12-18 JULY 2014
Saturday
Till death us do part
After five failed attempts at marital bliss, Henry VIII said his nuptial vows for the sixth and final time as he wed Katherine Parr on this day in 1543. They remained together until his death in 1547.
Sunday
Deutsch dream comes true
Germany proved that they were champions of the world - at least where football is concerned. Die Mannschaft beat Argentina’s Albiceleste 1-0 after an extra-time goal from substitute Mario Gtze.
Monday
Royal round-up
If you saw a chap hanging about a riverbank with a clipboard, it may have been the Queen’s Swan Marker. The Swan Upping - the annual census of the birds on the Thames, which belong to Her Majesty - began today.
Tuesday
We’re not scared
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the publication of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, more than 1,000 children joined the author in an attempt to hold the world’s biggest reading lesson.
Wednesday
Bean there
In a move that might seem as foolhardy as teaching your grandmother to suck eggs, global coffee chain Starbucks opened its first store in Colombia, considered by many to be the coffee capital of the world.
Thursday
Tested to the limit
India and England took to the crease at Lord’s for the second Test of India’s tour. The first ended in stalemate, after a record-breaking 10th-wicket partnership let Alastair Cook’s side snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat.
Friday
Lunch date
A children’s “state dinner” at the White House is being hosted by Michelle Obama. Fifty-four children are joining her for a meal featuring a selection of winning recipes from the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge.
19-25 JULY 2014
Saturday
Desert distractions
Excited punters are unlikely to get the hump at the annual Boulia Camel Races in Australia. The festivities offer fun for all the family including camel tagging, a magic show and fireworks.
Sunday
Leap in the dark
The first Moon landing took place 45 years ago. Neil Armstrong’s exact words some hours later are disputed - “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind” - but whatever he said it was iconic.
Monday
Santa’s summer holiday
Watch out, don’t cry, don’t pout - I’m telling you why: Santa Claus is coming to town. More specifically to Bakken, Denmark, which will welcome more than 100 “Santas” for the 57th World Santa Claus Congress.
Tuesday
Baby steps
Prince George Alexander Louis, the son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and great-grandson of the Queen, celebrates his first birthday today. Presumably, a right royal knees-up is on the cards.
Wednesday
Top of the bottoms
The 33rd Rear of the Year awards will be announced at one of the few competitions in which entrants hope for a bum deal. Last year’s winning celebrity posteriors were dancers Flavia Cacace and Vincent Simone.
Thursday
Sting in the tale
A swat team will descend on Clute, in the US, for the 34th Great Texas Mosquito Festival. “Willie-Man-Chew”, a 26ft inflatable mosquito sporting a cowboy hat and boots, will tower above it all.
Friday
Mountain to climb
Machu Picchu, the 15th-century Inca settlement in Peru, was discovered on this day in 1911. Now it is a top tourist destination as wheezy climbers battle altitude sickness for a photo opportunity.
