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May
May 2, 2006 4:09:56 GMT 10
Post by LLady on May 2, 2006 4:09:56 GMT 10
May 1
May 1 Beltane's Day - ancient fire festival celebrating start of summer.
May 1 1522 England declared war on both Scotland and France.
Today in 1690, the last organised Jacobite forces are beaten by government troops at Cromdale, near Grantown on Spey. The battle of the Haughs of Cromdale completely eliminated any Jacobite threat to William in Scotland, and enabled him to concentrate his forces in Ireland for another decisive victory over James at the Battle of the Boyne two months later.
On this day in 1707, the Act of Union between Scotland and England came into force. Scottish church bells played the tune "Why am I so Sad on my Wedding Day?" - the Union was brought about in spite of opposition by the majority of Scots. The image is of James Ogilvy, 1st Earl Seafield, on occasions M.P. for Banffshire and Lord Chancellor of Scotland. He promoted The Act of Union of 1707, but moved the repeal of the Act in 1713. Bribery was prevalent, with £20,000 sterling being despatched to Scotland for the payment of spies and agent provocateurs.
May 1 1873 Missionary and explorer David Livingstone died.
May 1 1966 First civil aircraft (a Handley-Page Herald which had left Renfrew airport six minutes earlier) landed at Glasgow airport at Abbotsinch, formerly HMS Sanderling, a Royal Naval Air Station.
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May
May 2, 2006 4:12:14 GMT 10
Post by LLady on May 2, 2006 4:12:14 GMT 10
May 2
May 2 1316 Edward Bruce, brother of King Robert the Bruce, crowned High King of All Ireland.
May 2 1424 King James I crowned at Scone.
On this day in 1568, Mary, Queen of Scots, escaped from Loch Leven castle and revoked her abdication. She soon gathered an army and moved towards Dumbarton castle.
Today in 1779, John Galt, Scottish novelist, was born. As well as writing the first biography of his acquaintance, Lord Byron, Galt's main achievement lies in his thirteen innovative and entertaining novels. A group of them, which Galt called Tales of the West, is set mainly in the Scotland of his youth, and they give a complete picture of Scottish life from about 1760 to 1820. Galt spoke of the Scottish people as "Possessing the whole range of the English language as well as their own, by which they enjoy an uncommonly rich vocabulary", and indeed he used the Scots tongue for dialogue and sometimes narrative.
May 2 1901 Glasgow International Exhibition in Kelvingrove opened.
May 2 1933 The story of the Loch Ness Monster first appeared in the press, starting off a long-running debate on whether or not some unknown animal or fish inhabits the murky depths of the loch.
May 2 1959 The first nuclear power station in Scotland, at Chapelcross, opened.
May 2 1963 Rootes car factory opens at Linwood, making the Hillman Imp.
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May
May 3, 2006 6:12:46 GMT 10
Post by LLady on May 3, 2006 6:12:46 GMT 10
May 3
May 3 1557 John Knox began the Reformation in Scotland.
On this day in 1679, Archbishop James Sharp, Primate of Scotland, was attacked and killed. The murder happened while he was travelling through Fife to St Andrews. The attackers were probably waiting for the Sheriff of Fife, but were happy to kill instead the man leading the forces suppressing the Covenant in Scotland. It sparked a wider uprising, leading to what is known as the "Killing Time". Today in 1860, John Haldane, Scottish physician and physiologist, was born. Noted for his work on respiration, it was Haldane who demonstrated the role of carbon dioxide, and the change in temperature of the human body at extreme pressures. Author of 'Causes of Death in Colliery Explosions,' he was also father of the great population geneticist, JBS Haldane.
May 3 1926 General Strike began at midnight, the first in British history. It lasted until 12 May.
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May
May 3, 2006 6:17:00 GMT 10
Post by LLady on May 3, 2006 6:17:00 GMT 10
May 4
May 4 1645 Marquis of Montrose victorious at Battle of Auldearn.
May 4 1658 General George Monk proclaimed the Protectorate at Mercat Cross.
May 4th 1799 saw the storming of Seringapatam, leading to the defeat of Sultan Tippoo of Mysore, India. Sir David Baird (1757-1829) was born in East Lothian. Serving as a captain in India, Baird was wounded and captured at the Battle of Polilur in 1780, where a British force of 4,000 was defeated and almost totally destroyed. He was taken to Seringapatam and imprisoned for four years in awful conditions. Once free, Baird avenged himself in the 4th Mysore War: Major-General Baird, as he had become, commanded the victorious British assault on Seringapatam. In fact he was given this role because of his treatment there, to the annoyance and exclusion of Arthur Wellesley, future Duke of Wellington.
May 4 1949 Twelve girls died in a fire at Grafton's fashion store in Glasgow.
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May
May 4, 2006 3:13:14 GMT 10
Post by LLady on May 4, 2006 3:13:14 GMT 10
May 5
May 5 1646 King Charles I surrenders to Lord Leven and was later passed to the Parliamentary forces
May 5 1758 James Taylor who developed the steamboat was born.
On 5th April 1820 government forces defeated Radical weavers at the Battle of Bonnymuir. The Radicals had marched from Glasgow and were heading towards the Carron Iron Works in Falkirk. However, their ranks had been infiltrated by government agents and they were in fact being guided to an ambush outside the village of Bonnybridge. During the battle a Lieutenant of the 10th Hussars received a wound to the hand and a sergeant was severely wounded, four Radicals were wounded and a haul of five muskets, two pistols, eighteen pikes and about 100 rounds of ball cartridges were taken. Hardie and Baird, the leaders of the Radicals were hanged at Stirling, with Hardie declaring ‘I die a martyr to the cause of truth and liberty'.
May 5 1975 The "Scottish Daily News", the first workers' co-operative national newspaper was published.
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May
May 9, 2006 2:38:53 GMT 10
Post by LLady on May 9, 2006 2:38:53 GMT 10
May 6
Today in 1870 Sir James Simpson, Scottish physician, died. A pioneer of obstetrics, gynaecology, and childbirth anaesthetics, he was the first British physician to use chloroform and ether as anaesthetics during childbirth. He provoked much controversy at the time because many believed the pain of childbirth had been decreed by God as the curse of Eve. His victory was assured when, as personal surgeon to Queen Victoria, he used anaesthetic during the delivery of her seventh child.
May 6 1941 Last major bombing attack on the Clyde area by the Luftwaffe; Greenock was badly hit with 280 dead.
May 6 1959 Icelandic gunboats fired live rounds at British fishing trawlers, many of them from Scottish ports, during the "Cod War" over fishing rights.
Today in 1999 saw the election of the first Scottish Parliament since 1707. Elections were held for the Scottish Parliament and the 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament - MSPs - took their seats on 12 May 1999. State of the parties: Labour 56; Scottish National Party 35; Conservatives 18; Liberal Democrats 16; Greens 1; Scottish Socialist Party 1; Independent 1.
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May
May 9, 2006 2:41:20 GMT 10
Post by LLady on May 9, 2006 2:41:20 GMT 10
May 7
On 7 May 1542 the Earl of Hertford invaded Scotland in an attempt to force the marriage of Edward, son of Henry VIII, and Mary, Queen of Scots. Known as "The Rough Wooing", it led to the burning and distruction of Border towns and abbeys, and of Edinburgh.
On 7 May 1711 David Hume, Scottish philosopher, historian, economist and author, was born. Hume is one of the most significant figures of the Scottish Enlightenment, and is still considered among the greatest philosophers of all time. He wrote about human nature and politics, and introduced social history. He is the author of such seminal works as 'A Treatise of Human Nature' (1739-40) and 'An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding' (1748).
May 7 1890 James Naysmith, engineer and inventor of steam hammer, died
May 7 1906 Historian Henry Gray Graham, author of "Social Life of Scotland in the 18th Century" died.
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May
May 9, 2006 2:44:19 GMT 10
Post by LLady on May 9, 2006 2:44:19 GMT 10
May 8
May 8 1701 Scottish-born pirate "Captain" William Kidd tried for piracy at London's Old Bailey. He was hanged on 23 May.
On 8 May 1945, V.E.(Victory in Europe) day marked the end of World War II in Europe. The Allies overran Germany from the west during April 1945 as Russian forces advanced from the east. On April 25, American and Soviet forces met at the Elbe River. Five days later, Hitler committed suicide in his Berlin bunker. At 2:41 a.m. on May 7, General Jodl signed for the unconditional surrender of German forces on all fronts, which was to take effect on May 8 at 11:01 p.m. Over 50,000 Scottish servicemen lost their lives during the conflict
Today in 1947 John Reid, Scottish Labour politician, was born. Elected MP for Hamilton North and Bellshill in 1997, Reid was Scottish Secretary from 1999 to 2001, and Northern Ireland Secretary from 2001 to 2002 . He was the first Roman Catholic to hold the post. He has held the post of Labour Party Chairman since 2002.
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May
May 9, 2006 2:47:17 GMT 10
Post by LLady on May 9, 2006 2:47:17 GMT 10
May 9
On 9 May 1645, the Marquis of Montrose and his Royalists camped at Auldearn near Nairn, en route to attack Inverness. The Covenanters, reinforced by troops withdrawn from England because of the threat from Montrose, gathered at Inverness before marching overnight in an attempt to surprise Montrose at Aldearn. The Royalists won a fierce fight, killing 2000 Covenanters for the loss of 200 of their own men.
May 9 1860 J M Barrie, author of "Peter Pan" born
Today in 1918 John MacLean, Glasgow schoolmaster, labour leader and first Soviet Consul in Britain, was tried in the Edinburgh High Court for sedition. MacLean dedicated his life to the cause of the working class. A controversial figure, his Marxist views were seen as extreme even by some of the Left. His opposition to the war led to his arrest on a number of occasions, losing him his teaching job, and culminating with a sentence of 5 years for sedition in 1918. However, a combination of the signing of the Armistice and weekly marches by supporters in Glasgow saw him released in December 1918, having served eight months. He was granted a royal pardon by the King, which he refused, on the grounds that it was the workers of Glasgow, rather than the King, who had secured his release. In November 1923, already in poor health from the rigours of prison, he contracted pneumonia and died, aged only 44.
May 9 1943 Viscount Cunningham, British admiral and C in C in the Mediterranean, issued his command "Sink, burn and destroy; let nothing pass".
May 9 1957 A spectacular blaze at Bell's Brae, Edinburgh, destroyed the premises of one of Britain's largest theatrical costumiers; around 90,000 costumes were lost.
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May
May 9, 2006 2:51:51 GMT 10
Post by LLady on May 9, 2006 2:51:51 GMT 10
May 10
May 10 1307 Battle of Loudon Hill, near Darvel. King Robert I comprehensively defeated English forces under de Valence.
May 10 1809 Andrew Bell, co-founder of Encyclopaedia Britannica with Colin MacFarquhar, died.
May 10 1810 Rev Henry Duncan opened the world's first savings bank in Ruthwell, near Dumfries.
May 10 1850 Sir Thomas Lipton, founder of the Lipton's grocery chain who was a millionaire by the age of 30, was born in Glasgow.
May 10 1941 Rudolf Hess, Hitler's deputy, descended by parachute into Scotland at Eaglesham.
Today in 1946 Donovan, Scottish pop and folk singer-songwriter, was born. Born Donovan Leitch, his hits include "Mellow Yellow", "Sunshine Superman" and "Jennifer Juniper". Upon his emergence during the mid-'60s, Donovan was anointed "Britain's answer to Bob Dylan," a largely unfounded comparison which compromised the Scottish folk-pop troubadour's own unique vision. Where the thrust of Dylan's music remains its bleak introspection and bitter realism, Donovan fully embraced the wide-eyed optimism of the flower-power movement, and his recordings perfectly capture the peace-and-love idealism of their time. Today in 1949 Norman Baillie-Stewart, Scottish soldier and Nazi collaborator, was arrested. He was known as "the officer in the Tower" - as a lieutenant in the Seaforth Highlighers, he was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1933-37 for passing secrets to Germany. In 1938 he emigrated to Austria and then to Germany. He took part in daily broadcasts from Berlin with William Joyce aka Lord Haw Haw. In May 1945, he was arrested by the Americans in Austria and sentenced to five years imprisonment for aiding the enemy. Baillie-Stewart claimed he had taken German citizenship in 1938, but no record of this could be found.
May 10 1967 Breath tests for motorists suspected of drinking and driving introduced under the Road Safety Act.
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May
May 9, 2006 2:55:01 GMT 10
Post by LLady on May 9, 2006 2:55:01 GMT 10
May 11
On this day in 1685 Covenanter martyrs, Margaret Lachlane, or McLachlan, and Margaret Wilson, refused to take an oath of loyalty to Charles II that acknowledged his authority on everything, including religious matters. They were tied to stakes in the Solway near Wigtown where they drowned as the tide rose. A reprieve had been sent from Edinburgh but never reached Wigtown. The replica stake sits on machair about 100 yards from the parish church, where the women’s graves are clearly marked. The water’s edge is now a fair distance away from the site of the drownings, as gradual silting of the river has caused the water level to drop.
Today in 1941 Rudolf Hess crash-landed in Scotland after his bizarre solo flight from Nazi Germany. Hitler's most trusted official and friend, he crash-landed a stolen plane at Eaglesham in an inexplicable effort to negotiate an end to the war. Hitler labelled him insane, and many agreed, but this did not keep him from judgment at Nuremberg for war crimes. He was sentenced to life, eventually becoming the sole prisoner at Spandau.
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May
May 9, 2006 2:57:12 GMT 10
Post by LLady on May 9, 2006 2:57:12 GMT 10
May 10 1941 Rudolf Hess, Hitler's deputy, descended by parachute into Scotland at Eaglesham.
May 11 1941 Today in 1941 Rudolf Hess crash-landed in Scotland after his bizarre solo flight from Nazi Germany. Hitler's most trusted official and friend, he crash-landed a stolen plane at Eaglesham in an inexplicable effort to negotiate an end to the war. Hitler labelled him insane, and many agreed, but this did not keep him from judgment at Nuremberg for war crimes. He was sentenced to life, eventually becoming the sole prisoner at Spandau.
Well one source is saying that it was May 10 and another is saying it was May 11, so I've posted it on both days
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