1847 The passenger ship Stephen Whitney was wrecked in thick fog off the southern coast of Ireland, killing 92 of the 110 on board. The disaster resulted in the construction of the Fastnet Rock lighthouse.
… “Dr, Livingstone, I presume?" the now-famous greeting, was allegedly uttered by Henry Morton Stanley on 10th November 1871, upon finding missionary and explorer David Livingstone. Born as John Rowlands in Denbigh (28 January 1841 – 10 May 1904), Stanley was a journalist and explorer famous for his exploration of central Africa and his search for Livingstone. He was knighted in 1899. After a period in St. Asaph Union Workhouse for the poor, he travelled to the United States in 1859 where he was befriended by Henry Hope Stanley, a wealthy trader whose name he eventually adopted. During the American Civil War, he fought first for the Confederate Army in the Battle of Shiloh in 1862. After being taken prisoner, he joined the Union Army, then served on several merchant ships before joining the Navy in July 1864.
When the war ended, Stanley became a journalist, organising an abortive expedition to the Ottoman Empire during which Stanley was imprisoned. He talked his way out of jail and was even compensated for damage to expedition equipment.
He travelled widely in Asia as an overseas correspondent for the newly-established New York Herald and in 1869, Stanley was given the task of finding the Scottish missionary and explorer David Livingstone, who had travelled to Africa but had not been heard from for some time.
Stanley travelled to Zanzibar and kitted an expedition accompanied by 200 porters. During the 700-mile expedition through the tropical forest, his horse died after a bite from a tsetse fly, many of his porters abandoned him and most of those who remained were stricken with tropical diseases. On 10th November 1871, Stanley came across Livingstone near Lake Tanganyika in what is now Tanzania, greeting him, reputedly, with "Doctor Livingstone, I presume?" Stanley joined Livingstone's exploration of the region, and wrote a book about his adventures on his return, entitled 'How I Found Livingstone; travels, adventures, and discoveries in Central Africa' … …
In 1885, the world's first motorcycle, designed by Gottlieb Daimler, made its first significant test-run. Daimler's 17-year-old son, Paul, travelled from Cannstatt to Unterturkheim and back. Their “Reitwagen” had a wooden frame and wheels. A leather drive belt ran between the engine and large brass gears on the rear wheel.
With no suspension on the wheels, the leather saddle gave a very uncomfortable ride, at a speed up to 12 km/hr. The single cylinder engine had a bore of 58mm, stroke of 100mm and a displacement of 264cc's.
The engine gave 0.5hp at 700 rpm. Two very much smaller, spring-mounted outrigger wheels provided some stability. This was built as an experimental vehicle to test the new Daimler engine in a proof of concept, which was to power Daimler's first motorized carriage the following year. …
1917 Third Battle of Ypres: Canadian troops recapture the high ground in the village of Passchendaele from the Germans in West Flanders, Belgium, during World War I; over 200,000 casualties occur on each side, and 24,000 German prisoners are taken.
1940 Walt Disney serves as an informant for the Los Angeles office of the FBI, reporting information on Hollywood subversives.
…………….. Pepys Saturday 10 November 1660 Up early. Sir Wm. Batten and I to make up an account of the wages of the officers and mariners at sea, ready to present to the Committee of Parliament this afternoon. Afterwards came the Treasurer and Comptroller, and sat all the morning with us till the business was done.
So we broke up, leaving the thing to be wrote over fair and carried to Trinity House for Sir Wm. Batten’s hand. When staying very long I found (as appointed) the Treasurer and Comptroller at Whitehall, and so we went with a foul copy to the Parliament house, where we met with Sir Thos. Clarges and Mr. Spry, and after we had given them good satisfaction we parted.
The Comptroller and I to the coffee-house, where he shewed me the state of his case; how the King did owe him about 6000l.. But I do not see great likelihood for them to be paid, since they begin already in Parliament to dispute the paying of the just sea-debts, which were already promised to be paid, and will be the undoing of thousands if they be not paid.
So to Whitehall to look but could not find Mr. Fox, and then to Mr. Moore at Mr. Crew’s, but missed of him also. So to Paul’s Churchyard, and there bought Montelion, which this year do not prove so good as the last was; so after reading it I burnt it.
After reading of that and the comedy of the Rump, which is also very silly, I went to bed. This night going home, Will and I bought a goose. ……………..
10 Nov 1967 The Beatles filmed three promotional films for their new single ‘Hello Goodbye’ at the Saville Theatre in London. Each of the three film clips featured different costumes and Beatle antics. In the first film they wear their Sgt. Pepper uniforms, for the second The Beatles are wearing everyday clothes, the third film clip features shots from the first two films, plus additional shots of (especially John) doing the twist. A Musician's Union ban on lip-sync broadcasts prevented the films being used on British television. [media=https://youtu.be/J-YbGZSPr3Y]
10 Nov 2023 The Beatles topped the UK charts with their single, 'Now and Then', making them the act with the longest gap between their first and last No.1's. Sixty years after 'From Me to You' topped the charts, Sir Paul McCartney said: "It's blown my socks off!" 'Now and Then' became this century's fastest-selling vinyl single, according to the Official Charts Company. Its first bars were written by John Lennon in 1978, and the song was finally completed In 2022. [media=https://youtu.be/Opxhh9Oh3rg]
