January 20th - 29th
20th January
Events
1841 – Hong Kong Island is occupied by the British
1936 – King George
V dies, his eldest son Edward VIII succeeds the throne
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| Richard Nixon 35th President of the United States of America |
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| Jimmy Carter 39th President of the United States of America |
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| Ronald Regan 40th President of the United States of America |
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| George H. W. Bush 41st President of the United States of America |
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| Barack Obama 44th President of the United States of America |
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| Donald Trump 45th President of the United States of America |
Births
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| Clarice Cliff |
Deaths
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| Matt Busby |
Born, 1909,
Alexander Matthew Busby, was the son of Alexander Busby and miner and his wife
Helen Greer, in a two-roomed pitman’s cottage in the mining village of Orbiston,
Bellshill, Lanarkshire. Busby’s father
who went off to serve during the First World War, was killed during the Battle
of Arras.
During the
1920s, Busby’s mother applied to emigrate to United States, but the application
was turned down by the nine-month processing time.
Busby got a full-time
job as a collier and a part-time footballer playing for Stirlingshire Junior.
Ager 18,
Busby was signed for Manchester City, who were promoted to the First Division. Busby player for Manchester City for 8
seasons. 1936, Busby signed for
Liverpool after being sold for £8,000. During the Second World War, Busby playing
days were over and he enlisted for national service in the King’s Liverpool
Regiment. However, during the war, Busby
made three appearance for Chelsea.
During the
duration of the war, Busby served as a football coach in the Army Physical Training
Corps.
During the
1948 Summer Olympics, Busby managed the Great Britain team. The team reaching the semi-finals and losing
to Yugoslavia.
After the war,
Bushby was the manger of Manchester United, where he was for 24 years. During his time here the team were nicknamed
the Bushby Babes. February 1958,
Busby and the team returning home from a European Cup tie was involved in the
Munich Air Disaster. Busby built a new
side after the disaster, when United Manchester were league champions in 1965
and 1967.
Busby was
awarded the CBE in 1958 and knighted in 1968.
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| Sir Mat Busby's grave Southern Cemetery, Manchester |
21st January
Events
Births
1896 – Paula
Hitler – younger sister of Adolf Hitler
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| Benny Hill |
Best known for his television program "The Benny Hill Show", 1955 - 1989
Deaths
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| George Orwell |
Born Eric
Arthur Blair, 1903, Bihar, British India.
Was the son of Richard Walmesley Blair work worked in the Opium
Department of the Indian Civil Service and his wife Ida Mabel Limouzin. Blair was known by his pen name George
Orwell.
Orwell aged
5 was sent along with Marjorie to Roman Catholic convent school,
Henley-on-Thames. He was then educated
from 1911 at St. Cyprian’s School, Eastbourne, it was here for the next five
years. It was here at St. Cyprian, that
Orwell was awarded a scholarship to either Wellington or Eton.
Orwell took
his place at Wellington January 1917, staying until May when a place became available
as a King’s Scholar at Eton. He remained
here until 1921.
During the 1920s,
Orwell travelled to Burma where he underwent training at the police training
school at Mandalay. Having then been
appointed as an Assistant District Superintendent. He drew on his experiences
in the Burma police to write his novel “Burmese Days”, 1934 and essays “A
Hanging”, 1936 and “Shooting an Elephant”, 1936
Having returned
back to the United Kingdom, Orwell became a teacher at The Hawthorns High
School, Haynes. Orwell saw act during
the Spanish Civil War, 1936.
Orwell is
best remembered for his allegorical novella “Animal Farm”, 1945 and the
dystopian novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four”, 1949.
December
1947, Orwell’s health declined, and he was diagnosed with tuberculosis. 1949, he courted Sonia Brownell, and they announced
their engagement in the September, shortly before he was admitted to University
College, London. The couple got married
in the hospital October. By the
Christmas Orwell’s health was in decline.
The following January, Orwell died.
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| George Orwell's grave All Saints, Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire |
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| Peggy Lee |
Born Norma Deloris Egstorm was best known by her stage name Peggy Lee. Her career spanned over six decades, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer and actress.
22nd January
Events
1879 – Battle of Rorke’s Drift.
First day of
the 2-day engagement in the Anglo-Zulu War.
The British defences successful
of their mission station of Rorke’s Drift, under the command of Lieutenants John
Chard of the Royal Engineers and Gonville Bromhead. The attack stated when a large contingent of
Zulu warriors broke off from their main force during the final hour of the
British defeat at the day-long Battle of Isandlwana, 22nd January 1879. The Zulu warriors delivered a 6-mile attack at
Rorke’s Drift on that day and the following day.
150 British
and colonial troops defended the station against attacks by 3,000 or 4,000 Zulu
warriors. The British losses were 17 killed and 15 wounded. 11 Victoria Crosses were awarded that day. The Zulus losses were 351 confirmed killed about 500 wounded.
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| Ramsey MacDonald |
Births
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| Lord Bryon portrait by Thomas Phillips, 1813 |
Born George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, simple known as Lord Byron.
Known by his best-known works for his lengthy poems, "Don Juan" and "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" and his shorter lyrics in "Hebrew Melodies"
1792 – Lady Lucy Whitmore – English hymn writer
Deaths
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| Queen Victoria photograph by Alexander Bassano, 1882 |
23rd January
Events
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| RMS Republic |
RMS Republic was built by Harland & Wolff, Belfast, 1903. The ship was equipped with the new a new Marconi wireless telegraph transmitter, which was used for the CQD distress call.
RMS Republic was on a voyage from New York to Gibraltar and Mediterranean with 742 passengers and crew on board. Entering the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts under thick fog, the Republic was hit by the Italian vessel SS Florida on the portside.
The CQD resulted in the saving of around 1,500 lives. Only 6 lives were lost during the collision
1967 –
Milton Keynes is founded as a new town
Births
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| Randolph Scott early 1930s |
Deaths
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| William Pitt |
Pitt was the youngest Prime Ministers of the Great Britain, when he was 24, 1783 and he was the first Prime Minister of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
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| The Reverend Charles Kingsley |
Kingsley is associated with Christian socialism, the working men's college and the forming the failed labour cooperatives. Kingsley led the working reforms of the progressive era. He was a friend and correspondent of Charles Darwin.
Kingsley is best remembered for this novel "The Water-Babies, A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby", 1863
24th January
Events
1908 – The first Boy Scout Troop is organised the in the United Kingdom by Robert Baden-Powell
Births
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| Desmond Morris in 1969 |
Deaths
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| Maximilian Birrcher-Benner |
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| The Roaring Lion a portrait by Yousuf Karsh at the Canadian Parliament, December 1941 |
25th January
Events
1765 – Port Egmont, the first British settlement in the Falkland Islands is founded
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| Bharat Ratna |
Births
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| Robert Burns, 1787 |
Regarded at the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide.
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| William Colgate |
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| Virginia Woolf |
Woolf is best remembered for her novels including "Mrs Dalloway", 1925, "To The Lighthouse", 1927 and "Orlando", 1928
Deaths
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| Theo van Gogh |
26th January
Events
1926 – The first
demonstration of the television by John Logie Baird
1965 – Hindi
become the official language of India
Births
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| Maria von Trapp, 1948 |
Deaths
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| Drawing of James Whitaker Wright |
Whitaker Wright was a company promoter and swindler, who committed suicide at the Royal Courts of Justice, London immediately following his conviction for fraud.
The trial before Mr Justice Bigham, Prosecution was given by Rufus Isaac on of the leading barristers. Whitaker Wright was convicted for fraud and was given a seven year prison sentence, Whitaker Wright committed suicide by swallowing cyanide. Due to outburst of grief Whitaker Wright was buried All Saints church, Witley.
1908, Whitaker Wright purchased the Lea Park estate off the Earl of Derby. The estate between Godalming and Haslemere, granted Whitaker Wright Lordship of the Manor and the control of Hindhead and the Devil Punch Bowl. Whitaker Wright started to developed his new properties as a single estate and created the Witley Park.
After his death, William, Lord Pierre purchased the estate
27th January
Events
1606 – The Trial
of Guy Fawkes and the other conspirators of the Gunpower Plot begins
1916 – British Government pass the legislation that introduced conscription in the United
Kingdom
Births
1832 – Lewis
Carroll – English novelist
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| John Collier by his first wife Marian nee. Huxley, 1882 |
Deaths
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| Thomas Crapper |
28th January
Events
1813 – Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is first published
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| Elvis Presley |
Births
1784 – George
Hamilton-Gordon – Scottish politician, prime minister of the United Kingdom
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| Harry Corbett |
Deaths
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| John McCrae |
Best remembered for his war poem, "In Flanders Fields", published after his death 1918.
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| W.B. Yeats photographed in 1903 by Alice Broughton |
29th January
Events
1819 –
Stamford Rifles, British statesman lands on the Island of Singapore
Births
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| W. C. Fields in 1938 |
1943 – Tony Blackburn
– English radio and television host
Deaths
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| Edward Lear |
Born 1812,
Edward Lear, was the youngest son, of Jeremiah Lear, a stockbroker and his wife
Clark Skerrett. Lear was raised by his
elder sister, Ann, 21 years his senior, after their father ended up defaulting
the London Stock Exchange in the economical upheaval following the Napoleonic
Wars.
Lear aged 6
suffered which became frequently grand mal epileptic seizures, and bronchitis, asthma,
and during later life partial blindness. Age 7, Lear showed signs of depression
By the age
of 16, Lear was already drawing “for bread and cheese”, and soon developed in a
serious “ornithological draughtman”, having been employed by the Zoological
Society. Age 19, Lear had published his first publication, “Illustration of
the Family of Psittacidae, or Parrots”, 1830.
1848-49,
Lear travelled to Greece and Egypt, and during 1873-75 travelling to
India. Whilst travelling Lear produced
large qualities of colours wash drawing, in a distinctive style.
During the
summer months of 1878 and 1883, Lear travelled to Monte Generoso, the mountain
on the border between the Swiss canto of Ticino, and the Italian region of
Lombardy.
Lear
primarily played the piano, he also played the accordion, flute and small guitar. Lear also composed music for Romantic and
Victorian poems.
Lear is best
remembered for his literary nonsense in poetry and limericks. One of his most famous poems being “The Owl
and the Pussycat”, 1871.
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| Edward Lear's grave Cemetery Foce, San Remo, Italy |
Whilst Lear travelled wildly, he did settle in San Remo, Italy where he died. Lear is buried at the Cemetery Foce.
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| Alfred Sisley |
Born 1839,
Parish, Alfred Sisley was the son of British parents, William Sisley, who
worked in the silk business and his wife, Felicia Sell, a cultivated music connoisseur.
Sisley aged
18 was sent to London to study for a career in business, after four year, he returned
back to Paris. From 1862, Sisley studied
at Paris Ecole des Beaux-Arts within the workroom of Swiss artist Marc-Charles-Gabriel
Gleyre. Whilst here Sisley became acquainted
with Frederic Bazille, Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
At the time
of the Franco-Prussian War, 1870, Sisley’s father’s business failed, and the
only source would be from painter’s sale of works. The remainder of his life he would live in poverty. Occasionally Sisley would be backed by
patrons, with a few trips to Britain.
One of these
trips, occurred during 1874, a few months were spent in London, where Sisley
crated nearly twenty paintings of the Upper Thames, near Molesey.
Sisley lived
until 1880 in the country of west of Paris. A further trip to Britain was made
during 1881.
August 1897,
Sisley and his partner, Eugenie Marie-Louise Adelaide Lescouezec were married at Cardiff.
Whilst at Penarth, he painted six oils of the sea and cliffs. Then moving to Osborne Hotel, Langland, Sisley
painted further 11 oil paintings.
1898, Sisley
applied for French citizenship, which was refused. A second application was made, with the
support of the police, but sadly illness intervened. For the remainder of his life, Sisley
remained a British national.
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| Alfred Sisley's grave Moret-sur-Loing Cemetery, Paris |
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| Field Marshal Lord Haig |
Born 1861,
Edinburgh, Scotland. Haig was the son of
Richard Haig, who was the head of his family’s successful Haig & Haig
whisky distillery, and was an alcoholic and his wife, Rachel Veitch.
Haig was
educated had began 1869, aged 8, when he was educated at Mr Bateson’s School,
St. Andrews, then moving to Edinburgh Collegiate School, then to Orwell House,
Warwickshire and finally Clifton College.
By the time Haig was 18, both his parents were dead.
After a tour
of the United States of America with his brother, Haig, during 1880-1883, studied
Political Economy, Ancient History and French Literature, at Brasenose College,
Oxford. Haig devoted of his time to
socialising and he became a member of the Bullington Club.
January
1884, Haig began his officer training at Royal Military College,
Sandhurst. He was slight older then aged
23 than the others in his class.
1886, Haig
was sent out to India, then commissioned as a lieutenant in the 7th
(Queen’s Own) Hussars. During 1888,
still in India Haig was appointed the regiment’s adjutant.
Leaving
India, Haig prepared for his entrance exam for Staff College, Camberley. Sadly, he failed the compulsory mathematic
paper. Haig, then returned briefly to India, where he was the second-in-command
of squadron. Finally, Haig entered Staff
College, Camberley, 1896.
Haig saw
action during the Mahdist War, 1898.
Haig distinguished himself during the Battle of Nukheila, and he also
present during the Battle of Atbara. Haig was promoted to brevet major.
Haig also
saw action during the Second Boer War, 1899-1902. Prior to the war, Haig who hoped for a
position in the War Office was appointed brigade major to the 1st Cavalry
Brigade, at Aldershot. At the end of the
war, Haig had to locate and escort the Boer leader, Jan Christian Smuts to the
peace negotiations at Vereeninging. Haig
had been mentioned four time in despatches, was awarded the Companion of the
Order of the Bath, 1900 and the following year, 1901, promoted to lieutenant
colonel.
Haig is best
remembered as commander of the British Expeditionary Force during the First
World War, from 1915 to end of the conflict, 1918. By this time, Haig had been promoted to Field
Marshall. He was also the commander during the Battle of
the Somme, 1916, the Battle of Arras, 1917, the Third Battle of Ypres
(Passchendaele), 1917, the German Spring Offensive, 1918 and the final Hundred
Days Offensive, 1918.
Haig, was
created Earl Haig, 1919, at the same, Haig was made Viscount Dawick and Baron
Haig.
After retiring
from military services, 1920, Haig spend the remainder of his life to the
welfare of ex-servicemen
Haig was
given an elaborate funeral, the gun carriage that carried the Unknown Warrior,
carried the body of Haig from St. Columba’s Church, London to Westminster Abbey. After the service, his body was escorted to
Waterloo Station for the journey to Edinburgh, where Haig was subsequently
buried at Dryburgh Abbey, in the Scottish Borders. His grave is marked by the same military
headstone that were used during the First World War. 
Douglas Haig's grave
Dryburgh Abbey
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