The history of the British penny (1⁄240 of a pound sterling) from
1901 to 1970 saw it remain a large bronze coin throughout that time,
with the obverse depicting the monarch and the reverse Britannia. The
obverse from 1902 to 1910 featured George William de Saulles's depiction
of Edward VII, followed by Bertram Mackennal's portrait of George V.
No pennies were produced for commerce in 1933, as there were a
sufficient number in circulation. At least seven were struck for
placement beneath foundation stones and in museums. Edward VIII's short
reign is represented only by a single pattern coin, dated 1937. That
year, a new obverse design depicting George VI by Humphrey Paget went
into use. From 1953, the penny bore Mary Gillick's portrait of
Elizabeth II. The officials who planned decimalisation in the 1960s did
not favour keeping the large bronze penny. It quickly went out of use
after Decimal Day, 15 February 1971, and was demonetised on
31 August 1971.
Read more:
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_British_penny_%281901%E2%80%931970%29>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1808:
William Bligh, the governor of New South Wales, was deposed by
the New South Wales Corps in the only military coup in Australian
history.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rum_Rebellion>
1918:
A group of Red Guards hung a red lantern atop the tower of the
Helsinki Workers' House, symbolically marking the start of the Finnish
Civil War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_Civil_War>
1991:
Somali Rebellion: Factions led by the warlord Mohamed Farrah
Aidid and his rebel group, the United Somali Congress, ousted President
Siad Barre.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_Farrah_Aidid>
2001:
An earthquake in the Indian state of Gujarat killed at least
13,000 people, injured 167,000 others and destroyed nearly 400,000
homes.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_Gujarat_earthquake>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
emu:
1. (obsolete) A cassowary (genus Casuarius).
2. A large flightless bird native to Australia, Dromaius
novaehollandiae.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/emu>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Today, freedom is on the offensive, democracy is on the march.
--Douglas MacArthur
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Douglas_MacArthur>