk-food addict, gaining a considerable amount of weight.

During his lifetime he sold over 300 million albums and made 33 films.

His death has been lucrative for the "Elvis industry".

In 2001 he came top in US magazine Forbes' poll of "Richest Deceased Celebrities".

It put Elvis estate's earnings in 2000 at $35m (£23m) - $15m (£10m) of it from Graceland admission fees.

Richest Dead Celebrities

1 Elvis Presley: $35 million

2 Charles Schulz: $20 million

3 John Lennon: $20 million

4 Theodor Geisel: $17 million

5 Jimi Hendrix: $10 million

6 Bob Marley: $10 million

7 Andy Warhol: $8 million

8 J.R.R. Tolkien: $7 million

9 Frank Sinatra $6 million

10 Jerry Garcia : $5 million

Source: Forbes magazine 2001

Character actor Bruno Kirby dies

Veteran character actor Bruno Kirby has died in Los Angeles aged 57.

Kirby, who played Billy Crystal's best friend in When Harry Met Sally and City Slickers, died of complications related to leukaemia on Monday.

Born in New York City in 1949, he also appeared in The Godfather Part Two and Good Morning, Vietnam.

The actor made early appearances in the 1971 film Young Graduates and the TV show Room 222 before landing a role in the second Godfather film.

He played a young version of Corleone family member Pete Clemenza, following Richard Castellano's role in the first instalment.

Although he was best known for his comedy roles, he also made dramatic appearances alongside Johnny Depp in Donnie Brasco and Brad Pitt in Sleepers.

Kirby came from a Hollywood family. His father, Bruce, is an actor, who recently appeared in the Oscar-winning film Crash.

His brother, John, is a prominent acting coach in Los Angeles and worked on last year's Narnia film, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Binge Quizzing!

A Scottish Executive-funded anti-alcohol campaign group has called for pubs to hold quizzes in an effort to crack down on binge drinking.
The group believes drinkers will be too busy working out the answers to drink excessively. However local licensed trade representatives said binge drinkers tended to be younger people who would not be interested in participating in a quiz and dismissed the suggestion as “laughable”. –

Comments?

Pub Food News

Walkers slammed over ad claims

Crisp manufacturer taken to task by advertising watchdog

Pubs boosted by restaurant critic

Greene King pubs given the thumbs up by The Times critic

Revamped menu sees pub named county's best

Bricklayers Arms "best pub in Hertfordshire" says AA Pub Guide

Local brew is secret soup ingredient

Chef uses Wickwar for recipe

Great pub grub matched to champion beers

CAMRA and Food from Britain link up to produce a food and beer menu

• Pub cooks shine in WorcesterChef contest
• Website promotes pub food excellence
• Heatwave increases food safety concerns
• Pea shortage to hit pubs
• Calling all sausage makers...

Beer and Snacks Matching: The ultimate challenge

In probably the most ambitious taste test ever, to discover
the best combination of beer and bagged snacks

Autumn beckons

TV chef Danny Boome pairs some warming recipes with appropriate beers

Today's The Day - 16th August

16th August 2006

Religious Events today...
Feast day of St Stephen of Hungary,
St Armel,
and St Arsacius.

History Test for August 16th
Who did Mia Farrow divorce on this day in 1968? –Frank Sinatra
Born today in 1950, which Australian fast bowler was the first to take a wicket in a limited overs international? -Jeff Thompson
Following his death today in 1956, which actor was buried in the cloak he wore as Dracula? -Bela Lugosi
Name the Beatles' original drummer, who was sacked today in 1962? -Pete Best
Which eastern Mediterranean country became independent today in 1960 with Archbishop Makarios as President? -Cyprus
Events today...
1513 King Henry VIII and his troops defeated the French in the Battle of the Spurs, at Guinigatte, NW France.
1738 Death of Joe Miller, English comedian.
1743 The earliest prize-ring code of boxing rules was formulated in England by the champion pugilist Jack Broughton.
1819 The Peterloo massacre took place in Manchester when the yeomanry opened fire on a crowd gathered to hear discussion of reform, killing 11 people.
1829 The world's first Siamese twins arrived in Boston.
1897 Endowed by the sugar merchant Henry Tate, the Tate Gallery, in London, was opened.
1896 Gold was discovered at Bonanza Creek at the Yukon and this led to the Klondike Gold Rush.
1899 Death of Robert Wilhelm Burusen, German chemist and inventor.
1916 Death of Umberto Boccioni, Italian sculptor.
1925 Charlie Chaplin's film The Gold Rush was premiered in America.
1927 In London, Wembley Stadium was sold for greyhound racing.
1934 US explorer Charles Beebe and engineer Otis Barton made a record-breaking dive to 923 m/3028 ft in their bathysphere (a spherical diving vessel) near Bermuda.
1938 Death of Robert Johnson, aged 27. Founder of the blues. Singer, guitarist and songwriter.
1940 Forty German aircraft were shot down over Britain.
1948 In the US, baseball legend, Herman `Babe' Ruth died at the age of 53.
1949 Death of Margaret Mitchell, aged 48. Author of the best selling "Gone With The Wind".
1949 In the UK, sugar giants Tate and Lyle announced an all out war against nationalisation of their industry as proposed in the Labour manifesto for the approaching General Election.
1956 Death of Bela Lugosi, aged 73. Hungarian stage/movie actor specialising in horror. Movies included "Dracula" (1930), "The Black Cat" (1934) and "The Body Snatcher" (1945).
1960 Cyprus became an independent republic, with Archbishop Makarios as president.
1961 Martin Luther King protested for black voting rights in Miami.
1962 Pete Best, original drummer with The Beatles, was fired by Brian Epstein and replaced by Ringo Starr.
1962 Stevie Wonder's first single was released "I Call It Pretty Music But The Old Folks Call It The Blues" (Parts 1 and 2). It was not successful.
1966 The Monkees released their first single "Last Train To Clarksville".
1968 Mia Farrow divorced Frank Sinatra.
1973 In Moscow, Soviets denounced children's TV show 'Sesame Street' as "imperialistic".
1974 Forty thousand British holidaymakers woke up to find themselves stranded after the owners of Clarksons and Horizon Holidays went bust.
1974 Turkish forces called a cease-fire in Cyprus, after having taken control of the northern part of the island.
1975 Peter Gabriel left Genesis and was replaced by Phil Collins.
1975 The Stylistics were at No.1 with `Can’t Give You Anything’
1977 The king of rock'n'roll, Elvis Presley, died in the bathroom of his Memphis mansion `Graceland' in Tennessee, though he was actually pronounced dead at 3.30pm in the emergency room of the Baptist Hospital, Memphis. He was 42.
1982 In Leeds, an inquest opened into the death of British nurse Helen Smith killed in Saudi Arabia in 1979.
1984 John DeLorean was acquitted of drugs conspiracy charges in Los Angeles.
1985 In New York, singer Madonna and actor Sean Penn got married at a private ceremony.
1985 In South Africa, Bishop Tutu said chances of peaceful change in South Africa were "virtually nil".
1992 In Budapest, Nigel Mansell won the Hungarian Grand Prix to become the Formula One World Champion.
1993 Death of Alison Smichson, English architect.
1993 Death of Irene Sharaff, US film-set and costume designer.
1993 Death of Stewart Granger, aged 80. British actor. Real name James Stewart. Had to change his name because of the American actor with the same name. He left Britain for Hollywood and a career in movies including "A Southern Maid" (1933), "The Prisoner of Zenda" (1952) and "The Last Safari" (1967).
1995 Brian Wilson performed on stage in a concert with daughters Carnie and Wendy of Wilson Phillips group.
1996 It was revealed that an 18th century bracelet worth £40,000 belonging to the Queen had been stolen from a display cabinet at Buckingham Palace. Police said it was an inside job.
2004 Dozens of people were rescued in north Cornwall after a coastal village was battered by heavy flooding.
2004 British Airways workers planned to strike for 24 hours during the August Bank Holiday weekend unless a pay row is settled.
2004 Veteran presenter Des Lynam said he is too old at the age of 61 to present sport on television.
2004 Music managers and retailers said newspaper CD giveaways harmed sales and gave an impression that music was free.
2004 Ian Thorpe broke the Olympic record to claim gold in the 200m men's freestyle.
2004 England wrapped up a series win over West Indies with a seven-wicket victory in the third Test at Old Trafford.
2004 Athens celebrates as Greece secured a surprise win in the men's synchronised diving.
2005 A Colombian airliner crashed in a remote area of western Venezuela killing all 160 people on board.
2005 Singer Madonna broke several bones falling off a horse at her country house in southern England.
2005 The episode of sitcom Extras starring Samuel L Jackson was leaked onto the internet ahead of its broadcast.

BIRTHDAYS (for 16 August 2006)
Frederick Augustus, 243 (born 16 August 1763)
Duke of York (1763-1827) British soldier and second son of George III who became the subject of the nursery rhyme `The Grand Old Duke Of York'. The Duke of York's column in London was erected in his honour.
Robert Ringling, 109 (born 16 August 1897)
circus master.
Menachem Begin, 93 (born 16 August 1913)
died 1992 (aged 78). Israeli Prime Minister 1977-80 and 81-83. Nobel Prize winner in 1979.
Shimon Peres, 83 (born 16 August 1923)
Israeli Prime Minister and Finance Minister.
Robert Culp, 76 (born 16 August 1930)
Television/movie actor. Hit television series "I Spy" with Bill Cosby (1965-67). Movies include "The Raiders" (1963) "Bob Carol Ted and Alice" (1969) and "Breaking Point" (1976). Numerous guest appearances in television movies.
Ted Hughes, 76 (born 16 August 1930)
(Deceased) English Poet Lauret.
Eydie Gorme, 74 (born 16 August 1932)
American singer. Married to singer Steve Lawrence and they often sang together. Hits include "Love Me Forever" (1958) "Blame It On The Bossa Nova" (1963) and "I Want To Stay Here" (1963).
John Standing, 72 (born 16 August 1934)
actor
Julie Newmar, 71 (born 16 August 1935)
American actress. Television/movies. Television Batman 1965 - 67 as "Cat Woman". Movies include "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers" (1955) "MacKenna's Gold" (1968) and "Oblivion" (1994).
Trevor McDonald OBE, 67 (born 16 August 1939)
West Indian born ITN newscaster who won the `TRIC Newscaster Of The Year' award in 1993.
Bruce Beresford, 66 (born 16 August 1940)
Australian movie director/screenwriter. Movies include " The Adventures of Barry Mackenzie" (1972) "Breaker Morant" (1980) and "Driving Miss Daisy" (1989).
John Challis, 64 (born 16 August 1942)
actor (Only Fools And Horses)
Kevin Ayers, 61 (born 16 August 1945)
rock musician
Katharine Hamnett, 59 (born 16 August 1947)
fashion designer
Barry Hay, 58 (born 16 August 1948)
Golden Earing
John McArdle, 57 (born 16 August 1949)
British actor. Stage and television. Shot to fame as Billy Corkhill in Brookside on Channel 4 and went onto further success in other series although his recent BBC 1 series "After Hours" in which he played a doctor has failed to make it to a second serie
Jeff Thomson, 56 (born 16 August 1950)
cricketer
James Taylor, 53 (born 16 August 1953)
American singer with Kool And The Gang. Hits: `Joanna' from 1984 and `Cherish' from 1985.
James Cameron, 52 (born 16 August 1954)
Canadian movie director/screenwriter. Movies include "Piranha II: The Spawning" (1983) "The Terminator" (1984) "True Lies" (1994) and "Titanic" (1997).
Tim Farris, 49 (born 16 August 1957)
Rock guitarist in the Australian band INXS. Hits include "What You Need" (1986) "Good Times" (1991) and "The Gift" (1993).
Madonna, 48 (born 16 August 1958)
American singer, songwriter and actress. UK hits include `Vogue' from 1990 and `Secret' from 1994. Films include `Dick Tracy' (1990).
Angela Bassett, 48 (born 16 August 1958)
American stage/movie actor. Movies include "FX" (1986) "Kindergarten Cop (1990) and "Waiting To Exhale" (1995).
Timothy Hutton, 46 (born 16 August 1960)
American actor. Movies include "Ordinary People" (1980) "The Dark Half" (1993) and "The Substance of Fire" (1996).
Barry Venison, 42 (born 16 August 1964)
footballer
LL Cool J, 37 (born 16 August 1969)
American rapper and actor, real name James Todd Smith. UK hits include `I Need Love' from 1987; provided the voice for one of the toy soldiers in the film `Toy Story ' 1996.

Quiztime Quiz 130806

1. The Aircraft designer R.J.Mitchell, who died in 1938, was responsible for which WWII fighter plane?
Spitfire
2. Which planet in our solar system is more than twice as big as all the others put together?
Jupiter
3. Which drink consists of Pineapple Juice, Rum and Coconut?
Pina Colada
4. In which US city did ‘House’ music originate?
Chicago
5. What profession would be followed by a FRCVS?
Vet
6. Which US President pardoned around 10,000 Vietnam War draft dodgers in 1977?
Jimmy Carter
7. In the scoring of a cricket match, what do the initials h.w. stand for?
Hit Wicket
8. What are Large Whites, Pinkies & Squats?
Maggots
9. How many people partake in a game of Mahjong?
Four
10. How many sides has a Prism?
Five
11. How many trial throws is each Javelin competitor allowed - 2, 4 or 6?
Six
12. What name is given to the halo of gas that surrounds the sun?
Corona
13. What was Marconi’s 1,616 Valve-operated Otophone an early portable version of?
A Hearing Aid
14. Which acid gives nettles their sting?
Formic
15. In which sport might you use a ’suplex’?
Wrestling
16. In which English county are the Clee Hills?
Shropshire
17. Which novel begins "The great fish moved silently through the night water"?
Jaws
18. What sort of creature is a Bufflehead - a snake, an insect or a bird?
Bird - type of Duck
19. By what more common name is Triatomic Oxygen known?
Ozone
20. Quiztime Survey Question - Top Answers Required - Other than the Moon and Stars, name something that comes out a night?
Owls / Bats / Hedgehogs / Cats / False Teeth

21. Which Year - Bob Geldof and Paula Yates married, Pakistani politician Benazir Bhutto was arrested by President Zia and detained in prison for 30 days, Princess Anne recorded her first victory in her 13th ride as an amateur jockey, riding Gulfland at Redcar, After 23 UK singles Madness spilt up, Bishop Desmond Tutu was enthroned as Archbishop of Cape Town and In the English Channel, Manchester United and West Ham `fans’ fought a pitched battle aboard a cross-Channel ferry?
1986
22. From what age does a person summoned for jury service have the right to decline?
Sixty-Five
23. Which ancient Egyptian goddess is usually depicted as having a cows head?
Isis
24. What sort of crop is Burley which is grown especially in the American state of Kentucky?
Tobacco
25. Which Shakespeare play is thought to be based on a 1609 shipwreck in Bermuda?
The Tempest
26. Off which English county do the Manacle Rocks, a dangerous reef lie?
Cornwall
27. Which American sport employs clowns to protect the spectators?
Rodeo
28. What is the more common name of the ‘butterfly bush’?
Buddleia
29. What were all Englishmen with property worth more than £40 given in 1626?
A Knighthood
30. Mentioned in many sea shanties, in which South American country is the port of Valparaiso?
Chile
31. Which came first, the Jig-Saw or the Jigsaw Puzzle?
The Jig-Saw
32. Which sea were the Guns of Navarone pointed at?
The Aegean
33. Who made their first appearance in ‘The Mysterious Affair At Styles’?
Hercule Poirot
34. What two colours are the sponge sections of a Battenburg Cake?
Yellow and Pink
35. What term describes the depth of water needed to float a ship?
Draught
36. Which country originated the Shish Kebab?
Turkey
37. What title is given to the officer in charge of finance and passenger welfare on a cruise ship?
Purser
38. Albert Bridge, Victoria Bridge and King George V Bridge all cross which major river and in which British City?
Clyde in Glasgow
39. Malt Vinegar is made from which other liquid?
Beer
40. Which Island gave the vote to its women in 1880, thirteen years before anywhere else in the world?
Isle Of Man

Tiebreaker - How many weather observation stations has the Met. Office got in the British Isles?
3,000

Quiz: Castro's life

Cuba's Fidel Castro - the world's longest-serving political leader -
turned 80 on Sunday.

How much do you know about his personal and political life?
Take the BBC quiz and find out.

Today's The Day - 15th August

15th August 2006

Religious events today...
Feast day of The Assumption of the Virgin Mary,
St Tarsicius,
and St Amulf of Soissons.

History Test for August 15th
Today in 1964, who became the first cricketer to take 300 test wickets? -Fred Trueman
Which Scottish king was killed by Malcolm today in 1057 and buried on the island of Iona? -Macbeth
What punishment was banned in British schools today in 1987? -Caning
Which showjumper was disqualified today in 1971 for making a V-sign? -Harvey Smith
Born today in 1888, which British soldier and author wrote `The Seven Pillars of Wisdom'? -T.E.Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia)

Events today...
1057 In Scotland, Macbeth, King of Scots died of wounds received in battle 20 miles west of Aberdeen.
1543 The Jesuit order (Society of Jesus) was founded by Ignatius de Loyola in Paris, with the aims of protecting Catholicism against the Reformation and carrying out missionary work.
1620 The Mayflower set sail from Southampton.
1842 The first regular British detective force was formed. This division of the Metropolitan Police assumed the name Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
1843 The Tivoli Pleasure Gardens were opened in Copenhagen.
1870 The Transcontinental Railway line was completed in Stratsburg, Colorado.
1907 Death of Joseph Joachim, Hungarian violinist and composer.
1914 The Panama Canal opened to traffic.
1926 In New York, actor Rudolph Valentino underwent emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix.
1927 In the UK, new regulations limited the length of cars to 27 feet 6 inches.
1935 Death of Will Rogers, aged 55. American comedian, philosopher and national figure. Has a park named after him in Los Angeles (where George Michael was arrested). Movies included "Laughing Bill Hyde" (1918), "Boys Will Be Boys" (1921), "Life Begins At 40" (1935). Will and aviator Wiley Post were killed in an air crash today in 1935 near Point Barrow, Alaska.
1935 Death of Paul Signac, French painter.
1935 In Berlin, on Hitler's orders, the Nazi swastika became the German national flag.
1939 "The Wizard of Oz" starring Judy Garland opened at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. At first the movie was a failure but went onto make movie history.
1940 In the UK, the RAF was reported to have shot down 144 out of 1000 raiding German planes, losing only 27 of its own aircraft.
1945 In the UK, news of the surrender in Japan spread across the country heralding two days of celebrations for the second time in two months.
1947 The Union Flag was run down for the last time in New Delhi as India gained independence from Britain. Pakistan split from India, also becoming independent.
1947 In the UK, Britain's first atomic reactor started up at Harwell.
1948 The republic of South Korea was proclaimed.
1951 In the UK, Basil Spence won a competition to design a new Cathedral in Coventry.
1958 Buddy Holly and Maria Elena Santiago married in Lubock, Texas.
1961 Construction of the Berlin Wall started.
1964 Death of Johnny Burnette, aged 30. American singer. Hits included "Dreamin' " (1960), "You're Sixteen" (1961) and "Girls" (1961).
1965 The National Guard was called in to quell race riots in Watts, Los Angeles, which left 28 dead and 676 injured.
1967 The Marine Broadcasting Act came into force, outlawing pop pirate radio stations broadcasting within British territorial waters.
1967 Death of Rene Magsitte, Belgian painter.
1968 Pirate radio station Radio Free London started broadcasting.
1969 The three-day Woodstock pop festival began in upstate New York. More than 400,000 people watched artists like The Who, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Santana and Jimi Hendrix. During the event, two children were born, and three people died.
1971 In the UK, Harvey Smith won the British Showjumping Derby but was disqualified for making a two-finger gesture.
1972 Off-spinner Pat Pocock had one of the most prolific spells in first-class cricket while playing for Surrey against Sussex at Eastbourne. He took five wickets in six balls, six wickets in nine balls and seven in 11 balls.
1974 Up to 4,000 people died in floods in Bangladesh following a hurricane.
1979 Sebastian Coe broke his third world record in six weeks at Zurich when he set a new best for the 1500 metres. The other record broken during that span were the 800 metres and the mile.
1980 In the Atlantic, the wreck of the Titanic was reported to have been located 12,000 feet beneath the surface of the sea.
1984 Death of Norman Petty, aged 57. Producer and composer. Owned the studio used by Buddy Holly and The Crickets.
1985 Karg Island (Iran) was attacked from the air by Iraq.
1987 Caning was officially banned in Britain, except in independent schools.
1987 Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett were at number 1 with `I Just Can't Stop Loving You’
1989 F. W. de Klerk was sworn in as acting President in South Africa after P.W. Botha resigned.
1993 In the US, Larry Demery and Andre Green both 18, were charged with the murder of James Jordan, father of basketball star Michael Jordan.
1993 Manchester United made a great start to their defence of the Premiership title with a 2-0 win at Norwich.
1994 "Carlos The Jackal" real name Ilich Ramirez Sanchez was jailed in France following his capture in Sudan.
1997 England's women cricketers ended two centuries of tradition when they replaced skirts with trousers for their match with South Africa.
1998 Tickets went on sale for a new game of chance, which linked Britain's twin obsessions of football and lotteries. Vernons Easy Play was the first collaboration between National Lottery operators Camelot and another gambling company. Punters were able to buy £1 Easy Play tickets from National Lottery outlets, with the chance of winning a guaranteed jackpot of £2m in the first week. They received 11 randomly-selected matches from 49 League fixtures. If they matched eight, seven, six or five score draws - depending on that week's results - they could win the jackpot.
1998 A bomb exploded in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. As many as twenty people were reported to have died in the blast, and more than 200 were injured. A warning was received that a device would go off outside the courthouse in Omagh. But as police were evacuating the area, a bomb exploded several hundred yards away. The town’s annual carnival was taking place when the blast happened. Tyrone County Hospital was put on emergency alert, and an urgent appeal issued for off-duty medical staff to return to work.
2004 Polling was extended as Venezuelans flocked to vote on whether Hugo Chavez should stay as president.
2004 London presented its bid for the 2012 Olympics at a press conference with four rival cities in Athens
2004 New pop act "3 Of A Kind" beat cult band The Libertines to number one in the UK's singles chart.
2004 Santa Barbara's sheriff wanted the inquiry findings about Michael Jackson's treatment by police to be made public.
2004 Eidur Gudjohnsen earned Chelsea a 1-0 win over depleted Man Utd.
2004 Tim Henman slumped to defeat against Jiri Novak in the first round of the Olympic men's singles.
2004 Australia's Petria Thomas clinched gold in the women's 100m butterfly final
2005 Cypriot police searched the offices of Helios Airways, after one of its planes crashed in Greece, killing 121 people.
2005 Singer Edwyn Collins returned home after six months in hospital recovering from two brain haemorrhages.
2005 Captain Ricky Ponting hit 156 as Australia bat through the final day to draw the third Test and keep the Ashes series level at 1-1.
BIRTHDAYS (for 15 August 2006)
Napoleon Bonaparte, 237 (born 15 August 1769)
died 1821 (aged 52) Corsican born French military commander during the French Revolution (1789-1802); After being defeated by Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 he was exiled to the island of St Helena.
Sir Walter Scott, 235 (born 15 August 1771)
died 1832 (aged 61). Scottish novelist and poet. Most famous works "The Lady Of The Lake"(1810) and "Ivanhoe" (1819)
Thomas De Quincey, 221 (born 15 August 1785)
English writer
Ethel Barrymore, 127 (born 15 August 1879)
died 1959 (aged 79). American actress. Sister of John and Lionel. Movies include "The Nightingale" (1914) "The Spiral Staircase" (1946) and "Young At Heart" (1954).
T E Lawrence, 118 (born 15 August 1888)
(1888-1935) better known as Lawrence Of Arabia. Soldier, Arabist and writer born in Wales who joined the Arab revolt against the Turks in 1916.
Dame Wendy Hiller, 94 (born 15 August 1912)
British actress who appeared in many movies including "Lancashire Luck" (1937) "Sons and Lovers" (1960) and "A Man For All Seasons" (1966).
Robert Bolt, 82 (born 15 August 1924)
British dramatist
Oscar Peterson, 81 (born 15 August 1925)
Canadian pianist, jazz performer and bandleader.
Nicholas Roeg, 78 (born 15 August 1928)
British movie director and cinematographer. Married to actress Theresa Russell. Movies include "Performance" (1972) "Walkabout" (1972) and "The Witches" (1990).
Rita Hunter, 73 (born 15 August 1933)
opera singer
Floyd Ashton, 73 (born 15 August 1933)
Singer with the Tams. The group was formed in 1952 as The Four Dots and Ashton joined the new renamed group The Tams (named after the Tam O' Shanter hats they wore) in 1960. Hits include "Be Young Be Foolish Be Happy" (1970) "Hey Girl Don't Bother Me" (19
Bobby Helms, 73 (born 15 August 1933)
died 1997 (aged 63). American country singer. Hits include "My Special Angel" (1957) "No Other Baby" (1958) and "Jacqueline" (1958).
Jim Dale, 71 (born 15 August 1935)
English actor, comedian and singer films include `Carry On Screaming' (1966). Won a `Tony' award for his performance in the stage musical `Barnum' in 1980 for which he had to learn to juggle and walk the tightrope.
Stix Hooper, 68 (born 15 August 1938)
American songwriter and drummer with The Crusaders. Hits include "Street Life" (1979) "I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today" (1981) and "Night Ladies" (1984).
Pete York, 64 (born 15 August 1942)
British drummer in the "Spencer Davis Group" Hits include "I Can't Stand It" (1964) "Keep On Running" (1965) and "Gimme Some Loving" (1966).
Rodney Pattison, 63 (born 15 August 1943)
(Yachting) Olympic champion 1968 and 72
Tony Robinson, 60 (born 15 August 1946)
English actor and writer best known for his role as `Baldrick' in the `Blackadder' series and wrote and appeared in the kid's TV comedy `Maid Marion And Her Merry Men'.
Jimmy Webb, 60 (born 15 August 1946)
Singer/songwriter/composer. Had many hits with Glen Campbell and wrote "McArthur Park" which was a huge hit for actor Richard Harris in 1968.
Jenny Hanley, 59 (born 15 August 1947)
British actress. Worked in television and movies. Television include the children series "Magpie" in the 1970s. Movies include "Joanna" (1968) "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1968) and "Alfie Darling" (1974).
Billy Griffin, 56 (born 15 August 1950)
The Miracles
Princess Anne, 56 (born 15 August 1950)
The Princess Royal, Only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip; winner of the European three-day equestrian event in 1971 on the horse `Doublet'. Born Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise
John Childs, 55 (born 15 August 1951)
(Cricket) Former Gloucester Essex and England spinner
Carole and Mark Thatcher, 53 (born 15 August 1953)
Maggie's twin children. Carole a respected writer and journalist. Mark an international business man.
Matt Johnson, 45 (born 15 August 1961)
The The
Robert "Jack" Russell, 43 (born 15 August 1963)
Gloucestershire born wicket keeper who came within six runs of scoring a maiden first-class century at his England debut in Sri Lanka; is also a talented artist.
John Childs, 43 (born 15 August 1963)
cricketer
Mickey Graham, 34 (born 15 August 1972)
Singer with Boyzone. Hits include "Love Me For A Reason" (1994) "Father and Son" (1995) "A Different Beat" (1996) and "No Matter What" (1998).

Quiztime Newspapers Quiz

1. Which country boasts the World’s best selling Newspaper, with up to 14 million sales per day?
Japan
2. Which british newspaper was the first to issue a colour supplement in its Sunday edition?
The Sunday Times
3. For many years Fred Basset has been a regular cartoon in which UK newspaper?
Daily Mail
4. Which British newspaper sacked its editor and admitted that the photographs he published of British soldiers apparently abusing an Iraqi detainee were fake?
Daily Mirror
5. Which British national daily newspaper ceased publication in 1995?
Today - founded by Eddie Shah in 1986 and finally closed in 1995
- In 1986, which daily newspaper became the first to be printed in colour?
Today
6. What is the oldest serving British Daily Newspaper?
The Times
7. Which national daily newspaper has "The crusader" as it's logo
Daily Express
8. In a Newspaper, what would you find in a Morris Column?
Advertisements
9. Stick It Up Your Punter is the title of a history of which newspaper?
The Sun
10. What is the best-selling daily newspaper in the USA?
Wall Street Journal
11. Seen virtually every day in every newspaper, what did Arthur Wayne invent in 1913?
Crossword
12. Which place in New York was funded by and named after a newspaper?
Times Square
13. Le Soir is an international newspaper published from which European capital city?
Brussels
14. In which year did “The "Sun", "Times" and "Sunday Times" newspapers owned by News International moved from Fleet street to Wapping?
1986
15. Which is Britain's oldest sunday newspaper?
Observer
16. What is the name of The Sun newspaper’s comic-strip Viking?
Hagar The Horrible
17. Which national newspaper does not include sport in it’s coverage?
Financial Times
18. Which sport is the newspaper ‘Sporting Life’ dedicated to?
Horseracing
19. The actor Ross Kemp is married to the editor of which newspaper?
The Sun (Rebecca Wade)
20. In the media industry – what name is given to the machine used to print a newspaper?
Press

21. Which current Sunday newspaper used to be called the Sunday Pictorial, before it adopted its current name in 1963?
Sunday Mirror
22. Which current daily newspaper was first published in 1978?
Daily Star
23. What is the name of the local newspaper in 'Emmerdale'?
Hotten Courier
24. In Which Newspaper does Andy Capp Appear in?
The Mirror
25. Which national daily newspaper is nicknamed “The Thunderer”?
The Times
26. Name the cartoon character, described as a 'Belgian boy scout' who first appeared in a newspaper in 1929?
Tintin - created by Herge
27. Which daily newspaper has the sub-title “The Voice Of Britain”?
Daily Express
- In which UK daily newspaper does the cartoon strip, Rupert the Bear, currently appear?
Daily Express
28. Which newspaper comic strip features four children and a large dog called Boot?
The Perishers
29. Which British newspaper advertises itself as ' the biggest selling quality newspaper'?
Daily Telegraph
- Which was the first British daily newspaper to publish a Sudoku puzzle?
Daily Telegraph
30. Which was Britain's first tabloid daily newspaper?
Daily Mirror - 1903
31. In a newspaper which column announces deaths?
Obituaries
32. What is the name of the local newspaper in Eastenders?
The Walford Gazette
33. Which British newspaper claims “all human life is there” in its contents?
News Of The World
34. In which daily newspaper does the comic strip 'Beau Peep' appear?
Daily Star
35. Which British National Daily Newspaper was the first to publish listings of TV programs for readers?
Daily Express
36. What is the name of the newspaper in the town of Bedrock?
Daily Slate - The Flintstones
37. In "Spiderman", what is the name of the newspaper where Peter Parker works as a photographer?
Daily Bugle
38. Who was the editor of the Daily Planet newspaper in Superman?
Perry White
39. If a house advertised in a newspaper had the initials SSTC stamped over it, for what would these initials stand?
Sold Subject to Contract
40. Which newspaper started the first national bingo game in 1981?
Daily Star
- Which newspaper was the first to offer a £1 million on their daily bingo game?
Daily Mirror

Tiebreaker - In which year were newspaper horoscopes first published?
1930

Heineken signs up to support the Blues

The lager will be Chelsea's official beer for next four years

Heineken has signed up to be the official beer of Chelsea Football Club for the next four years.

It means Heineken will now be served in all restaurants and bars at the club’s ground in South West London, Stamford Bridge.

Heineken has a history of supporting other sporting events, such as the Rugby World Cup and the Heineken Cup, but this is its first deal with a football club.

Rob Marijnen, managing director of Heineken UK, said: “We’ve enjoyed our UEFA Champion League nights at Chelsea over the last season and we’re excited about extending that relationship across the whole season.”

Pea shortage to hit pubs

Pubs could be in for a pea-less Christmas this year as the weather takes its toll on production.

Food production and farming industries have been hit by the second poor harvest in a row, which could lead to a drop of 20 per cent in the production of peas by the New Year.

Colin Miles, managing director of Christian Salvesen Foods - the UK’s biggest processor of garden peas, said: “We anticipate that the combination of such a bad season this year, on top of last year’s relatively poor crop, could result in peas becoming very scarce in a few months time.”

Simon Mills from the National Farmers Union also expressed concerns about the future of the UK’s most popular frozen vegetable. He said: “Pea production is an expensive operation. Standards demand that growers must get the crop from field to freezer in 150 minutes and to do just that requires a significant investment in specialist technology and harvesting equipment.”

Today's The Day - 14th August

14th August 2006

Religious Events today...
Feast day of St Marcellus of Apamea,
St Fachanan,
St Athanasia of Aegina,
St Eusebius of Rome,
and St Maximilian Kolbe.

History Test for August 14th
Which canine film star died today in 1932? -Rin Tin Tin
Which Australian cricketer made his last innings today in 1948 - and scored a duck? -Donald Bradman
Sarah Brightman was born today in 1961. Which top ten song did she perform with the group Hot Gossip? -'I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper'
Described as 'the penny newspaper for one halfpenny', which publication was founded by Lord Northcliffe, who died today in 1922? -The Daily Mail
The film `Citizen Kane' was inspired by the career of which newspaper magnate, who died today in 1951? -William Randolph Hearst

Events today...
1678 The French repulsed William of Orange at the Battle of Mons in Belgium.
1778 Death of Augustus Toplady, British priest and hymn-writer.
1880 Cologne Cathedral was completed; it had been started in the l3th century.
1882 Cetewayo, King of Zululand, South Africa, was received by Queen Victoria.
1893 France became the first country to introduce vehicle registration plates.
1900 The Boxer Uprising was ended and Beijing captured by an international punitive force.
1910 In Panama, the first eight miles of the Panama Canal were opened, eastward to the Caribbean.
1913 In London actor Herbert Wilson died in hospital of injuries sustained when shot on stage as part of a plot.
1922 Death of Alfred Harmsworth, British newspaper proprietor.
1945 In Japan, Emperor Hirohito issued a brief statement to the USS Missouri recognising the American victory and acknowledging that US forces would occupy Japan, effectively ending the Second World War.
1947 Pakistan became an independent dominion.
1948 In the UK the great Australian cricketer Donald Bradman was bowled out second ball for a duck in his last Test Match of his illustrious career.
1951 In Hollywood, America's most powerful newspaper tycoon, William Randolph Hearst died.
1956 Death of Bertolt Brecht, German writer.
1960 In Portugal, Australian Jack Brabham won the Portuguese Grand Prix to become the Formula One world champion.
1967 In the UK, The Marine Broadcasting Act came into force, banning pirate radio stations.
1967 In New York, Warren Beatty directed himself and Faye Dunaway in the title roles of the gangster film, `Bonnie And Clyde'.
1969 The first British troops were deployed in Northern Ireland to restore order.
1975 In London, Richard O'Brien's stage hit, `The Rocky Horror Picture Show', a horror movie spoof based on sex, transvestites and rock music, was transferred to the big screen.
1983 In Helsinki, Britain's Daley Thompson added the World title to his Olympic and Commonwealth titles for the Decathlon.
1986 Pakistani politician Benazir Bhutto was arrested by President Zia and detained in prison for 30 days.
1988 In Italy, racing car legend Enzo Ferrari died aged 90.
1993 Freddie Mercury was at No.1 with `Living On My Own’
1993 In Bangkok, an estimated 112 people were killed when the Royal Plaza Hotel collapsed. The illegal addition of three top floors may have been to blame.
1998 Lord Lloyd-Webber made a triumphant return to "Top of the Pops" when he accompanied heart-throbs Boyzone on their number one single "No Matter What". The 50-year-old peer looked relaxed at the piano as the Irish boy band performed the tune, from his West End show Whistle Down The Wind. It was the first time in 20 years that Lord Lloyd-Webber had appeared on the BBC1 show. The single shot to the top of the charts in its first week of release, becoming one of the biggest-selling singles of the year and the fastest-selling hit from a musical.
1998 BT was ordered to cut callbox charges to rival operators after a nine month investigation by the phone regulator Oftel. The Payphone Access Charge (PAC), which BT receives every time customers use rival services from its kiosks, would be reduced by 6% to 8.1p a minute, the watchdog announced. A spokesman for BT said it was "disappointed" by the move - which would cost it about £500,000 a year.
1998 Land Rover recalled more than 14,000 Range Rovers because of possible cooling system hose problems which could, in extreme cases, cause a roadside breakdown. Vehicles affected were petrol-engined Range Rovers built from the launch in June 1994 to January 1998.
1998 Sophia Loren was admitted to a New York hospital with a heart attack. The New York Daily News reported that Ms Loren was resting comfortably at the hospital as rumours spread that she had suffered a heart attack.
2000 A Russian submarine with 120 submariners on board was stranded on the sea bed, and oxygen supplies were running low. The Russian authorities would not ask for outside help.
2004 Hurricane Charley killed at least 15 in Florida as it ripped through the state and moved on to the Carolinas.
2004 Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts underwent treatment for throat cancer.
2004 Pop star Madonna thrilled fans as she kicked off the European leg of her Re-Invention tour in Manchester.
2004 A Memphis apartment lived in by a teenage Elvis Presley became available for fans of the late star to rent.
2004 Greek athletes Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou were withdrawn from the Athens Olympics pending a hearing into their missed drugs test.
2004 Divers Leon Taylor and Peter Waterfield won Britain's first medal of the Athens Olympics.
2004 Michael Phelps broke his own world record to win his first gold medal at the Athens Olympics and Australian Ian Thorpe won swimming's 400m freestyle final.
2005 Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip officially started as a deadline was reached for settlements to be sealed off.
2005 An investigation began after a Cypriot airliner crashed near Athens, with all 121 aboard feared dead.

BIRTHDAYS (for 14 August 2006)
John Galsworthy, 139 (born 14 August 1867)
(1867-1933) Surrey-born novelist and playwright, author of `The Forsyte Saga' and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1932.
Fred Davis, 93 (born 14 August 1913)
Snooker player
Buddy Greco, 80 (born 14 August 1926)
MOR singer
Earl Weaver., 76 (born 14 August 1930)
Liz Fraser, 71 (born 14 August 1935)
English actress whose TV credits include `Hancock's Half Hour' and `Rumpole Of The Bailey'. Films include `Carry On Cruising' (1962).
David Crosby, 65 (born 14 August 1941)
The Birds, Crosby Stills & Nash, etc
Antonio Fargas, 60 (born 14 August 1946)
American actor best known as `Huggy Bear' the street cred informer in `Starsky And Hutch', films include `I'm Gonna Get You, Sucka' (1988).
Susan Saint James, 60 (born 14 August 1946)
American actress and former model whose TV credits include `Sally McMillan' in `McMillan And Wife' and `Kate McArdle' in `Kate And Allie'.
Gillian Taylforth, 51 (born 14 August 1955)
English actress best known as `Kathy Mitchell' in `Eastenders', other TV credits include `Hi-de-Hi!' and `Minder'.
Sharon Bryant, 50 (born 14 August 1956)
Atlantic Starr
Sarah Brightman, 45 (born 14 August 1961)
English actress and singer. Began her career in 1978 in the dance group Hot Gossip. Lead soprano in musicals including `Cats' and `The Phantom Of The Opera'.
Jason Leonard, 38 (born 14 August 1968)
London born Harlequin Rugby Union player and England's most capped prop.

Trivia Hall Of Fame

Join us for 12 questions about geography!
http://www.triviahalloffame.com/newgame.htm

. Rhode Island is the smallest US state, and Prince Edward Island is
the smallest Canadian province, but how many independent European states
are smaller still?

NEXT WEEK
. Twelve new questions on surprise endings in movies!

Today's The Day - 13th August

13th August 2006
International Left-hander’s Day
(Left-handers club: 0181-770 3722)

Religious Events today...
Feast day of St Simplician of Milan,
St Radegund,
St Wigbert,
St Pontian, pope,
St Benildus,
St Hippolytus of Rome,
St Narses Klaietus,
St Cassian of Imola,
and St Maximus the Confessor.

History Test for August 13th
Author Henry Williamson died today in 1977. Name the famous otter he wrote about. -Tarka
How did Peter Allen and Gwyn Evans achieve a place in criminal history today in 1964? -They were the last two people to be executed in Britain
Born today in 1907, who is best known for designing Coventry Cathedral? -Sir Basil Spence
Construction began on a wall today in 1961, dividing which city? -Berlin
Name the consort of William IV who was born today in 1792 and shared her name to the capital of South Australia. -Adelaide

Events today...
1705 The Battle of Blenheim took place in southern Germany, in which the Anglo-Austrian army inflicted a decisive defeat on the French armies.
1814 The Cape of Good Hope Province became a British colony when it was ceded by the Dutch (sold for £6 million).
1863 Death of Eugene Delaccoix, French painter.
1868 Earthquakes killed over 25,000 people and destroyed four cities in Peru and Ecuador.
1896 Death of John Everett Millais, British painter.
1910 In the UK, nursing pioneer and first woman to hold the Order of Merit, Florence Nightingale, died at the grand old age of 90.
1923 Kemal Ataturk was elected the first president of Turkey.
1934 In Birmingham, Austin launched its two-seater `Opal' model of the Austin Seven.
1946 In the UK, the British author H.G. Wells died at the age of 79.
1957 In the UK, BBC radio announced a revamp of its programmes in a bid to stem the drift of its audience to television after evening audiences drop from 8 million to 3.5million.
1959 In Leicester, a fire at the Rolls-Royce factory caused £1 million worth of damage.
1961 The border between East and West Berlin was sealed off by East Germany with the closure of the Brandenburg Gate to stop the exodus to the West.
1963 In the UK, police found the Great Train Robbers hide-out, Leatherslade Farm.
1964 The last hangings in Britain took place; two murderers were executed at Liverpool and Manchester.
1970 In the UK, the magazines `Harper's Bazaar' and `Queen' merged.
1972 The last US troops left Vietnam.
1976 In the UK, the new West Indies batting sensation Vivian Richards, scored a massive 291 runs in the fifth Test at the Oval.
1977 Death of Henry Williamson, English author.
1983 KC and the Sunshine Band were at No.1 with `Give It Up’
1984 In Stratford-upon-Avon, author and playwright J.B. Priestly died a month before his 90th birthday.
1991 In the UK, the magazine `Holiday Which' claimed that Britain's beaches were not as clean as the Government said they are, only Bexhill-on-sea was given the OK.
1991 Prosecutors announced the discovery of one of the largest bank frauds in Japan's history, involving $2.5 billion in fraudulently obtained loans.
1995 In Islamabad, British mountain climber Alison Hargreaves was killed by an avalanche on K2, the worlds second highest mountain. She was 33 years old.
2000 Seven men and a woman marched naked through the streets of London demanding rights for naturalists. The man leading the march was arrested in Exhibition Park.
2003 A Briton and two others were charged over an alleged plot to sell missiles for shooting down US airliners.
2003 A 200-strong US force was ready to enter the Liberian capital, Monrovia, as the rebels prepared to leave the war-torn port.
2003 British Airways suspended all flights to Saudi Arabia due to a specific terrorist threat to its planes in the country.
2003 British doctors carried out heart by-pass surgery for the first time using only an epidural as an anaesthetic.
2003 Complaints against the BBC for showing footage of the bodies of two British solders killed in the Iraq war were upheld.
2003 Stars of stage and screen gathered in Scotland's capital for the opening night of the 57th Edinburgh International Film Festival.
2003 A dance mix of Cherie Blair singing was broadcast in the UK following speculation that it was a hoax.
2003 Chelsea moved to the brink of qualification for the Champions League with a 2-0 win against MSK Zilina in Slovakia.
2003 A Nolberto Solano goal gave Newcastle a 1-0 away win over Partizan Belgrade.
2004 Hurricane Charley made land at Sanibel Island north of Fort Myers, as thousands fled from low-lying areas.
2004 Italian Americans objected to plans to give actor Robert De Niro honorary Italian citizenship.
2004 The 28th Olympic Games were officially opened with a lavish celebration in Athens.
2004 Michael Owen completed his move from Liverpool to Real Madrid after passing a medical.
2005 Actors Nigel Harman and Letitia Dean, who played Dennis Rickman and Sharon Watts, left EastEnders.

BIRTHDAYS (for 13 August 2006)
Annie Oakley, 146 (born 13 August 1860)
sharpshooter.
John Logie Baird, 118 (born 13 August 1888)
(1888-1946) Scottish electrical engineer who invented the television in 1926 and succeeded in producing stereophonic sound.
Sir Alfred Hitchcock, 107 (born 13 August 1899)
(1899-1980) English director who became known as `the master of suspense' because of his intricate plots and novel camera techniques. Films include `Psycho' (1960) and `The Birds' (1963).
Fidel Castro, 80 (born 13 August 1926)
Cuban revolutionary who became prime minister in 1959 and president in 1976.
Tony Bennett, 80 (born 13 August 1926)
American singer who topped the US charts in 1951 with `Because Of You' and `Cold, Cold Heart'. UK hits include `Stranger In Paradise', from 1955.
Rod Hull, 71 (born 13 August 1935)
Died 1999. British entertainer best known for his act with the aggressive puppet `Emu'. They both hit the headlines after appearing on the Michael Parkinson show when the bird grappled the show's host to the floor.
Feargal Sharkey, 48 (born 13 August 1958)
Singer
Mark Nevin, 47 (born 13 August 1959)
Fairground Attraction
Tony Jarrett, 38 (born 13 August 1968)
London born 110m hurdler who was 4th in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics; considered one of Britain's sporting superstars.
Alan Shearer, 36 (born 13 August 1970)
Newcastle born striker currently with Blackburn Rovers, highest scorer in the recent European Championships with 5 goals.

10 THINGS WE DIDN'T KNOW THIS TIME LAST WEEK

Snippets harvested from the week's news, chopped, sliced and diced for your weekend convenience.

1. The giant gong at the start of J Arthur Rank films was made of papier mache, a fact that the gong-striker, Kenneth Richmond, who has died at 80, let slip to close friends.

2. Disposable nappies cost £67m in landfill use per year - a sum that the Local Government Association says nappy makers should help cover.

3. Water leaks waste the equivalent of 200 litres of water a day per household.

4. One in two women owns more than 30 pairs of shoes - with 8% having more than 100 pairs in their wardrobes.

More details

5. Cantaloupe melons are a common source of food poisoning, in North America at least, and have killed at least two people. The rough skin is hard to clean and harbours bacteria which can infect the flesh when cut open.

6. Wayne Rooney loves Oliver the musical and his favourite song is Boy for Sale.

7. Almost a third of Americans (30%) can't remember what year 9/11 was.

8. The average commuter spends 139 hours a year travelling to and from work.

More details

9. Allotment plots come in the standard measure of 10 poles - a pole is the length of the back of the plough to the nose of the ox.

More details

10. Barbie has five sisters, called Skipper, Tutti, Stacie, Kelly and Krissy.

[1. Daily Mirror, 7 Aug; 2. The Times, 7 August; 3. - Panorama, Sunday; 5. Journal of Epidemiology and Infection, August 2006; 6. BBC Radio Five Live, 11 August; 7. Daily Telegraph, 10 August; 10. Press Association, 10 August.]

Today's The Day - 12th August

12th August 2006 - The Glorious twelfth (Grouse shooting)

Religious Events today...
Feast day of St Porcarius and his Companions,
St Jambert, Archbishop of Canterbury,
St Euplus,
and St Murtagh or Muredach.

History Test for August 12th
Born today in 1949, who is the lead singer of the group Dire Straits? -Mark Knopfler
Born today in 1971, who won his first Wimbledon Men's Singles title in 1993? -Pete Sampras
In which sport did teams first compete for the America's Cup today in 1851? -Yachting
Today in 1935 William Connor's column first appeared in 'The Daily Mirror'. What pseudonym did he use? -Cassandra
Who gave an Oscar winning performance in his last film 'On Golden Pond' and died today in 1982? -Henry Fonda

Events today...
1612 Death of Giovanni Gabrieli Italian composer.
1812 In the Peninsular War, the Duke of Wellington's troops entered Madrid.
1822 In the UK, Lord Castlereagh, the British Foreign Secretary, committed suicide by cutting his throat with a penknife. He was 53.
1827 Death of William Blake, English poet.
1848 Death of George Stephenson, English engineer.
1851 The US schooner America won a race around the Isle of Wight, giving rise to the later America's Cup trophy.
1883 The quagga in Amsterdam Zoo died, the last of this species in the world.
1898 Spain and the USA concluded an armistice over Cuba and other possessions.
1908 In the US, the first Ford Model T rolled off the production line in Detroit, the assembly line was capable of making over 18,000 cars a year, selling for around $900.
1910 In London, electric street lamps were replaced by 3,000 high-pressure gas lamps giving more light in fog.
1928 In Holland, the first truly international Olympics opened in Amsterdam with 3,000 competitors from 46 countries.
1944 PLUTO (`pipe line under the ocean') began operating beneath the English Channel, supplying petrol to allied forces in France.
1949 In London, Starlings on the minute hand made Big Ben lose four and a half minutes, its slowest for 90 years.
1955 In Switzerland, Nobel Prize winner and author of `Death In Venice', Thomas Mann, died at the age of 80.
1964 In the UK, `James Bond' creator Ian Fleming died at the age of 56.
1964 In the UK, Great Train Robber Charlie Wilson escaped from jail.
1965 In the UK, 60-year-old Judge Elizabeth Lane became the country's first woman High Court Judge.
1969 The world's first communications satellite was launched - America's Echo.
1972 Alice Cooper was at No.1 with `Schools Out’
1977 In the US, the space shuttle made its first test flight, gliding from the back of a NASA jet to land safely.
1980 In Mexico, a giant panda gave birth to the first cub born in captivity.
1982 In the US, much-loved film actor, Henry Fonda, died at the age of 77.
1989 In the UK, `Batman', the $35 million blockbuster opened at cinemas.
1991 England defeated the West Indies in the fifth Test Match at the Oval, to draw the summer series 2 - 2.
1991 In the UK it was announced that from this day, fighting dogs had to be muzzled and could not be bred or sold.
1998 A cross-border trip to save money on petrol resulted in an extra bonus for a Northern Ireland builder and his mates. The lucky brickies also collected a prize of more than £1 million in the mid-week Irish National Lottery lotto jackpot. The unnamed Co Down group (a foreman, three labourers and a floor-layer) began buying Irish lotto tickets the year before when they began driving south to save on fuel.
2003 A British arms dealer was arrested after a suspected plot to supply a lethal surface-to-air missile to terrorists.
2003 Four officers died in a bid to arrest militants suspected of having al-Qaeda links in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
2003 Memorial services were held across Russia on the third anniversary of the Kursk nuclear submarine disaster.
2003 The head of a gang which took up to 12,000 Albanians to the UK was jailed in Belgium for eight years and fined 125,000 euros.
2003 A British man was cleared of belonging to an Islamic group which Morocco said was behind the Casablanca bombings three months earlier.
2003 "One True Voice", the all-male pop group formed from the talent show "Popstars: The Rivals", split up.
2003 Singer Lee Ryan from boy band Blue was arrested and charged with drink-driving in London.
2003 Leading Irish jump jockey Kieran Kelly died after suffering head injuries in a fall the previous week.
2003 Brazil World Cup winner Kleberson completed his move to Man Utd.
2003 Former England and Liverpool captain Emlyn Hughes had an operation on a brain tumour.
2004 New Jersey Governor James McGreevey announced his resignation, admitting to an extramarital affair with a man.
2004 Alleged serial killer Charles Sobhraj wss found guilty in a double murder case by a court in Nepal.
2004 The driver of a minibus was charged with causing the death by negligence of five Britons in a coach crash in Austria.
2004 It was announced that people could be arrested for all offences, including minor ones such as dropping litter, under Home Office proposals.
2004 A photographer sued singer Christina Aguilera alleging her bodyguard punched and spat at him.
2004 Michael Owen was join Real Madrid in a £8m plus player deal.
2004 Greece gold hope Kostas Kederis was summond to attend an IOC hearing after failing to attend a mandatory drugs test.
2004 France captain Zinedine Zidane announced his international retirement.
2005 Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was assassinated in an attack blamed on Tamil Tiger separatist rebels.
2005 Nasa's new Mars probe blasted off after two days of delays, on a mission to map and find water on the Red Planet.
2005 BA resumed flights out of Heathrow, as staff battled to clear a massive backlog after wildcat strikes.
2005 The funeral of former Cabinet minister Robin Cook took place at a cathedral in Edinburgh.
2005 Cambodia granted actress Angelina Jolie citizenship for her environmental work in the country.

BIRTHDAYS (for 12 August 2006)
George IV, 244 (born 12 August 1762)
(1762-1830) King of Great Britain and Hanover 1820-30; eldest son of George III born in London. Suffered from Gout and died after a long illness of the bladder.
Guy Gibson, 88 (born 12 August 1918)
Led the Dambusters
Fulton MacKay, 84 (born 12 August 1922)
(1922-1987) Paisley born actor best remembered as `Chief Warden MacKay' in `Porridge', other appearances include `Coronation Street'.
Norris McWhirter, 81 (born 12 August 1925)
Died 2004. British publisher, writer, journalist and broadcaster who co-founded Guinness Publications Ltd; an official for the `Guinness Book Of Records'.
George Hamilton, 66 (born 12 August 1940)
American actor with the everlasting tan. His films include `Evel Knievel' (1971), and `Doc Hollywood' (1991).
Ron Mael, 58 (born 12 August 1948)
Sparks
Mark Knopfler, 57 (born 12 August 1949)
Glasgow born singer, songwriter and guitarist who formed Dire Straits in 1977. Hits include `Money For Nothing' from 1985 and `Walk Of Life' from 1986.
August Darnell, 55 (born 12 August 1951)
Kid Creole
Roy Hay, 45 (born 12 August 1961)
Culture Club
Tanita Tikaram, 37 (born 12 August 1969)
German born singer, songwriter and guitarist. UK hits include `Good Tradition' and `Twist In My Sobriety' both from 1988.
Pete Sampras, 35 (born 12 August 1971)
American tennis player who became the youngest ever winner of the men's singles at the US Open in 1990 at the age of 19. First American to win Wimbledon three times in a row 1993 1994 and 1995.

Today's The Day - 11th August

11th August 2006
Religious Events today...
Feast day of St Actracta or Araght,
St Clare of Assisi,
St Tibunius,
St Susanna,
St Equitius,
St Alexander of Comana,
St Lelia,
St Blane,
St Gerard of Gallinaro,
and St Gery or Gaugericus.

History Test for August 11th
Born today in 1897, which children's author wrote 700 stories? -Enid Blyton
Who reached the top of the UK pop charts today in 1960 with `Please Don't Tease'? -Cliff Richard and the Shadows
Which pop star almost drowned today in 1986 when his yacht `Drum' capsized? -Simon Le Bon
Who became King of Jordan today in 1952? -Hussein
Author Alex Haley was born today in 1921. What did he call his epic story of his origins? -`Roots'

Events today...
1495 Death of Hans Memling, Flemish painter.
1576 English navigator Martin Frobisher, on his search for the Northwest Passage, entered the bay in Canada which is now named after him.
1711 In Berkshire, a horse-race meeting was held at Ascot for the first time, in honour of Queen Anne.
1810 Severe earthquakes struck the Azores, causing the village of Sao Miguel to sink.
1877 Phobos and Deimos, the satellites or `moons' of Mars, were discovered by US astronomer Asaph Hall.
1890 Death of John Henry Newman, English Roman Catholic theologian.
1902 In the UK, King Edward VII gave Osborne House, favourite residence of Queen Victoria, to the nation.
1919 In Scotland, multi-millionaire steel industrialist, Andrew Carnegie, who gave over £70,000,000 to public institutions in the UK and USA, died at the age of 84.
1941 President Roosevelt and Winston Churchill signed the Atlantic Charter, largely to demonstrate public solidarity between the Allies.
1942 In London, the new Waterloo Bridge, built through the Blitz, was opened.
1949 In the US, 'Gone With The Wind' author Margaret Mitchell was knocked down and seriously hurt by a car.
1952 King Talal of Jordan was deposed because of mental illness, and his son, Crown Prince Hussein, succeeded to the throne.
1956 In the US, abstract artist Jackson Pollock died when his speeding car hits a tree, he was 44.
1960 Chad gained its independence from France.
1963 Canton was entered by Chinese General Chiang Kai-shek and his supporters.
1971 In Plymouth, Prime Minister Edward Heath led the British team to victory in the Admiral's Cup Fastnet Yacht Race.
1975 In the UK, the last major British-owned motor company, British Leyland, passed into Government ownership.
1977 In Leeds, in front of his own Yorkshire crowd at Headingly, Geoff Boycott scored his 100th century of his career.
1988 In the UK, nurses, unhappy with their pay deal, drew up plans for industrial action.
1992 Snap! were at No.1 with `Rhythm Is A Dancer’
1993 In London, Salman Rushdie made a surprise appearance at a U2 concert at Wembley, attended by 72,000 fans.
1994 In Canterbury, horror-film actor Peter Cushing died of cancer aged 81.
1999 The Duke of Edinburgh was once again in trouble over a comment he made whilst visiting a new electronics factory. He noticed a rather shabby fusebox, and said “It looks as though that was fitted by an Indian!”. He said it was just a light-hearted comment that had been taken the wrong way.
1999 Work stopped throughout Britain as the country watched the last solar eclipse of the millennium.
2003 Ex-president Charles Taylor arrived in Nigeria, after giving up power as part of moves to bring peace to Liberia.
2003 America Online asked parent company AOL Time Warner to ditch the AOL start to its name, saying its parent firm was hurting its brand.
2003 The inquiry into David Kelly's death revealed that MoD officials were worried over wording in a government dossier. Two officials had concerns over the language used by the government over the case for war with Iraq.
2003 A student who planned to be a primary school teacher was jailed after trying to procure a young girl over the Internet.
2003 The British film "Calendar Girls", starring Helen Mirren, drew record crowds at the Locarno film festival in Switzerland.
2003 A poll showed that more people knew the plot of the first Harry Potter book than Shakespeare's Hamlet.
2003 Former West Ham striker Paolo di Canio signed a one-year deal with Charlton.
2004 Saudi Arabia says it was ready to push an extra 1.3 million barrels a day of oil into the market, to help reverse surging prices.
2004 Mary J Blige, Missy Elliot and Eve united to record a song to encourage voters away from President Bush.
2004 Manchester United narrowly beat Dinamo Bucharest in their Champions League qualifying first leg.
2004 World 100m champion Torri Edwards was suspended for two years for failing a drugs test.
2005 Thousands of BA passengers remained stranded at Heathrow Airport after talks with unions broke up.
2005 Actress Barbara Bel Geddes - known to millions as Miss Ellie in the hit TV series Dallas - died aged 82.
2005 Michael Vaughan hit a superb 166 as England reached 341-5 on day one of the third Test against Australia.

BIRTHDAYS (for 11 August 2006)
David R. Atchison, 199 (born 11 August 1807)
president of US for 1 day (3/04/1849).
Bertram Mills, 133 (born 11 August 1873)
(1873-1938) British circus proprietor whose shows were the first to be televised in 1938.
Enid Blyton, 109 (born 11 August 1897)
(1897-1968) London born children's author who published over 600 books and is the most translated British author. Books Include `Noddy', `The Famous Five' and `The Secret Seven'.
Sir Angus Wilson, 93 (born 11 August 1913)
(1913-1991) Sussex born writer whose works include `The Wrong Set' (1949) and `No Laughing Matter' (1967).
Sir Bernard Ashley, 71 (born 11 August 1935)
English chairman of Laura Ashley Holdings Plc since 1985 and husband of the late Laura Ashley.
Anna Massey, 69 (born 11 August 1937)
Canadian actress whose films include `Vault Of Horror' (1973) and `The Tall Guy' (1989). Daughter of the late actor Raymond Massey.
Michael Hugg, 64 (born 11 August 1942)
Hampshire born drummer and songwriter with Manfred Mann. UK hits include `5-4-3-2-1' from 1964, `Pretty Flamingo' from 1966 and `Mighty Quinn' from 1968.
Eric Carmen, 57 (born 11 August 1949)
US Singer/songwriter
Joe Jackson, 52 (born 11 August 1954)
Staffordshire-born singer, songwriter and pianist. UK hits include `It's Different For Girls' from 1980 and `Steppin' Out' from 1983.

Landmarks Quiz

Two thirds of Britons wouldn't know where they were without the presence of a major landmark, a survey has revealed.
To test your powers of recognition, we've got the airbrush out...

TRY THE LANDMARKS QUIZ

Today's The Day - 10th August

10th August 2006 - National Day of Ecuador.

Religious Events today...
Feast day of St Laurence of Rome.

History Test for August 10th
Who finished writing his 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' today in 1787? -Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Born today in 1911, who has been the Daily Mirror's agony aunt for over forty years? -Marjorie Proops
Which champion jockey retired today in 1954, having ridden 4,870 winners? -Sir Gordon Richards
Which athlete was accidentally tripped by Zola Budd at the Los Angeles Olympics today in 1984? -Mary Decker
Which annual musical event was held for the first time today in 1895? -The Promenade Concert (or Prom)
Events today...
843AD The Treaty of Verdun divided the Frankish empire.
1497 In England, Bristol-based explorer John Cabot returned from his voyages in search of a `new world', King Henry VII gave him a present of £10.
1675 In Greenwich, King Charles II laid the foundation stone of the Royal Observatory in Grenwich, designed by Sir Christopher Wren.
1784 Death of Allan Ramsay, Scottish portrait painter.
1787 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completed his popular Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (A Littte Night Music).
1788 One year to the day after completing Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, the prolific Salzburg-born composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, finished his “Jupiter” symphony.
1846 The Smithsonian Institution was established in Washington, DC, to foster scientific research.
1876 Death of Edward William Lane, English traveller and translator.
1889 The screw bottle top was patented by Dan Rylands of Hope Glass Works, Yorkshire.
1895 The first Promenade Concert was held at the Queen's Hall, London, conducted by Henry Wood.
1896 Otto Lillenthal, the German aviation pioneer, died after a glider crash which occurred the day before.
1900 Torrential rain brought the first international tennis competition, the Davis Cup, to a premature close at Longwood in Boston.
1904 In the Russo-Japanese War, Japan inflicted heavy losses on the Russian fleet at the Battle of the Yellow Sea, off Port Arthur.
1907 In France, Prince Borghese of Italy won the most gruelling motor race ever after covering 8000 miles of rugged terrain between Peking and Paris in 62 days.
1911 British MPs voted to receive salaries for the first time.
1913 The Treaty of Bucharest was signed, ending the second Balkan War and partitioning Macedonia between Serbia, Romania, and Bulgaria.
1920 Turkey signed a peace treaty with the Allies giving away 80 per cent of the Ottoman Empire.
1924 In Berlin, the black, red and yellow 'Union Banner' first appeared at a celebration of the German constitution.
1927 In the US, astronomers claimed the universe was 192 quadrillion miles wide.
1928 In the UK, the people of Britain were now the greatest smokers in the world, consuming 77,458,000 pounds of tobacco a year.
1929 In London, the Metropolitan Police announced that detectives were to get radios in their new fleet of high performance cars.
1949 John George Haigh, the infamous “acid bath” murderer, was executed in Wandsworth Prison. He was 39.
1956 Doris Day was at No.1 with `Whatever Will Be Will Be’
1960 In Los Angeles, Anthony Perkins starred as the insane Norman Bates, in Alfred Hitchcock's latest thriller, `Psycho'.
1961 Britain applied to join the EEC.
1964 Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones was fined £32 for driving a car with no insurance in Liverpool.
1966 The first American moon satellite, Orbiter I, was launched.
1969 Film actress Sharon Tate was found brutally murdered at her Hollywood home.
1983 In Helsinki, the first World Athletics Championships began.
1984 Mary Decker, America’s golden girl of athletics crashed out of the 3000 metre Olympics final in Los Angeles as she tripped over the leg of bare-foot runner Zola Budd. Budd was disqualified instantly by the referee, but his decision was overturned by an eight-member jury who, after studying film of the race, ruled that the 18-year-old South African, who had recently been granted UK citizenship, was not to blame; the accident had occurred because of Decker’s “aggressive tactics”.
1995 In Oklahoma City ex-soldiers Timothy J. McVeigh and Terry Nichols were indicted on charges of blowing up the Federal building, killing at least 167 people.
1998 In cricket, England beat South Africa by 23 runs to win the series 2-1.
1998 The Queen appointed Poet Laureate Ted Hughes to The Order of Merit.
1999 Alex Ferguson’s Autobiography first went on sale.
2003 Charles Taylor told the people of Liberia he would sacrifice his presidency to stop the bloodshed in the country.
2003 Aircraft raided positions in southern Lebanon shortly after an Israeli civilian died in an attack blamed on Hezbollah guerrillas.
2003 John Paul II prayed for relief from soaring temperatures across Europe, as the UK recorded its hottest ever day.
2003 The record for the hottest day in Britain was broken as temperatures soared to 38.1C (100.6F) in Gravesend, Kent.
2003 In the Community Shield, Man Utd beat 10-man Arsenal on penalties in Cardiff after a 1-1 draw.
2003 It was announced that 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' director Mike Newell will direct the fourth Harry Potter film.
2003 Tony-winning actor Gregory Hines, best-known for roles in The Cotton Club and White Nights, died of cancer.
2003 David Beckham played his fourth match for Real Madrid as they defeat Thailand 2-1.
2003 Golf: England's Ian Poulter beat Colin Montgomerie by a shot to claim the inaugural Nordic Open.
2004 The Libyan government offered to pay $35m to compensate some victims of the 1986 Berlin nightclub bombing.
2004 Britons were feared to be among the five dead after a tourist bus crashed in Austria, leaving another 30 injured.
2004 Veteran Dalek actor John Scott Martin offered to reprise the role in the new series of Doctor Who.
2004 Injured ballet star Sylvie Guillem cancelled her week-long season at London's Royal Opera House.
2004 Sci-fi thriller "I, Robot" knocked King Arthur from the top of the UK box office chart on its opening weekend.
2004 Out-of-favour Arsenal striker Francis Jeffers signed for Charlton.
2005 The wife and son of Chile's former military ruler, Augusto Pinochet, were charged over tax fraud allegations.
2005 Fernando Morientes scored twice as Steven Gerrard inspired Liverpool to victory over CSKA Sofia.

BIRTHDAYS (for 10 August 2006)
Count (Camillo Benso) Cavour, 196 (born 10 August 1810)
Italian statesman who played a large role in the unification of Italy and became prime minister in the new kingdom.
William Willett, 150 (born 10 August 1856)
(1856-1915) English pioneer of daylight saving; putting clocks forward one hour so that daylight continues longer in the evening during the summer.
Aleksander Konstantinovich Glazunov, 141 (born 10 August 1865)
Russian composer who was a pupil of Rimsky-Korsakov but whose symphonies, concertos and chamber and ballet music were influenced by Wagner and Liszt more than his Russian heritage.
Herbert Clark Hoover, 132 (born 10 August 1874)
(1874-1964) 31st president of America (1929-33), the `Hoover Dam' is named after him.
Eddie Fisher, 78 (born 10 August 1928)
Kate O'Mara, 67 (born 10 August 1939)
British actress who began her career in the Hammer Horror films, TV credits include `The Brothers', `Dynasty' and `Howard's Way'.
Bobby Hatfield, 66 (born 10 August 1940)
American singer with the duo Righteous Brothers. UK hits include `Unchained Melody' from 1965 and 1990 (from `Ghost').
Anita Lonsbrough Porter, 65 (born 10 August 1941)
Olympic swimming gold medallist (1960)
Ronnie Spector, 63 (born 10 August 1943)
The Ronettes
Veronica Bennett, 63 (born 10 August 1943)
New York born singer, dancer and leader of the Dolly Sisters, later known as the Ronettes. UK hits include `Be My Baby', number 4 from 1963.
Ian Anderson, 59 (born 10 August 1947)
Edinburgh born singer and songwriter with Jethro Tull. UK hits include `Living In The Past' from 1969.
Patti Austin, 58 (born 10 August 1948)
US soul singer
Rosanna Arquette, 47 (born 10 August 1959)
New York born actress whose films include `Desperately Seeking Susan' (1985), `Flight Of The Intruder' (1991) and 'Nowhere To Run' (1992).
Antonio Banderas, 46 (born 10 August 1960)
Actress
Neneh Cherry, 42 (born 10 August 1964)
Singer
Philippe Albert, 39 (born 10 August 1967)
Footballer
Riddick Bowe, 39 (born 10 August 1967)
Boxer
Emily Symons, 37 (born 10 August 1969)
Marilyn in Home and Away
Paul Newlove, 35 (born 10 August 1971)
Rugby League Player
Roy Keane, 35 (born 10 August 1971)
Irish midfielder

Mixed Up People

This is a mixed trivia quiz, not a quiz on neurotic people. Play Quiz: Mixed Up People

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Today's The Day - 9th August

9th August 2006

Religious Events today...
Feast day of St Oswald of Northumbria,
Saints Nathy and Felim,
St Romanus,
and St Emygius.

History Test for August 9th
Which King's Coronation, today in 1902, had been delayed for six weeks because he was suffering from appendicitis? -Edward VII
Known as 'The Queen of the Mods', who was the TV presenter of `Ready Steady Go', which began today in 1963? -Cathy McGowan
Which English playwright was murdered by his best friend today in 1967? -Joe Orton
Britain's first nudist beach opened today in 1979 in which town? -Brighton
Born today in 1957, who married Don Johnson twice and starred in `Working Girl'? -Melanie Griffith

Events today...
1192 In Jerusalem, The Third Crusade came to an end as King Richard I and Philip of France signed a peace treaty with the Moslem leader.
1573 In Plymouth, Captain Francis Drake returned from his voyage from South America with the most spectacular haul of treasure seen.
1842 The frontier between Canada and the USA was defined by the Webster-Ashburton treaty, signed by the USA and Britain.
1870 The British Parliament passed The Married Women's Property Act, improving the situation of the nation's wives.
1870 The Elementary Education Act was passed, giving compulsory free education to every child in England and Wales between the age of five and 13.
1902 Following a six-week delay due to an emergency appendectomy, Edward VII was crowned king in Westminster Abbey.
1911 In London, the hottest day for 70 years was recorded, it was 97 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade.
1912 An earthquake struck Turkey in the area of Istanbul, killing 6,000 people and rendering 40,000 homeless.
1919 Death of Ruggiero Leoncavallo, Italian composer.
1945 The second atom bomb of World War II was dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki.
1959 In Paris, the 800-year-old central market of Les Halles was to be moved because it is costly and inefficient.
1962 Death of Hermann Hesse, German author.
1962 In London, it was announced that Sir Laurence Olivier was the new director of the National Theatre company.
1963 Ready Steady Go! was first transmitted by ITV to rival the BBC's Top of the Pops - presenter Cathy McGowan became known as "Queen of the Mods".
1965 Singapore gained independence.
1967 Death of Joe Orton, English playwright.
1967 Scott McKenzie was at No.1 with `San Francisco’
1969 The bodies of actress Sharon Tate, eight months pregnant, and four others were found butchered at a Beverly Hills mansion. Members of a commune known as The Family led by Charles Manson were later arrested, tried and jailed.
1974 In Washington, Gerald Ford was sworn in as 38th President of the United States only a day after the resignation of Richard Nixon.
1975 Death of Dmitri Shostakovich, Russian composer.
1979 Britain's first nudist beach was established in Brighton.
1988 In the UK, a survey showed that many men thought marriage had ruined their sex lives.
1993 In the UK, a couple were jailed, separately, for 14 days after a 13-hour domestic row caused neighbours to call the police.
1996 A woman from the West Midlands, Mandy Allwood, announced she was expecting octuplets. She was soon signed up by a national newspaper.
1998 Arsenal beat Manchester United 3-0 in the Charity Shield.
1999 Charles Kennedy won the Liberal Democrats leadership battle following the retirement of Paddy Ashdown.
1999 Death of Victor Mature, Actor.
2003 Red Cross officials warned the situation in Liberia's second city Buchanan was getting worse as fighting continued.
2003 More than 10,000 people marched in Azerbaijan to protest against the appointment of the president's son as PM.
2003 It was announced that infertile women under the age of 40 could be offered free IVF treatment on the NHS under new government proposals.
2003 Watford postponed their opening match of the season after on-loan Jimmy Davis died in a car accident.
2003 Chelsea confirmed they had agreed a fee with Parma for Romanian forward Adrian Mutu.
2003 Andrew Hall took two wickets in his final over as Worcestershire just managed to reach the C&G final.
2003 Rangers began the defence of their SPL title with a convincing 4-0 win over Kilmarnock.
2004 Health officials announced plans for a new combined vaccine for babies.
2004 Lee Hughes was jailed for six years after being convicted of killing a 56-year-old man in a car crash.
2004 A new family was introduced to BBC soap EastEnders in order to create conflict with existing characters.
2004 Fay Wray, who was kidnapped by King Kong in the 1933 film King Kong, died in New York aged 96.
2004 Tottenham pulled out of a deal to sign Danny Murphy for £3m from Liverpool.
2004 Crystal Palace manager Iain Dowie agreed a new four-year deal with the club.
2005 Nasa celebrated the first successful landing of a space shuttle since the loss of Columbia in 2003.
2005 Walking in Memphis singer Marc Cohn survived being shot in the head in an attempted carjacking.
2005 The Magic Numbers walked out of Top of the Pops after host Richard Bacon made "derogatory" remarks.
2005 Wayne Rooney scored and sets up two goals as Man Utd coasted to victory over Debrecen.

BIRTHDAYS (for 09 August 2006)
Henry V, 619 (born 09 August 1387)
(1387-1422) King of England 1413-1422 who invaded France in 1415 and won the Battle of Agincourt against great odds. Died of Dysentery.
Thomas Telford, 249 (born 09 August 1757)
(1757-1834) Scottish engineer and architect who planned the road from London to Hollyhead which includes the Menai Suspension Bridge (1825).
Joe Mercer, 92 (born 09 August 1914)
(1914-1990) Cheshire born midfielder who managed Manchester City to the First Division and FA Cup titles in 1968 and 1969.
Philip Larkin, 84 (born 09 August 1922)
(Deceased) English Poet
Rod Laver, 68 (born 09 August 1938)
The first tennis millionaire and the first player ever to achieve the Grand Slam twice
Sam Elliott, 62 (born 09 August 1944)
Californian born actor who appeared in `Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid' (1969) and starred in `Roadhouse' (1989). Married to actress Katherine Ross.
James Naughtie, 54 (born 09 August 1952)
Broadcaster
Melanie Griffith, 49 (born 09 August 1957)
New York born actress and wife of actor Don Johnson. Films include `Working Girl' (1988) and `Bonfire Of The Vanities' (1990).
Gary Bailey, 48 (born 09 August 1958)
Former Manchester United Goalkeeper
Andrew Mackintosh, 46 (born 09 August 1960)
American born actor and musician who is best known for his role as `DS Alastair Grieg' in `The Bill', one of TV's longest-running cop shows.
Whitney Houston, 43 (born 09 August 1963)
American singer actress and cousin of Dionne Warwick. UK hits include `I Will Always Love You' from the 1992 film `The Bodyguard', and `Waiting To Exhale' from 1995.
Gillian Anderson, 38 (born 09 August 1968)
Actress X-files

Quiztime Quiz Vaults

1. What is the collective name for a group of rhinoceros?
A crash
2. Where are the headquarters of NATO?
Brussells
3. Which company first introduced Travellers cheques?
American Express
4. What nationality was Christopher Columbus?
Italian
5. The first day of lent is better known as what?
Ash Wednesday
6. What is the only word in the english dictionary ending in hth?
Eighth
7. Which British car was the first to sell over 1 million models?
Morris minor
8. What is the name of the Italian sausage often flavoured with garlic and whose name is derived from the Latin for salted?
Salami
9. What was the Duchess of Windsor called befor she married the Duke of Kent?
Mrs Ernest Simpson
10. What are the first 3 words of the bible?
In the beginning
11. Who wrote the James Bond books?
Ian Flemming
12. Who wrote Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?
Robert Louis Stevenson
13. Who wrote the ugly duckling?
Hans Christian Anderson
14. In what year was the first Dartford tunnel opened. 1963, 1965, 1966?
1963
15.What is the largest country, by area, in the European union?
France
16. Washington D.C What does the D.C stand for?
District of Columbia
17. Name the 2 longest rivers in the world?
Amazon and Nile
18. into which sea does the River Jordan flow?
Dead sea
19. In terms of population which is the largest Northern Ireland or Wales?
Wales
20. In which city is the famous Western Wall or Wailing Wall?
Jerusalem
21. What is the smallest unit of a chemical compound that can take part in a chemical reaction?
Molecule
22. What acid makes up most automobile batteries?
Sulphuric
23. How is Nitrous Oxide better known?
Laughing gas
24. What is the lightest of all the elements and has the atomic no.1?
Hydrogen
25. In the medical world what do the initials ENT stand for?
Ear, Nose and Throut
26. The GRA is the governing body of which sport?
Greyhound racing
27. How high is a table tennis net?
6 inches
28. Who took the world Heavy Weight title from Muhammad Ali in1978?
Leon Spinks
29. Former Wrestler Shirley Crabtree made his final T.V appearance in 1988, How was he better known?
Big Daddy
30. How many players are there in an Austrailian Football team?
18
31. What card game devised by English poet John Suckling involves discarding in turn until a total of 31 is reached?
Cribbage
32. What member of the Dirty Dozen was also one of the Magnificent 7?
James Colburn
33. What school does Harry Potter attend?
Hogwarts
34. Who was the main actor in Cocktail?
Tom Cruise
35. Name the two main actors in The Sting?
Paul Newman, Robert Redford
36. When was Elvis first ever concert?
1954
37. Who wrote the song Johnny Be Good?
Chuck Berry
38. What Year Did the Drummer of Def Leopard lose his arm?
1984
39. Which soul singer died in 1984 after being in a coma for 8 years?
Jackie Wilson
40. What number took Paul Hardcastle to no.1?
19
Quiztime UK Quiz Vaults

Trivia Quiz

1 Which river flows through Ipswich?
Orwell :
2 Which European country has been the scene of most battles?
Belgium :
3 Which country has the largest Jewish population?
USA :
4 Which poet wrote the line "season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;"?
Keats :
5 What was the Big Bopper's real name?
J.P. Richardson :
6 Which was the first gaslit street in Britain?
Pall Mall :
7 Who invented the Assembly line?
Samuel Colt :
8 Who was the mythical leader of the agricultural workers revolts of the 1830's?
Captain Swing :
9 Who led the first labour government?
Ramsay MacDonald :
10 Redgauntlet is a variety of what?
Strawberry :
11 In the Muppet Movie who dubbed Miss Piggy's singing voice?
Johnny Mathis :
12 What is the national symbol of Germany?
Cornflower :
13 Who said, "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel"?
Samuel Johnson :
14 Which one of these people was not adopted?
Ambrose Bierce :
15 What did the ancient Spartans use a scytale for?
Cryptography :

1 What did Stephen Perry invent?
Rubber Band :
2 What was timbrology an early name for collecting what?
Stamps :
3 Which US state was the first to abolish slavey?
Massachusetts :
4 What is the minimum number of miracles required to attain sainthood?
4 :
5 The Norfolk Giant is a variety of what?
Raspberry :
6 What shape cross-section does a pantile have?
S :
7 Is zero odd or even?
Even :
8 Which island is known as the 'Eye of the Baltic'?
Gotland :
9 Which Greek philosopher invented the ethical theory of hedonism?
Aristippus :
10 Above which atomic number are the isotopes of all elements radioisotopes?
83 :
11 Which figure of speech is the following phrase an example of; the town was starving?
Synecdoche :
12 Alchemists used the word azoth for which metal?
Mercury :
13 What was Sherlock Holmes's first name?
William :
14 Captain Marvel's face was based on the face of which actor?
Fred MacMurray :
15 What was the name of Long John Silver's parrot in Treasure Island?
Captain Flint :

1 What does a nomologist study?
Law :
2 What does a Wimshurst machine produce?
Static Electricity :
3 Who was the first English Martyr?
St. Alban :
4 At what time of day did Sweden convert from driving on the left to driving on the right in 1967?
5 am :
5 John Lilburne was a leader of which group?
Levellers :
6 What name is given to the 4th day in Lent?
Refreshment Sunday :
7 Which author wrote "The Stone Diaries"?
Carol Shields :
8 Which Canadian city was originally called Bytown?
Ottowa :
9 Who wrote the poem "Hugh Selwyn Mauberley"?
Ezra Pound :
10 In which century was the Ming Dynasty founded?
Fourteenth :
11 Mount Dashan is in which African country?
Ethiopia :
12 The Welsh monk Asser is best known for his biography of which monarch?
King Alfred :
13 A "gam" is a collection of which creatures?
Whales :
14 Tirich Mir is the highest point in which mountain range?
Hindu Kush :
15 "Gowk" is a dialect word for which bird?
Cuckoo :

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Patrick Allen

Patrick Allen, who has died aged 79, was a dashing and industrious actor on stage and screen, but was perhaps even better known for his resonant voice, which was a feature of many television advertising campaigns from the 1960s - at one time he was known as "The King of the Voice-Over".

Tall, dark and strong-jawed, Allen came to prominence in the early 1960s in the television series Crane, in which he played a Morocco-based adventurer and smuggler who, with his sidekick (Sam Kydd), eluded the investigations of the local police inspector (Gerald Flood) whilst enjoying the attentions of a voluptuous barmaid (Laya Raki). With holidays abroad not nearly so common as they are today, the exotic locations helped to make the programme a firm favourite with viewers.

Allen also achieved popularity on the small screen as the eponymous hero of Brett (1971), a drama about a business tycoon.
Other RSC roles included Antonio, a sea captain, to Dorothy Tutin's Viola in Hall's Twelfth Night; Antonio in Michael Langham's Merchant of Venice (with Peter O'Toole as Shylock); and Achilles - "ablaze with life as the champion of Greece", according to one critic - in Hall's famous revival, set in a sandpit, of Troilus and Cressida.

At the same time Allen proved a popular and arresting character actor in films such as The Long Haul (1957), The Night of the Generals (1967), The Wild Geese (1978) and Who Dares Wins (1982).

Throughout his long career, Allen's rich, distinctive voice was in demand from companies which recognised its potential in television commercials. Perhaps his best-known advertising campaign was that for Barratt Homes, in which he appeared as the thrusting executive helicoptered into impressive suburban housing developments.

Allen invested some £200,000 in a group of three companies that were geared to the "voice-over" phenomenon. By 1979 these companies handled around 60 per cent of all British commercials.

John Keith Patrick Allen was born on March 17 1927 in Nyasaland (now Malawi), the son of a tobacco farmer. His parents divorced when he was a young child, and Pat was brought to England by his mother, who was later to marry the 7th Marquess of Downshire. After the outbreak of war she took him to Canada, where he enrolled at McGill University, Montreal, to study Medicine.

After breaking an ankle in a skiing accident, Allen began to work for the campus radio station, which led to presenting work with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He abandoned his medical studies, and decided to try his luck in Hollywood, taking odd jobs that enabled him to be free for auditions during the day.

He worked as a hotel night clerk, an ice-cream salesman and as a night club photographer - until he got into trouble with the local "hoods" over some pictures he had taken and was advised to leave town ("I borrowed some money from the police, and in an attempt to hide away I worked as a lumberjack").

Having returned to Britain, Allen eventually made his film debut in Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder (1954); playing a policeman called Pearson, the craggy Allen can be seen at the end of the film holding Grace Kelly's handbag. He went on to play an assortment of rugged, good-looking heroes and villains in films such as 1984 (1955); High Tide at Noon (1957); The Long Haul (1958); Dunkirk (1958); and Never Take Sweets From a Stranger (1960).

In 1955 Allen was appearing on stage in The Ark when he met his future wife, the actress Sarah Lawson; she was in the audience, and was introduced to him backstage after the show. They married in 1960, and were to work together both on radio and in the theatre.

After leaving the RSC in 1962, Allen returned to films, where his credits included Captain Clegg (1962), When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1969) and Puppet on a Chain (1971). He also began to specialise as a cinema narrator, for films such as The World at Their Feet; The Sword and the Geisha; Winter With Dracula; and Way Out East.

Although, on television, Allen was probably best known for his roles in Crane and Brett, he was nothing if not versatile: he gave a powerful performance as Thomas Gradgrind in Hard Times and appeared as Auchinleck in Churchill and the Generals. He had parts in Bergerac and The Return of Sherlock Holmes, The Trial of Lady Chatterley and The Dick Emery Show, and featured as narrator for the first series of Blackadder. He was the voice-over artist for the comedy series The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer and for Vic Reeves Big Night Out.

Allen also narrated the British government's Protect and Survive series of instructional videos in the 1970s, designed to inform the population how to survive in the event of nuclear war; some of his lines from the series were incorporated in the single Two Tribes, a No 1 hit for Frankie Goes To Hollywood in 1984.

In 2005 Allen became the voice of the digital television channel E4, providing voice-overs for many of its trailers and promotions.

His passion was salmon fishing, and he pursued his quarry as far afield as Russia, Norway and Alaska. He fished for trout on the Itchen and the Kennet.

Patrick Allen, who died on July 28, is survived by his wife and their two sons.

On This Day - 1963

The front of the train was uncoupled by the robbers

Thieves have ambushed the Glasgow to Euston mail train and stolen thousands of pounds.

Banks estimate they have lost over £2m in used, untraceable banknotes in the biggest ever raid on a British train.

The Post Office train - known as the Up Special - had run every night, without interference, for 125 years until it was brought to a halt by a red light at 0315 GMT in Buckinghamshire.

Driver Jack Mills, 58, has been detained in hospital in Aylesbury with head injuries after being coshed by the raiders, who police believe were masked and armed with sticks and iron bars.

But most of the 75 mail sorters working on the train were unaware of the 20 minute incident as the thieves uncoupled the engine and front two carriages of the train and drove them up to Bridego Bridge a mile away.

There they broke into the second carriage - restraining the four postal workers inside - and loaded 120 mail and money bags into a lorry waiting on the road beneath.

Investigators - including Buckinghamshire Police, the British Transport Police and the Post Office - were on the scene, near Cheddington, in the early hours of the morning and found signals had been tampered with and telephone wires cut.

The Detective Superintendent of Buckinghamshire CID said: "This was obviously a brilliantly planned operation."

Rewards totalling a record £260,000 have already been offered by insurers, banks and the Post Office for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the gang and return of the money.

The Postmaster-General Mr Bevins explained the robbery may have been an "inside job" and has called for a "full and urgent" inquiry into security on Royal Mail trains.

He was concerned the money on board had not been defaced, since much of it was en route to be destroyed.

Labour MP for Burnley Dan Jones proposed a bill to improve security on mail trains two years ago and in the House of Commons today expressed outrage that the matter had still not been addressed.

The total amount stolen was put at £2.6m in a heist that became known as the Great Train Robbery.

After a massive police operation the gang's abandoned hideout was found at Leatherslade Farm in Bedfordshire.

Just over six months later 12 - of a gang of 15 - thieves were sentenced to jail-terms totalling more than 300 years.

The robbery's mastermind, Bruce Reynolds, evaded capture until 1969, when he was given a 10 year sentence.

In the meantime two of his accomplices - Charlie Wilson and Ronnie Biggs - escaped.

Biggs only returned to the UK in 2001 for medical treatment and was imprisoned to serve the remainder of his 28 year sentence.

Jack Mills never worked again and died in 1970.

Quiztime Australia Quiz

1. Which is the longest Australian River?
Murray-Darling
2. Who was the 1st man to fly solo across Australia?
Harry Houdini
3. How many players on an Australian football team?
18
4. What does a Jingling Johnny do in Australia?
Manually shear sheep
5. How long does each quarter last for in Australian Rules football?
25 minutes
6. What stretches for over 1,200 miles off the NE coast of Australia?
Great barrier reef
7. Which Australian rugby union legend, with 64, is the world's leading try scorer in Tests?
David Campasee
8. Which Australian TV drama series was set at the Wentworth Detention Centre?
Prisoner: Cell Block H
- Which long running Australian TV programme was turned into a musical starring Lily Savage?
Prisoner: Cell Block H
9. In which sport did Rodney Eyles of Australia become world champion in 1997?
Squash
- Rolf Harris was once Australian Junior Champion at which sport?
Swimming - Backstroke
10. The Bass Strait separa