On this day in history : 25th November 1952 – Agatha Christie’s murder mystery play ‘The Mousetrap’ opens at the Ambassadors Theatre, London….
With its original cast, including Richard Attenborough and Sheila Sim, it is to become the longest continuously-running play in history…. Agatha Christie herself thought it would only run for about 8 months….
Photographer unknown – Public domain
A radio play entitled ‘Three Blind Mice’ was broadcast on the 30th of May 1947 – from this came a short story – on which The Mousetrap was based…. Agatha Christie asked that the story not be published until after the play had finished its West End run…. To this day the story has still not been published in the UK – (although it has been in the United States)….
Agatha was always very particular in trying to ensure her plots were not revealed…. In true tradition at the end of each plot twisting performance of The Mousetrap the audience is asked not to reveal the identity of the murderer outside of the theatre – so as not to spoil it for future audiences….
On this day in history : 24th November 1991 – Freddie Mercury dies at the age of 45, at his West London home – just one day after announcing publicly that he was HIV positive….
Photo credit : Mike Davis via Flickr
The lead singer of Queen died from bronchial-pneumonia brought on by AIDS….it is thought he had been suffering from the disease for at least two years…. Even as his health declined Freddie continued to make music….
As news of his death broke tributes from around the world began to flood in…. Dr. Patrick Dixon, the director of an AIDS education charity told the BBC that by admitting that he was a sufferer of the disease he was giving his fans the greatest of gifts…. “His hope was no doubt that through his openness many people throughout the world would see that AIDS is a real illness”….
Five months later, on Easter Monday 20th of April 1992, a Freddie Mercury tribute concert for AIDS awareness was held at Wembley Stadium – with an audience of 72,000 people…. It was broadcast in 70 countries and raised approximately £20m for AIDS charities….
Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert Poster – Fair use
The concert opened with a tribute message from the three remaining Queen members :- Roger Taylor, Brian May and John Deacon…. The first half of the concert saw performances from bands who had been influenced by Queen’s music – such as Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Def Leppard and Extreme…. The second half featured a performance from Queen with guest vocalists:- David Bowie, Elton John, Roger Daltry, George Michael, Robert Plant, Annie Lennox, Paul Young, Seal, Lisa Stansfield, Liza Minnelli and so many more took part – all wanting to pay their own tribute to Freddie Mercury, rock legend….
On this day in history : 23rd November 1963 – The very first episode of the science fiction series Dr. Who is shown by the BBC….
‘An Unearthly Child’ was shown in four weekly parts and introduced William Hartnell as the first Doctor….with Carole Ann Ford as his granddaughter and companion….
William Hartnell as the first Doctor – BBC – Fair use
The first episode centres on school teachers Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton (played by Susan Foreman – with Jacqueline Hall and William Russell) discovering the Doctor and his TARDIS…. The rest of the story takes place in the Stone Age and follows the plot of warring tribes who have lost the knowledge of how to make fire….
On this day in history : 22nd November 1990 – Margaret Thatcher announces that she is standing down as the UK’s Prime Minister – after Michael Heseltine launched a challenge to her leadership….
Margaret Hilda Roberts was born in Grantham, Lincolnshire, in 1925….
Margaret Hilda Roberts, aged 12 or 13 in 1938 – Attributed to Mr. Lee – Public domain
She married businessman Denis Thatcher in 1959 and they became the parents of twins…. During the 1960s Mrs Thatcher progressed quickly through the ranks of the Conservative Party and it was in 1967 that she joined the Shadow Cabinet – sitting in opposition to Harold Wilson’s Labour Government….
A Conservative victory in the 1970 election saw Margaret Thatcher become Secretary of State for Education and Science in Edward Heath’s government…. Labour came back into power in 1974 and Mrs Thatcher acted as joint Shadow Chancellor…. She replaced Edward Heath as leader of the Conservatives in February 1975…. It wasn’t long before she became known as the ‘Iron Lady’ – a nickname she herself embraced and given to her by a Soviet journalist in 1976….
Mrs Thatcher, late 1975 – Marion S. Trikosko – Public domain
In March 1979 Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan was defeated by a vote of no confidence and on May the 3rd a general election took place – which was won by the Conservatives, with a 44 seat majority in Parliament…. The following day Margaret Thatcher was sworn in – making her Britain’s first woman Prime Minister….
Margaret and Denis Thatcher in Northern Ireland, late 1982 – OGL 3
With President Reagan at the Oval Office, 1988 – Unknown photographer – Public domain
With President George H.W. Bush, in Aspen, Colorado, 1990 – Taken by the Presidential Photographer – Public domain
In 1987 Mrs Thatcher was elected for a third term but soon began to alienate some members of her own party – particularly over her poll-tax policies and opposition to integrating Britain further into the EU…. The cracks began to appear and in 1990 she failed to win a majority in the Conservative Party’s annual vote for selection of a leader and so she withdrew her nomination…. Six days later John Major, the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, succeeded her as leader of the Conservative Party and subsequently became Prime Minister….
Margaret Thatcher’s three consecutive terms in office made her the longest serving Prime Minister since 1827…. After retiring from the House of Commons she was given a life Peerage as Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven, Lincolnshire – which entitled her to sit in The House of Lords…. She died on the 8th of April 2013 following a stroke….
The Right Honourable Baroness Thatcher – The Margaret Thatcher Foundation CC BY-SA 3.0
On this day in history : 21st November 1953 – The Natural History Museum has to face the task of admitting the ‘Piltdown Man’ was a hoax….
Piltdown Man skull reconstruction – J.Arthur Thomson, The Outline of Science, 1922 – Public domain
1913 reconstruction of Eoanthropus dawson – Public domain
Ever since Darwin had published his theory ‘The Origin of Species’ in 1859, the search had been on to find the missing link connecting ape to human…. Neanderthal remains had already been found in France and Germany….but there were those in Britain who wanted to prove we too played a part in the evolution of man…. So, when lawyer and amateur archaeologist Charles Dawson discovered fossil remains in a gravel pit at Barkham Manor, Piltdown, Sussex – it seemed their dreams had come true….
Charles Dawson Public domain – US
Dawson ‘discovered’ the remains between 1910 and 1912; as he did so the fragments of fossil skull, teeth and an unusual ape jaw bone were all sent to the Natural History Museum…. From the fragments a skull was constructed, which seemed to provide the missing link between ape and human….and on the 18th of December 1912 it was presented to the World by the Geological Society in London…. It was officially named Eoanthropus Dawson – or, ‘Dawson’s dawn man’ – after the man who had ‘found’ the fossils…. Thought to be nearly a million years old, Britain could now have claim to the oldest fossil human remains ever found…. Of course, there were experts overseas who were sceptical, as things didn’t quite ‘fit in’ – but as the remains had the endorsement of the Natural History Museum they were generally accepted….
Painting by John Cooke, 1915 – The Piltdown Skull being examined…. Charles Dawson second from right, back row – John Cooke – Public domain
It was in the late 1940s that new technology for fossil dating arrived…. In 1949, Dr. Kenneth Oakley, of the Natural History Museum tested the Piltdown fossils – and it was found they were not nearly as ancient as thought….more like 500 years old…. Further investigation discovered the ‘human’ teeth were in fact the filed down teeth of an orangutan…. The teeth had been an important part of the original conclusion – as they were midway in size between ape and human it was thought they were evidence of evolution…. It was also discovered that the skull fragments, although unusually thick boned, were from a far more recent time….
Replica of Piltdown Man skull : Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net) CC BY-SA 4.0
Other finds from the site – stone tools, bones and teeth of extinct British animals, such as rhinoceros, elephant and beaver – were proven genuine…. But all – along with the skull fragments and jaw – had been boiled and then stained to match the environment in which they had been ‘found’….
So, why the hoax? Various reasons have been put forward…. Dawson died in 1916 – no more finds were made at Piltdown after his death…. One theory is that he did it to gain entrance to the Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge….
Cottage Capers 