10th December 2010

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Events [1]1520 – Outside Wittenberg's Elster Gate (where the “Luther Oak” now stands) Martin Luther burns the Papal Bull that required him to recant his teachings and writings. Thus on January 3, 1521 the conclusive and irrevocable break with Rome occurs and Luther is excommunicated.This example ((?) authentic) is from October 1255 and attached to an Act created by the King of Lithuania.

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Events [2]1684 – Isaac Newton's paper confirming that Kepler's laws may be derived from his theory of gravity is read to the Royal Society by Edmund Halley.

1868 – Outside the Palace of Westminster the first “traffic lights” are installed. They use semaphore arms, illuminated by red/green gas lamps; similar to the railway signals first introduced in the 1840s.

1901 – The first Nobel Prizes are awarded

1927 – The Grand Ole Opry launched on radio.

1936 – Edward VIII signs the Instrument of Abdication.

1948 – The UN General Assembly adopts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

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Events [3]1979 – Stuntman Eddie “daredevil” Kidd (20) makes a

"death-defying“ leap of 80ft across the Blackwater River on a 400cc Yamaha. After many more jumps & movie stunts he suffers (1996) serious head injuries resulting in restricted co-ordination and speech

1981 – A Mystery disease killing homosexuals is reported in which the immune system is weakened. Found in 180 US patients (75 die) and 92% are homo-sexual men. Dr Curran (Centre for Disease Control, Atlanta), said, “It is a very serious problem and it does not seem to be on the wane.” The condition is named Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Aids) and, in 1983, the virus Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

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Events [4]1975 – “the inventor of the hydrogen bomb and one of the most courageous fighters for political freedom and human rights in the Soviet Union, Andrey Sakharov, won the Nobel Peace Prize”. He was not permitted to leave the USSR and collect but his wife Elena could.[http://russiapedia.rt.com/on-this-day/december-10]

1993 – The last shift leaves (Monk)Wearmouth Colliery, Sunderland. The closure of the pit (opened 1835) marks the end of deep mined coal in the County Durham coalfield. A coalfield which had been in commercial operation since the Middle Ages. The Stadium of Light was then built on the site.

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Ins…1815 – Ada Lovelace, English mathematician born Augusta Ada Byron, the only legitimate child of poet Byron. Worked with Charles Babbage on his mechanical general-purpose computer & later his analytical engine. Her description of an algorithm resulted in her being identified as the first computer programmer. (d 1852)

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Ins…1914 – Dorothy Lamour, American actress, co-starting with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in the “Road to…” films (d. 1996).

1939 – Barry Cunliffe, the surprisingly readable Oxford University Professor of history/archaeology.

1952 – Clive Anderson, radio & television presenter

1974 – Meg White, drummer (The White Stripes) and taxidermist! Much liked by John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE (John Peel, 1939 – 2004). (A record 10 records in the legendary JP record box!)

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Outs…1896 – Alfred Nobel, Swedish inventor (including dynamite) and founder of the Nobel Prize (b. 1833)

1928 – Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Scottish architect, designer (especial of the Arts & Craft and Art Nouveau Movements) (b. 1868)

1967 – Otis Redding, American soul singer (b. 1941)

1992 – Dan Maskell, tennis player, coach and lately commentator (b. 1908).

1994 – Keith Joseph, Tory politician and powerful/influential creator of Thatcherism (b. 1918)

Mont St Michel – A medieval system?

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