ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY - April 7thOn this day in history in 1739, the notorious highwayman, Dick Turpin, who has a funny first name, was executed today in York for the theft of a horse.
When he began his career as a highwayman, he would ride alongside the carriages of the rich on his horse, Black Bess, and tell the driver to stop. He would then open the carriage door, point his pistols inside and shout, "Your money or your wife."
What he didn't realise, was that most people in the old days valued their money more than their wife.
This meant Turpin ended up with a lot of wives back in his secret Dick Turpin Hideout -- or Dick Cave, for short.
Because of the overcrowding, he changed his demand to, "Your money or your life." Which was a much better business plan.
He retired to Yorkshire in luxury with loads of money, and plenty of wives, under the alias Penis Gherkin. However, that really was a silly name, because who would want to be called Gherkin? So he changed it to John Palmer.
The lavish lifestyle and his ability to write a letter would be his downfall.
The local magistrates arrested him and imprisoned him inside York Castle, suspecting him of being a Dick. Turpin was revealed when he wrote a letter to his brother-in-law from his prison cell detailing his cunning plan to escape, and to once again change his name, this time to Manhood Burping.
He was tried and sentenced to death-by-hedgehog.
Which didn't work. So he was hanged.
On this day in history in 1141, the Empress Matilda became the first ever female ruler of England.
Well, sort of ruler. That's in dispute.
She was kinda/perhaps/maybe Queen of England for a few months during 1141, and technically uncrowned.
She went by the name "Lady of the English" or "You Traitorous Cow" by her cousin, Stephen of Bois.
Stephen of Bois was the King of England at the time, and spent most of it fighting a civil war known as The Anarchy with his cousin, the Empress Matilda.
Also in the news: ON THIS DAY IN HISORY
On this day in history in 1827, the first friction match was sold by John Walker, a year after he invented it.
On this day in history in 1940, Booker T. Washington became the fist African American to be depicted on a United States postage stamp.
On this day in history in 1955, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill resigned his office over speculation of his failing health.
Fun Fact: Queen Elizabeth II offered to create Winston Churchill the Duke of London.
He turned it down, though.
His son, Randolph, objected, as it meant he would inherit the peerage upon his father's death. Back in the day, there was no facility to disown a hereditary peerage.
Since being a Duke would mean Randolph couldn't sit as an MP in the House of Commons, he persuaded his father not to take up the title.
As it happens, Randolph died shortly after his father, so it wouldn't have made any difference.
On this day in history in 1968, Jim Clark, the British World Champion, was killed whilst racing in a Formula Two race at Hockenheim.
On this day in history in 1969 we celebrate the symbolic birth of the Internet with the publication of RFC 1.
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