#ThrowbackThursday – 9 May
It’s 9 May, and that means it’s time for another edition of Throwback Thursday! Today, we’re taking a look back at three prominent events that went down on this day in history:
1671 – A Crowning Moment
The Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom are symbolic of the British monarchy. The most famous of these jewels consist of the royal crown, an orb and a sceptre, which have been worn and carried by the likes of King Charles II, King George V and Queen Elizabeth II.
Because of their immense importance, the Crown Jewels are kept under tight security at the Tower of London in England. As such, no one has dared to steal them … save for an attempt by one particular scoundrel in 1671!
Thomas Blood was an Irishman who was notorious for his roguish, conning aways. Having acquired and lost fortunes and valuable lands over the years due to his flim-flamming ways, Blood resorted to a daring scheme: to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London.
With the aid of three accomplices, Blood styled himself as “Parson Blood”. They made the acquaintance of Talbot Edwards, the official Keeper of the Jewels who lived with his family at the Tower of London. Suffice to say, Edwards and his family were taken by the so-called parson and his “kinsmen”, and they became friends.
One day, on 9 May 1671, Blood asked Edwards if they could view the Crown Jewels, to which Edwards acquiesced. But when Edwards led his friends to the royal regalia, a bag was thrown over his head and he was knocked unconscious with a mallet (some accounts say he was also stabbed with a sword and gagged).
Blood and his accomplices took the crown, orb and sceptre, but their escape was thwarted when Edwards regained consciousness and began crying out, “Murder! Treason!” His cries alerted the guards, who apprehended the would-be criminals as they attempted to leave the Tower.
Refusing to answer the authorities’ questions – “I’ll answer to none but the King himself”, Blood stubbornly declared – the Irishman was taken to the palace of King Charles II, where the monarch questioned Blood himself.
To the surprise of many, Charles was charmed by Blood’s roguish, smooth-talking demeanour. So, rather than having Blood and his accomplices executed, Charles pardoned them instead. Additionally, he awarded Blood with valuable Irish lands, granted him a pension for life, and he became a frequent figure at Charles’ court. What’s more, he apparently worked as a spy for the king!
Although Thomas Blood’s theft of the Crown Jewels was foiled, he came out of the situation better than ever. Still, it hasn’t inspired anyone else to try stealing the jewels since – and we highly doubt that King Charles III will be as lenient to any would-be thieves as his namesake!
2012 – “Orange, Red, Yellow” Brings in The Green
When it comes to abstract art, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In the eyes of evaluators, historians and collectors, though, it’s the value that truly counts.
Which is why one such abstract piece by American artist Mark Rothko was sold for nearly $90 million on 9 May 2012!
“Orange, Red, Yellow”, a 236.2cm x 206.4cm acrylic painting made by Rothko in 1961 – and described as “exuding a warm and fiery range of shimmering vermillion rectangles over a cooler and thinly painted crimson wash background” – went on auction at Christie’s in New York City, New York. It was estimated that it would sell for as high as $45 million.
In fact, it was sold for nearly double that amount!
For seven minutes, potential buyers bid back and forth on the price to pay for the prestigious work of art. In the end, the winning bidder – a private collector – proffered up a whopping $86.9 million.
Recalling the auction, Barrett White, the executive deputy chairman of Christie’s, said, “Not only was the sale the world record for the artist at the time, it was the most expensive post-war and contemporary art work ever sold. In the world.”
2023 – “Here Comes The Sun” Hits a Billion Streams
Of all the songs in The Beatles’ vast repertoire, the first song of theirs to ever hit one billion streams on Spotify was not “All You Need Is Love” or “Hey Jude”.
Nearly eight years after the British band’s studio albums became available on Spotify, “Here Comes The Sun” officially joined the #BillionsClub on 9 May 2023.
Written and composed by George Harrison, the song featured on their 1969 album “Abbey Road”, and was considered one of the better offerings on the CD.
“Here Comes The Sun” is one of the 631 songs (and counting) that have secured a place in the #BillionsClub after reaching more than one billion streams on Spotify: it joins the likes of Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer”, George Michael’s “Careless Whisper”, Jimin’s “Like Crazy” and many, many more!
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