….On February 22, 1305, Sir William Wallace was executed in London.Details: Wallace was a leader in the Wars of Scottish Independence against England. Known for his role in the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297, Wallace became a symbol of Scottish resistance. Captured by the English in 1305, he was put on trial for treason and brutally executed. His death was part of King Edward I’s efforts to suppress Scottish rebellion.
….. The Act of Union between England and Scotland, which created the Kingdom of Great Britain, came into effect on February 22, 1707. ….
On 22nd February 1797, 1,400 members of the French Legion Noire of the French Revolutionary Army landed in Carregwasted bay near Fishguard, which remains the last time Britain was invaded a foreign military force.
Irish revolutionary leader, Wolfe Tone had received support from France to help end British rule in Ireland. Part of the plan was to organise French invasions of Britain to divert and weaken the British forces, with the overall aim of sending a much larger force to Ireland to overthrow the British there. However, bad weather and poor organisation resulted in only the invasion through Wales, to target Bristol and the west of England, going ahead.
The invasion force was led by an Irish American colonel, William Tate and consisted of 1,400 men, nearly half of whom however were deserters and convicts. An initial attempt to land was unsuccessful due to the defensive cannons at Fishguard fort, so the fleet landed 3 miles away in the bay at Carregwasted under the cover of darkness. They moved inland and established their headquarters at a nearby farmhouse, but the convicts and pressed men deserted, got drunk and ran away. The next morning the French moved inland and occupied strong defensive positions on high rocky ground. Meanwhile, the British, although outnumbered, decided to attack, with many Fishguard locals volunteering to fight, notable among whom was Jemima Nicholas, who single-handedly took twelve French soldiers prisoner in St Mary's Church armed only with a pitchfork.
These actions convinced Tate that although he had much the superior forces, he had to accept an unconditional surrender and the following afternoon the French laid down their weapons on Goodwick sands.
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1903The Cunard Liner Etruria arrived in New York with a copy of the first newspaper ever published in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. It featured news reports transmitted from Britain by wireless while the ship was at sea. Marconi, the inventor of wireless telegraphy, was one of the ship's passengers.
…. On 22nd February 2017, MPs were permitted for the first time ever to use the Welsh language in parliamentary debates of the Welsh Grand Committee at the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Westminster. The Government's Procedure committee that investigated the issue stated that: “The committee recognises the unique status of Welsh as a language". …. Music 1967: The Beatles work on a single note for the end of their song "A Day In The Life" with John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with engineer Mal Evans, playing a simultaneous E-flat on different pianos and producer George Martin using a harmonium. Even this isn't enough and the recording has to be overdubbed several times to get the final 43 second note.
1969 David Bowie begins a UK tour with T.Rex where he doesn't sing, but does a mime act.
