Today in History - 20th March 1413 - The death of King Henry IV of England. It partly fulfilled a prophecy saying that he would die in Jerusalem. He died in Westminster Abbeys Jerusalem Chamber. 1549 - Thomas Seymour, Lord High Admiral of England who had planned to marry Princess Elizabeth after his wife, Catherine Parr died, was tried and executed for treason. 1616 - Sir Walter Raleigh was freed from the Tower of London after 13 years of imprisonment to conduct a second expedition to Venezuela in search of El Dorado. On Raleighs return to England, the outraged Spanish ambassador successfully demanded that King James reinstate Raleighs death sentence. 1727 - Isaac Newton, English scientist and discoverer of the Laws of Gravity, died, aged 84. Newton was born at Woolsthorpe Manor near Grantham and was buried in Westminster Abbey. 1780 - James Watt began manufacturing the first duplicator, which he had invented to help with the burden of office work generated by his steam engine business. 1806 - The foundation stone of Dartmoor prison in Devon was laid. It opened three years later to house French prisoners of war, but by 1850 the first convicts were being imprisoned. 1908 - The birth of Sir Michael Redgrave, English stage and film actor, director, manager and author. 1917 - Dame Vera Lynn (known during the Second World War Vera as the Forces Sweetheart was born. Her songs included Well Meet Again and White Cliffs of Dover. 1966 - The football World Cup (Jules Rimet trophy) was stolen whilst being exhibited at Central Hall in London. 1974 - An attempt was made to kidnap Princess Anne in the Mall by a gunman who fired six shots, then tried to drag her out of the car. He fled as passers-by joined her bodyguard and police to foil the attempt, and was later caught. Ian Ball, who was charged with attempted murder, claimed he did it to highlight the lack of mental care facilities. 1980 - Mi Amigo, the ship from which the pirate radio station Radio Caroline broadcast its music programmes, sank during a severe storm. Radio Caroline was unlicensed by any government for most of its early life and was launched to circumvent the record companies control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBCs radio broadcasting monopoly. The station is still on the air today and currently broadcasts 24 hours a day via the Eurobird 1 satellite and the Internet. 1993 - Two young boys (Johnathan Ball, aged 3 and Tim Parry aged 12) died and at least 50 people were injured in two bomb blasts close to Warringtons shopping centre. 1999 - British balloonist Brian Jones and Swiss physicist Bertrand Piccard became the first to fly a hot-air balloon non-stop around the world. 2003 - Prime Minister Tony Blair made a live televised address and confirmed that British troops were in action in Iraq. American missiles hit Baghdad at 5:35 a.m. signalling the start of the US led campaign to topple Saddam Hussein. 2014 - Dame Vera Lynn on her 97th birthday announced that she will be releasing a new album.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 10:38:56 +0000
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