Greetings one and all and welcome to another Monday in the Spiceworld! Take a moment for a quick coffee and let this little mix of trivia and fun set you up for the week to come.
On This Day – 14th October 1066: The Battle of Hastings starts the Norman Conquest of Britain
When King Edward the Confessor died in January 1066, he had left no heir. The crown was contested by several contenders, notably William Duke of Normandy, Edward’s cousin through his mother Emma, sister of Richard II Duke of Normandy, father of William. Prior to the Norman conquest, English kings were elected by the “Witenagemot” (or Witan), a council of nobles. Edward’s rival for election and subsequently a thorn in his side throughout his reign, was Godwin Earl of Wessex.
Godwin died before Edward and his son, Harold Godwinson, became Earl of Wessex. After Edward’s death, Harold, the primary noble of the land, persuaded the Witan to elect him as king. William of Normandy claimed that Edward had promised him the throne and that Harold had sworn allegiance to him as successor. Additionally, Harald Hardrada, King of Norway, claimed the throne through an agreement between his father and Harthacanut, a previous viking king of England. Both started to assemble armies to invade Britain.
In September, Harald Hardrada, invaded northern England and was aided by Harold’s estranged brother Tostig. On September 25th Harold’s forces defeated the Norwegian armies at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire. After the battle, Harold heard that William’s forces had landed on the Sussex coast near Hastings. Harold then mustered his forces and marched rapidly south to see off a second invasion.
The armies met near Senlac Hill, north of Hastings. The present-day town of Battle grew up around the abbey built close to the site of the battle. The events of the day were captured on the Bayeux Tapestry which apparently shows King Harold perishing with an Arrow in his eye. Rumours that the phrase “That’s one in the eye for him!” originates from this event cannot be substantiated.
Read more here.
Also on this day:
1947 – Chuck Yeager becomes the first person to exceed the speed of sound
1962 – US aircraft take pictures of Soviet missiles in Cuba, precipitating the Cuban Missile Crisis
1964 – Martin Luther King Jr is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
1968 – The crew of Apollo 7 take part in the first live broadcast by US astronauts in orbit
2012 – Austrian Felix Baumgartner sets freefall records by parachuting from the stratosphere
Arrivals
1890 – Dwight D Eisenhower, US soldier, politician and 34th President of the United States
1927 – Roger Moore, British actor and producer, (‘James Bond’, ‘Simon Templar - The Saint’)
1946 – Justin Hayward, British musician and songwriter (The Moody Blues)
1962 – Trevor Goddard, British actor (‘Mortal Kombat’, ‘JAG’)
1978 – Usher, US musician and dancer
Departures
1944 – Erwin Rommel, German Field Marshal
1959 – Errol Flynn, Australian actor (‘Captain Blood’, ‘Adventures of Robin Hood’)
1977 – Bing Crosby, US singer, actor and producer (‘White Christmas’, High Society’)
1990 – Leonard Bernstein, US composer & conductor (‘West Side Story’)
2010 – Benoit Mandelbrot, Polish mathematician and polymath
The Funnies:
Recipe of the day: Simple White Bean and Bacon soup
As autumn insists on making its mark on UK temparatures, this soup recipe from BBC Food is here to help warm things up - at least on the inside.
Ingredients
150g/5½oz smoked streaky bacon, cut into 1cm/½in wide pieces
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 x 400g tins cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1.2 litres/2 pints hot chicken stock, made from stock cubes
200g/7oz bag shredded greens
Recipe tips
Method
Fry the bacon and garlic together in a large saucepan for 5 minutes until the bacon has started to crisp. Add the beans and stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Using a potato masher, crush the beans lightly, ensuring some remain whole.
Add the greens and cook for a further 3–4 minutes before ladling into serving bowls. Serve immediately.
Quote of the Day:
“That’s the trouble with a brain—it thinks more than you sometimes want it to.” (The Wee Free Men)
– Sir Terry Pratchett
Comic of the Day:
Mouseover: “If any of you want to meet some cool local oxygen atoms, I can introduce you!”
Image Credit: https://xkcd.com/2997
Explain XKCD: explain xkcd
Inspirobot Always Controversial, Occasionally Inspirational Quote of the Day:
If you missed @Repairatrooper’s musically gifted Spark! from Friday, you can find it here:
(Spark! Pro Series : October 11, 2024)
