Prof. Frank McDonough

@FXMC1957 • 86,698 subscribers

Historian and author. I post facts that happened on This Day in History at 9:00 AM (BST). It’s a daily journey to inform, educate and entertain.

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Prof. Frank McDonough

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Can we ban that “It’s Coming Home” song now.

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18 July 2000. 1st series of reality TV show Big Brother began on Channel 4. It followed 11 contestants isolated from the outside world. The winner was Liverpudlian builder Craig Phillips who exposed Nick Bateman (“Nasty Nick”) for breaking house rules.

17 March 1999. Rod Hull died (aged 63). He always appeared with Emu, a mute and highly aggressive arm-length puppet. Hull died in a tragic accident while trying to adjust the TV aerial on the roof of his bungalow, then slipping and falling to his death.

Kevin Keegan took part of the Be Smart, Be Safe road safety campaign in 1976.

Blue Peter presenters: Valerie Singleton, John Noakes and Peter Purves reunited in 2000 to open the Blue Peter Millennium Time Capsule they had buried on 7 June 1971.

5 February 1976. In one of the greatest sporting moments, Austrian skier Franz Klammer produced an exceptional and exhilarating run to win the Men’s Downhill gold medal at the Innsbruck Winter Olympic Games.

The opening of Private Ryan recreates the American landing on Omaha Beach.

31 October 1973. The 1st episode of the 26-part classic ITV documentary series, World at War, was broadcast. It was narrated by Laurence Olivier, with music by Carl Davies. It cost £900,000 (worth £11 million today).

Richard Harris (died #OTD in 2002) tells a story about working on a London theatre productions of Macbeth with an anti-Irish leading actor.

“And the sun shines now.” The moving BBC radio commentary on the Hillsborough Disaster by Peter Jones. He never recovered from the trauma of Hillsborough. On 31 March 1990 he had a stroke during University Boat Race and died 36 hours later (aged 60).

Robert Redford (died #OTD in 2025) tells Michael Parkinson the story of a practical joke he played on his friend Paul Newman’s 50th birthday.

8 May 1945. 3 PM. Winston Churchill’s VE Day speech on BBC Radio.

Peter Sellers (died #OTD in 1980) telling a story about Michael Caine.

12 October 1965. The 1st episode of the BBC dubbed French-German series, The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, was broadcast. It was much loved by its young audience. Only 13 episodes were produced, and the series ended on 4 January 1966.

12 June 1981. The Specials released their classic No 1 single, Ghost Town in the UK, in the midst of the worst economic recession since the early 1930s.

Robert Redford (1936-2025). A famous scene from Butch Cassidy &amp; The Sundance Kid.

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BBC Radio newsreader John Snagge gives the first news of the D-Day landing at 9:32 AM to the British public.

24 June 1945. Colin Blunstone was born in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. He was lead singer with 1960s group The Zombies before embarking on a successful solo career. He had 3 UK Top 40 hits includimg the 1972 hit Say You Don’t Mind.

5 May 1964. Granada TV series 7 Up was broadcast for 1st time. It follows the lives of 10 males and 4 females. There have been 9 series with one every 7 years. The last was 63 Up broadcast in 2019. A final 70 Up series will be broadcast in autumn 2026.

30 December 1977. 1st episode of the ITV crime drama series The Professionals was broadcast. A total 57 episodes aired until 6 February 1983. The programme starred Martin Shaw, Lewis Collins, and Gordon Jackson as agents of Criminal Intelligence 5.

6 June 1980. Last edition of ITV children’s show Magpie was broadcast. It was designed to compete with the BBC’s Blue Peter by being more “groovy” and focusing on popular culture. It had run since 30 July 1968 in 25 minute twice weekly episodes.

Robert Redford (1936-2025). A famous scene from Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid.