June 1st

Today is the Feast Day of St. Justin a Christian Apologist, so he went around saying "Sorry...sorry about that...sorry for liking Jesus...sorry.." Sort of like a second century Nick Clegg, but without St Vince trying to bump him off. Ah I see he was in fact somebody attempting to rationalise the basis of the Christian Faith and defend the faith from objectors.

1533 Anne Boleyn was crowned Queen of England.

1905 English character actor Robert Newton was born in Shaftesbury, Dorset. Best remembered for his 'shiver me timbers' role as Long John Silver in Disney's version of Treasure Island, his portrayal becoming the archetypal Pirate role-model, he was indeed the first actor to use the phrase "Arrrrh,matey!".

1910 Robert Falcon Scott's ill fated expedition for the South Pole sets off from Cardiff in the ship Terra Nova.

1928 TV Quizmaster and accomplished comedian Bob Monkhouse was born in Beckenham, Kent.

1930 English actor Edward Woodward ward ward wood... Oh stop that! Edward Woodward was born in Croydon, Surrey.Best known for the cult film, The Wicker Man as well as the eponymous character in ITV's Callan and the American series The Equaliser in which he played the lead role of Robert McCall.

1934 American singer and actor Pat Boone is born in Jacksonville, Florida.

1937 Actor/Director Morgan Freeman is born in Memphis Tennesse.

1943 English actor/director Leslie Howard died, when the aircraft he was in, flying home to Bristol from Lisbon, was shot down by Luftwaffe Junkers maritime aircraft, it is believed the Germans thought that Churchill was aboard, Howard was one of seventeen fatalities on board.

1944 Jesus is born! No I know it is not Christmas Day, but upon this day, in Salford, actor Robert Powell was born. He is best known for playing the title role in Franco Zefferelli's ,Lew Grade funded television epic, " Jesus of Nazareth".

1946 The original Hannibal Lecktor, Scottish actor Brian Cox is born in Dundee. He played the part of Lecktor in 1986's Manhunter five years before Anthony Hopkins reprised the role in Silence of the Lambs.

1947 Welsh actor and singer Jonathan Pryce is born in Holywell, Flintshire.

1947 Also on this day Rolling Stones and Faces guitarist Ronnie Wood was born in Hillingdon, Middlesex.

1967 Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band is released by The Beatles.

1968 A year after Sgt. Peppers another seismic musical event occurred as Australian actor and singer Jason Donovan was born.

1974 An explosion at a chemical plant near Flixborough, South Yorkshire kills 28 people and seriously injures 36 more.

1980 CNN begins broadcasting.

1985 TV and film star Richard Greene died in Norfolk of cardiac arrest aged 66yo. Best known for his role as Robin Hood in the ITV series The Adventures of Robin Hood from 1955-1960.

2002 South African cricket captain and exposed match fixer died in a plane crash on Cradock Peak in S. Africa

2008 French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent died from brain cancer in Paris aged 71yo.

2009 Possibly the greatest ever trainer of racehorses, Michel Vincent O'Brien died upon this day aged 92yo. He won three Grand Nationals, four Cheltenham Gold Cups, Three Cheltenham Champion Hurdles, Six Epsom Derbys and in Nijinsky, the 1970 Triple Crown winner, possibly trained the best horse ever seen.