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It was 70 years ago, on 6th May 1954, that Roger Bannister became the first person to run a mile in under four minutes (3 minutes, 59.4 seconds), in Oxford. Just 23 days later, on 29th May, Diane Leather became the first woman to run a mile in under five minutes (4 minutes, 59.6 seconds), in...

Have you hit a pothole and damaged your car yet? If not, it is probably only a matter of time. Despite TWO MILLION potholes being filled over the past year (the highest number since 2015) the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) is still warning that our roads are crumbling to ‘breaking point’. According to the AIA’s...

The work of nurses is celebrated around the world on 12th May. That day was chosen to be International Nurses Day because it is the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. Here are some current stats on nurses in the UK: There are currently 731,058 nurses on the permanent NMC register. With midwives and nursing associates...

All in the month of April Where are the Chibok schoolgirls now? 50 years of ABBA! Remembering Lord Byron, the ‘gloomy egoist’ Appreciating Johann Sebastian Bach World Autism Acceptance Week, 2nd – 8th April 2024 ** Editor:  We continue our column that looks at memorable dates in the month (this time, April) down the years....

It was: 300 years ago, on 7th April 1724 that the German composer Johann Sebastian Bach’s St John Passion was performed for the first time, at a church in Leipzig. Also 300 years ago, on 22nd April 1724 that Immanuel Kant, the German philosopher was born. One of the leading philosophers during the Age of...

Ten years ago, on 14th April 2014, the Boko Haram Islamic terrorist group kidnapped 276 female students from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Nigeria. Some of the girls escaped, some were rescued, or have been reported dead. But over 100 are still missing, fate unknown. The girls, who lived in surrounding areas, were...

Fifty years ago, on 6th April 1974, the Swedish pop group ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest with their song Waterloo. It was the first time that Sweden won the contest. ABBA went on to be one of the most successful groups in music history. The victory, in Brighton, was just the first step on...

It was 200 years ago, on 19th April 1824, that Lord Byron died. One of the greatest British poets and a leading figure in the Romantic movement, he died of sepsis/fever while fighting for Greek independence from the Ottoman Empire. He was 36. Byron was born in London but brought up in Aberdeen and relished...

Three hundred years ago, on 7th April 1724, the German composer Johann Sebastian Bach’s St John Passionwas performed for the first time, at a church in Leipzig. It was put on as part of Good Friday Vespers at St Nicholas Church, having been transferred from St Thomas at the last moment by the music council....

Autism is on the rise. Or at least, the recognition of it is. According to the website psychcentral.com, there was a 787% exponential increase in the number of people who were diagnosed with autism between 1998 and 2018 in the UK. The National Autistic Society says that in the UK, more than one in every...

It was: 750 years ago, on 7th March 1274 that St Thomas Aquinas, Italian Dominican friar, Catholic priest, philosopher, and theologian, died. 500 years ago, on 19th March 1524 that Florentine explorer Giovanni de Varrazano became the first European to reach the Atlantic coast of North America. He reached North Carolina, continued northwards to New...

The month of March brings us the Great Daffodil Appeal. This annual campaign is a fundraising initiative by the Marie Curie charity, which provides care and support to people living with terminal illnesses and their families. The Great Daffodil Appeal says: “Right now one in four people don’t get the care they need at the...