June 17th

June 17th
Feast Day of St. Hervé. Also known as Harvey, Herveus, Houarniaule or Huva, was a Breton saint of the sixth century. Hervé was born blind. With his disciple Guiharan, Hervé lived near Plouvien as a hermit and bard. His legend states that he had the power to cure animals and was accompanied by a domesticated wolf.He was joined by more disciples and refused any ordination or earthly honour, accepting only to be ordained as an exorcist. He died in 556 and was buried at Lanhouarneau. He is the patron saint of the blind; bards; musicians; invoked against eye problems, eye disease; invoked to cure sick horses.


1579   Sir Francis Drake claims a land he calls Nova Albion (modern California) for England.

 
1885 – The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York Harbour.


1898 – Harry Patch, English super-centenarian,dubbed in his latter years “the Last Fighting Tommy”, briefly the oldest man in Europe and the last surviving soldier known to have fought in the trenches of the First World War.


1919 English actress Beryl Reid was born in Hereford, Herefordshire.  Her first big success came in the BBC radio show Educating Archie as naughty schoolgirl Monica and later as the Brummie, “Marlene”.



1930 Brian Statham, English cricketer was born at Gorton, Manchester


1936 Ken Loach, English director, producer, and screenwriter was born in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, amongst his first feature films was “Kes”.  The latter recounts the story of a troubled boy and his kestrel, and is based on the novel A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines. The British Film Institute named it No 7 in its list of best British films of the twentieth century, published in 1999.



1940 World War II: sinking of the RMS Lancastria by the Luftwaffe near Saint-Nazaire, France. At least 3,000 are killed; Britain’s worst maritime disaster.



1943 Barry Manilow, American singer-songwriter and producer was born in Brooklyn, New York.



1945  Ken Livingstone, English Labour Party politician and first Mayor of London was born in Tulse Hill, London.


1961 Jeff Chandler, American actor and singer dies aged 42yo from surgical complications at Culver City, California, Chandler had surgery for a spinal disc herniation, on May 13, 1961. There were severe complications; an artery was damaged and Chandler hemorrhaged. In a seven-and-a-half-hour emergency operation over-and-above the original surgery, he was given 55 pints of blood. Another operation followed, date unknown, where he received an additional 20 pints of blood. He died on June 17, 1961. His death was deemed malpractice and resulted in a large lawsuit and settlement for his children.

  
1980 American tennis player Venus Williams is born at Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, she has been ranked World No. 1 in singles by the Women’s Tennis Association on three separate occasions.


1985 English director, producer, and screenwriter John Boulting died aged 71yo in Sunningdale, Berkshire, one of identical twins known collectively as the Boulting brothers, were English filmmakers and identical twins who became known for their popular series of satirical comedies in the 1950s and 1960s.

 
1994  Following a televised low-speed highway chase, O.J. Simpson is arrested for the murders of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman.


1999  Basil Hume, English Cardinal Archbishop of Westminsterfrom 24 May 1976.Hume was diagnosed with inoperable abdominal cancer in April 1999. On 2 June of that year, Queen Elizabeth awarded him the Order of Merit.  He died just over two weeks later in Westminster, London, at age 76.


2002 A Penguin was found hiding in the House of Commons this afternoon, giving his name as Rico he refused to say anything more and was taken to Scotland Yard for further questioning. ” We are looking at the possibilty of terrorist involvement in this incident”, said an anti-terrorism officer, when asked if they thought he might have been a plant the officer replied, ” No we believe he is a bird!” Prime Minister Tony Blair spoke of his shock at the discovert before declaring a possible invasion of Penguin Land to rid the world of this black and white terrorist menace, ” I have to discuss the matter with President Bush but I believe he will agree to the proposed invasion of Penguin Land”, Mr Blair’s press spokesman Alastair Campbell stood shaking his head and looking to the skies.

    Suspected Terrorist 

Can’t We  Shut Him Up?
2008 American actress and dancer Cyd Charisse was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California on June 16, 2008, after suffering an apparent heart attack. She died the following day at age 86.  She was featured in the 2001 Guinness Book of World Records under “Most Valuable Legs”, because a $5 million insurance policy was reportedly issued on her legs in 1952. MGM was reputed to have insured her legs for a million dollars each, but Charisse revealed that that had been an invention of the MGM publicity machine.



2012  Brian Hibbard lead singer of the Flying Pickets died from prostate cancer aged 65yo in Cardiff. 


World Cup News:  England remain confident of their World Cup progress after Saturday’s defeat against Italy, Wayne Rooney said , ” It was tough against Italy I was running around like a headless chicken for 70 minutes but don’t worry against Ur…Urageiey,Euerigway er Suarez’s mates, I’ll do my best to be anonymous  and maybe get a red card then the boys can get off on their hols next week!”


One Step Closer To Ibiza

Please Sir! Can I go to the toilet