Captain Blood and England's Crown Jewels

1671 Thomas Blood, disguised as a clergyman, attempted to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London. He was immediately caught because he was too drunk to run with the loot. Later he was condemned to death and then mysteriously pardoned and exiled by King Charles II ...

According to contemporary chronicles, King John was once travelling from Spalding in Lincolnshire to King's Lynn in Norfolk, but unwisely sent his baggage train, including his crown jewels, along the coast road, which would only have been passable at certain times of day. The horse-drawn carts moved too slowly for the incoming tide, and many were lost. The present-day location is supposed to be somewhere near Sutton Bridge, on the River Nene ...

This is just a snippet of today's stories. Read all about today in folklore, historical oddities, inspiration and alternatives, with many more links, at the Wilson's Almanac Book of Days, every day. Click today's date (or your birthday).