October 11

Is the Feast day of Saints Mary Soledad, Andronicus, Tarachus, and Probus, Agilbert, Alexander Sauli, Nectarius of Constantinople, Bruno the Great of Cologne, Canice or Kenneth and Gummarus or Gomaire – or, presumably, Gomer. See Grenville’s Nature Notes later.

It was the day in 1521 when Pope Leo X conferred the title of 'Defender of the Faith' (Fidei Defensor) on Henry VIII for his book supporting Catholic principles. No comment. In 1689 Peter the Great, Tsar of Russia, assumed control of the government, and in 1923 rampant inflation in Germany caused the mark to drop to an exchange rate of 10,000,000,000 to the pound. Apollo 7 was launched from Cape Kennedy in 1968 and in 1980 Salyut 6 returned to earth after a record 185 days in orbit. In 1982 the Mary Rose, which had been the pride of Henry VIII's English fleet (until it sank in the Solent in 1545), was raised.

As to birthdays, Admiral Arthur Phillip was born in 1738 (though the Admiral bit came along later), George Williams in 1821 (he later founded the YMCA though he did not, so far as I am aware, write the song). Richard Burton was born in 1925, Bobby Charlton in 1937 and Dawn French in 1957.

James Joule (just ask a physicist – any physicist) died in 1889, Anton Bruckner in 1896 and Chico Marx in 1961.

Finally, why October 11th? Ask Grenville. He brought it up.

Editor

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Last modified: October 04, 2006