On this day: Animal Farm is published Opinion On this day, 17 August, in 1945, with pro-Soviet sentiment rapidly fading in the UK, George Orwell's Animal Farm is finally published.
On This Day : Reagan declares: “We begin bombing in five minutes” Opinion On this day in 1984, a lighthearted quip from Ronald Reagan nearly sparked World War Three, writes Eliot Wilson Ronald Reagan was an old pro. By the summer of 1984, it was more than 50 years since he had made his radio debut as a sports broadcaster for WOC in Davenport, Iowa, commentating on baseball [...]
On this day: ‘We begin bombing in five minutes’ – Reagan’s accidental broadcast Opinion On this day, 11 August 1984, a risqué joke from Ronald Reagan accidentally made his weekly radio broadcast, writes Eliot Wilson.
On this day: the birth of press freedom August 5, 2026 On 5th August 1735 John Peter Zenger was acquitted of seditious libel on the basis that the criticisms of the government he has printed in The New York Weekly Journal were true. It was a judgement that established the basis of press freedom on which western democracy still depends, writes Eliot Wilson By the end [...]
On this day: the birth of Michael Foot July 23, 2026 On 23rd July 1913, Michael Foot was born. He would go on to become a Labour leader known for his eloquence, his rigid socialist ideology and his jackets. What lessons does his career offer for Andy Burnham? Asks Eliot Wilson Michael Mackintosh Foot was born on this day in 1913 in Plymouth. He would rise, [...]
Remembering Norman Tebbit July 7, 2026 Norman Tebbit died one year ago today. He remains a mnemonic for the high days of the high days of Thatcherism, writes Eliot Wilson A year ago today, former Conservative Cabinet minister Lord Tebbit died at the age of 94. The media coverage was extensive for a man who had left office nearly 40 years [...]
On this day in 1940: Happy birthday Ken Clarke July 2, 2026 For many in parliament, it may feel as if he's always been there. But on this day, 2 July 1940, Kenneth Clarke was born.
On this day: Brits vote in referendum that changes everything June 23, 2026 The Brexit referendum was 10 years ago today. A decade on, very little has been resolved, says Eliot Wilson There have only ever been three UK-wide referendums. Appealing directly to the electorate on a single issue through a plebiscite fits awkwardly with parliamentary government, as Enoch Powell told the House of Commons in 1972: “The [...]
On this day: “God’s Banker” found dead, suicide or murder? June 18, 2026 On 18th June 1982, Roberto Calvi, a banker with close ties to both the Vatican and the Mafia was found hanged under Blackfriars Bridge. Eliot Wilson asks what happened The temperature was climbing by 7.30am on Friday 18 June 1982 and had reached 14°C, but London remained cloudy and wet. A postal clerk was walking [...]
On this day: Britain’s first banking crisis June 8, 2026 On 8 June 1772 Alexander Fordyce, a partner at Neale, James, Fordyce and Down absconded to France to escape crippling debts caused by a sharp rise in shares in the East India Company, writes Eliot Wilson As 1772 opened, Alexander Fordyce seemed like a wealthy and successful man. He was 42 years old, a partner [...]