ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Tuesday 29th September 2026
This is day 272 of the year with 93 remaining. This is week 40 and there are 87 days till Christmas.    
UK & World News
2025 Australian network Optus reveals it had an emergency call outage in Sydney ten days after a disruption that may have caused 4 deaths.2020 Johns Hopkins University research shows the COVID-19 pandemic has killed over 1 million people. It will reach over 7 million by 2024.2007 The cooling towers of Calder Hall nuclear power station at the Windscale site are demolished. Decommissioning will take over 20 years.2006 Gol Transportes Aereos 1907 collides with a business jet over Brazil. 154 people are killed and the country has an aviation crisis.2004 Asteroid 4179 Toutatis passes within 0.0104 AU of Earth which is approximately four times the distance to the moon.1991 A coup occurs in Haiti when the elected president is deposed by his own armed forces. It's Haiti's seventh coup in 83 years.1988 NASA launch the Space Shuttle for the first time since the Challenger disaster two years and eight months earlier.1984 IRA terrorists are caught using the boats 'Marita Ann' and 'Valhalla' to smuggle seven tonnes of weapons into Ireland from the US.1981 An American supplied Iranian Air Force Lockheed C-130 Hercules cargo plane crashes into a firing range in Iran killing 80 people.1979 Equatorial Guinea dictator Macias, one of the most brutal in history who killed between a quarter and half the population, is executed.1957 The 'Kyshtym disaster' the worst nuclear accident in history until Chernobyl occurs in Russia. Note ITN in 1991 report it as 12/09/57.1940 A collision occurrs between two aircraft in Australia. The aircraft remain locked together after the collision but still manage to land.1923 The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon takes effect giving France control of what are now the countries of Syria and Lebanon.1923 The Mandate for Palestine comes into effect creating what was then known as Mandatory Palestine.1885 The Blackpool Tramway, the second oldest electric tramway in the UK, opens.
   

Music & Entertainment
1995 The first Sony Playstation goes on sale in Europe. It had previously been released only in Japan on 03/12/94 and then US on 09/09/95.1967 The first episode of the TV series 'The Prisoner' is broadcast on ITV and will go on to be highly influential. It runs until 01/02/68.1965 John Peel aged 25 marries 15 year old Shirley Anne Milburn in the US. He will join the BBC as a Radio 1 presenter two years later.
   

Birthdays
1981 Suzanne Shaw, British singer and actress best known from hit group 'Hear Say'.1979 Miatta Fahnbulleh, British economist and Labour MP for Peckham.1974 Liam Howe, British musician best known as a member of hit group Sneaker Pimps.1972 Robert Webb, British comedian best known from comedy duo 'Mitchell and Webb'.1968 Luke Goss, British musician best known from hit group Bros and TV programme 'After the Screaming Stops'.1968 Matt Goss, British musician best known from hit group Bros and TV programme 'After the Screaming Stops'.1966 Ben Miles, British actor best known from the comedy series 'Coupling'.1956 Sebastian Coe, British athelete best known for winning gold medals at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics.1954 Mari Wilson, British singer best known for the 1982 hit 'Just What I Always Wanted'.1944 Isla Blair, British actress known from TV and movies including playing 'Sinofar' in an episode of Blake's 7.1941 Fred West, British serial killer who with wife Rose tortured and murdered at least twelve people. Died 1st January 1995.1935 Jerry Lee Lewis, American hit singer in the 1950s and 1960s. Died 28th October 2022.1916 Carl Giles, British artist best known for his 'Giles' cartoons in the Daily Express. Died 27th August 1995.1899 Laszio Biro, Hungarian Argentine inventor of the biro ballpoint pen. Died 24th October 1985.
   

Deaths
2025 Patrick Murray, British actor best known for playing 'Mickey Pearce' in 'Only Fools and Horses'. Born 17th December 1956.2024 Martin Lee, British singer best known from hit group Brotherhood of Man. Born 26th November 1946.2021 Julia Nixon, American singer best known from hit group Julia an Company. Born 7th February 1955.2011 Sylvia Robinson, American hit singer who later founded 'Sugar Hill Records'. Born 29th May 1935.2010 Tony Curtis, American actor most popular in the 1950s and 1960s. Born 3rd June 1925.
   


   

Today's Videos

   

Kysthym - The Nuclear Disaster That No One Talks About On this day in 1957 the 'Kyshtym disaster' the worst nuclear accident in history until Chernobyl occurs in Russia. Note in 1991 ITN reported the date as 12/09/57 however all contemporary sources say 29/09/57.
ITN - Prelude to Chernobyl (1991) On this day in 1957 the 'Kyshtym disaster' the worst nuclear accident in history until Chernobyl occurs in Russia. Note in 1991 ITN reported the date as 12/09/57 however all contemporary sources say 29/09/57.

Music and Memes

   


   

Julia and Company - Breakin Down (1984) On this day in 2021 Julia Nixon the American singer best known from hit group Julia an Company dies from COVID-19 age 66. Born on 7th February 1955. Her hit 'Breakin Down' reached number 15 in the UK in 1984.
Multi-Coloured Swap Shop 29/09/79 Multi-Coloured Swap Shop 29/09/79
Bros - When Will I Be Famous (1987) On this day in 1968 Matt and Luke Goss the British musicians best known from hit group Bros and the 2018 TV programme 'After the Screaming Stops' were born. While 'After the Screaming Stops' appears to be a spoof in the style of 'Spinal Tap' they seem to believe it's serious.
Bros After the Screaming Stops clip (2018) On this day in 1968 Matt and Luke Goss the British musicians best known from hit group Bros and the 2018 TV programme 'After the Screaming Stops' were born. While 'After the Screaming Stops' appears to be a spoof in the style of 'Spinal Tap' they seem to believe it's serious.
The Prisoner titles (1967) On this day in 1967 the first episode of the TV series 'The Prisoner' is broadcast on ITV and will go on to be highly influential. It runs until 01/02/68.
The Prisoner - Simpsons parody clip (2000) On this day in 1967 the first episode of the TV series 'The Prisoner' is broadcast on ITV and will go on to be highly influential. It runs until 01/02/68.