Did you know that on this day in 1863 during the American Civil War, the Battle of Chattanooga begins as Union forces led by General Ulysses S. Grant reinforce troops at Chattanooga, Tennessee and counter-attack Confederate troops? Or that on this day in 1889 the first jukebox goes into operation at the Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco?
And on this day in 1910 Johan Alfred Ander becomes the last person to be executed in Sweden, in 1936 the first edition of Life is published, in 1946 French Navy fire in Hai Phong, Viet Nam, kills 6,000 civilians, in 1963 the BBC broadcasts the first ever episode of Doctor Who (starring William Hartnell) which is the world’s longest running science fiction drama, in 1980 a series of earthquakes in southern Italy kills approximately 4,800 people and in 1993 Rachel Whiteread wins both the £20,000 Turner Prize award for best British modern artist and the £40,000 K Foundation art award for the worst artist of the year.
Some birthdays to commemorate on this day are Billy the Kid, American outlaw (1859-1881), Boris Karloff, British actor (1887-1969), Harpo Marx, American comedian (1888-1964), Bruce Hornsby, American musician (1954) and Miley Cyrus, American actress and singer (1992).
Need a reason to raise a glass of bubbly on this day? Why not look into the celebration of Labour Thanksgiving Day (Japan) or perhaps Rudolf Maister Day (Slovenia)?
For more information about historic events on this day, go here.
A Glass of Bubbly 