Today in the 'Whoniverse'
Behind the scenes
1928 - Ken Barker (the mutant in DW: Revelation of the Daleks) was born.
1929 - Thelma Barlow was born.
1935 - Derren Nesbitt (Tegana in DW: Marco Polo) was born.
1965 - "The Death of Doctor Who", Episode 5 of DW: The Chase, was first broadcast.
1965 - Part one of TVC: Challenge of the Piper was released.
1967 - Chris Larkin, who played Lynley in DW: The Shakespeare Code, was born.
1971 - DW: The Dæmons Episode 5 was first broadcast.
2004 - Colin McCormack (the Commander in DW The Sun Makers) died.
2010 - DW: The Pandorica Opens was broadcast in the United Kingdom on the BBC.
Today in History
1306 The Earl of Pembroke's army defeated Robert the Bruce's Scottish army at the Battle of Methven, west of Perth.
1566 King James VI of Scotland and I of England was born.
1809 Curwen's Act was passed in Britain, to prevent the sale of parliamentary seats, thus decreasing the number of seats which the British government could manipulate for its regular supporters.
1829 Robert Peel's Act was passed, to establish a new police force in London and its suburbs. They were known as Peelers and then Bobbies, derived from his surname and Christian name respectively.
1861 Douglas Haig, British field-marshal was born. Haig became known as 'Butcher of the Somme', after he unnecessarily sent thousands of British troops to their deaths. After the war, he devoted himself to the care of ex-Servicemen.
1917 The British royal family renounced the German names and titles of Saxe-Coburg, (responding to anti-German sentiment) and became Windsor.
1925 The birth of Charlie Drake, slapstick English comedian. His catchphrase 'Hello, my darlings' came about because his short (5' 1")stature placed his eyes directly level with a lady's bosom!
1961 Kuwait declared its independence from the United Kingdom after which the state's oil industry saw unprecedented economic growth. In 1990, Kuwait was invaded and annexed by neighbouring Iraq.
1970 Edward Heath became the new British prime minister after a surprise victory for the Conservatives and the defeat of Labour leader Harold Wilson.
1975 An inquest jury decided that the missing Lord Lucan murdered the 29-year-old nanny of his three young children.
1978 Cricketing star Ian Botham became the first man in the history of the game to score a century and take eight wickets in one innings of a Test match.
1980 Three gunmen who attacked the British embassy in Baghdad were shot dead by Iraqi security forces.
1996 Britain offered to slaughter up to 67,000 more cattle in an effort to end the ban on British beef.
1997 The US fast-food chain McDonalds won a two-year libel case in Britain against two environmental campaigners who claimed that the company caused environmental damage and exploited workers in the Third World.
1997 William Hague became the youngest leader of the Conservative Party for 200 years. He beat Kenneth Clarke in the election following the resignation of John Major.
1999 The wedding of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex ( the fourth, and youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh) and Sophie Rhys-Jones. The wedding took place at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Todays UK TV and Radio
Torchwood
On: Watch
Date: Wednesday 20th June 2012
Time: 01:00 to 02:00 (1 hour long)
Adrift. Series 2, episode 11.
When a teenager disappears, Gwen is drawn into an investigation that reveals Torchwood's darker side.
(Widescreen, Subtitles, Dolby Digital 5.1, 2008, 4 Star)
Director: Mark Everest
Starring: John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Burn Gorman, Naoko Mori, Gareth David-Lloyd, Kai Owen
