December 26: Boxing Day in the Commonwealth
Boxing Day, except when December 26 is a Sunday. If it is a Sunday, Boxing Day is transferred to December 27 by Royal Proclamation. (Commonwealth of Nations), and its related observances:
Day of Good Will (South Africa and Namibia)
Family Day (Vanuatu)
Thanksgiving (Solomon Islands)
Comment deleted by Article Creator
Christian feast day:
Abadiu of Antinoe (Coptic Church)
Earliest day on which Feast of the Holy Family can fall, celebrated on Sunday after Christmas or 30 if Christmas falls on a Sunday.
James the Just (Eastern Orthodox Church)
Saint Stephen (Western Church)
Synaxis of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Church)
December 26 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
St. Stephen's Day (public holiday in Alsace, Austria, Catalonia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia and Switzerland)
The second day of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Western Christianity)
Second day of Christmas (Public holiday in the Netherlands, Poland and Slovakia)
Wren Day (Ireland and the Isle of Man)
Bottom club Sheffield United suffered a demoralising home defeat as Luton Town snatched victory in an extraordinary Premier League game at Bramall Lane.
A howler by Wes Foderingham gifted Luton the lead when Alfie Doughty's 17th-minute attempt slipped through the keeper's legs and into the net.
The Blades thought they had turned it around after the interval, Oli McBurnie equalising after Sam Allison - the first black referee to take charge of an English top-flight match for 15 years - played a smart advantage when James McAtee appeared to have been fouled.
With fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest winning earlier at Newcastle, the Blades - who are at Manchester City on Saturday (15:00 GMT) - needed all three points and captain Anel Ahmedhodzic fired them in front from close range after Luton failed to clear.
But two own goals in the space of four minutes - first a flicked header by Jack Robinson and then by substitute Anis Ben Slimane - allowed Luton to seal back-to-back Premier League wins after their 1-0 victory over Newcastle last Saturday.
ITV's Coronation Street missed out on the top 10 most watched TV programmes of Christmas Day, in what proved to be a mixed day for the soaps.
Emmerdale also failed to make the top 10, but EastEnders enjoyed its biggest festive audience in four years with a much-trailed murder storyline.
The most-viewed show was the King's Christmas message, which recorded 7.48 million viewers across six channels.
Including the King, the BBC had nine of the day's most watched shows.
The exception was ITV's big-money game show The 1% Club, presented by Lee Mack, which ITV opted to run in its prime-time 9pm viewing slot this year, and it came in ninth on the list.
By contrast, Coronation Street and Emmerdale each screened half-hour episodes, rather than the hour-long specials of recent years, and were scheduled earlier in the evening. Special editions of the big soap operas have been a fixture of Christmas TV listings for decades - but they have been attracting dwindling audiences in recent years.
About 2.6 million watched Coronation Street at 7pm on ITV1, down from nearly eight million a decade ago and 2.8 million last year.
All figures are based on "overnight" TV ratings - which do not include viewers who watch Christmas specials on catch-up services during the rest of the festive period.
Coronation Street's plotline revolves around the departure of long-time character Peter Barlow, played by Chris Gascoyne.
It is the first time in several decades that the soap has failed to feature in the Christmas Day TV top 10. Emmerdale dropped out for a second year in a row, attracting 1.92 million viewers.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01pmf32
11 years since Kim discovers she slept through Christmas.
Rescue teams believe missing British artist Millie Young is trapped inside the vessel she was on when it capsized off the coast of Thailand last week.
A helicopter and dozens of ships have spent days following ocean currents around the Surin Islands where the ship sank, but have not found anything to help in their search for Ms Young, who disappeared on December 23.
The ship's cook Samniang Chaichana, 67, is also thought to have been trapped on board when the ship sank to a depth of 180ft while Ms Young was enjoying a dream adventure with friends.
Pichet Songtan, spokesman for Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre (Thai-MECC), said: 'The rescue committee is working to find the sunken ship as quickly as possible. We believe that the missing people are trapped inside.'
The Reggae Queen left Thap Lamu Pier on the mainland in the afternoon of December 22, carrying 13 tourists and five crew members.
Songtan explained how the ship was forced to stop en route as 'the waves were so strong'.
Waves 'more than three metres high' slapped against the side of the ship, with too much being taken on for the waste water pump to remove. Crew woke the passengers and arranged life rafts for evacuation before the ship sank.
On Christmas Day, it was reported an inflatable life raft had been found, 20 nautical miles away from where the ship went down.
Rangers' Scottish Premiership meeting with Ross County has been postponed, with the visitors unable to make the journey to Ibrox due to bad weather.
Snow, heavy rain and strong winds are impacting the A9, with sections of Scotland's longest road having been closed or at a standstill.
Ross County, 10th in the table, say the decision was made after consultation with Police Scotland.
Rangers are five points behind leaders Celtic with two games in hand.
A brief statement from the hosts read: "Rangers can confirm this evening's Scottish Premiership fixture with Ross County has been postponed.
"Despite the Ibrox playing surface being in good condition and ready to host the match, adverse weather conditions on the A9 means our visitors have been unable to reach Glasgow.
"A new date for the fixture will be confirmed in due course."
Comment deleted by Article Creator
December 27th Christian feast day:
Blessed Francesco Spoto
Blessed Sára Salkaházi
Fabiola
John the Apostle
Pope Maximus of Alexandria
Nicarete
Theodorus and Theophanes
December 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
St. Stephen's Day (Eastern Orthodox Church; a public holiday in Romania)
The third of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Western Christianity)
Former European Commission President Jacques Delors - described as the architect of the modern EU - has died aged 98, his daughter says.
He helped create the single market allowing the free movement of people, goods and services within the bloc.
Serving from 1985 to 1995, Delors also laid the groundwork for the single European currency, the euro.
But for those sceptical of integration, especially in the UK, he was seen as a symbol of Brussels meddling.
A headline by British tabloid The Sun once famously shouted: "Up Yours, Delors."
Delors' daughter Martine Aubry said he had died in his sleep on Wednesday morning in his Paris home.
French President Emmanuel Macron praised Delors, who also served as French finance minister from 1981-84, as a "statesman with a French destiny" and "inexhaustible craftsman of our Europe".
"His commitment, his ideals and his righteousness will always inspire us," he said. "I salute his work and his memory and share the pain of his loved ones."
He served three terms as European Commission president, longer than anyone else.
A French Socialist, he was a firm believer in post-war integration.
As well as the single market and the euro, his tenure saw the creation of the Schengen agreement for travel and the Erasmus programme for student exchanges.
But for the UK's ruling Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher, moves towards a federal Europe were seen as anathema.
Mrs Thatcher described the 1989 Delors report calling for economic and monetary union as unacceptable, because it would wrest many economic policies from the hands of the British Parliament.
On leaving his post in 1995, Delors declined to stand for the French presidency, despite a huge lead in the polls.
He remained true to his federalist ideals. More recently, he warned of the dangers of populism in Europe, calling for bold moves in the wake of Brexit.
Jacques Delors obituary:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13360806
December 28th Christian feast day:
Abel (Coptic Church)
Caterina Volpicelli
Feast of the Holy Innocents or Childermas; in Spain and Latin American countries the festival is celebrated with pranks (inocentadas), similar to April Fools' Day (Catholic Church, Church of England, Lutheran Church), and its related observances:
Els Enfarinats (Ibi, Spain)
Simon the Athonite
December 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Proclamation Day (South Australia), celebration started on the day following Christmas (South Australia)
The fourth of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Western Christianity)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbThjPIQG0I
Firefighters called to an apparent blaze at Blackpool Tower said it was actually orange netting that was seen.
Witnesses spotted "flames" coming from a metal section near the top of the famous landmark at about 14:15 GMT.
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) deployed six fire engines and a "rope rescue" team to the scene.
Staff were evacuated from the 129-year-old tower but LFRS said a specialist team gained access to the area and confirmed there had been no fire.
A statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, read: "Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service were called to Promenade, Blackpool today by concerned members of the public, due to a combination of factors that led them to believe it was a fire.
"The area where the fire was suspected is generally inaccessible, therefore access to this area is difficult.
"A specialist team from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service gained access and confirmed that there was no fire.
"This incident was supported by the National Police Air Service, who used thermal imaging which provided further assurance."
FT: Brighton 4-2 Tottenham - Pedro (2), Hinshelwood & Estupinan screamer give Albion thrilling win
West Ham stunned Arsenal to record a third successive Premier League victory, denting the Gunners' title challenge in the process.
It was a ruthless display by West Ham, who converted two of their three shots on target, while Arsenal squandered a host of opportunities as they missed the chance to move top of the league.
Tomas Soucek fired in Jarrod Bowen's cutback and, while the ball had potentially gone out of play in the build-up, there was not enough evidence for the video assistant referee to overturn the goal.
That gave West Ham a first-half lead which was doubled when former Arsenal centre-back Konstantinos Mavropanos expertly headed in a corner in the 55th minute.
Despite plenty of possession and pressure, Arsenal could not find a response.
And their woeful night was nearly made worse when Declan Rice gave away a penalty in the final minute of injury time, but Said Benrahma's effort was saved by David Raya.
The result leaves Mikel Arteta's Gunners second in the table, two points behind league leaders Liverpool, while West Ham end the year with 33 points - their highest total at the halfway stage in a Premier League campaign.
Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian (Armenian: Տիգրան Վարդանի Պետրոսյան, Russian: Тигран Вартанович Петросян; 17 June 1929 – 13 August 1984) was a Soviet-Armenian chess grandmaster and World Chess Champion from 1963 to 1969. He was nicknamed "Iron Tigran" due to his almost-impenetrable defensive playing style, which emphasized safety above all else. Petrosian is often credited with popularizing chess in Armenia.
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News, Facts & Trivia Archive 1912
Page 13078 of 13156
13079 | 13080 | 13081 | 13082 | 13083
posted on 26/12/23
December 26: Boxing Day in the Commonwealth
posted on 26/12/23
Boxing Day, except when December 26 is a Sunday. If it is a Sunday, Boxing Day is transferred to December 27 by Royal Proclamation. (Commonwealth of Nations), and its related observances:
Day of Good Will (South Africa and Namibia)
Family Day (Vanuatu)
Thanksgiving (Solomon Islands)
posted on 26/12/23
Comment deleted by Article Creator
posted on 26/12/23
Christian feast day:
Abadiu of Antinoe (Coptic Church)
Earliest day on which Feast of the Holy Family can fall, celebrated on Sunday after Christmas or 30 if Christmas falls on a Sunday.
James the Just (Eastern Orthodox Church)
Saint Stephen (Western Church)
Synaxis of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Church)
December 26 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
St. Stephen's Day (public holiday in Alsace, Austria, Catalonia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia and Switzerland)
The second day of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Western Christianity)
Second day of Christmas (Public holiday in the Netherlands, Poland and Slovakia)
Wren Day (Ireland and the Isle of Man)
posted on 26/12/23
Bottom club Sheffield United suffered a demoralising home defeat as Luton Town snatched victory in an extraordinary Premier League game at Bramall Lane.
A howler by Wes Foderingham gifted Luton the lead when Alfie Doughty's 17th-minute attempt slipped through the keeper's legs and into the net.
The Blades thought they had turned it around after the interval, Oli McBurnie equalising after Sam Allison - the first black referee to take charge of an English top-flight match for 15 years - played a smart advantage when James McAtee appeared to have been fouled.
With fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest winning earlier at Newcastle, the Blades - who are at Manchester City on Saturday (15:00 GMT) - needed all three points and captain Anel Ahmedhodzic fired them in front from close range after Luton failed to clear.
But two own goals in the space of four minutes - first a flicked header by Jack Robinson and then by substitute Anis Ben Slimane - allowed Luton to seal back-to-back Premier League wins after their 1-0 victory over Newcastle last Saturday.
posted on 26/12/23
ITV's Coronation Street missed out on the top 10 most watched TV programmes of Christmas Day, in what proved to be a mixed day for the soaps.
Emmerdale also failed to make the top 10, but EastEnders enjoyed its biggest festive audience in four years with a much-trailed murder storyline.
The most-viewed show was the King's Christmas message, which recorded 7.48 million viewers across six channels.
Including the King, the BBC had nine of the day's most watched shows.
The exception was ITV's big-money game show The 1% Club, presented by Lee Mack, which ITV opted to run in its prime-time 9pm viewing slot this year, and it came in ninth on the list.
By contrast, Coronation Street and Emmerdale each screened half-hour episodes, rather than the hour-long specials of recent years, and were scheduled earlier in the evening. Special editions of the big soap operas have been a fixture of Christmas TV listings for decades - but they have been attracting dwindling audiences in recent years.
About 2.6 million watched Coronation Street at 7pm on ITV1, down from nearly eight million a decade ago and 2.8 million last year.
All figures are based on "overnight" TV ratings - which do not include viewers who watch Christmas specials on catch-up services during the rest of the festive period.
Coronation Street's plotline revolves around the departure of long-time character Peter Barlow, played by Chris Gascoyne.
It is the first time in several decades that the soap has failed to feature in the Christmas Day TV top 10. Emmerdale dropped out for a second year in a row, attracting 1.92 million viewers.
posted on 26/12/23
1man
posted on 26/12/23
Rob Whippy
posted on 26/12/23
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01pmf32
11 years since Kim discovers she slept through Christmas.
posted on 27/12/23
Rescue teams believe missing British artist Millie Young is trapped inside the vessel she was on when it capsized off the coast of Thailand last week.
A helicopter and dozens of ships have spent days following ocean currents around the Surin Islands where the ship sank, but have not found anything to help in their search for Ms Young, who disappeared on December 23.
The ship's cook Samniang Chaichana, 67, is also thought to have been trapped on board when the ship sank to a depth of 180ft while Ms Young was enjoying a dream adventure with friends.
Pichet Songtan, spokesman for Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre (Thai-MECC), said: 'The rescue committee is working to find the sunken ship as quickly as possible. We believe that the missing people are trapped inside.'
The Reggae Queen left Thap Lamu Pier on the mainland in the afternoon of December 22, carrying 13 tourists and five crew members.
Songtan explained how the ship was forced to stop en route as 'the waves were so strong'.
Waves 'more than three metres high' slapped against the side of the ship, with too much being taken on for the waste water pump to remove. Crew woke the passengers and arranged life rafts for evacuation before the ship sank.
On Christmas Day, it was reported an inflatable life raft had been found, 20 nautical miles away from where the ship went down.
posted on 27/12/23
Rangers' Scottish Premiership meeting with Ross County has been postponed, with the visitors unable to make the journey to Ibrox due to bad weather.
Snow, heavy rain and strong winds are impacting the A9, with sections of Scotland's longest road having been closed or at a standstill.
Ross County, 10th in the table, say the decision was made after consultation with Police Scotland.
Rangers are five points behind leaders Celtic with two games in hand.
A brief statement from the hosts read: "Rangers can confirm this evening's Scottish Premiership fixture with Ross County has been postponed.
"Despite the Ibrox playing surface being in good condition and ready to host the match, adverse weather conditions on the A9 means our visitors have been unable to reach Glasgow.
"A new date for the fixture will be confirmed in due course."
posted on 27/12/23
Comment deleted by Article Creator
posted on 27/12/23
December 27th Christian feast day:
Blessed Francesco Spoto
Blessed Sára Salkaházi
Fabiola
John the Apostle
Pope Maximus of Alexandria
Nicarete
Theodorus and Theophanes
December 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
St. Stephen's Day (Eastern Orthodox Church; a public holiday in Romania)
The third of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Western Christianity)
posted on 27/12/23
Fabiola
posted on 27/12/23
posted on 27/12/23
Former European Commission President Jacques Delors - described as the architect of the modern EU - has died aged 98, his daughter says.
He helped create the single market allowing the free movement of people, goods and services within the bloc.
Serving from 1985 to 1995, Delors also laid the groundwork for the single European currency, the euro.
But for those sceptical of integration, especially in the UK, he was seen as a symbol of Brussels meddling.
A headline by British tabloid The Sun once famously shouted: "Up Yours, Delors."
Delors' daughter Martine Aubry said he had died in his sleep on Wednesday morning in his Paris home.
French President Emmanuel Macron praised Delors, who also served as French finance minister from 1981-84, as a "statesman with a French destiny" and "inexhaustible craftsman of our Europe".
"His commitment, his ideals and his righteousness will always inspire us," he said. "I salute his work and his memory and share the pain of his loved ones."
He served three terms as European Commission president, longer than anyone else.
posted on 27/12/23
A French Socialist, he was a firm believer in post-war integration.
As well as the single market and the euro, his tenure saw the creation of the Schengen agreement for travel and the Erasmus programme for student exchanges.
But for the UK's ruling Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher, moves towards a federal Europe were seen as anathema.
Mrs Thatcher described the 1989 Delors report calling for economic and monetary union as unacceptable, because it would wrest many economic policies from the hands of the British Parliament.
On leaving his post in 1995, Delors declined to stand for the French presidency, despite a huge lead in the polls.
He remained true to his federalist ideals. More recently, he warned of the dangers of populism in Europe, calling for bold moves in the wake of Brexit.
posted on 27/12/23
Jacques Delors obituary:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13360806
posted on 28/12/23
December 28th Christian feast day:
Abel (Coptic Church)
Caterina Volpicelli
Feast of the Holy Innocents or Childermas; in Spain and Latin American countries the festival is celebrated with pranks (inocentadas), similar to April Fools' Day (Catholic Church, Church of England, Lutheran Church), and its related observances:
Els Enfarinats (Ibi, Spain)
Simon the Athonite
December 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Proclamation Day (South Australia), celebration started on the day following Christmas (South Australia)
The fourth of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Western Christianity)
posted on 28/12/23
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbThjPIQG0I
posted on 28/12/23
Firefighters called to an apparent blaze at Blackpool Tower said it was actually orange netting that was seen.
Witnesses spotted "flames" coming from a metal section near the top of the famous landmark at about 14:15 GMT.
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) deployed six fire engines and a "rope rescue" team to the scene.
Staff were evacuated from the 129-year-old tower but LFRS said a specialist team gained access to the area and confirmed there had been no fire.
A statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, read: "Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service were called to Promenade, Blackpool today by concerned members of the public, due to a combination of factors that led them to believe it was a fire.
"The area where the fire was suspected is generally inaccessible, therefore access to this area is difficult.
"A specialist team from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service gained access and confirmed that there was no fire.
"This incident was supported by the National Police Air Service, who used thermal imaging which provided further assurance."
posted on 28/12/23
Moyes
posted on 28/12/23
FT: Brighton 4-2 Tottenham - Pedro (2), Hinshelwood & Estupinan screamer give Albion thrilling win
posted on 28/12/23
West Ham stunned Arsenal to record a third successive Premier League victory, denting the Gunners' title challenge in the process.
It was a ruthless display by West Ham, who converted two of their three shots on target, while Arsenal squandered a host of opportunities as they missed the chance to move top of the league.
Tomas Soucek fired in Jarrod Bowen's cutback and, while the ball had potentially gone out of play in the build-up, there was not enough evidence for the video assistant referee to overturn the goal.
That gave West Ham a first-half lead which was doubled when former Arsenal centre-back Konstantinos Mavropanos expertly headed in a corner in the 55th minute.
Despite plenty of possession and pressure, Arsenal could not find a response.
And their woeful night was nearly made worse when Declan Rice gave away a penalty in the final minute of injury time, but Said Benrahma's effort was saved by David Raya.
The result leaves Mikel Arteta's Gunners second in the table, two points behind league leaders Liverpool, while West Ham end the year with 33 points - their highest total at the halfway stage in a Premier League campaign.
posted on 28/12/23
Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian (Armenian: Տիգրան Վարդանի Պետրոսյան, Russian: Тигран Вартанович Петросян; 17 June 1929 – 13 August 1984) was a Soviet-Armenian chess grandmaster and World Chess Champion from 1963 to 1969. He was nicknamed "Iron Tigran" due to his almost-impenetrable defensive playing style, which emphasized safety above all else. Petrosian is often credited with popularizing chess in Armenia.
Page 13078 of 13156
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