NOW & THEN
FEBRUARY 8
1587: Mary Queen of Scots was executed after nearly 19 years of confinement for her implication in the Babington plot to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I and restore Roman Catholicism in England. The execution took place at Fotheringay Castle, in Northamptonshire.
1765: A Russian peasant fathered his 69th child. His only wife had a series of multiple births – four lots of quadruplets, seven lots of triplets, and 16 pairs of twins. Almost all survived to adulthood.
1915: The film, The Birth Of A Nation, was released. It was the first film ever screened at the White House. Eighteen actors died during the filming by DW Griffith which involved a cast of 3,000 horses and 18,000 actors.
1921: Jan Smuts was elected first South African prime minister.
1940: Nazis shot every tenth person in two Polish villages near Warsaw in reprisal for the deaths of two German soldiers.
1949: Republic of Ireland declared it was unable to participate in Nato while Ireland remained divided.
1961: It was announced that the long-running nightly radio show Children’s Hour was to be discontinued.
1964: Holland’s Princess Irene renounced her rights to throne to marry Roman Catholic Spanish prince, Carlos Hugo of Bourbon-parma.
1974: Trawler Gaul vanished with its 36 crew off the North Cape of Norway.
1974: Three United States astronauts, Gerald Carr, Edward Gibson and William Pogue, returned to Earth after setting record of 84 days in orbit in final Skylab mission.
1989: Muslim resistance fired rocket into crowded area of Afghanistan capital of Kabul, killing seven people.
1990: Punctured oil tanker leaked more than 250,000 gallons of oil into Pacific, threatening southern California beaches.
1990: The Scout Association decided to allow girls to join Beaver, Cub and Scout groups – causing great anger in the Girl Guides Association.
1991: Panic buying began as much of Britain was covered by snow, and weathermen forecast -20°C. Schools closed and road, rail and air travel was thrown into chaos.
1991: President George Bush attacked Jordan for allegedly supporting Iraq in Gulf War and fuelling anti-americanism.
1993: 132 people were killed when Iranian airliner collided with jet fighter outside Tehran.
1996: The massive internet collaboration “24 Hours in Cyberspace” took place.
2001: Disney California Adventure Park opened in California.
2009: The film Slumdog Millionaire, from UK director Danny Boyle, scooped seven awards, including best film, at the Baftas.
2010: A freak storm in the Hindukush mountains of Afghanistan triggered a series of at least 36 avalanches, burying more than two miles of road, killing at least 172 people and trapping more than 2,000 travellers.
2012: Football manager Harry Redknapp was cleared of tax evasion at Southwark Crown Court.
BIRTHDAYS
Mohammed Azharuddin, cricketer, 58; Rachel Cusk, author, 54; John Grisham, novelist, 66; Ralf Little, actor, 41; Mary Mccormack, actress, 52; Nick Nolte, actor, 80; Mary Steenburgen, actress, 68; Abi Titmuss, actress, poker player, glamour model, 45; John Williams, conductor and composer of film scores (including Jaws and Star Wars), 89; Seth Green, actor, director, producer, 47; Vince Neil, lead vocalist of Motley Crue, 60; Christian Madsen, actor, 31; Ulises de la Cruz, Ecuadorian footballer and politician, 47; Irina Kalinina, Soviet Olympic diving champion, 62.
ANNIVERSARIES
Births: 1828 Jules Verne, novelist; 1892 Elizabeth Ryan, 19 times Wimbledon doubles champion; 1894 King Vidor, film director; 1888 Dame Edith Evans, actress; 1921 Lana Turner, US actress; 1925 Jack Lemmon, US actor Deaths: 1990 Del Shannon, pop singer; 1998 Enoch Powell, politician; 1999 Dame Iris Murdoch, author; 2016 Margaret Forster, British author; 2016 John Disley CBE, Olympic athlete, co-founder of the London Marathon; 2017 Tara Palmer-tomkinson, TV presenter; 2017 Alan Simpson OBE, British scriptwriter