Welcome to the Mine of Useless Information on Friday 20 April 2018

A random quote from our archives...

"I like someone who is a little crazy but coming from a good place. I think scars are sexy because it means you made a mistake that led to a mess."
Angelina Jolie

...more quotes

A random fact...

There is meaning behind the wedding custom of “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” The “old” thing was a personal gift from the bride's mom to make a bond to the bride's old life. The “new” item symbolized hope for the future and the newly formed family. The “borrowed” item was a gift from a happily married woman that would carry some of the woman's happiness into the new marriage. The something “blue” came from two sources that had similar meanings. To ancient Romans, maidens wore blue to show fidelity and modesty, and to Christians, blue was linked to the purity of the Virgin Mary.

...more trivia

Five random people born today...

• Michel Leiris, French cultural anthropologist (1901)
• Donald R. Pettit, born in Silverton, Oregon, PhD/astronaut (1955)
• Tamara Sergeyevna Zakharova, Russian cosmonaut (1952)
• Max HHR Nettlau, Austrian historian, Le Premiere Internationale (1865)
• Gro Harlem Brundtland, Norwegian premier, 1981-82, 86-89, 90- (1939)

Five random people who died on this day...

• Australian wombat; oldest known marsupial, dies in London Zoo at 26 (1906)
• Mebel Mercer, popular British singer, dies (1900)
• Henry Chadwick, sports reporter (baseball), dies at 85 (1908)
• Bram Stoker, Irish theater manager/writer (Dracula), dies (1912)
• Arthur Young, author (Annals of Agriculture), dies (1820)

Five random things that happened on this day...

• Baltimore's Memorial Stadium opens - Orioles of International League (1950)
• Rocker Papa John Phillips arrested for drug possession (1981)
• Expo '92 opens in Seville Spain (1992)
• Baltimore Orioles set worst record to start a season 0-14 (will go 0-21) (1988)
• Uranus passes Neptune (once every 171 years) (1993)

Number One Single this time last year...

UK: -
US: Charts not yet in existence
Australia: Charts not yet in existence

Number One Single five years ago...

UK: -
US: Charts not yet in existence
Australia: Charts not yet in existence

Number One Single ten years ago...

UK: -
US: Charts not yet in existence
Australia: Charts not yet in existence

Number One Single 25 years ago...

UK: The Bluebells - Young At Heart
US: Snow - Informer
Australia: Lenny Kravitz - Are You Gonna Go My Way?

Number One Single 50 years ago...

UK: Cliff Richard - Congratulations
US: Bobby Goldsboro - Honey
Australia: The Beatles - Lady Madonna

...more number one singles