An industrial accident that occured on 24th August 1943, led to the foundation of Tenovus, Wales' leading cancer charity.

Little is known about the ten founders of Tenovus - not even their first names.  They were all Cardiff businessmen from a variety of backgrounds - one was an acorn and seed merchant and another was a ladies outfitter.  Mr Price was a haulier and Mr Edwards was the head of Prudential Insurance.

On August 24, 1943, Cardiff-based haulage contractor Eddie Price was unloading heavy machinery when one of the lathes fell on him, pinning him to the ground.  It led to him spending three months  in Cardiff Royal Infirmary, where he was visited regularly by eight friends - all businessmen - who he used to regularly dine with at the Angel Hotel in Cardiff.  They were joined by a Mr D R Edwards - the head of Prudential Insurance - who had traced Mr Price to thank him for the good deed he had done in giving him petrol for his car after he broke down.  Together the men were determined to find a distraction for their injured and bored friend.  They bought a radio for the hospital and invented headsets for the patients to listen to it and  even managed to broadcast Cardiff City football games from Ninian Park to the hospital.

It was an act of benevolence that sparked a lifetime of philanthropy for the men who decided to continue their fundraising under the name Tenovus - Ten of Us.  Between them they had contacts and they used them.  On the first Tuesday of the month, they would invite Cardiff dignitaries to a fund raising dinner at the Angel Hotel, where they would raise up to £10,000.  They would be told about people that needed help . "For example, they raised money to build the Sunshine House for Blind Babies just outside Cardiff and bought a washing machine for a widow with seven children.  Then towards the end of World War II they were asked to raise £26,000 for a rest home for injured soldiers in Burma who could not return home and they also funded research that led to expectant mothers being advised to take folic acid to prevent spina bifida in babies.

Since the 1960s, Tenovus have concentrated their efforts on cancer research and support and are now recognised for their pioneering work;

*  They built the Tenovus Institute for Cancer Research in Cardiff which carried out vital research into the causes of cancer.

*  They opened a network of fundraising shops across Wales and South West England.

*  Tenovus's scientists developed the use of Tamoxifen, now used worldwide to treat breast cancer, and Zoladex which treats prostate cancer.

* They have developed a system of cancer support services to help cancer patients and their families, including our Freephone Cancer Support Line (0808 808 1010), which is open 8 am - 8 pm, 7 days a week.

*  In 2009, they developed a Mobile Cancer Support Unit.which brings cancer care to the heart of the patient's community.

*  In 2011, they conducted research into the benefits of singing for cancer patients and their families and were awarded a £1m Big Lottery Grant to set up 15 choirs across Wales. 

*  In 2012 they were asked to put together a special choir of cancer patients, for a Channel 4 documentary 'Sing for your Life', which followed their journey from the very first rehearsal in Cardiff, all the way to the Royal Albert Hall.

*  2012 also saw the launch of Tenovus Cancer Callback; a world-first service which offers newly diagnosed cancer patients a series of regular calls from an experienced nurse.

178 people lost their lives on 24th August 1848, when the emigration ship, Ocean Monarch, caught fire and sank off Colwyn Bay. 

Ocean Monarch was on a voyage from Liverpool to Boston, USA, when between Abergele Bay and Great Orme's Head off Llandudno, she was seen to raise the flag of distress as flames rose towards the rear of the vessel.  In the resulting panic, many passengers threw themselves overboard and Fredrick Jerome, a sailor from one of the rescue ships, was later to be awarded the freedom of his home city, NewYork, for his heroic efforts in saving fifteen people.

The cause of the fire was believed to be passengers smoking, despite it being prohibited by the captain.  

Oliver Cromwell's chaplain

John Owen,  church leader, theologian, government adviser and writer, died on 24th August 1683.  He has been described as " the greatest theologian who has ever written in the English language"

Owen was born at Stadhampton, Oxfordshire,in 1616  of a Welsh father who was a pastor of a Nonconformist Presbyterian congregation.  He was educated at Queen's College, but because he disapproved of the inluence there of the "high-church", he left to become a chaplain at Fordham in Essex.

At this time, the nation was involved in civil war and Owen's powerful preaching brought him to the attention of Oliver Cromwell, who took him as his chaplain and a prominent advisor in religious and political matters.  Cromwell took Owen on his expeditions to both Ireland and Scotland (1649-1651) to preach to the soldiers and afterwards, Cromwell appointed him as Vice Chancellor of Oxford.

It is said of him, that Owen only allowed himself four hours of sleep each night, as the acquisition of knowledge consumed him.  In 1660, on  The Restoration of the Monarchy, Owen was relieved of his deanship and for the remainder of his life, he became a fugitive pastor in London, moving from one church to another and often being forced to preach in secret.   

Born on this day 1943 in Brynaman, Carmarthenshire

Dafydd Iwan -  singer - songwriter and politician, who was the president of Plaid Cymru (2003-2010) and whose paternal Grandfather - Fred Jones - was one of the founding members of  Plaid Cymru. 

Dafydd Iwan's earliest material was Welsh translations of tunes by American folk - protest singers: Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan.  But his popularity rose when he started to write his own ballads, such as "Carlo" (Charlie), written on the occasion of the investiture of the Prince of Wales in 1969 and "Yma O Hyd" (Still Here), released in 1981 and his  biggest hit to date.

Iwan's strong political beliefs led to him being imprisoned in 1970 as part of the fight for Welsh language rights and many of his songs are based on political themes, such as Pinochet's Chile, Welsh Devolution, the Vietnam War, the Northern Ireland Troubles, the Tiananmen Square massacre, the Gulf War and opencast mining in the South Wales valleys.

Dafydd Iwan was a founders of Recordiau Sain Cyf (Sain Records Ltd) and his  long service to the Welsh language led to his being made an honorary member of the Gorsedd of Bards at the National Eisteddfod at Bangor in 1971.