| July
1st of July
1836 Charles Dickens'
Pickwick Papers became the first fiction published in weekly
parts - 'Thinking of Dickens reminds me of two of his famous
novels ... Great Expectations
and Hard Times,
I think my speech fits the Hard Times category rather than
the Great Expectations ... on
this day etc.'
2nd of July
1946 The Bikini
was launched, taking its name from recent atomic tests at
Bikini Atoll - today I will be brief, very brief!
Because... on this day etc.'
3rd of July
1943 Jacques Cousteau
and Emile Gagnan perfected the aqualung - You might wonder
why am I taking a deep breath
before I surface
to start my speech. It's because ...
on this day etc.'
4th of July
1980 The first
compact discs were demonstrated - 'Today I am going to give
you a very compact
speech indeed. Because... on
this day etc.'
5th of July
1900 Mecano was
invented by Frank Hornby of Liverpool to amuse his sons -
'Today I am going to give you a 'nuts
and bolts' speech. Because ...
... on this day etc.'
6th of July
1946 John J. Rambo
(Alias actor Sylvester Stallone) was born - 'Forgive me if
I Rambo
... errr! 'ramble' on today...
on this day etc.'
7th of July
1940 Drummer Ringo
Starr was born today - 'Today is a day for the 'Starrs',
regrettably I'm not one of them...
on this day etc.'
8th of July
178 Reinhold Messner
and Peter Habeler became the first mountaineers to climb Mount
Everest without the use of Oxygen - 'If they can do it, I
can do it, even though I think that I've got a more breathtaking
mountain to climb...
on this day etc.'
9th of July
1974 The Rubic
Cube was invented in Hungary by Erno Rubik - ' Trying to get
my speech to square up
reminds me that ... on this day
etc.'
10th of
July
1793 The Louvre,
the first great public art museum, opened in Paris - 'I was
trying to picture
what I was going to say to you tonight and I was reminded
that... on this day etc.'
11th of
July
1483 The birth
of Martin Luther founder of the Protestant reformation - 'I
protest! Why on earth did you
pick someone like me to do this difficult task ...
on this day etc.'
12th of
July
1940 Important
prehistoric paintings were discovered in France in the Lascaux
Caves - ' I have this horrible feeling that what I am going
to say to you will be 'old hat'
... on this day etc.'
13th of
July
1985 Live Aid pop
concerts raised millions for African famine relief - 'You
might wonder why I am standing here nervously with a lollypop
in my hand ... on this day etc.'
14th of
July
1789 The Bastille
was stormed - 'I have this uncomfortable feeling today that
if I don't perform well you might all
rush up on stage and carry me
away to the guillotine...
on this day etc.'
15th of
July
1774 British Chemist
Joseph Priestly discovered Oxygen - 'As I stand here gulping
for oxygen and fighting off a
panic attack, I don't think he discovered enough of it ...
on this day etc.'
16th of
July
1965 American Douglas
Englebart invented the computer mouse - 'As I stand here as
timid as a mouse I'm reminded
that ... on this day etc.'
17th of
July
1947 The Dead Sea
Scrolls were discovered in a cave in the Qumran Valley - 'If
you think that my speech is a bit
dead, can I remind you that ...
on this day etc.'
18th of
July
1955 Disneyland
was opened in California - 'Forgive me if what I say tonight
all sounds a bit Mickey Mouse
and Goofy...
on this day etc.'
19th of
July
1985 The wreck
of the Titanic was found at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean
- 'I was wondering why I was as nervous
as a wreck today, and then I
remembered that ... on this day
etc.'
20th of
July
1893 The zip fastener
was patented by Whitcomb L Judson of Chicago - 'I could
tell you things about the bridegroom's past that would make
your hair stand on end ... but today my
lips are sealed. Because ...
on this day etc.'
21st of
July
1969 Astronaut
Neil Armstrong took a giant leap for mankind - Today, and
quite understandably so, I am
over the moon because ...
on this day etc.'
22th of
July
1934 Public Enemy
No 1 John Dillenger as shot dead by the FBI - 'No I don't
want anyone in the audience to get any bad ideas during my
speech ... on this day etc.'
23th of
July
1657 Dutchman Christiaan
Huygens built the first pendulum clock - 'If I go on too long
past my allocated time
tonight I can't help feeling that I may swing
for it. Because ... on
this day etc.'
24th of
July
1937 Nylon was
patented in the USA by Wallace Hume-Carothers - 'As I stand
on my two legs
and before I put my foot
in it can I tell you something totally trivial ...
on this day etc.'
25th of
July
1807 William Wilberforce
helped to pass a bill totally prohibiting England's slave
trade - ' Slavery was abolished today so I'm going to declare
myself a free man
and sit down immediately ...
on this day etc.'
26th of
July
1516 Sir Thomas
More published Utopia - his vision of a free society - ' In
an ideal world
I wouldn't be landed with this lousy task ...
on this day etc.'
27th of
July
1908 The FBI was
founded in Washington - 'Whoever decided that I was the best
person to do this task definitely didn't check
the records... on this day etc.'
28th of
July
1996 Olympic rower
Steve Redgrave clinched his fourth successive Olympic Gold
Medal at Atlanta - 'The reason why I'm standing here in from
of you with my arms going up
and down is not because I'm nervous,
it's because ... on this day
etc.'
29th of
July
1947 The first
sighting of a UFO was claimed over Washington City - 'Before
I start I have to tell you that all of this feels very alien
to me ... maybe it's because ...
on this day etc.'
30th of
July
1744 The rules
for cricket were drawn up - 'A 'wicket'
thought crossed my mind as I stood up to bat
my way though this speech ... ...
on this day etc.'
31st of
July
1967 TV Superman
Dean Cain was born today - 'I can assure you that I'm no Superman
but I'll do my best ... on this
day etc.'
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