15th December

Two great Americans died today, 76 years apart. The first was Sitting Bull, spiritual leader of the Lakota whose victory over Custer's 7th Cavalry has passed into legend. He spent some years in prison and travelled with Bill Cody's Wild West Show, spoofing the Indian Wars. By the year of his death (1890) however he had joined the Ghost Shirt movement dedicated to the restoration of the Plains Indians' way of life. He was shot and killed in a skirmish with troops sent to suppress the cult.

The other was Walt Disney.

In other news ...
The body of Napoleon Bonaparte was reburied in Les Invalides in Paris today in 1840. He had died in 1821 on St Helena, poisoned either by the British or the wallpaper, whichever version you choose to believe and it took nearly twenty years for the body to be transferred.
You would think the French could have built a more fitting tomb for their greatest son (yes, I know, he wasn't exactly French, but you can't have everything). The tomb is a huge, ugly slab of marble - yeuch!

And finally ...

A very happy birthday to Penny Collins, daughter and granddaughter in a squillion - three years old today and getting more gorgeous with every minute.

7th December

'A date which will live on in infamy' as F D Roosevelt called this day in 1941. Without warning, the Japanese Pacific fleet attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. There was no formal declaration of war before 200 aircraft were destroyed and 2400 men killed. The whole story was brilliantly told in the film Tora! Tora! Tora! and crappily told in Pearl Harbor.

In other news ...
Marshal Michel Ney, 'the bravest of the brave' was executed by firing squad today in 1815. He had been sent to arrest Napoleon who had escaped from Elba and was back on French soil. He promised to bring 'la bete noire' back to Paris in a cage. In the event, he rejoined his old master and told the newly-restored Bourbon dynasty (they of biscuits) where to stick it. Miffed, they had him shot.

30th November

An era came to an end today in 1936 when Joseph Paxton's Crystal Palace burnt down. Built in 1851 for the Great Exhibition, the astonishing building, of glass and wrought iron, was moved to Sydenham Park where it continued to be an attraction. The flames could be seen as far away as Brighton and even to the last, the Palace drew crowds - special trains were laid on to watch it burn.

They had a chance to rebuild the Palace in 2000 for the Millennium but did they? Oh, no. They built the O2 instead ....

In other news ...

Oscar Wilde died today in 1900 in Paris. Dazzling wit, playwright, raconteur, he fell foul of the bigotry of Britain (especially the rabid anti-homosexuality Act of Henry Labouchere MP) and died in poverty. He is buried in the great cemetery of Pere Lachaise. Pay your respects next time you're there.

6th September

The Marquis de la Fayette was born today in 1757. Dashing, brave, romantic and with the obligatory white horse, he fought for the Americans during the War of Independence. The really smooth move came from Colonel C E Stanton when his troops arrived in Paris in 1917. He visited the great man's tomb and said, 'Lafayette, we are here!'

Just brilliant!

In other news ...
There was a glitch in the computer network in Paris today in 1989 when 41,000 people guilty of traffic violations like illegal parking and speeding, received letters charging them with extortion, prostitution and murder.
The Ministry of Justice at once apologized and sent all 41,000 to the guillotine on the grounds that there's no smoke without fire.

25th August

Today in 1919 the first scheduled flight took place between London and Paris. A souffleuse (female whistler) was employed to entertain the (presumably terrified) passengers. It was very noticeable that everyone wanted to fly from Paris to London and not vice versa.

In other news ..
'Is Paris burning?' Hitler asked today in 1940 as the Wehrmacht took the French capital. This was an 'in' joke really. Napoleon, a century and a half earlier, said 'If I made one mistake in my life it was not to bomb Berlin.'

21st March

The Lord Chief Justice, Herbert Parker, gave the world a fascinating insight into the psyche of judges today in 1961. He said, 'A judge is not supposed to know anything about the facts of life until they have been presented in evidence and explained to him at least three times.'
This was also the time when another judge asked the jury in his summing up in the obscenity case concerning D H Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover whether this was a book you would allow your servants to read. Both judges were practising when the death penalty still operated in Britain.

Scary, isn't it?

In other news ...
On this day in 1908, the aviator Henri Farman flew over Paris with the first ever air passenger on board his aircraft. There is no truth in the rumour that the man was bound and gagged or that he was suicidal.

He was just high as a kite.

18th March

An Austrian army defeated a French Revolutionary one at Neerminden today in 1793. This was the last time Austria won anything, except possibly a Eurovision Song Contest.

In other news ...
The first telephone line was set up between London and Paris today in 1891. The conversation (which was recorded for training purposes) went like this:

• Hello?
• Allo?
• Hello? Can you hear me?
• Allo?
• Can ... you ... hear ... me?
• Allo?
• CAN ... YOU ... HEAR ... ME?

Merde!