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February 25th
1570 - Pope Pius V issued the bull Regnans in Excelsis which excommunicated Queen Elizabeth I of England. He declared her a usurper for her severe persecution of Roman Catholics in England. (It was the last such judgment made against a reigning monarch by any pope.) 1601 - Died this day, Robert Devereux, the second Earl of Essex and former favourite of Queen Elizabeth I, was beheaded in the Tower of London for high treason. 1642 - Dutch settlers slaughtered lower Hudson Valley Indians in New Netherland, North America, who sought refuge from Mohawk attackers. 1723 - Died this day, Sir Christopher Wren, English architect, designer of St Pauls Cathedral. 1738 - English revivalist George Whitefield wrote in a letter, 'God, I find, has a people everywhere; Christ has a flock, though but a little flock, in all places'. 1779 - The British surrendered the Illinois country to George Rogers Clark at Vincennes. 1781 - American General Nathaniel Greene crossed the Dan River on his way to attack Cornwallis. 1791 - President George Washington signed a bill creating the Bank of the United States. 1804 - Thomas Jefferson was nominated for president at the Democratic-Republican caucus. 1815 - Napoleon Bonaparte left his exile on the island of Elba, returning to France. 1824 - The Baptist General Tract Society was organised in Washington, DC. In 1826 the society was moved to Philadelphia, and by 1840, the organisation had issued over 3.5 million copies of 162 different tracts. 1831 - The Polish army halted the Russian advance into their country at the Battle of Grochow. 1836 - Samuel Colt first patented the revolving barrel multi-shot firearm, which became known as the Colt 45, on this day. 1841 - Born this day, Pierre Auguste Renoir, French painter and founder of the French Impressionist movement. 1856 - Born this day, Charles Lang Freer, US art collector. 1862 - Abraham Lincoln issued new USA currency called 'green backs'. 1862 - Confederate troops abandoned Nashville, Tennessee, in the face of Grant's advance. 1865 - General Joseph E. Johnston replaced John Bell Hood as Commander of the Confederate Army of Tennessee. 1873 - Born this day, Enrico Caruso, Italian opera tenor. 1887 - J. Palisa discovered asteroid #265 Anna . 1888 - Born this day, John Foster Dulles, Secretary of State to President Eisenhower. 1892 - J. Palisa discovered asteroid #324 Bamberga. 1894 - Born this day, Meher Baba, spiritual leader. 1895 - Born this day, Rudolf von Eschwege, German fighter ace in World War I (WWI). 1902 - Born this day, Oscar Cullmann, German New Testament scholar. Best known for pioneering a 'salvation history' view of the New Testament, Cullmann's two best-known publications were Christ and Time (1946) and Christology of the New Testament (1959). 1903 - Died this day, Richard Gatling, US inventor of the rapid-fire gun (Gatling Gun). 1904 - J.M. Synge's play Riders to the Sea opened in Dublin. 1905 - Born this day, Adele Davis, nutritionist. 1907 - The US proclaimed protectorate over the Dominican Republic. 1907 - George Bernard Shaw's Philanderer premiered in London. 1908 - The first tunnel under the Hudson River, a railway tunnel, opened. 1910 - The Dalai Lama fled from the Chinese and took refuge in India. 1913 - Suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, went on trial for a bomb attack on the home of David Lloyd George, Chancellor of the Exchequer. 1913 - Pioneer missionary Eduard L. Arndt first arrived in Shanghai, China, 10 months after having founded the Evangelical Lutheran Missions for China. He afterward established missions and schools in the Hankow territory, and translated hymns and sermons into Chinese. (In 1917 the Missouri Synod took over the ELMS mission.) 1913 - The 16th Amendment to the US Constitution was adopted, setting the legal basis for income tax. 1917 - Born this day, Anthony Burgess, English writer (A Clockwork Orange). 1918 - Meat, butter and margarine rationing began. 1919 - Oregon introduced the first state tax on gasoline (petrol) at one cent per gallon, to be used for road construction. 1926 - Poland demanded a permanent seat on the League of Nations council. 1928 - Bell Labs introduces a new device to end the fluttering of the television image. 1931 - Born this day, Faron Young, country singer, 1961 US No.7 single Hello Walls, 1972 UK No.3 single It's Four in the Morning, also 1972 UK No.27 album of the same title. 1934 - Born this day, Bernard Bresslaw, in London, England. The 6ft 7in actor made his name playing gormless giants in 14 Carry On films - although he was classically trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He first found fame as 'Popeye' Popplewell in the classic late 50's sitcom The Army Game. The show made him a household name and he even saw chart success when he notched up a top ten hit with Mad Passionate Love in 1958. 1935 - Jack Hobbs, Surrey and England's greatest batsman, announced his retirement from the game. At 54 and with uncertain health, he gave up his pursuit of his 200th century - he had 197. Among his records are 16 centuries in a season (1925), 168 three-figure opening partnerships and 61,237 first class runs. 1937 - Born this day, Sir Tom Courtney, actor. 1938 - Born this day, Diane Baker, actress. 1939 - On this day the first Anderson air-raid shelter was built in Islington, North london. It was the first of 2.5 million of them. 1941 - Born this day, Lord David Puttnam, film producer. 1942 - Born this day, Roy Michaels, Cat Mother and the All Night News Boys, 1969 US No.21 single Good Old Rock 'N' Roll. 1943 - Born this day, George Harrison, guitarist, singer, songwriter, born in the borough of Hunts Cross, in Liverpool, England. Famous for being a Beatle, solo artist and Travelling Wilbury. He won a scholarship to the Liverpool Institute, where he met Paul McCartney, his lifelong friend. The Beatles scored 30 UK and 35 US top 10 hit singles, including 21 US No.1 singles. During 1971, George Harrison became the first solo Beatle to have an American No.1 album when All Things Must Pass, went to the top of the charts. In 1971 My Sweet Lord made George the first solo Beatle to have a No.1 single. Wrote the 1969 US No.1 and UK No.4 Beatles single Something. 1971 US No.1 solo album All Things Must Pass. In 1976 George was found guilty of 'subconscious plagiarism' of the Ronnie Mack song He's So Fine, when writing My Sweet Lord, earnings from the song went to Mack's estate. The Chiffons then recorded their own version of My Sweet Lord. During 1969, George and his wife Patti were arrested on the same day as Paul McCartney married Linda Eastman and charged with possession of 120 joints of marijuana. He also sponsored many film projects, personally financing the Monty Python success, The Life of Brian, a pastiche and humorous look at the life of Jesus Christ. During 1972, the triple album The Concert For Bangladesh went to No.1 on the UK album chart. Organised by George to raise funds for the people caught up in the war and famine from the area. $9 million was raised for UNICEFF. 1999, George Harrison and his wife Oliva were attacked when an intruder broke into their home. George was stabbed in the chest and was admitted to hospital. Died 29 November 2001. 1943 - Born this day, Sally Jessy Raphael, talk show host. 1943 - US troops retook the Kasserine Pass in Tunisia, where they had been defeated five days before. 1944 - US forces destroyed 135 Japanese planes in Marianas and Guam. 1945 - Born this day, Elkie Brooks [Elaine Bookbinder], singer, solo, 1977 UK No.8 single Pearl's A Singer, member of Vinegar Joe with Robert Palmer. 1952 - French colonial forces evacuated Hoa Binh in Indochina. 1952 - The 6th Winter Olympics games closed at Oslo, Norway. 1956 - Russian Premier Nikita Krushchev sensationally denounced Joseph Stalin's excesses to the 20th Communist Party Conference in the USSR. 1956 - Writer and poet Sylvia Plath met English poet Ted Hughes at a party. Upon being introduced to him, she bit him on the cheek and drew blood; they married four months later and were still married when she killed herself in 1963. 1956 - Elvis Presley had his first national American hit when I Forgot To Remember To Forget went to No.1 on the Billboard Country and Western chart. 1957 - Buddy Holly recorded his first hit single, That'll Be The Day, in Clovis, New Mexico. 1957 - Born this day, Stewart Wood, Bay City Rollers, 1975 UK No.1 single Bye Bye Baby plus 11 other UK top 20 singles, 1976 US No.1 single Saturday Night. 1957 - Born this day, Dennis Diken, drums, US group, The Smithereens, 1988 US No.41 album Smithereens 11. 1958 - The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) launched. 1959 - Born this day, Mike Peters, guitar, vocals, The Alarm, 1983 UK No.17 single 68 Guns, also solo. 1960 - John Cage's Music for Amplified Toy Pianos premiered. 1960 - Lillian Hellman's Toys in the Attic premiered in New York, NY. 1961 - Niagara ended St Bonaventura's 99-game home basketball winning streak. 1961 - Paul Bikle in a glider climbed from 1208 metres at release, to a record 14,100 metres. 1961 - John F. Kennedy named Henry Kissinger national security adviser. 1961 - Fresh out of the army, Elvis played his first concert - a charity performance in Memphis - since getting back to the US. (Another source says it was 'his last live show for eight years when he appeared at the Block Arena in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii'.) 1962 - Mike O'Hara completed a record 97th marathon. 1962 - In India, the Congress Party won the elections. 1962 - Robert Kennedy visited the Netherlands. 1963 - The Beatles released their first single in the US, Please Please Me, on the 'Vee Jay' label. 1964 - Born this day, Lee Evans, comedian. 1964 - Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) won the world heavyweight boxing title for the first time. He was a 7-1 underdog, and knocked out the champion Sonny Liston in the 7th round in Miami. 1965 - The Seekers had their first UK No.1 single with I'll Never Find Another You. 1965 - Filming started on the Beatles film Help! - in the Bahamas! 
1966 - Born this day, Tea Leoni, actress. 1966 - On this, George Harrison's 23rd birthday, he and his new bride, model Pattie Boyd, came back to London after a month-long honeymoon in the Caribbean. 1967 - Born this day, Nick Leeson, former Barings Bank employee, responsible for its collapse. 1967 - Born this day, Ed Balls, chief economic adviser to the Treasury. 1971 - On UK TV, Led Zeppelin were in concert from the Paris Theatre, France. 1976 - Cellist and MS sufferer, Jacqueline du Pre received an OBE. 1976 - The US Supreme Court ruled that states may ban the hiring of illegal aliens. 1977 - The Jam signed to Polydor Records UK for £6,000. 1978 - Ian Botham scored his first Test Cricket century, 103 vs New Zealand in Christchurch. 1981 - Winners at this years Grammy Awards included Bob Seger, Best Rock performance for Against The Wind, Pat Benatar won Best female performance for Crimes Of Passion and Christopher Cross won Best new artist and Best song for Sailing. 1983 - Marvin Gaye won his first Grammy award for (Sexual) Healing, it was named Best Male Vocal Performance of the Year. 1984 - The Thompson Twins scored their first UK No.1 album with their third release Into The Gap. 1984 - U2 began their first full US arena tour. 1984 - Van Halen's Jump, started a 5 week run at No.1 on the US singles chart. It was a No.7 hit in the UK. 1986 - Appearing at the Ritz Theatre, Lincoln, England, were Sad Cafe. 1989 - Simple Minds had a UK No.1 with their 17th single release Belfast Child. 1989 - Simply Red started a 4 week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with their third release A New Flame. 1993 - Died this day, Troy Caldwell, country musician, of the Marshall Tucker band, aged 45. 1993 - The Florida Marlins introduced their mascot 'Billy'. 1993 - Died this day, Eddie Constantine, actor (Alphaville, License to Kill), aged 77. 1993 - Died this day, John D. Boeke, organist, conductor. 1994 - Died this day, Baruch Goldstein, physician, murderer (53 in mosque), lynched aged 42. 1994 - Died this day, Yann Piat, French FN, PR-parliament leader, murdered aged 44. 1994 - An Israeli madman killed 29 in a mosque at Hebron. 1995 - Madonna started a 7 week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with Take A Bow, co-written with Babyface it made No.16 in the UK. 1996 - The Bluetones went to No.1 on the UK album charts with their album Expecting To Fly. 1997 - The first Nudist Conference began at Whispering Pines Resort in California. 1998 - The 40th Grammy Awards were presented. 1998 - Pamela Lee had husband Tommy Lee arrested on battery charges. 1998 - Switzerland's first legal brothel opened in Zurich. 2000 - Local authorities announced that council taxes may have to rise to fund the cost of supporting asylum seekers. 2000 - The Telletubbies was sold to Russian television. 2000 - A tiny booklet of poems, reflecting the relationship which inspired Graham Greene's novel and the film The End Of The Affair, was sold to a private collector for £20,700. 2000 - The five original Spice Girls were facing a bill of up to £1 million after losing a legal battle against the sponsors of their 1988 world tour. The Aprilia-scoter company had claimed the girls new of Geri's impending departure. 2001 - Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said the new United States government was considering extending its planned 'missile shield' to cover Britain. 2001 - A feud between two rap music rivals resulted in a shootout in New York's Greenwich Village. More than 20 shots were fired outside Hot 97 radio studio as rapper Lil' Kim left after an interview. One man was wounded. 2001 - Appearing at Nottingham Arena, England, were Travis and The Doves. 2001 - Died this day, Sir Donald Bradman, cricketing legend, of pneumonia at his home in Adelaide. 2002 - Top civil servant Sir Richard Mottram broke protocol to speak out on the spin row engulfing Stephen Byers' Department of Transport. 2003 - Died this day, Oskar Sala, German composer, physicist, at the age of 91, whose novel musical instrument (the trautonium, billed as the world's first electronic musical instrument on its invention in 1929) produced the sound effects for Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. 2003 - Rolls-Royce workers feared for their futures after the engine maker warned of 1,100 job cuts in an overhaul of three sites. |
Trivia
Trivia - petty details or considerations, matters or things that are very unimportant, inconsequential, or nonessential; trifles; trivialities.
Trivial - of very little importance or value; insignificant: "Don't bother me with trivial matters." Trivially - unimportant, nugatory, slight, immaterial, inconsequential, frivolous, trifling.