Today in History

[Tish]

This day in History.

29/01/1795 - United States Naturalization Act
The United States Naturalization Act of 1795 repealed and replaced the earlier Act of 1790 changes included increasing the period of required residence from two to five years and The Act specified that naturalized citizenship was reserved only for "free white person."

29/01/1886 - Patent for Benz
A patent was given to Karl Benz who had created the first Mercedes-Benz. This first Benz model of car was known as the "Motorwagon". This motorized wagon had three wheels and was run by an internal combustion engine very similar to the more modern-day autos created in the present day.
In 1893, Benz had created his first four-wheel Mercedes vehicle. In 1926 the established Mercedes-Benz company had merged with another European car operation.

29/01/1944 - USS Missouri
USS Missouri was launched at the New York Navy Yard on this day. This vessel weighed at least 45,000 tons.

29/01/1959 - England Fog Causes Major Chaos on Roads
Dense fog brings road, rail and air transport in many parts of England and Wales to a virtual standstill.

29/01/1963 - Liquor bill no. 26
1963 : Liquor bill no. 26 was rescheduled for this date. The reason for the postponement was because further consideration needed to be done regarding liquor bill no. 25 as well.
If Senate Bill no. 25 regarding the sale of liquor would be passed, minimum price markup levels of wholesale liquor would be done away with at this time. Bill no. 26 was meant for the purpose of allowing motels, hotels, and restaurants to receive liquor licenses under strict regulation, but not in regards to population ratio.

29/01/1963 Robert Frost
This was the date of Robert Frost's Death. He had accomplished much in his lifetime, such as winning the Pulitzer Prize four times, and also reciting a poem during JFK's inauguration ceremony.

29/01/1976 - Terrorist Bombs London
Twelve bomb have been exploded in London's West End during the night, most of Oxford Street is closed for the rest of the day while searches by the bomb squad continue for more bombs. The IRA later admitted it had planted the bombs as part of it's campaign against the British government.

29/01/1979 Mondays
Brenda Spencer only 16 years old at the time kills two men and wounds nine children as they enter the Grover Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego.
According to one source, Spencer had blamed the killings she had done on the fact that it was Monday, and that she did not like Mondays. She was known for other violent behavior as well, such as repeatedly shooting BB guns at the windows of this school (Grover Cleveland elementary school).
She was sentenced to 25 years in prison for her crime, and she was denied parole four times. This violent incident brought upon by Monday blues was recounted in a song called "I Don't Like Mondays" by a group called "The Boomtown Rats".

29/01/1987 Philippines Rebel Uprising
Rebels to the Aquino government take control the Channel 7 building in Manila and the President of the Philippines Corazon Aquino orders troops to fire tear gas into the building on the rebels who have occupied the building for the last two days. They quickly surrender with no shots fired.

29/01/1996 France Stops Nuclear Testing
French President, Jacques Chirac has announced France will no longer test nuclear weapons after exploding its sixth and biggest nuclear device in the South Pacific.

29/01/2002 - George W. Bush "Axis of Evil" Speech
A few months after the World Trade Center tragedy of September 11th, 2001, George W. Bush made probably one of the most memorable U.S. President State of the Union Addresses.
In his annual president speech he addressed the pressing problem of terrorism and the development of weapons used for mass destruction. Bush had also sent U.S. troops to the Middle East to hunt down Osama Bin Laden, who was one of the main al-Quaida terrorist leaders operating at this time. He was also a leader of Saudi Arabia during this time. In his speech he describes "regimes that sponsor terror" as an Axis of Evil, in which he includes Iraq, Iran and North Korea.
President Bush also sent intelligence groups to Afghanistan. Afghanistan was one of the main offenders of highly organized terrorist activity during this time period (and in the present day as well).
After the attack of September 11th, Bin Laden was no where to be found. Even to the present day it is not totally clear where he is located. However, it was believed that as of December 2005 Osama Bin Laden was in Pakistan, and in 2006 videos have been taken which have been seen by some sectors of the public.

29/01/2013 Borneo - Malaysia Rare Elephants Poisoned
Ten pygmy elephants, a rare species, were found dead after being apparently poisoned in a reserve in Malaysia. They were not believed to be killed by poachers as they did not have their tusks removed nor were there any gunshot wounds found on the animals.

29/01/2014 Nigerian Senators Change Party
Around eleven senators in the People's Democratic Party (PDP) of Nigeria have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) opposition party. The former PDP senators had been of the same party as Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan. They left the party citing increasing factions in the PDP as the reason.

 

[mellowyellow]

1892 The Coca-Cola Company is incorporated in Atlanta, Georgia

The Coca-Cola Company is a publicly listed company, meaning there is not one sole owner, but rather the company is 'owned' by thousands of shareholders and investors around the world. However, the largest shareowner of the company is American businessman Warren Buffett.

 

[RnR]

29 January 1819 – Stamford Raffles lands on the island of Singapore.

Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, FRS (1781–1826) was a British statesman, Lieutenant-Governor of British Java from 1811 to 1815 and Governor-General of Bencoolen from 1817 to 1822. He is best known for his founding of Modern Singapore.

Raffles arrived in Bencoolen, Sumatra on 19 March 1818. Despite the prestige connected with the title of Governor-General, Bencoolen was a colonial backwater whose only real export was pepper. The British East India Company had founded Bencoolen in 1685, as their new commercial centre for the region. It is at this point Raffles realised the importance of a British presence that both challenged the Dutch dominance in the area and could remain consistently profitable, unlike Bencoolen or Batavia. British trading ships were heavily taxed at Dutch ports, stifling British trade in the region. Raffles reasoned that the best way to challenge the Dutch was to establish a new port in the region.

Raffles sailed to Malacca in late 1818 to personally secure a British presence in the Riau area. After a brief survey of the Karimun Islands, on 29 January 1819, Raffles established a post at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. Contact was made with the local Temenggong, or Raja people. The contacts were friendly and Raffles, knowledgeable about the muddled political situation, took advantage to provide a rudimentary treaty between the nominal chiefs of the area that called for the exclusivity of trade and the British protection of the area. Raffles declared the foundation of what was to become modern Singapore on 6 February, securing the transfer of control of the island to the British East India Company. With much pomp and ceremony, the official treaty was read aloud in languages representing all nations present, as well as the Malay and Chinese inhabitants.

Victoria Dock at Tanjong Pagar, a naval and commercial base in the British colony of Singapore, 1890s.

After returning to Bencoolen Raffles revisited Singapore in 1822 and was pleased with the fact that Singapore had grown exponentially in such a short period of time. The colony was a bustling hub of trade and economic activity. Raffles finally returned to England on 22 August 1824, over a year after he left Singapore. His longest tenure in Singapore was only eight months, but he was considered the founder of Singapore nevertheless.

 

[RnR]

1892 The Coca-Cola Company is incorporated in Atlanta, Georgia

The Coca-Cola Company is a publicly listed company, meaning there is not one sole owner, but rather the company is 'owned' by thousands of shareholders and investors around the world. However, the largest shareowner of the company is American businessman Warren Buffett.

-----------------------------------
On 8 May 1886, Dr. John Pemberton sold the first glass of Coca-Cola at Jacobs' Pharmacy in downtown Atlanta.

 

[RnR]

This day in History.

29/01/1795 - United States Naturalization Act
The United States Naturalization Act of 1795 repealed and replaced the earlier Act of 1790 changes included increasing the period of required residence from two to five years and The Act specified that naturalized citizenship was reserved only for "free white person."

29/01/1886 - Patent for Benz
A patent was given to Karl Benz who had created the first Mercedes-Benz. This first Benz model of car was known as the "Motorwagon". This motorized wagon had three wheels and was run by an internal combustion engine very similar to the more modern-day autos created in the present day.
In 1893, Benz had created his first four-wheel Mercedes vehicle. In 1926 the established Mercedes-Benz company had merged with another European car operation.

29/01/1944 - USS Missouri
USS Missouri was launched at the New York Navy Yard on this day. This vessel weighed at least 45,000 tons.

29/01/1959 - England Fog Causes Major Chaos on Roads
Dense fog brings road, rail and air transport in many parts of England and Wales to a virtual standstill.

29/01/1963 - Liquor bill no. 26
1963 : Liquor bill no. 26 was rescheduled for this date. The reason for the postponement was because further consideration needed to be done regarding liquor bill no. 25 as well.
If Senate Bill no. 25 regarding the sale of liquor would be passed, minimum price markup levels of wholesale liquor would be done away with at this time. Bill no. 26 was meant for the purpose of allowing motels, hotels, and restaurants to receive liquor licenses under strict regulation, but not in regards to population ratio.

29/01/1963 Robert Frost
This was the date of Robert Frost's Death. He had accomplished much in his lifetime, such as winning the Pulitzer Prize four times, and also reciting a poem during JFK's inauguration ceremony.

29/01/1976 - Terrorist Bombs London
Twelve bomb have been exploded in London's West End during the night, most of Oxford Street is closed for the rest of the day while searches by the bomb squad continue for more bombs. The IRA later admitted it had planted the bombs as part of it's campaign against the British government.

29/01/1979 Mondays
Brenda Spencer only 16 years old at the time kills two men and wounds nine children as they enter the Grover Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego.
According to one source, Spencer had blamed the killings she had done on the fact that it was Monday, and that she did not like Mondays. She was known for other violent behavior as well, such as repeatedly shooting BB guns at the windows of this school (Grover Cleveland elementary school).
She was sentenced to 25 years in prison for her crime, and she was denied parole four times. This violent incident brought upon by Monday blues was recounted in a song called "I Don't Like Mondays" by a group called "The Boomtown Rats".

29/01/1987 Philippines Rebel Uprising
Rebels to the Aquino government take control the Channel 7 building in Manila and the President of the Philippines Corazon Aquino orders troops to fire tear gas into the building on the rebels who have occupied the building for the last two days. They quickly surrender with no shots fired.

29/01/1996 France Stops Nuclear Testing
French President, Jacques Chirac has announced France will no longer test nuclear weapons after exploding its sixth and biggest nuclear device in the South Pacific.

29/01/2002 - George W. Bush "Axis of Evil" Speech
A few months after the World Trade Center tragedy of September 11th, 2001, George W. Bush made probably one of the most memorable U.S. President State of the Union Addresses.
In his annual president speech he addressed the pressing problem of terrorism and the development of weapons used for mass destruction. Bush had also sent U.S. troops to the Middle East to hunt down Osama Bin Laden, who was one of the main al-Quaida terrorist leaders operating at this time. He was also a leader of Saudi Arabia during this time. In his speech he describes "regimes that sponsor terror" as an Axis of Evil, in which he includes Iraq, Iran and North Korea.
President Bush also sent intelligence groups to Afghanistan. Afghanistan was one of the main offenders of highly organized terrorist activity during this time period (and in the present day as well).
After the attack of September 11th, Bin Laden was no where to be found. Even to the present day it is not totally clear where he is located. However, it was believed that as of December 2005 Osama Bin Laden was in Pakistan, and in 2006 videos have been taken which have been seen by some sectors of the public.

29/01/2013 Borneo - Malaysia Rare Elephants Poisoned
Ten pygmy elephants, a rare species, were found dead after being apparently poisoned in a reserve in Malaysia. They were not believed to be killed by poachers as they did not have their tusks removed nor were there any gunshot wounds found on the animals.

29/01/2014 Nigerian Senators Change Party
Around eleven senators in the People's Democratic Party (PDP) of Nigeria have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) opposition party. The former PDP senators had been of the same party as Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan. They left the party citing increasing factions in the PDP as the reason.

The 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen.

 

[RnR]

29 January 1850 – Lawrence Hargrave, Australian inventor of the box kite, is born.

Lawrence Hargrave, MRAeS, (29 January 1850 – 6 July 1915) was an Australian engineer, explorer, astronomer, inventor and aeronautical pioneer. Born in England in 1850, he emigrated to Australia in 1865 where he took on an engineering apprenticeship in Sydney.

Hargrave had been interested in experiments of all kinds from an early age, particularly those with aircraft. When his father died in 1885, and Hargrave came into his inheritance, he resigned from his job as an assistant astronomical observer at Sydney Observatory to concentrate on full-time research and for a time gave particular attention to the flight of birds.

Lawrence Hargrave and his kites at Stanwell Park, south of Sydney. State Library of NSW, a1381003.

In January 1893, he began his kite experiments that would lead to the invention of the box kite. By February 10th he was flying a kite “of three dimensions”. However, it was on February 15th of 1893 that Lawrence Hargrave flew the first true cellular kite in Sydney. Hargrave referred to his kite as cellular, not a box kite, and appearing like “pieces of honeycomb on the end of a stick”, which it did. In those days Hargrave’s peers called the box kite a ‘Hargrave’. On 12 November 1894, Hargrave connected four box kites of his own design. Having added a seat, he flew with the kites 16 feet off the ground, thus proving to the world that it was possible to build a safe, heavier-than-air flying machine. Hargrave’s radical design for a wing that could support far more than its own weight opened up opportunities for other inventors to develop the design for commercial purposes. Hargrave never patented his designs, so did not receive the recognition he deserved.

From 1966 to 1994 the Australian 20 dollar note featured Hargrave on the reverse.

 

[RnR]

29 January 1856 – Queen Victoria issues a Warrant under the Royal sign-manual that establishes the Victoria Cross to recognise acts of valour by British military personnel during the Crimean War.

The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest award of the United Kingdom honours system. It is awarded for gallantry “in the presence of the enemy” to members of the British armed forces. It was previously awarded to Commonwealth countries, most of which have now established their own honours systems.

Queen Victoria issued a Warrant on 29 January 1856 that officially constituted the VC.

The order was backdated to 1854 to recognise acts of valour during the Crimean War. Since the first awards were presented by Queen Victoria in 1857, two thirds of all awards have been personally presented by the British monarch. These investitures are usually held at Buckingham Palace.

Queen Victoria distributing Crimean War medals. Line engraving, 1856. Victoria Cross.

Since then, the medal has been awarded 1,358 times to 1,355 individual recipients. Only 15 medals, 11 to members of the British Army, and four to the Australian Army, have been awarded since the Second World War. The Victoria Cross was extended to colonial troops in 1867. The first ceremony was held on 26 June 1857 at which Queen Victoria invested 62 of the 111 Crimean recipients in a ceremony in Hyde Park, London.

Queen Victoria presenting the first Victoria Cross medals in Hyde Park, 26 June 1857.

The traditional explanation of the source of the metal from which the medals are struck is that it derives from Russian cannon captured at the Siege of Sevastopol. Some research has suggested a variety of origins for the material. Research has established that the metal for most of the medals made since December 1914 came from two Chinese cannons that were captured from the Russians in 1855.

The barrels of the Chinese cannon are on display at Firepower – The Royal Artillery Museum at Woolwich. The remaining portion of the only remaining cascabel, weighing 10 kilograms, is stored in a vault maintained by 15 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps at MoD Donnington. It can only be removed under armed guard. It is estimated that approximately 80 to 85 more VCs could be cast from this source. A single company of jewellers, Hancocks of London, has been responsible for the production of every VC awarded since its inception.

The Victoria Cross cannons.

The VC collection of businessman and politician Lord Ashcroft, amassed since 1986, contains 162 medals, over one-tenth of all VCs awarded. It is the largest collection of such decorations. In July 2008 it was announced that Ashcroft was to donate £5 million for a permanent gallery at the Imperial War Museum where the 50 VCs held by the museum will be put on display alongside his collection. The Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum opened on 12 November 2010 containing a total of 210 VCs and 31 GCs.

Prior to November 2010, the largest collection of VCs on public display was held by the Australian War Memorial, whose collection includes all nine VCs awarded to Australians at Gallipoli. Of the 100 medals awarded to Australians (96 VCs, and 4 VCs for Australia), this collection contains around 70 medals, including 3 medals awarded to British soldiers.

List of Australian Victoria Cross recipients.

The Hall of Valour at the Australian War Memorial honours the one hundred Australians who have received the Victoria Cross and the nine Australian Defence personnel who have directly received the George Cross.

 

[mellowyellow]

Great pics and info RnR, your previous career (as a teacher) shines through every post.

 

[moviequeen1]

Jan 29th
1892
Coca Cola Company was incorporated in Atlanta Georgia
1924
Carl Taylor in Cleveland,Ohio patented the ice cream cone rolling machine
1978
Sweden become the 1st country to ban aerosol sprays due to the harmful effect on the ozone layer

 

[mellowyellow]

Nine monarchs at the funeral of Edward VII, 1910. Standing are Haakon VII of Norway, Ferdinand of Bulgaria, Manuel II of Portugal, Wilhelm II of Germany, George I of Greece and Albert I of Belgium. Seated are Alfonso XIII of Spain, George V of the UK, and Frederick VIII of Denmark.

 

[Tish]

This day in History

30/01/1848 - California Gold Rush
James Marshall finds the first gold nugget in 1848 at Coloma, California leading to more than half a million people rushing to California to find Gold



30/01/1933 - Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party (or Nazi Party), becomes chancellor of Germany



30/01/1948 - Mahatma Gandhi assassinated
After angering Hindu extremeists with his effort to bring peace to his beloved India by going on hunger strike to stop the fighting by his own countrymen and nearly dying from his fast Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in New Delhi by a terrorist sponsored by a right-wing Hindu militia group.




30/01/1924 Northern Ireland Civil Rights Demonstrators
Northern Ireland Civil Rights demonstrators were gunned down on this day in 1924. They were shot by British Army Paratroopers.
There were 13 demonstrators in all that last their lives for the Catholic cause in this locality (Northern Ireland). The marchers were in protest of certain British policies concerning the internment (holding) of alleged Irish nationalists. (Nationalists are citizens of a country fighting for independence.)
This was one event of many that happened during the time of this Northern Ireland crisis. This particular conflict had continued for a few decades after this. The climax of this particular Irish crisis occurred in 1969, which was when British troops were sent to this location (Ireland) in an attempt to squelch the nationalist movement.
Peace agreements between the British and Northern Ireland did not actually occurred until the late 1990s. Part of the peace agreement included the dissolution (discontinuation) of the IRA.



30/01/1930 - Route 80
Route 80 is expected to be paved as of this year from East Moline to Port Byron. After this project was to be completed, this road would extend to the Wisconsin state line

30/01/1952 - Korea Truce Talks
After many weeks truce talks aimed at ending the fighting in the Korean War between North and South Korea remain unresolved. ( A truce is agreed eventualy in July 1953 )

30/01/1961 State of The Union
JFK's State of the Union Address was very somber this year. It included a recount of the collapsing economy that had been happening for several months by this time.



30/01/1968 Vietnam Tet Offensive
The Viet Cong launched surprise attacks in South Vietnam , beginning the Tet Offensive. The Communist offensive is one of the bloodiest of the war with thousands of Viet Cong suicide squads sent to certain death in an effort to humiliate the Americans and Vietnamese.

30/01/1991 Saudi Arabia Desert Storm
1991 : Iraqi troops have seize control of a Al Khafji inside the Saudi Arabian border after a fierce battle in which both sides suffer casualties. This is now the 14th day of Desert Storm and shows the Iraqis are not beaten yet.

30/01/2000 - Kenya Plane Crash
A plan crashed after takeoff on this day. This plane was just leaving Kenya Airways, and only 10 people of the 179 people on board survived. This accident had just happened so fast that no one even was able to take the time to put on life support.

30/01/2002 - Ice Storm
2002 : A severe ice storm strikes Oklahoma and surrounding states. causing some of the region's infrastructure to crumble and electric transformers exploded in some places.

30/01/2003 Shoe Bomber Sentenced
2003 : British-born "shoe bomber" Richard Reid has been sentenced to life in prison after he tried to blow up a transatlantic flight from Paris to Miami.

30/01/2011 Anti-Government Protests in Egypt Continue
Protests in Egypt continued for a sixth day across Egypt as citizens demanded President Mubarak step down. Protesters clashed with police forces and there were reports of over 100 deaths from the violence.

30/01/2013 South Korea Launches Space Rocket
South Korea successfully launched a space rocket that was carrying a satellite after two previous failed attempts. Officials stated that the satellite would be used to collect climate data.

30/01/2014 Long-Serving Congressman Retires
2014 : US Congressman Henry Waxman announced that he would retire from office after serving in Congress for twenty terms. Waxman was elected as a Democrat in California in 1974 and had been a proponent of clean air initiatives, he had also been a key player in the formation of President Obama's Affordable Care Act.

 

[RnR]

30 January 1661 – Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, is ritually executed more than two years after his death, on the 12th anniversary of the execution of the monarch he himself deposed.

Oliver Cromwell (1599–1658) was an English military and political leader serving as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1653 until his death. Cromwell was succeeded as Lord Protector by his son Richard. Although not entirely without ability, Richard had no power base in either Parliament or the Army, and was forced to resign in May 1659. The lack of clear leadership enabled George Monck, the English governor of Scotland, at the head of New Model Army regiments was able to march on London, and restore the Long Parliament and make the necessary constitutional adjustments so Charles II could be invited back from exile in 1660 to be king under a restored monarchy.

Charles’ new parliament ordered the disinterment of Cromwell’s body from Westminster Abbey and the disinterment of other regicides John Bradshaw and Henry Ireton, for a posthumous execution at Tyburn.

The execution of the bodies of Cromwell, Bradshaw and Ireton. From a contemporary print.

On 30 January 1661, the 12th anniversary of the execution of Charles I, Cromwell’s body was exhumed from Westminster Abbey, and was subjected to a posthumous execution, as were the remains of Robert Blake, John Bradshaw and Henry Ireton. The body of Cromwell’s daughter was allowed to remain buried in the Abbey. His disinterred body was hanged in chains at Tyburn, and then thrown into a pit.

Cromwell’s severed head was displayed on a spiked pole outside Westminster Hall until 1685, when a storm broke the pole, throwing Cromwell’s head to the ground.

Afterwards Cromwell’s head was allegedly owned by various people, including a documented sale in 1814 to Josiah Henry Wilkinson, and was publicly exhibited several times before being buried beneath the floor of the antechapel at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, in 1960. The exact position was not publicly disclosed, but a plaque marks the approximate location.

Advertisement for the Hughes brothers’ exhibition of Cromwell’s head, 1799. The exhibition was a failure. Plaque at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, commemorating the burial of Cromwell’s head in 1960. Cromwell’s head.

The Cromwell vault was later used as a burial place for Charles II’s illegitimate descendants. In Westminster Abbey, the site of Cromwell’s burial was marked during the 19th century by a floor stone in what is now the Air Force Chapel, reading “The burial place of Oliver Cromwell 1658–1661”.

Oliver Cromwell’s Head.

 

[RnR]

30 January 1854 – The first Cobb & Co coach departs Melbourne for the Forest Creek goldfields.

When gold was discovered in Victoria in the 1850s people from all over the world rushed to the ‘diggings’ and mining settlements sprang up overnight. These new towns needed fast and reliable transport. Four young Americans – Freeman Cobb, John Murray Peck, James Swanton and John Lambert started a stagecoach company like those in the United States. The first Cobb & Co. coach ran on 30 January 1854 carrying passengers from Melbourne to the Forest Creek Diggings, now Castlemaine, in half the time of its competitors.
Chinese passengers leaving for the diggings by Cobb & Co. coach, Castlemaine, Victoria. State Library of Victoria.

Within months, the firm’s reputation for speed and efficiency was running the competition off the road. There were two main reasons for Cobb & Co’s record-breaking pace:
The first was the design of the coaches. At the time, most Australian coaching companies were using English vehicles, which had heavy, rigid bodies and stiff metal springs unsuitable to the Australian bush. Instead Freeman Cobb imported Concord coaches, which had been designed for travel in the American West. They had rounded, lightweight and supple bodies resting on leather straps called thorough braces. The result was a much smoother, faster ride. Cobb also employed experienced drivers from America and Canada who were used to driving coaches in the American West. The second reason was Cobb & Co’s placement of changing stations every 10-20 miles or so along their routes – compared with the much greater distances of its competitors. Fresh horses meant the coaches could maintain high speeds across long distances.

Cobb & Co coaches carried passengers and mail for 70 years and carried passengers and mail in every mainland colony of Australia as well as New Zealand, South Africa and Japan.
Cobb & Co coach at Palmerston in Otago, New Zealand in the 1880s. William P. Hart photographer, Museum of New Zealand.

The advent of the motor vehicle in the early 20th Century, as well as the political and economic effects of World War I, saw the general decline of the coaching industry with operations across Australia eventually superseded by the expansion of railway networks, the arrival of cheap, reliable automobiles and the emergence of Air Mail. This led to the eventual closure of Cobb & Co. The last Australian Cobb & Co stagecoach ran in Queensland in August 1924.

 

[RnR]

30 January 1969 – The Beatles’ last public performance, a rooftop concert on top of Apple Records in London. The impromptu concert is broken up by the police.

The Beatles’ rooftop concert was the final public performance of the English rock band the Beatles. On 30 January 1969, the band, with keyboardist Billy Preston, surprised a central London office and fashion district with an impromptu concert from the roof of the headquarters of the band’s multimedia corporation Apple Corps at 3 Savile Row.

It is uncertain who had the idea for a rooftop concert, but the suggestion was conceived just days before the actual event. In a 42-minute set, the Beatles were heard playing nine takes of five songs before the Metropolitan Police Service asked them to reduce the volume.
Footage from the performance was later used in the 1970 documentary film Let It Be.

When the Beatles first started playing, there was some confusion from spectators watching five stories below, many of whom were on their lunch break. As the news of the event spread, crowds of onlookers began to congregate in the streets and on the roofs of local buildings. While most responded positively to the concert, the Metropolitan Police Service grew concerned about noise and traffic issues. Apple employees initially refused to let police inside, ultimately reconsidering when threatened with arrest. As police ascended to the roof, the Beatles realised that the concert would eventually be shut down, but continued to play “Get Back” for several more minutes.

Video:

 

[mellowyellow]

30 January 1661 – Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, is ritually executed more than two years after his death, on the 12th anniversary of the execution of the monarch he himself deposed.

Oliver Cromwell (1599–1658) was an English military and political leader serving as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1653 until his death. Cromwell was succeeded as Lord Protector by his son Richard. Although not entirely without ability, Richard had no power base in either Parliament or the Army, and was forced to resign in May 1659. The lack of clear leadership enabled George Monck, the English governor of Scotland, at the head of New Model Army regiments was able to march on London, and restore the Long Parliament and make the necessary constitutional adjustments so Charles II could be invited back from exile in 1660 to be king under a restored monarchy.

Charles’ new parliament ordered the disinterment of Cromwell’s body from Westminster Abbey and the disinterment of other regicides John Bradshaw and Henry Ireton, for a posthumous execution at Tyburn.

The execution of the bodies of Cromwell, Bradshaw and Ireton. From a contemporary print.

On 30 January 1661, the 12th anniversary of the execution of Charles I, Cromwell’s body was exhumed from Westminster Abbey, and was subjected to a posthumous execution, as were the remains of Robert Blake, John Bradshaw and Henry Ireton. The body of Cromwell’s daughter was allowed to remain buried in the Abbey. His disinterred body was hanged in chains at Tyburn, and then thrown into a pit.

Cromwell’s severed head was displayed on a spiked pole outside Westminster Hall until 1685, when a storm broke the pole, throwing Cromwell’s head to the ground.

Afterwards Cromwell’s head was allegedly owned by various people, including a documented sale in 1814 to Josiah Henry Wilkinson, and was publicly exhibited several times before being buried beneath the floor of the antechapel at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, in 1960. The exact position was not publicly disclosed, but a plaque marks the approximate location.

Advertisement for the Hughes brothers’ exhibition of Cromwell’s head, 1799. The exhibition was a failure. Plaque at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, commemorating the burial of Cromwell’s head in 1960. Cromwell’s head.

The Cromwell vault was later used as a burial place for Charles II’s illegitimate descendants. In Westminster Abbey, the site of Cromwell’s burial was marked during the 19th century by a floor stone in what is now the Air Force Chapel, reading “The burial place of Oliver Cromwell 1658–1661”.

Oliver Cromwell’s Head.

For a short time he made England a republic and supported parliament against the king but then ordered his soldiers to break it up. A bit confusing.




+

 

[mellowyellow]

30 January 1854 – The first Cobb & Co coach departs Melbourne for the Forest Creek goldfields.

When gold was discovered in Victoria in the 1850s people from all over the world rushed to the ‘diggings’ and mining settlements sprang up overnight. These new towns needed fast and reliable transport. Four young Americans – Freeman Cobb, John Murray Peck, James Swanton and John Lambert started a stagecoach company like those in the United States. The first Cobb & Co. coach ran on 30 January 1854 carrying passengers from Melbourne to the Forest Creek Diggings, now Castlemaine, in half the time of its competitors.
Chinese passengers leaving for the diggings by Cobb & Co. coach, Castlemaine, Victoria. State Library of Victoria.

Within months, the firm’s reputation for speed and efficiency was running the competition off the road. There were two main reasons for Cobb & Co’s record-breaking pace:
The first was the design of the coaches. At the time, most Australian coaching companies were using English vehicles, which had heavy, rigid bodies and stiff metal springs unsuitable to the Australian bush. Instead Freeman Cobb imported Concord coaches, which had been designed for travel in the American West. They had rounded, lightweight and supple bodies resting on leather straps called thorough braces. The result was a much smoother, faster ride. Cobb also employed experienced drivers from America and Canada who were used to driving coaches in the American West. The second reason was Cobb & Co’s placement of changing stations every 10-20 miles or so along their routes – compared with the much greater distances of its competitors. Fresh horses meant the coaches could maintain high speeds across long distances.

Cobb & Co coaches carried passengers and mail for 70 years and carried passengers and mail in every mainland colony of Australia as well as New Zealand, South Africa and Japan.
Cobb & Co coach at Palmerston in Otago, New Zealand in the 1880s. William P. Hart photographer, Museum of New Zealand.

The advent of the motor vehicle in the early 20th Century, as well as the political and economic effects of World War I, saw the general decline of the coaching industry with operations across Australia eventually superseded by the expansion of railway networks, the arrival of cheap, reliable automobiles and the emergence of Air Mail. This led to the eventual closure of Cobb & Co. The last Australian Cobb & Co stagecoach ran in Queensland in August 1924.

Can't imagine posh ladies in long skirts bumping along the road for hours in these little coaches. lol

 

[Pam]

30th January

1606 Sir Everard Digby, Thomas Winter, John Grant and Thomas Bates, who along with others, had tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in November 1605 were hanged, drawn and quartered for thier part in the 'Gunpowder Plot'.

1790 The first purpose built lifeboat, The Original, was launched on the River Tyne at South Shields. The boat was 28 feet long and was rowed by up to 12 crew for whom cork life jackets were provided.

1965 The state funeral, in London, of Sir Winston Churchill, former Prime Minister of Britain. It was the biggest state funeral of its kind since the burial of the Duke of Wellington in 1852.

2015 Sir Jay Tidmarsh, Lord-Lieutenant of Bristol between 1996 and 2007, found an old school library book as he cleared his shelves. He decided to return the book to Taunton School, in Somerset, and made a £1,500 donation to the library in lieu of a fine for not returning the book for 65 years.

 

[moviequeen1]

What I'm about to say I truly don't want to hurt any body's feelings but this needs to be addressed. When I started this thread in Feb '19, it was because I love history,my intention was to post just a few history facts every day from the past to the present.I've been pleasantly surprised by the response
Now its become something different,I'm annoyed to see every day an entire page of history facts,I feel my thread has been taken over by others All I ask is for everybody to do 4-5 history facts,otherwise I won't be posting here any longer Thanks Sue

 

[Tish]

This day in History


31/01/1961 - Chimp in Space
1961 : A chimpanzee named Ham sent into space by the United States has been recovered alive and well. The test was one of many planned to ensure that a human being could survive space flight, think clearly and perform useful functions outside the Earth's atmosphere.



31/01/2000 - Dr Harold Shipman
Family GP Dr Harold Shipman is jailed for life for murdering 15 of his patients, he was also suspected of killing more than 100 other patients but did not confess to them. Dr Harold Shipman is now Britain's most prolific convicted serial killer.



31/01/1953 - Europe The Great Storm
A major storm with winds in excess of 100 MPH caused flooding in 3 countries with North Sea coastal areas killing a total of more than 2,000 people in the Netherlands Great Britain and Belgium.



31/01/1917 - Submarine Warfare
Germany restarts unlimited submarine warfare in the Atlantic, and German torpedo armed submarines announce they will attack any and all ships, including civilian passenger ships.



31/01/1945 - World War II Burma Route Opened
A main route was created from India to China for the purpose of transporting Allied military troops (troops opposing Hitler and his army). This path was established via the country of Burma, which provided the link from the two above-mentioned countries. The Bridge on the River Kwai was part of that route.



-Cont.....

 

[mellowyellow]

January 31
1804 British vice-admiral William Bligh’s fleet reaches Curacao

Why Famous: William Bligh was the commander of a British naval expedition to procure a source of food to feed slaves in the Caribbean plantations, breadfruit from Tahiti in the South Pacific.

On their return voyage, Bligh's men were so enraged by their commander's antagonistic attitude, he in turn believed them incompetent, that a mutiny led by Fletcher Christian occurred 3 weeks into their voyage. Bligh and 18 men were turfed into a 6-metre launch and then made the remarkable 5,800 kilometer voyage to Timor.

Bligh did go on to further commands, disastrously he served as Governor of New South Wales 1806-08 and his abusive attitudes helped spark the Rum Rebellion and he was removed from his post.

 

[Tish]

Cont... This day in History

31/01/1950 - Hydrogen Bomb
President Truman approved U.S. construction of the hydrogen bomb, a weapon potentially 1,000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb.




31/01/1961 Americans Jailed for Bringing Arms
Six Americans were sentenced to prison for 30 years in Cuba. These prisoners were serving a sentence after being charge with bringing arms to anti-Castro "guerrillas."
The Americans that were arrested and tried guilty said they had stolen a boat to use to defend the Castro revolution. Minister Fidel Castro himself was said to have taken up this case.

31/01/1968 Viet Cong Suicide Squad
A 19 man Viet Cong suicide squad seized the U.S. Embassy in Saigon and held it for six hours until an assault force of U.S. paratroopers landed by helicopter on the building's roof and took back control. This signaled the beginning of the Offensive began by Viet Cong forces.





31/01/1971 Apollo 14
1971 : Apollo 14, is launched and piloted by astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell, and Stuart A. Roosa, on a manned mission to the moon.



31/01/2003 Australia Train Crash
2003 : A Tangara inter city train coming from Central Station Sydney leaves Waterfall railway station on route to Port Kembla Station Train Driver suffers a heart attack and the train approaches a curve rated for 37MPH at over 73 mph causing the train to derail, overturn and collide with the rocky walls of the gorge.



31/01/2014 Oldest Flamingo Dies
2014 : A flamingo named "Greater" died at the age of eighty-three in the Adelaide Zoo in Australia. The flamingo was believed to be the oldest of its kind still alive on Earth. Greater had been put to sleep after suffering complications from old age. Greater the flamingo was a member of the greater flamingo species, Phoenicopterus roseus.

 

[mellowyellow]

Cont... This day in History

31/01/1950 - Hydrogen Bomb
President Truman approved U.S. construction of the hydrogen bomb, a weapon potentially 1,000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb.

View attachment 147063


31/01/1961 Americans Jailed for Bringing Arms
Six Americans were sentenced to prison for 30 years in Cuba. These prisoners were serving a sentence after being charge with bringing arms to anti-Castro "guerrillas."
The Americans that were arrested and tried guilty said they had stolen a boat to use to defend the Castro revolution. Minister Fidel Castro himself was said to have taken up this case.

31/01/1968 Viet Cong Suicide Squad
A 19 man Viet Cong suicide squad seized the U.S. Embassy in Saigon and held it for six hours until an assault force of U.S. paratroopers landed by helicopter on the building's roof and took back control. This signaled the beginning of the Offensive began by Viet Cong forces.

View attachment 147066



31/01/1971 Apollo 14
1971 : Apollo 14, is launched and piloted by astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell, and Stuart A. Roosa, on a manned mission to the moon.

View attachment 147067

31/01/2003 Australia Train Crash
2003 : A Tangara inter city train coming from Central Station Sydney leaves Waterfall railway station on route to Port Kembla Station Train Driver suffers a heart attack and the train approaches a curve rated for 37MPH at over 73 mph causing the train to derail, overturn and collide with the rocky walls of the gorge.

View attachment 147068

31/01/2014 Oldest Flamingo Dies
2014 : A flamingo named "Greater" died at the age of eighty-three in the Adelaide Zoo in Australia. The flamingo was believed to be the oldest of its kind still alive on Earth. Greater had been put to sleep after suffering complications from old age. Greater the flamingo was a member of the greater flamingo species, Phoenicopterus roseus.

View attachment 147069T

What a lovely pic of the flamingo

 

[Dana]

What I'm about to say I truly don't want to hurt any body's feelings but this needs to be addressed. When I started this thread in Feb '19, it was because I love history,my intention was to post just a few history facts every day from the past to the present.I've been pleasantly surprised by the response
Now its become something different,I'm annoyed to see every day an entire page of history facts,I feel my thread has been taken over by others All I ask is for everybody to do 4-5 history facts,otherwise I won't be posting here any longer Thanks Sue

Totally agree with you !!!!

 

[Pecos]

Totally agree with you !!!!

So do I. A single item with photos or a little amplification would be fine. but page after page gets to be too much and I have considered bypassing this thread because of it.

Short succinct items work the best for me and I typically visited this thread every day, but now it has turned into something else with too much cut and paste. I know that these posts are well meaning, but ......

 

[Dana]

What am I doing wrong? When I post like "you" shows up instead of my name!