31st January

[chenrezig]

1606 Guy Fawkes, one of the conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot, was hanged, drawn and quartered. Known as Guido Fawkes, the name he adopted while fighting for the Spanish in the Low Countries, Fawkes belonged to a group of provincial English Catholics who had planned the failed Plot in November 1605. Guy Fawkes was born at Stonegate in York, in April, 1570.

1788 Death, in Rome, of Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie). After his father's death, Charles was recognised as 'King Charles III' by his supporters.

1849 The abolition of the Corn Laws. These trade barriers had been designed to protect cereal producers in the United Kingdom against competition from less expensive foreign imports and their abolition marked a significant step towards free trade.

1858 The Great Eastern, the five-funnelled steamship designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and John Scott Russell, was launched at Millwall. At the time, it was the world's largest ship.

1867 The four bronze lions at the base of Nelson's Column were completed.

1910 American-born murderer Dr. Hawley Crippen poisoned his wife before cutting her into small pieces and burying her in the cellar of his home in London. He was later executed at Pentonville Prison.

1917 As World War One raged, Germany announced that submarine warfare would resume the next day, following a two-year break.

1918 A series of accidental collisions on a misty night, off the Isle of May at the entrance to the Firth of Forth, led to the loss of two Royal Navy submarines and damage to another five British warships. In all 270 people lost their lives.

1919 The Battle of George Square took place in Glasgow. Known as Bloody Friday and Black Friday, it was one of the most intense riots in the history of Glasgow. The dispute revolved around a campaign for shorter working hours, backed by widespread strike action. Clashes between the City of Glasgow Police and protesters broke out, leading to the British government sending soldiers and tanks to the city to prevent any further gatherings.

1931 Christopher Chataway, former British athlete & Conservative MP, was born.

1953 307 people were killed when the Thames estuary broke its banks, flooding large areas of Kent and Essex. A car ferry also sank in the Irish Sea, in one of the worst gales in living memory, claiming the lives of more than 130 passengers and crew.

1981 Former British MP John Stonehouse, famous for faking his own death, married his former secretary Sheila Buckley.

1983 It became compulsory in Britain to wear car seat belts.

1994 German based BMW bought the Rover Group from British Aerospace for for £800,000,000 (£800M) then sold Land Rover alone for £1,800,000,000(£1.8Bn). A good purchase then for BMW!

2000 Family GP Dr. Harold Shipman was jailed for life for murdering 15 of his patients, making him Britain's most prolific convicted serial killer. An official inquiry concluded that Shipman may have killed as many as 250 patients over 23 years.

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