On This Day in History - 2nd December

2nd December

St Paul's Cathedral
(Source: Telegraph)

1697 - The rebuilt St Paul’s Cathedral, the work of Sir Christopher Wren, was opened. The previous cathedral had been destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. There has been a cathedral building in one shape or another on this site for 1400 years, dedicated to St Paul. 

It seems to be a beacon for news and radical ideas to be announced and the cathedral always seems to be at the thick of things when it comes to National Events, most recently Baroness Thatcher's funeral on 17th April 2013.

The current cathedral was famously designed and constructed by Sir Christopher Wren. Although it officially opened today for services, it wasnt officially completed until 1710.

This particular cathedral was the first to be built in England since Henry VIII's infamous "Reformation" that saw the Roman Catholic Church driven out and the Church of England take over.

The 2nd Eddystone Lighthouse
(Source: Wikipedia)

1755 - The second Eddystone Lighthouse (located off the coast of Devon) was destroyed by fire. Four lighthouses have been built on the site in it's history. The light was lit on the fourth, (Douglass's lighthouse, designed by James Douglass) in 1882 and it is still in use.

Napoleon Bonaparte
(Source: BBC)

1804 - Napoleon Bonaparte is crowned emperor of France in Paris. The coronation was carried out at Notre Dame Cathedral by Pope Pious VII. He crowned Napoleon as "Napoleon I", then the Pope turned to Josephine and crowned her Empress of France. 

There is a myth that Napoleon grabbed the crown and placed it on his own head before the Pope could complete the move as Napoleon didn't want to be subjugated by the Pope's authority, but this tale is dubious in origin. Napoleon turned France away from democracy back towards imperialism, a move which his long term friend, Ludwig van Beethoven disapproved of, so much so that the dedication to Napoleon on his 3rd Symphony was removed.

Charles Dickens
(Source: Victorian Web)

1867 - In a New York City theatre, British author Charles Dickens gives his first public reading in the United States. He read from his own works, "Carol" and "Trial of Pickwick"

John Cobb
(Source: Ness-Scape)

1899 John Cobb, British racing driver was born. He made money as a director of fur brokers and could therefore afford to specialise in large capacity motor-racing. He was born and lived in Esher, Surrey, near the Brooklands race track. He broke the land speed record at Bonneville on August 23, 1939, achieving 367.91 mph. Without this being beaten he raised the record to 394.19 mph in 1947. He died in 1952, attempting to break the world water speed record on Loch Ness in the jet speedboat Crusader at a speed in excess of 200 mph.

Admiral Yamamoto
(Source: Imperial War Museum)

1941 - Yamamoto sends his fleet to Pearl Harbour, who successfully attacked the American Fleet at Pearl Harbour on 7th December 1941

1966 - The Mini skirt, the symbol of the Swinging Sixties, was banned from the Houses of Parliament at Westminster

Britney Spears
(Source: Billboard)

1981 - Britney Spears, singer born in Mississippi - famed for acting roles as a child star and then launch of her pop career with "Hit Me Baby One More Time". She is also famed for her personal struggles and her highs and lows of life became legendary

Big Daddy - Wrestler
(Source: Mirror)

1997 -  Former wrestler Big Daddy (real name Shirley Crabtree) died in Halifax, aged 67. He was a member of the Coldstream Guards, Rugby League player for Bradford Northern and even a coal miner before he followed in his fathers footsteps and became a professional wrestler. In 1975 he formed a tag team with a relative newcomer, Giant Haystacks, but the relationship became sour by 1977, and Haystacks became famous for being Big Daddy's nemesis in the ring.

1999 - The United Kingdom devolves political power in Northern Ireland to the Northern Ireland Executive

Tom Daley, British Olympian
(Source: Telegraph)

2013 - British Olympic Diver Tom Daley announces to the world via a YouTube broadcast that he is gay. After various rumours and speculations about his relationships he confirmed that he had been on dates with various women, but that a particular relationship with a man "just clicked and felt right"