Tom Pryce (1949–1977) was a Welsh racing driver. He is the only Welsh driver to have won a Formula One race (the Brands Hatch Race of Champions, a non-championship race, in 1975) or to have led a Formula One World Championship Grand Prix (two laps of the 1975 British Grand Prix). Pryce started his career in Formula One with the small Token team, making his only start for them at the 1974 Belgian Grand Prix. Shortly after an impressive performance at the Formula Three support race for the 1974 Monaco Grand Prix, Pryce joined the Shadow team and scored his first points in Germany in only his fourth race. Pryce (pictured during the 1975 United States Grand Prix) later claimed two podium finishes: the first in Austria in 1975 and the second in Brazil a year later. Pryce was considered by his team as a great wet weather driver, and was the fastest driver in the wet conditions of the practice session for the 1977 South African Grand Prix, his final race. During the race, he collided at high speed with a safety marshal, Frederik Jansen van Vuuren, and both men were killed. A memorial to Pryce was unveiled in 2009 in his home town of Ruthin.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Pryce
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1594:
In the Philippines, Philip II of Spain recognized the right to govern of the Principalía, the local nobles and chieftains who had converted to Roman Catholicism. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principal%C3%ADa
1776:
The Second Continental Congress appointed Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston to the Committee of Five to draft a declaration of independence for Britain's Thirteen Colonies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee_of_Five
1917:
Alexander was crowned King of Greece, succeeding his father Constantine, who had abdicated. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_of_Greece
1955:
More than 80 people were killed after Pierre Levegh and Lance Macklin collided during the 23rd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car endurance race. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1955_Le_Mans_disaster
2008:
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologised to the First Nations for past governments' policies of forced assimilation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Indian_residential_school_system
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
piece together: 1. To physically assemble (or reassemble) from fragments or pieces. 2. (figuratively) To reconstruct an event or goal from incomplete or flawed elements. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/piece_together
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
Surely mankind has yet to be born. Surely this is true! For only something blind and uncomprehending could exist in such a mean conjunction with its own flesh, its own kind. How else account for such faltering, clumsy, hateful cruelty? Even the possums and the skunks know better! --William Styron https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Styron