[Geezer]

This is getting really scary! I can remember far too many of these "historical" events taking place.

[Don_1 (OP)]

This is getting really scary! I can remember far too many of these "historical" events taking place.

Stone the crows!!! you remember Montana joining the Union?!?!?! Jeez Geeze, that's OLD.


Born today in 1934, Carl Sagan

Died today in 1970, General Charles de Gaulle

[Don_1 (OP)]

Born today in 1861, Robert Thorburn Ayton Innes, discovered Proxima Centauri in 1915.

And in 1918, German theoretical chemist, Ernst Otto Fischer.


In 1885, Gottlieb Daimler presents the world with the first motorcycle.

[Don_1 (OP)]

Born today in 1602 - Otto von Guericke. Where would Mr Hoover have been without him?
In 1886 - Karl von Frisch and in 1889 - Edwin Powell Hubble.

Died today in 1954 - Clyde Vernon Cessna, he of the aviation world.

In 1906 Mr Rolls & Mr Royce form the Rolls Royce company and in 1923, Garrett Morgan patented the automatic traffic signal. He later sold the technology to GEC for $40k.

[Don_1 (OP)]

Born on this day in 1694 - François Marie Arouet AKA Voltaire (translated & popularised the work of Issac Newton in France)

Died this day in 1970 - Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, he of the Raman Effect.

On this day in 1783, Jean François Pilatre de Rozier and the Marquis Francois Laurant d'Arlandes became the first men to fly in a hot air balloon designed and built by Jacques Étienne Montgolfier and his brother Joseph-Michel.

Rozier later died in an attempt to cross the English Channel in a dual balloon, one filled with hydrogen, the other a hot air balloon, and so became not only one of the first men to fly, but also the first man to die in an air crash. Silly billy. By a strange coincidence, Rozier died on 15th June 1785, on that same date in 1919, Alcock & Browne successfully completed the first transatlantic flight.

And on this day in 1877, Thomas Edison announced the invention of the 'Talking Machine'. Where would Elvis and The Beatles have been without it?

[Geezer]

Slightly tangentially (not that I make a habit of it you understand), how many forum members have to look at Don's post today for there to be a greater than a 50/50 chance that two of them have the same birthday?

[Don_1 (OP)]

My most humble apologies folks, I seem to have posted wrong here.

I thought it was 23rd. today! As if time doesn't fly by fast enough as it is!!!

On this day in 1977 (22nd that is} Concorde began a regular service to New York, almost 2 years after the services between London & Paris to Bahrain, Rio & Washington DC. Flight time to New York was around 3.5hrs


You may get a feeling of deja vu tomorrow!

[Don_1 (OP)]

Once again, my most humble apologies for posting this yesterday. I seem to have my calender in a bit of a tis-was.

Born on this day in 1887 – Boris Karloff and a year later in 1888 (my maths is improving), the great Adolph Marx (Harpo).

Also born today in New York in 1859, William Henry McCarty aka Billy the Kid.

Died today in 1990 – Roald Dahl

In 1897 John Lee Love patent’s his new invention, the pencil sharpener.

And on this day in 1963, one of the world’s most famous scientist’s was presented to us with the first broadcast by the BBC of Dr. Who, originally played by William Hartnell. In the second serial, broadcast in December the same year, we were presented with one of the all-time greatest bunch of villians.......
The Daleks.

[Don_1 (OP)]

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.

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Marine Iguana, unique to the Galapagos.

[Don_1 (OP)]

Born this day in 1884 - Karl Friedrich Benz.
And In 1887 - Nikolay Ivanovich Vavilov (Никола́й Ива́нович Вави́лов).

On this day in 1867 Alfred Nobel patents dynamite. But did he get a prize for it?

In 1952 ‘The Mousetrap’ by Agatha Christie premier’s in London and has been running ever since.

[Don_1 (OP)]

Something for the weekend sir?


In 1698 the Eddystone Lighthouse was lit after 2 years construction. London merchant Henry Winstanley commissioned the lighthouse after he had lost two ships on the Eddystone reef 14 miles south of the southwest English port of Plymouth. The reef had claimed many other ships.  Constructed of wood, after modification and structural strengthening, Winstanley had such confidence in his lighthouse, he expressed his desire to be in the lighthouse during ‘the greatest storm there ever was’.

On this day in 1703, Winstanley’s wish came true. As he slept in his lighthouse during ‘The Great Storm’, he was killed and the lighthouse totally destroyed. It is estimated that some 8,000 to 10,000 souls were lost, the Royal Navy lost 13 ships and over 40 merchant vessels were lost in The Great Storm of 1703, which lasted around 10 days with winds up to 120 mph.


The weekend moral of this story is to be careful what you wish for, it may come to pass.

[Geezer]

In 1698 the Eddystone Lighthouse was lit after 2 years construction.

He was killed and the lighthouse totally destroyed

Hence the expression;

"People who live in lighthouses shouldn't get stoned."

[Don_1 (OP)]

Born today in 1628, John Bunyan (A Pilgrims Progress) and in 1757, William Blake, poet, artist and all-round arty type who’s poem ‘And did those feet in ancient time’ would be set to Music by Sir Hubert Parry to become ‘Jerusalem’ .

Born today in 1920, John Wesley Hyatt. Pioneer of the plastics industry and all round clever clogs who invented celluloid and during his lifetime patented over 200 products. Where would Hollywood be without him?

On this day in 1499, Edward Plantagenet (17th Earl of Warwick & heir to the throne of England) lost his head, literally. He was beheaded.

On this day in 1520, Ferdinand Magellan set sail to cross the Pacific Ocean.

A meeting of scientists in London in 1660 forms what will become The Royal Society.

Priest & mathematician William Whiston (1667 – 1752) tried to bring harmony to religion and science. He suggested that on this day in 2349 BC a passing comet caused The Great Flood.
Hmmmm….. So let’s get this straight, Noah didn’t have a direct line to God, he was an astronomer who had invented a telescope 4000 years before Galileo through which he saw this comet coming in plenty of time to build The Ark….. Right!!!

[Don_1 (OP)]

Born today in 1803, Christian Andreas Doppler, the Austrian physicist who had quite an effect. And in 1849, Fleming (no, not that Fleming) Sir John Ambrose Fleming,  inventor of the diode.

Died today in 1530, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey

Also died today in 1852, Countess of Lovelace Augusta Ada King, said to have been the original computer programmer.

In 1945 a Sikorsky R5 is the first helicopter to perform a rescue using a winch.

On this day in 1961, Enos, a five-year-old chimpanzee, becomes the first animal to be launched into space by the USA.

In 1962, British Aircraft Corporation and Sud Aviation of France agree to co-produce Concorde

In 1775, Sir James Jay (brother of John Jay, one of the founding fathers of the US) invents invisible ink. Where would 007 James Bond be without it?

[Don_1 (OP)]

Born this day in 1835, Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain)

Born this day in 1899, Andrew Jackson Moyer – Developed a process for the mass production of penicillin.

Died today in 1761, John Dollond – developed and patented the achromatic telescope.

On this day in 1609, Galileo Galilei makes the first detailed drawing of the Moon’s surface from his observations with his telescope.

In 1936, The Crystal Palace, London, is destroyed by fire.

And on this day In 1954, in Sylacauga, Alabama, a 4kg fragment of a meteorite smashes through the roof of a house and injures Ann Hodges.

[Don_1 (OP)]

Born today in 1671, Francesco Stradivari. Coincidentally, on this day in 1997, Stephane Grappelli dies.

Born today in 1743, Martin Heinrich Klaproth – Discovered Uranium, Zirconium & Cerium.

On this day in 1913, the Ford Motor Co. introduces the worlds first continuous moving assembly line.

On this day in 1987 work began in Britain and France on the Channel Tunnel. On the same day 3 years later in 1990, British construction worker Graham Fagg and French construction worker Philippe Cozette broke through the final piece of rock to shake hands in the middle.

[Don_1 (OP)]

........ and for those of you of the Christian persuasion, today you may open the first door of your advent calender and eat the (usually) 3rd rate morsel of chocolate within. Will it be a star, a tree, a Robin, Santa, a snowman, an angel.....?

Incidentally, earlier this year, I found what I believed to be the mass grave of last year's snowmen.
On further investigation, it turned out to be a carrot farm.

[Don_1 (OP)]

Born today in 1906, Peter Carl Goldmark – developed the first colour TV and the 331/3  speed LP

Died today in 1814, Donatien Alphonse François, better known simply by his title, The Marquis de Sade. And in 1982, google eyed comic Marty Feldman dies at the age of 49.

On this day in 1697, Wren’s new St Paul’s Cathedral open.
In 1877, Louis-Paul Cailletet liquefies oxygen.
In 1942, the first self-sustained nuclear chain reaction is demonstrated at the University of Chicago.


Today you may open the second door of your advent calendar. By the 10th. there will be an argument over who’s turn it is to open the next door and have the chocy treat. Ah! A good old family squabble. By the time the argument has been resolved, you discover that little Johnny has already opened all the doors, scoffed the chocolate and been sick on the lounge carpet. You may now consider Christmas to have begun.

[Geezer]

British construction worker Graham Fagg and French construction worker Philippe Cozette broke through the final piece of rock to shake hands in the middle.

If it had been Philippe Gauloises it would have been an amazing coincidence.

[Don_1 (OP)]

British construction worker Graham Fagg and French construction worker Philippe Cozette broke through the final piece of rock to shake hands in the middle.

If it had been Philippe Gauloises it would have been an amazing coincidence.

They could have rode off together into the sunset on the back of a camel.