The 6th of February is one of those days where a number of important and world changing events took place:
King George VI dies - Princess Elizabeth became Queen whilst she was in Kenya. Last week I met someone who had lived in Kenya some years ago, they could not believe how the country has ended up and appears to have gone backwards, not forwards, since the days of Kenyatta.
Manchester United air crash 1958 - 21 dead including 6 footballers (the 7th - Duncan Edwards - dies in hospital later), Matt Busby was seriosuly injured. It is difficult to know why this was significant until you realise that the team put themselves back on a football field only a week later and went on to win the FA cup that year. More significant was that other teams lent them players to ensure they could take part in their matches immediately after the crash. can you imagine that happening in football now?
Man plays golf on moon 1971 - The first space mission after the ill-fated Apollo 13 had an astronaut smuggle a golf club and balls on board in his flight suit. he then hit them during a spacewalk. In fact he probably holds the record for the longest golf drive in the universe - they might still be going
Blair longest serving Labour PM 2005 - He never reached Margaret Thatcher’s period in office but did go beyond the two periods of Wilson rule. Is the Labour party proud of that record? Did they ever love Blair?
Channel Tunnel given go-ahead 1964 - It was finally opened in 1994 (one year late). It did not turn a profit until 1999. Also in 1999 it was voted the greatest construction achievement of the 29th century by a survey of 200 engineers.
All this in just one day!
BBC ON THIS DAY | 6 | 1952: King George VI dies in his sleep
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