Random Ad - Ali vs Foreman on the Big Screen (1974)

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Before Sky got the idea of charging to watch big sporting events live, the Odeon Cinema chain was beaming the Rumble in the Jungle Live to a sreeen near you. This ad was published on 16th September 1974 in the London Evening News and shows the original date for the fight (24th September) but in fact it was posponed to the 30th October after Foreman cut his eye during training.

Random Cutting - War Declared in Chamberlain's Speech (1939)

4th September 1939

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This is the full text of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's speech broadcast by the BBC on Sunday the 3rd September 1939 announcing the start of World War II as published in the Manchester Guardian the following day.

Hurricane in UK and Reagan's Revenge in Lybia (1986)

Daily Express dated Tuesday March 25th 1986

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This hurricane on March 24th 1986 was not the hurricane of October 15th 1987, which weatherman Michael Fish failed to warn us about, but was till pretty drastic. If you try to Google this 1986 hurricane all you get is references to 1987.

In 1973, Lybian Leader Kadhafi (now normally spelt Gaddafi) claimed much of the Gulf of Sidra to be within Libyan waters with an exclusiion zone of  62 nautical miles. Gaddafi declared it 'The Line of Death', the crossing of which would invite a military response. The US claimed its rights to conduct naval operations in international waters using the standard of 12-mile territorial limit. On March 23rd 1986 several US warships tested Gaddafi's resolve by crossing the Line. The ensuing skirmishes resulted in 35 non-US dead, a Lybian corvette and a Lybian patrol boat sunk. Some SAM missile sites on the mainland were also damaged.

Random Ad - Minstrel Show (1963)

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This advert from 1963 is for one of those 'Fun-Packed' entertainments in which white singers and dancers 'black up' and pretend to be those oh so funny black people. The 'Black and White Minstrel Show' was a huge hit on BBC TV from 1958 until 1978. The fact that this show does not use the title of the TV show probably means it was an unofficial rip-off, but they made sure to use the tag line 'They're Black and White'.

Random Cutting - Death of Verdi (1901)

2nd February 1901

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Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was born in 1813 and between 1839 and 1893 produced 30 operas including 'Rigoletto', 'La Traviata' and 'Aida'. He died on the 27th January 1901, a week after suffering a stroke.

Complete Surrender (1945)

The Star dated Monday 7th May 1945

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Adolf Hitler had commited suicide in Berlin on April 30th 1945 and had been succeeded by Admiral Karl Donitz who negociated Germany's surrender to the Allies which was signed on May 7th in Reims by General Alfred Jodl and endorsed by Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel in Berlin on the 9th.

The 8th May was indeed to be Victory in Europe (VE) Day. Victory over Japan (VJ) Day was to follow on August 15th.

Random Ads - Horlicks, Instant Postum and Knight's Soap (1930's)

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In the 1930's 'story' adverts were common. These 3 are typical of the genre. Someone has a problem, an authority figure (usually mother or wife) suggests a solution and everyone lives happily ever after. 

I've never heard of Instant Postum but the address to send for a free sample is the Grape-Nuts Company so maybe it was a by product of the manufacture of the then popular Grape-Nuts breakfast cereal. Or its packaging.

Random Cuttings - Mussolini resigns and Italy Surrenders (1943)

26th July 1943

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9th September 1943

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Benito Mussolini had been politically insecure since the war in North Africa had started to turn against the Axis powers in late 1942. Unrest at home with strikes, inflated food prices and an unwelcome German army presence along with the Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943 led to the Dictator 'resigning' i.e. being called to the King's palace and told he was being replaced and then arrested. 

Mussolini's replacement, Marshal Pietro Bagdoglio negotiated an armistice with the Allies and the surrender was announced on the 8th September, the day Allied troops landed on mainland Italy. The Italian government declared War on Germany on the 13th but the Italian Army didn't actually fight the Germans who were still occuping a large part of the country. It took the Allies until April 1945 to clear the Germans out.

Charles and Di Wed (1981)

Daily Mirror dated Thursday July 30th 1981

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A fairytale wedding with an unhappy ending. The couple separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996. Diana was killed in a car-crash in 1997 and Charles re-married in 2005. 

Random Ad - Danderine (1910)

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Thank goodness for Danderine. It 'Grows Hair'. Without it hair wouldn't grow. We'd all look like Wayne Rooney. But with it we can look like some side-show freakish Rapunzel.

Random Cutting - Doris Stokes (1986)

April 1986

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Grantham born Doris Stokes was psychic medium who was strongly criticised and accused of fraud. Long before Derek Acorah and Colin Fry were filling theaters Doris sold out the London Palladium. She died of a brain tumour in 1987

Far East Crisis send Ike Home (1958)

Daily Express dated Thursday September 11th 1958

In January 1955, the U.S. Congress passed the “Formosa Resolution,” which gave President Eisenhower total authority to defend Formosa (now Taiwan) and the off-shore islands of Quemoy and Mazu. The Eisenhower Administration considered many options, ranging from convincing Chiang Kai-Shek to give up the islands to employing nuclear weapons against the People’s Republic of China. Luckily for World Peace and probably due to Russian pressure, China backed down and stopped bombing the disputed Island in the Formosa Straits. 

In 1958 the bombing resumed and President Eisenhower was concerned that the loss of the islands would hurt Nationalist morale and might be a precursor to the Communist conquest of Formosa. The United States thus arranged to re-supply the Republic of China garrisons on Quemoy and Mazu. This brought an abrupt end to the bombardment and eased the crisis. Eventually, the Communist and Nationalist Chinese came to an arrangement in which they shelled each other’s garrisons on alternate days. This continued for twenty years.

See also this post and this post.

Random Ad - White Lead Paint (1950's)

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An 1950's advert for White Lead Paint. This stuff was poisonious. The lead content, which in the 1950's could well be 50%, could cause damage to the nervous system, kidneys, normal development in children and fertility in adults. It is also carcinogenic. It was banned from paints intended for domestic use in 1978 in the USA and 1992 in the UK.