[Don_1 (OP)]

On this day in 1580, Francis Drake returned to Portsmouth after circumnavigating the globe and plundering the odd Spanish ship or two en route.

Well, you gotta make a few bob, haven't you.

[Karen W.]

Published on this day in 1859, Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life.” Later publications were shortened to The Origin of Species.




As Darwin suspected, he was ridiculed by the press for his suggestion that man had evolved from apes.


Sketches of Galapagos Finches which would figure greatly in Darwin's theory.
  Lonesome George
Pinta Island Galapagos Giant Tortoise. Another evolutionary hint to Darwin.
 [ Invalid Attachment ]
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Marine Iguana, unique to the Galapagos.

WHAT IS THAT DARK PARTIAL PLATFORM PROTRUDING FROM UNDER THE TURTLES
NECK? IS THAT A PORTION OF HIS UNDERSIDE SHELL OR WHAT? I HAVE NEVER
NOTICED THAT BEFORE ON A TURTLE!

[Don_1 (OP)]

Yes, Karen, its part of the plastron (underside of the shell).

[Karen W.]

Quality guess then eh? The big dude looks like he could use all the neck support he could get! Lol...

[Don_1 (OP)]

I could not possibly let today go by without a mention of the man who promoted hygiene in the toilet department.

Yes folks, Thomas Crapper. Born, perhaps appropriately, in Waterside, Yorkshire, his exact date of birth is unknown, but on this day in 1836 he was baptised.

Contrary to popular belief, he did not invent the flushing toilet, but he is attributed with promoting the use of said item.

He founded Thomas Crapper & Co in 1861. The company received 4 Royal Warrants. Presumably, they enjoyed sitting on the throne!

As for that word, ahem…… ‘Crap’, this was said to have been taken from Crapper’s name. But this too is a popular misconception. In fact the word dates back to the old English language and meant ‘rubbish’. By the 16th century the word was no longer in use. The word was taken to the new world by English settlers but was considered a vulgar term. In 1917, American troops stationed in London were amused to see Crapper’s name on WC’s. The word ‘crapper’ was then taken back to the US and became a popular slang term for the WC.

[Don_1 (OP)]

October 4th.

This day in 1947 saw the passing of the man responsible for the Quantum Theory,  German theoretical physicist Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck, was born 23rd April 1858 in Kiel and received a Nobel Prize for physics in 1918.

He is quoted as saying, “Eine neue wissenschaftliche Wahrheit pflegt sich nicht in der Weise durchzusetzen, daß ihre Gegner überzeugt werden und sich als belehrt erklären, sondern vielmehr dadurch, daß ihre Gegner allmählich aussterben und daß die heranwachsende Generation von vornherein mit der Wahrheit vertraut gemacht ist.”

For the benefit of those who nicht spreken de Deutsch, that translates to, “A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather its opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it.”


On this day in 1958, BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation) inaugurated the first transatlantic passenger jet liner service with two jets flying each way between London & New York. The DeHavilland Comet 4 used by BOAC reduced the usual propeller aircraft crossing time from 14hrs to just 6hrs 11mins.


And on this day in 1957, the Soviet Union launched “Sputnik”. Having been first off the blocks in the space race, the Soviet Union would continue to upstage the US with the first dog in space (Laika), the first man in space (Yuri Gagarin) and first space walk (Alexey Leonov), until the launch of Apollo 11 in 1969. Commander of the mission, the late Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the Moon followed by Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin. Michael Collins remained in the Command Module.
Sputnik remained in low Earth orbit for 3 months, burning up as it re-entered Earth’s atmosphere on 4th January 1958.

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October 10


UK
1957 United Kingdom World's First Nuclear Accident Windscale
10th October, 1957 : Part of the radioactive core at pile 1 at Windscale Nuclear Plant in West Cumbria used to make to make weapons-grade plutonium was on fire and as there had never been a similar experience it was a best guess as to how to distinguish the fire, but a combination of water pumped in to the reactor and turning off the air supply to the reactor worked. The combination of a lack of oxygen and gallons of water did the trick and the fire was eventually put out. The fire caused the release of substantial amounts of radioactive contamination into the surrounding area and the event, known as the Windscale fire, was the world's worst reactor accident until the Three Mile Island accident in 1979.

[Don_1 (OP)]

Born on this day in 1632, Sir Christopher Wren, arcitect of St Pauls Cathederal and the city of London following the Great Fire of 1666. And in 1891, Sir James Chadwick, who discovered the neutron.

Died on this day in 1956, Lawernce Dale Bell, aircraft designer and founder of the the Bell Aircraft Co. The Bell X-1 was, in 1947, the first aircraft to break the sound barrier in level flight.

Also on this day in 1994, Hollywood icon Burt Lancaster (Elmer Gantry) dies at the age of 80 of a heart attack.

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Born today in 1656, Edmund Halley

Wasn't he the bloke with the Comets? You're about three centuries off.

Wrong comets Geezer;

Not these comets (plural)


This comet (singular)


But as it happens, I seem to have made a faux pas anyway, Edmund (or Edmond) was actually born on the 8th Nov 1656.

Just to add, Sir Jimmy Saville, he of the shell suit, cigar and 'now then, now then', not to mention 'clunk-click' and the OTT jewellery has died today.

Geezer gets part credit: didn't Bill Halley and The Comets record the smash - perhaps first-ever rock and roll hit , "ROCKet Around The Clock"!!!

[Don_1 (OP)]

On this day in 1863 London's Metropolitan Line became the first underground railway to open to the public.

I am led to believe the train will arrive at its destination in the next 5mins.

[Don_1 (OP)]

On this day in 2005, the ESA space probe Huygens landed on Titan, Saturn's largest moon. Huygens was named after the Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens, who discovered Titan on 25th Mar 1655.

Read more at the ESA site.


Born this day in 1892, Hal Roach, the director who made the film 'One Million BC' in 1940. The film was remade in 1966 as 'One Million Years BC'. A somewhat chronological disaster, the film puts cavemen a tad too early (around 950,000 years too early) and being menaced by dinosaurs which are tad too late (around 64 million years too late). But nobody cared a fig about these errors, we just wanted to see Raquel Welch prancing around in a couple of bits of animal skin.


PHOOARRRRRR!!!

[Don_1 (OP)]

Opened on this day in 1759 in Bloomsbury, London, The British Museum, the world's public museum.

On this day in 1797, John Etherington, a London haberdasher, wears his new creation the Top Hat. The ensuing crowd disturbance results in him being fined for going about in a maner 'calculated to frighten timid people'.

[Don_1 (OP)]

On this day in 871, the Battle of Basing took place in the kingdom of Wessex. Though the Danes were the victors, like many other battles between them and the Saxons, this one was indecisive. Two months later at the Battle of Marton, the Saxons, under the leadership of King Æþelræd (Ethelred) were the victors. The following April, Æþelræd died and was succeeded by Alfred The Great.


Born this day in 1561 - Sir Francis Bacon inventor of the full English breakfast. Well he wasn't born a knight, so I suppose he was just plain Frank Bacon at first. Known for his promotion of scientific method, the philosopher once said '...neither is it possible to discover the more remote and deeper parts of any science, if you stand but upon the level of the same science, and ascend not to a higher science. .

[demografx]

On this day in 1962, astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth as he flew aboard the Friendship 7 Mercury capsule.

[Don_1 (OP)]

On this day in 1940, Winston Spencer Churchill became British Prime Minister.

He told the country...."I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.”

Don't you wish all politicians could be so honest?