Thursday 13 August 2015

Today's the Day - 14th August



  • 250 years ago: Colonists in Boston, Massachusetts, on this day made their first challenge to the Stamp Act which had been imposed on the American colonies. All legal documents, permits, commercial contracts, newspapers, pamphlets, and playing cards in the colonies had to carry a tax stamp, viewed by the masses as a censorship to free speech. They met under a large elm tree close to Boston common and hung an effigy of Andrew Oliver, the man chosen by King George III to impose the despised act. The tree became known as the Liberty Tree.

  • 100 years ago: On this day, Max S Klein, the co-inventor and developer of “Painting by Numbers” was born. Owner of the Palmer Paint Company of Detroit, Michigan, in 1951 he introduced the Craft Master brand which sold over 12 million kits. On the box was the proclamation “a beautiful oil painting the first time you try” Klien died in 1993.

Blur - success in the chart battle
  • 20 years ago: The Britpop battle was at its height. On this day, British bands Blur and Oasis released singles on the same day, launching a media backed chart battle. Blur were successful, with their single Country House reaching #1 while Oasis had to make do with the #2 slot, with their release Roll with It.

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