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Post by LLady on Dec 20, 2005 4:07:17 GMT 10
December 20
December 20 1560 First General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
Today in 1933 the entertainer Andy Stewart was born in Glasgow. Stewart is perhaps best known for his STV show, 'The White Heather Club', which began in 1960, and his songs "Ye canna shuv yer granny off a bus" and "Donald where's yer troosers". He died in 1993.
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Post by LLady on Dec 20, 2005 4:08:58 GMT 10
December 21
December 21 1846 Robert Liston, who was born in Linlithgow in 1794, performed the first operation in a British hospital using anaesthetic (ether).
Today in 1805 Thomas Graham was born in Glasgow. One of the founders of modern physical chemistry, Graham is often considered the father of colloid chemistry thanks to his work on permeable membranes, for which he coined the term 'dialysis,' and he is known for Graham's Law describing the diffusion of gases. His statue stands in Glasgow's George Square. December 21 1988 Pan Am 747 blew up and crashed at Lockerbie, Dumfries, killing 243 passengers, 16 crew and 11 Lockerbie residents
On this day in 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 was blown up over Lockerbie. All of the 259 crew and passengers on board died, when a bomb exploded. 11 townspeople died when burning wreckage from the fully fuel-laden plane crashed into the town. It took 10 years to bring the Libyans accused of the atrocity to trial. They were tried in a Scottish court, set up in a specially constructed facility, at a Dutch air base.
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Post by LLady on Dec 22, 2005 7:18:57 GMT 10
December 22
December 22 1715 Today in 1715 James Francis Stewart, 'The Old Pretender,' landed in Scotland from France. Many Scots considered him the rightful heir to the throne. Louis XIV of France promised to recognise him as James VIII of Britain, but in 1713, Louis made peace with Britain and James was forced to leave France and settle in Rome. Stewart joined the Earl of Mar's Jacobite uprising of 1715, but was unsuccessful and was forced to flee abroad after only a few weeks. His son Charles, 'Bonnie Prince Charlie', led the 1745 rebellion.
On this day in 1820 the convicted leaders of the Radical revolt set sail to Australia on the convict ship Speke. Only one, Andrew White, returned to Scotland when pardoned. The leaders of the revolt had been protesting against poor conditions for weavers, and were sold out by government agents, which resulted in the capture of the rising's leaders in a skirmish at Bonnymuir. Those who refused to plead guilty to treason were executed, and the remainder were sentenced to transportation.
December 22 1930 Author Neil Munro died in Helensburgh.
December 22 1965 Maximum speed limit of 70mph was imposed on all roads unless a lower limit was in place.
December 22 2000 Pop mega-star Madonna married movie-producer Guy Ritchie at Skibo Castle, putting Dornoch into the media spotlight.
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Post by LLady on Dec 22, 2005 7:23:44 GMT 10
December 23
Today in 1682 James Gibbs, the Scottish architect, was born. Famous commissions included the London churches of St.Martin-in-the-Fields, and St.Mary-le-Strand. He was the author of 'A Book of Architecture', which in the 18th century was the most widely used reference and pattern book in Britain and its colonies.
December 23 1812 Samuel Smiles, writer and author of "Self Help" and "Lives of Engineers", born.
December 23 1831 Major outbreak of cholera in Scotland.
On this day in 2000, the legendary band leader and accordionist, Jimmy Shand, died. Born in the Fife mining village of East Wemyss, he worked the pit as a youngster, but his outstanding musical talent, evident at mining dances and busking trips to Dundee, soon allowed him to become a professional musician. Shand's recordings are famous throughout the world due to his distinctive playing style on the button accordion, which inspired a generation of younger players. His band gained great notoriety as the house band first on BBC radio, and later, with the advent of television, on 'The White Heather Club'. Jimmy died in Auchtermuchty where they erected a statue in his honour.
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Post by LLady on Dec 22, 2005 7:25:51 GMT 10
December 24
On this day in 1165 William I, "The Lion," was crowned at Scone. He was known as 'The Lion' because of his standard, a red lion rampant on a yellow background, which remains Scotland's royal standard today. His 50-year reign was initially marked by conflicts with Henry II of England, during which William was captured and had to pay homage to Henry in exchange for his release, and sign the humiliating Treaty of Falaise. The Scottish subjects were taxed heavily to cover the cost of the English forces' occupation of their country. 15 years later Richard I, seeking funds for his crusades, released Scotland from this treaty in exchange for a huge sum of money. December 24 1650 Edinburgh castle surrendered to Oliver Cromwell.
December 24 1724 General George Wade was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the British army in Scotland after he had reported on the need for military roads in the country.
December 24 1856 Writer and geologist Hugh Miller died.
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Post by LLady on Dec 22, 2005 7:28:11 GMT 10
December 25
Today in 1745 the Jacobite army reached Glasgow. The military campaign to return a Catholic Stewart king to the throne in place of the Hanoverian Protestant King William III was initially very successful. After winning a series of battles they marched south, getting as far as Derby. The army was tired from the long march, and Prince Charles' tacticians were determined that it would be a mistake to attack London, so they instead turned back north, against the wishes of the prince, reaching Glasgow on Christmas Day.
On Christmas Day in 1950 four young Scots retrieved the Stone of Destiny from Westminster Abbey. Used as the coronation stone of the Scottish kings from the 10th century, and supposedly a relic from biblical times, the stone was taken to England by Edward I as a symbol of his overlordship. A group of four Nationalist students removed it and took it north of the border in a Ford Anglia. It remained hidden until they placed it in Arbroath Abbey in April 1951, where it was discovered and returned to England. In 1996 the stone was placed in Edinburgh Castle amid much ceremony on St. Andrew's Day.
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Post by LLady on Dec 28, 2005 1:54:37 GMT 10
December 26
Today in 1251 Alexander III, the King of Scots, was married to Margaret, the daughter of Henry III, King of England, in York. King Henry demanded Alexander pay homage after his marriage, but he refused. Margaret provided him with three heirs, but she died young. All three of Alexander's children also pre-deceased him, and it was agreed that his grand-daughter Margaret, the 'Maid of Norway', would succeed him. He married again, seeking a male heir, through whom succession would be more sure. Alexander himself died young when he fell from a horse at Kinghorn in Fife. His grand-daughter, Margaret, died at sea on her way to claim the throne. Scotland was then left heirless, ultimately resulting in years of bloodshed at the hands of Edward I.
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Post by LLady on Dec 28, 2005 1:56:58 GMT 10
December 27
On this day in 1904 J M Barrie's play "Peter Pan" premiered at the Duke of York Theatre, London. Barrie was born in Kirriemuir. Though he first gained recognition as a writer of novels set in rural Scotland, it is as a playwright that he has become a household name with his timeless creation, Peter Pan. There has been a century of speculation about the motives of the man who created an imaginary world where children never grew up, and who perhaps never truly grew up himself, yet there is no doubt about the imaginitive force of this story which has delighted generations of children and adults alike. On this day in 1647 King Charles I, imprisoned at Carisbrooke Castle, reached an agreement with the Scots. In exchange for military allegiance in the English Civil War, he promised to establish Presbyterianism in England - but only for three years.
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Post by LLady on Dec 28, 2005 2:01:45 GMT 10
December 28
On this day in 1734 Scotland's famous outlaw, Rob 'Roy' MacGregor, died. He was immortalised in Sir Walter Scott's novel, 'Rob Roy,' and though the dramatic licence employed by Scott was considerable, MacGregor's life story is fascinating. Born in the Trossachs, he was a successful soldier from an early age. After a loan repayment to the Duke of Montrose was apparently stolen, a warrant was issued for his arrest. When his wife and children were evicted by the Duke's factor MacGregor began a campaign of violence and robbery against Montrose's property, supported by the Duke of Argyll. Many adventures ensued, most famously his daring escape from the back of a horse, when he cut his bonds and leaped into the river Forth. He was eventually captured and sentenced to transportation, but he even managed to escape that when he received a pardon at the last minute.
Today in 1879 the Tay Bridge disaster occurred. 75 passengers were killed when the structure collapsed under a train during a storm. The subsequent inquiry found that the bridge's designer, Thomas Bouch, had not made sufficient allowance for wind pressure and that the contractor had used imperfect metal castings. Bouch was widely blamed for the tragedy and died of ill health brought on by his ordeal shortly thereafter. The foundations of the collapsed bridge can still be seen today as one crosses the Tay on its replacement.
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Post by LLady on Dec 28, 2005 2:04:29 GMT 10
December 29
Today in 1766 saw the birth of Charles Macintosh, the inventor of waterproof clothing, in Glasgow.He created the first rainproof cloth in 1818 by joining two sheets of fabric together with dissolved rubber. Although Macintosh is best known for the coat, for the naming of which a 'k' was added, he also made significant advances in many fields of chemistry. As well as inventing a revolutionary bleaching powder with Charles Tennant, he discovered a fast method of using carbon gases to convert iron to steel, and devised a hot-blast process which produced high quality cast iron. On this day in 1809 William Ewart Gladstone, the British Prime Minister, was born. Though born in Liverpool, both his parents were Scottish and he always considered himself a Scot. He served a record 61 years in the House of Commons, becoming Prime Minister on no less than four occasions, the last at the age of 82. He was a gifted speaker, and in a famous election campaign in Midlothian in 1879 an estimated 20,000 people heard Gladstone speak.
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Post by LLady on Dec 28, 2005 2:08:13 GMT 10
December 30
On this day in 1899 Rangers played their first match at the new Ibrox stadium. The match was a 3-1 victory over Hearts in the Inter-City League. Within months the stadium included two covered stands and had a capacity of 75,000. Today in 1899 the Albion Motor Company was established. At first the firm made motor cars and commercial vehicles, but from 1913 concentrated on the latter. During World War I the premises were enlarged to produce military vehicles. The firm amalgamated with Leyland Ltd in 1951, and the works continued to make complete vehicles until the 1970s.
December 30 1915 Cruiser "Natal" exploded in Cromarty harbour, killing 405.
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Post by LLady on Dec 28, 2005 2:11:28 GMT 10
December 31 Today in 1720 Prince Charles Edward Stewart, The Young Pretender, was born in Rome. Known as 'Bonnie Prince Charlie', after the Gaelic pronunciation of his name, he led the 1745 Jacobite attempt to overthrow the Hanoverian monarchy. Charles was raised to believe he was the rightful heir to the throne, and French military support lent credence to his claim. Though many Scots were reluctant to join him, he eventually managed to raise an army which was initially quite successful, taking Edinburgh easily and defeating government troops at Prestonpans. However his youthful self-confidence, though infectious, led to some foolish military decisions at Culloden where the Jacobite forces were utterly destroyed. Charles managed to escape the ensuing massacre thanks to the assistance of a network of Highland supporters who hid him and eventually smuggled him to France. He spent the rest of his days in Rome and died a fat and bitter man. Today in 1929 72 people died in Paisley at the Glen Cinema fire. 750 boys and girls were enjoying the Hogmanay special matinee when fire broke out in the projection room. Thick smoke and fumes billowed into the cinema, and the fire officers and other rescuers had to make masks out of what was to hand. December 31 1954 Alex Salmond, former leader of the Scottish National Party, born.
December 31 1960 The farthing coin (a quarter of an old penny) ceased to be legal tender.
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