The opening of Private Ryan recreates the American landing on Omaha Beach. x.com/TheMonologist/…
Prof. Frank McDonough
25.4K posts
Prof. Frank McDonough
@FXMC1957
Historian and author. I post facts that happened on This Day in History at 9:00 AM (BST). It’s a daily journey to inform, educate and entertain.
UK
Joined February 2011
- 31 October 1973. The 1st episode of the 26-part classic ITV documentary series, World at War, was broadcast. It was narrated by Laurence Olivier, with music by Carl Davies. It cost £900,000 (worth £11 million today).
- Robert Redford (died #OTD in 2025) tells Michael Parkinson the story of a practical joke he played on his friend Paul Newman’s 50th birthday.
- Richard Harris (died #OTD in 2002) tells a story about working on a London theatre productions of Macbeth with an anti-Irish leading actor.
- 15 January 1797. The first top hat was worn in public by John Hetherington, a London haberdasher. His appearance on the street caused a huge commotion. He was charged with “breaching the peace and incitement to riot” and had to pay a bond promising future good behaviour.
- The Beach Boys - God Only Knows. Brian Wilson (1942-2025).
- 31 October 1973. 1st episode of the 26-part classic ITV documentary series World at War was broadcast. It was narrated by Laurence Olivier with music by Carl Davies. It cost £900,000 (worth £11 million today).
- BBC Radio newsreader John Snagge gives the first news of the D-Day landing at 9:32 AM to the British public.
- 10 June 1944. 642 men, women and children were murdered by the German Waffen SS in the village of Oradour-sur-Glane, France. The village was never rebuilt and featured at the opening episode of the classic ITV documentary series World at War.
- Fascinating colour footage of the D-Day landings - 6 June 1944.
- I lived overlooking Liverpool’s training ground from 1970 to 1983. In 1970 I collected Esso World Cup coins. I got the autograph of Emlyn Hughes one day and showed him my coin collection. Two coins were missing, and he said: “I’ll get them for you.” He did.
- PHOTO OF THE DAY. John Lennon photographed in his apartment in The Dakota by Annie Leibovitz on 8 December 1980.
- The last photo of John Lennon was taken by Paul Goresh outside The Dakota at 4:40 PM on 8 December 1980. The flash on the camera failed.
- 8 November 2007. Anglican cleric Chad Varah died (aged 95). He founded The Samaritans help line to help people contemplating suicide. He answered the first ever call made to the brand new helpline. A person whose life made a real difference to preserving the lives of others.
