iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 8h

PHOTO OF THE DAY. Human-size chess game in 1924 with actual soldiers in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg).📷 google images

1234

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 8h

UK No.1 on this day in 1960: Ricky Valance - Tell Laura I Love Her youtu.be/9nqOfitN0xA?si… via @YouTube

youtu.be

Ricky Valance - Tell Laura I Love Her

YouTube video by Best Oldies

1101

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 8h

3 October 2025. Patricia Routledge died (aged 96). She’s best known for her role as Hyacinth Bucket in the BBC comedy Keeping Up Appearances from 1990 to 1995 and for her witty monologues written by Alan Bennett and Victoria Wood.

0172

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 8h

3 October 2005. Ronnie Barker died (aged 76). He first found UK fame in, The Frost Report in the 1960s. He then starred in the comedy series The Two Ronnies followed by the comedy sitcoms, Porridge, Open All Hours, Going Straight, and Clarence.

0143

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 8h

3 October 2004. Janet Leigh died (aged 77). She’s best known for playing Marion Crane in Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller Psycho. Her marriage to actor, Tony Curtis ended in divorce in 1962. Their daughter Jamie Lee Curtis also became a Hollywood star.

0112

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 8h

3 October 1995. American football star OJ Simpson was surprisingly acquitted of the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Most reporters thought his “Dream Team” defence team directed by Johnnie Cochran had skilfully cast doubt on the prosecution case.

020

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 8h

3 October 1992. Irish pop star Sinead O’Connor tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II during the US NBC TV show Saturday Night Live. The studio audience was stunned into silence and the TV station received 4,400 calls from viewers protesting against O’Connor’s action.

2187

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 8h

3 October 1990. Communist East German Democratic Republic was abolished and became part of the Federal Republic of Germany thus reuniting Germany for the first time since 1945. People in Berlin celebrated. This day is now celebrated as German Unity Day.

3124

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 8h

3 October 1981. Republican Hunger Strike at the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland was finally called off. It had resulted in 10 deaths. It was a protest against the British government decision to withdrew Special Category Status from convicted paramilitary prisoners.

081

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 8h

3 October 1967. Woody Guthrie died (aged 55). He’s acknowledged as a major influence on many folk stars, especially Bob Dylan. He frequently performed with the slogan “This machine kills fascists” displayed on his guitar.

0211

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 8h

3 October 1952. The rationing of tea in Britain, brought in during the Second World War, finally ended. Major Gwilym Lloyd-George, Minister of Food, announced the end of controls during a speech in Newcastle.

1175

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 8h

3 October 1941. Speaking to a crowd at Berlin’s Sportpalast an overconfident Adolf Hitler proclaimed Russia was already "to a great extent" broken and destined to "never rise again." It proved a very poor prediction.

0101

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 8h

3 October 1940. Former British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigned from Winston Churchill’s coalition government due to ill health. He was suffering from terminal cancer and died on 9 November 1940.

074

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 8h

3 October 1938. Eddie Cochran was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota, USA. His guitar sound was years ahead of its time. He had 11 UK Top 40 hits including No 1 Three Steps to Heaven. His other big hits were Twenty Flight Rock, Summertime Blues, C'mon Everybody and Somethin' Else.

082

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 8h

3 October 1935. Mussolini’s Italian forces invaded Abyssinia (now Ethiopia). The Abyssinians could not cope with a modern army using armoured vehicles and poison mustard gas. The capital Addis Ababa fell in May 1936 and Haile Selassie was removed from the throne.

051

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 8h

3 October 1929. Gustav Stresemann died (aged 51). He served as German chancellor in 1923, but as foreign minister from 1923 to 1929 he became the most influential German politician of the Weimar era. He signed the Locarno treaties and took Germany into the League of Nations.

172

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 8h

3 October 1925. Gore Vidal was born in West Point, New York, USA. He was an acclaimed novelist and public intellectual. His novels often explored the nature of corruption in public life and include: The City and the Pillar, Julian, Myra Breckinridge, Burr and Lincoln.

050

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 8h

3 October 1863. US President Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday of November would be Thanksgiving Day.

050

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 9h

3 October 1849. Writer Edgar Allan Poe was found lying in a gutter in Baltimore, outside a bar by a passing journalist. He was reportedly “barely coherent”. He was taken to a local hospital but never regained full lucidity and died 4 days later of “swelling of the brain”.

050

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 9h

3 October 1789. President George Washington issued a National Thanksgiving Proclamation designating Thursday 26 November 1789, as the 1st national day of public thanksgiving and prayer.

051

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 9h

3 October 1283. Dafydd ap Gruffydd, Prince of Gwynedd, the last independent ruler of Wales, was executed for allegedly plotting to kill Edward I. His execution was particularly gruesome.

252

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 9h

You should have seen them kicking Edgar Allan Poe.

060

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

PHOTO OF THE DAY: Women street cleaners in Liverpool during WW1 (1916).📷 Getty Images

1184

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

USA No.1 on this day in 1965: The McCoys - Hang On Sloopy youtu.be/iBxtqo05ovI?si… via @YouTube

youtu.be

The McCoys - Hang On Sloopy (1965)

YouTube video by moondoggy

051

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 2023. Francis Lee died (aged 79). He scored 148 goals in 330 games for Manchester City from 1967 to 1974. He also played for Bolton Wanderers and Derby County. He gained 27 caps for England, scoring 10 goals and featured in the 1970 FIFA World Cup.

181

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 2017. Tom Petty died (aged 66). His group Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers sold over 80 million records. He was also a member of the supergroup Travelling Wilburys. He won 3 Grammy awards. He died of an “accidental overdose” of a combination of prescription drugs.

092

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 1995. (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? by Oasis was released in the UK. It sold a record-breaking 345,000 copies in the UK in its 1st week, reaching No 1 on the UK Albums Chart. It contained 2 classic Oasis hits: Don’t Look Back in Anger and Wonderwall.

053

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 1985. Rock Hudson (Roy Harold Scherer) died (aged 59). He’s best known for his romantic comedies, co-starring Doris Day: Pillow Talk, Lover Come Back and Send Me No Flowers. He was the 1st high profile Hollywood star to die of AIDS.

082

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 1983. Neil Kinnock was elected as Leader of the UK Labour Party. He was 1st leader to be born in Wales. He led Labour to its 3rd successive election defeat in 1987. He lost again at the 1992 general election despite Labour being ahead in the opinion polls.

171

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 1976. 1st episode of the popular BBC1 Saturday morning children’s show Multi-Coloured Swap Shop presented by Noel Edmonds was broadcast. It ran for 146 live episodes until 27 March 1982. youtube.com/watch?v=ZzvI...

youtube.com

Multi Coloured Swap Shop - opening titles

YouTube video by flares

131

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 1971. 1st episode of the game show The Generation Game, presented by Bruce Forsyth, was broadcast on BBC1. Based on a Dutch TV format, it pitted 4 teams of 2 people from the same family against other families to win very low value prizes. youtube.com/watch?v=UohO...

youtube.com

Bruce Forsyths Generation Game Opening Titles 1973

YouTube video by 1ATV

120

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 1959. 1st episode of CBS-TV show The Twilight Zone was broadcast. Each episode was a stand-alone story, often based on science fiction and ending with a moral. The 1st series of 156 episodes ran until 19 July 1964.

081

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 1955. Phil Oakey was born in Hinckley, Leicestershire. He’s best known as co-founder, lead singer and songwriter of the British synth-pop band Human League. The group had 17 UK Top 40 hits. Biggest hit was the 1981 UK and US No 1 hit Don’t You Want Me?

1122

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 1951. Sting (Gordon Sumner) was born in Wallsend, Northumberland. He was main songwriter, lead singer, and bassist for The Police from 1977 to 1984. The group had 18 UK Top 40 hits and Sting as a solo artist had 23 UK Top 40 hits. He’s also won 17 Grammy Awards.

0102

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 1949. Annie Leibovitz was born Waterbury, Connecticut, USA. She’s best known for her photo portraits particularly of celebrities. She photographed John Lennon and Yoko Ono in their New York apartment only hours before John’s murder on 8 December 1980.

070

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 1945. Don McLean was born in New Rochelle, New York, USA. He’s best known for his 1972 US No 1 American Pie, inspired by the death of Buddy Holly. His other hit singles include Vincent, Crying, and Wonderful Baby.

091

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 1944. German troops brutally ended the Warsaw Uprising. It had lasted for 63 days with little outside support. It was the single largest military effort undertaken by any European resistance movement against the Nazi regime during the Second World War.

188

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 1943. Anna Ford was born in Tewksbury. On 9 March 1978 she became ITN’s 1st national female newsreader, presenting ITN’s News at One programme. She was not the 1st ITV newsreader. That honour was gained by Barbara Mandell in 1955.

040

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 1926. Historian James (Jan) Morris was born in Clevedon, Somerset. Most well known work is Pax Britannica, a study of the British Empire. Published under birth name James until 1972 and had gender reassignment surgery the same year. Then published as Jan Morris.

071

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 1925. John Logie Baird, a Scottish engineer and inventor, performed 1st test of a working TV system in his London lab where he successfully transmitted the 1st TV picture which was a greyscale image of the head of a ventriloquist’s dummy.

76219

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 1919. Woodrow Wilson, 28th president of the United States (1913-1921), suffered a major stroke that paralyzed the left side of his body and impaired his vision. He never fully recovered and died in 1924.

070

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 1904. Graham Greene, one of the greatest novelists, was born in Berkhamsted. His novels include Brighton Rock, The Power and the Glory, The Heart of the Matter, The End of the Affair, The Quiet American, and Our Man in Havana. His prose writing was exceptional.

072

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 1909. Twickenham stadium hosted its first rugby union match with Harlequins beating local rivals Richmond 14–10 in front of about 2,000 spectators. The stadium was built on a former market garden known as the "Cabbage Patch" purchased by Rugby Football Union in 1907.

043

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 1890. Groucho Marx (Julius Henry Marx) was born in New York City, USA. He was the supreme exponent of the quick witted comment as a member of the sibling comedy group The Marx Brothers in film comedies such as Duck Soup and A Night at the Opera.

083

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 1869. Mohandas K Gandhi was born in Porbandar, India. He was the key advocate of non-violent resistance to British rule in India. His method of non-violent protest inspired other movements for peace, civil rights and freedom across the world.

0165

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 1847. Paul von Hindenburg was born in the Grand Duchy of Posen (now Poznań, Poland). He was German president from 1925 to 1934. He brought Adolf Hitler to power in 1933, one of the most catastrophic decisions in history.

1114

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 1836. Charles Darwin returned to England on HMS Beagle after 5 years of researching his landmark book: the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, published on 24 November 1859. The voyage which began on 27 December 1831 took Darwin around the globe.

0155

Prof Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 1452. Richard III was born in Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. He was defeated and killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field (1485), the last decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses.

0112