100 years ago

The situation in Europe was one of tremendous tension and terrible possibilities, and there was no means of forecasting the course immediate events would take.

The declaration of war by Austria had done little to make the position plainer. Everything now depended upon what Russia would do in defence of Servia. It was announced from Berlin that “even a partial mobilisation by Russia as a reply to the Austrian declaration of war on Servia would cause an immediate mobilisation by Germany, which nothing could then hold back.”

In other words it could mean war. France had begun to concentrate along her eastern frontier, but not as yet to mobilise. Troops, supplies, and ammunition were being passed into her eastern fortresses. Our St Petersburg correspondent stated that an Austrian invasion of Servian territory, “even if Austria occupies Belgrade,” would be followed by an immediate general mobilisation by Russia.

 

50 years ago

Independent Television would unintentionally give a trailer this evening to a BBC programme to be televised the following week.

A film shot of the Beatles rehearsing A Hard Day’s Night would end the programme, Fans, Fans, Fans, from Granada. One of the BBC’s August Bank Holiday attractions was a whole programme made up of film of the Beatles shot informally while they were making their picture.

The Beatle sequence tonight, however, was only a small part of a programme designed to show that mass hysteria was not a phenomenon of the 60s. For older viewers it would be a sentimental journey back to silent film days and the start of Hollywood star-making.

Until 1910, actors and actresses in films had not been named. Carl Laemmle had changed that when he built Florence Lawrence into motion pictures’ first star name. He drew attention to her by putting out a rumour that she was dead, then vigorously denied it.

The programme then moved to the great days of Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford. Mary was mobbed in Kensington Gardens in 1920, and when Chaplin visited London the following year he received 73,000 fan letters in the first three days.

 

25 years ago

Heads would roll. Blood would flow in the streets. If there was one thing worse than betraying your country, it was to betray your county – especially when that county was Yorkshire.

A group of misguided adventurists had proposed selling their inviolable birthright. And all for £1. You simply had to turn up at any Yorkshire Building Society on August 1st, Yorkshire Day, and you would get an “attractive parchment certificate” making you an honorary Yorkshire man or Yorkshire woman for the day.

The initiative was part of a drive by the enthusiasts of the Yorkshire Ridings Society to promote pride in the county.