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First Post
43 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- First Post
History Today: How a Russian cosmonaut became the first human to say 'I do' in space
Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko was the first person to get married while he was in space on August 10, 2003. The ceremony took place while he was orbiting Earth aboard the International Space Station (ISS) while his bride, Ekaterina Dmitrieva, stood on solid ground at Nasa's Johnson Space Centre in Texas read more Ekaterina Dmitriev with a life-size cut-out of her new husband, Yuri Malenchenko, after her satellite wedding. File image/Reuters History was created on August 10, 2003, when the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko became the first person to get married while in space. The unique wedding ceremony took place while Malenchenko was orbiting Earth aboard the International Space Station (ISS), some 240 miles above New Zealand. If you are a history geek who loves to learn about important events from the past, Firstpost Explainers' ongoing series, History Today, will be your one-stop destination to explore key events. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD First person to get married while in space Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko became the first person to get married while in space on August 10, 2003. Orbiting Earth on the International Space Station (ISS), he exchanged vows via satellite with his bride, Ekaterina Dmitrieva. She stood on solid ground at Nasa's Johnson Space Centre in Texas. The wedding was a blend of tradition and cosmic novelty. Dmitrieva wore a classic white wedding gown, processed down the aisle to David Bowie's 'Absolute Beginners,' and posed beside a life-size cardboard cutout of her groom. Up in orbit, Malenchenko donned a bow tie atop his flight suit, and astronaut Ed Lu, acting as best man, played the wedding march on a small keyboard aboard the ISS. Ekaterina Dmitriev Malenchenko poses with a cardboard cutout of her new husband, cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, after their wedding ceremony in August 2003, while Malenchenko was still in space. File image/AP Texas law allowed the ceremony to proceed despite one party's physical absence, with a proxy standing in for Malenchenko during the legal process. The ceremony was emotionally resonant, which Dmitrieva later described as 'celestial, soulful,' while guests exchanged smiles and kisses through the video link. Yet the wedding wasn't without controversy. Russian authorities initially objected, citing rules that barred active officers from marrying foreign nationals while in space. They were ultimately overruled, but the event prompted Roscosmos to ban space marriages in future mission contracts. King Louis XVI was arrested On this day in 1792, King Louis XVI of France was officially arrested after a violent uprising in Paris, marking a crucial turning point in the French Revolution. The monarchy, already under intense scrutiny and losing popular support, faced its downfall when thousands of revolutionaries stormed the Tuileries Palace, where the royal family resided. Amid rising tensions, Parisians, outraged by the king's vetoes, the dismissal of pro-revolution ministers, and his perceived ties to foreign powers, took to the streets. Armed National Guards, Sans-culottes, and radical citizens attacked the palace, leading to a bloody confrontation with royalist Swiss Guards. The violence left nearly 1,000 people dead, including hundreds of defenders loyal to the king. Joseph Garat proclaims the arrest of death to the King Louis XVI. Wikimedia Commons Louis XVI and his family fled to the nearby National Assembly, seeking protection. But instead of sanctuary, they were effectively taken into custody. The Legislative Assembly suspended the king's powers and declared him a prisoner of the nation. He was transferred to the Temple prison, along with Queen Marie Antoinette and their children, under increasingly harsh conditions. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The events of August 10 shattered the illusion that a constitutional monarchy could survive the revolution. It set the stage for the abolition of the monarchy and the birth of the French Republic just weeks later. This Day, That Year On this day in 1914, France declared war on Austria-Hungary in World War I. The Louvre Museum opened in Paris in 1793.
Daily Mirror
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Superstar recluse Sade's totally different life and career after ditching fame
The soul singer quickly became a global icon after the release of her first album in 1984 and would go on to be one of the biggest music stars of the 1980s and 1990s From the fame of "Smooth Operator" to a tranquil life in Somerset, soul legend Sade Adu has swapped her 1980s global stardom for a peaceful existence in the West Country. Born Helen Folasade Adu in Nigeria and later known simply as Sade Adu, she relocated to Colchester at just four to live with her grandparents. Her formative years were spent growing up in Essex. However, her life took a dramatic turn when she and her band skyrocketed to fame following the release of their debut smooth soul single, "Your Love is King," which climbed to number six on the charts in 1984. Their first album, Diamond Life, received even more praise, selling a staggering 10 million records and remaining a classic four decades after its release. Sade also won over critics, bagging four Grammy's for her hits, including being named Best New Artist in 1986 following the release of their second album. Around this period, the singer dabbled in acting, making her debut in Absolute Beginners, a film set in 1950s London. Over the next two decades, Sade achieved international fame, with singles like "Smooth Operator", "The Sweetest Taboo" and "No Ordinary Love" echoing from radios worldwide. These tracks continue to be popular today, having been streamed over a billion times on Spotify alone, reports the Daily Record. The elusive star, known for her infrequent album releases and long absences from the public eye, has seemingly embraced a life of tranquillity, snapping up a farm in the West Country where she resided during the pandemic with her partner Ian Watts and her mother, affectionately known as "Granny Annie". In a 2020 interview with British Vogue, the singer said: "Like everyone, we're on a ship of unknown destination but that's life ... no mutiny yet." She added: "There's always so much to do: there are songs I so want to write, and I've rediscovered the joy cooking brings." Despite her retreat to the countryside, Sade continues to create music, with her latest single "Young Lion" dropping in 2024, following "Flower of the Universe" from the Disney movie A Wrinkle in Time featuring Reese Witherspoon and Oprah Winfrey. Sade's contribution to music was officially recognised when she was awarded an OBE in 2002 as part of the Queen's New Years Honours List, and she later received a CBE in 2017 for her services to music.
Irish Daily Mirror
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
'Forgotten' global superstar traded fame for very different career
From the fame of "Smooth Operator" to settling in Somerset, soul legend Sade Adu has swapped her 1980s global stardom for a more tranquil existence in the West Country. Born Helen Folasade Adu in Nigeria and later known simply as Sade Adu, she relocated to Colchester at the tender age of four to live with her grandparents. Her formative years were spent growing up in Essex. However, her life took a dramatic turn when she and her band skyrocketed to fame following the release of their debut smooth soul single, "Your Love is King," which climbed to number six on the charts in 1984. Their first album, Diamond Life, received even greater praise, selling a staggering 10 million copies and remaining a classic four decades after its release. Sade also won over critics, bagging four Grammy's for her hits, including being named Best New Artist in 1986 following the release of their second album. Around this time, the singer dabbled in acting, making her debut in Absolute Beginners, a film set in 1950s London. Over the next two decades, Sade achieved international success, with singles like "Smooth Operator", "The Sweetest Taboo" and "No Ordinary Love" echoing from radios worldwide. These tracks continue to be popular today, having been streamed over a billion times on Spotify alone, reports the Daily Record. The artist, known for her elusive nature and infrequent album releases, sometimes with decades between them, has earned a reputation as a bit of a recluse, often vanishing from public view for extended periods. It seems Sade has embraced a more tranquil lifestyle, having purchased a farm in the West Country where she resided during the pandemic with her partner Ian Watts and her mother, affectionately known as "Granny Annie". In a 2020 interview with British Vogue, the singer said: "Like everyone, we're on a ship of unknown destination but that's life ... no mutiny yet." She added: "There's always so much to do: there are songs I so want to write, and I've rediscovered the joy cooking brings." Despite her retreat from the public eye, the songstress continues to create music, with her latest single "Young Lion" released in 2024, and "Flower of the Universe" for the Disney movie A Wrinkle in Time featuring Reese Witherspoon and Oprah Winfrey. Sade was recognised as a national icon when she received an OBE in 2002 as part of the Queen's New Years Honours List, and further honoured with a CBE for her contributions to music 15 years later.
Daily Record
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Reclusive pop megastar Sade now has very different life in hugely different career
Nearly 40 years on from bursting onto the charts, 80s and 90s pop megastar Sade Abu looks as though a day hasn't passed despite her career change From being the icon behind "Smooth Operator" to moving to Somerset soil, soul icon Sade Adu has traded her global stardom found in the 1980s for a quieter life living in the rural West Country. Born in Nigeria as Helen Folasade Adu, but going on to be known simply as Sade Adu, she moved to Colchester to live with her grandparents at just four. She would spend most of her early years growing up in and around Essex. But that would all change when she and her band became overnight sensations after the release of their first smooth soul single, "Your Love is King," which reached number six on the charts in 1984. Their debut album, Diamond Life, would go on to garner even more acclaim, selling an astonishing 10million records and standing the test of time four decades after its release. Sade was a hit with critics too, having received four Grammy's for her hits, including being crowned as the Best New Artist in 1986 after the release of their second album. Around this time the singer would also take a brief career pivot on the big screen, making her acting debut in Absolute Beginners, a film about 1950s London. But during the next two decades and after releasing some of the biggest songs of the time, Sade would go global, with singles like "Smooth Operator" "The Sweetest Taboo" and "No Ordinary Love" her voice resonated from radios across the world. The tracks are still a hit to this day having been listened to more than a billion times on Spotify alone. But with the band releasing albums extremely sporadically often leaving decades in between releases, the star became known as somewhat of a recluse, often disappearing from the spotlight for years at a time. Now it appears Sade has continued her path towards a quieter life, having bought a farm in the West Country where she lived during the pandemic alongside her partner Ian Watts and her mum "Granny Annie". Speaking to British Vogue in 2020, the singer reflected: "Like everyone, we're on a ship of unknown destination but that's life … no mutiny yet. "There's always so much to do: there are songs I so want to write, and I've rediscovered the joy cooking brings." Despite her rural life away from the limelight, the musician is still making music, most recently releasing the single "Young Lion" in 2024 as well as "Flower of the Universe" for the Disney film A Wrinkle in Time starring Reese Witherspoon and Oprah Winfrey. In 2002 she would be cemented as a national treasure by being honoured with an OBE in 2002 on the Queen's New Years Honours List and 15 years later she would gain an even higher honour by being given a CBE for her services to music.
BBC News
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Mod clothing exhibition set to open in Brighton
An exhibition celebrating the clothing of the mod youth culture in the 1960s is set to open in a city which has close connections with the In Crowd: Mod Fashion & Style 1958-66 opens at Brighton Museum on 10 May and features outfits designed by Mary Quant, John Stephen and the original Brighton-based mod brand Ben Sherman. The display is curated by Roger K Burton, an expert in vintage fashion, and features rare and early mod outfits drawn from his collection. Mr Burton, who has styled films including Brighton-based Quadrophenia and Absolute Beginners, said the exhibition was "a chance to step into the world of a transformative youth culture that left an indelible mark on fashion and society". He said: "The Mods rejected the 1950s, favouring sharp tailoring, bold colours, and a sense of modernity that captured the spirit of youth culture. "More than just a fashion statement, they embraced a fresh outlook on life, celebrating youth, freedom, and modernity in ways that continue to inspire today."The exhibition showcases the influential designers who defined the mod movement with sleek miniskirts, sharp suits, and crisp button-down shirts that embodied its forward-thinking spirit. "These garments were statements of individuality, rebellion, and modernity," said Mr Burton. Hedley Swain, chief executive of Brighton & Hove Museums, said: "This exhibition not only showcases the remarkable craftsmanship and innovation of mod fashion but also celebrates Brighton's unique historical connection to this influential youth movement."Founded in Brighton in 1963, Ben Sherman has become a symbol of sharp British style, favoured by the mod movement for its tailored designs and contemporary aesthetics. The heritage brand will present an "archival installation", Ben Sherman: The Decades, which will run alongside the main exhibition from 23 May.
