Scott Allsop's Blog, page 14

17th February 1936: ‘The Phantom’ comic strip published for the first time, widely regarded as the first costumed superhero

The Phantom's distinctive appearance of a skin-tight purple costume, domino mask, and striped trunks became iconic, influencing later superheroes in comic book ...

15th February 1965: Canada officially adopts its national flag of a red maple leaf on a white square between two vertical red bars

A special parliamentary committee reviewed over 5,900 submissions, ultimately settling on a design created by historian George F. G. Stanley that featured a stylized red maple leaf with 11 points, with the red and white derived from Canada’s official ...

13th February 1945: Allied bombing of Dresden begins during the final months of World War II

The destruction of Dresden was extensive, with vast areas of the city reduced to rubble. While some argue the attack was a necessary military operation to disrupt German supply lines and weaken morale, others contend that the scale of destruction and the civilian toll were disproportionate, particularly given the advanced stage of the war and Germany’s declining capacity to ...

12th February 1963: Construction begins on the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri.

The Gateway Arch was designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen to honour the role of St. Louis in the westward expansion of the United States. It was officially opened to the public on June 10, 1967, coon becoming one of the most recognizable landmarks in the United States, attracting millions of visitors each ...

10th February 1940: First Tom and Jerry cartoon, Puss Gets the Boot, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Puss Gets the Boot was created by animators William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1941. This led to the studio deciding to continue producing cartoons with the characters, which were soon renamed Tom and ...

9th February 1895: Volleyball invented by William G. Morgan

Volleyball was invented by William G. Morgan, the Director of Physical Education at the YMCA in Holyoke, ...

8th February 1950: The Stasi formally established in East Germany as the Ministry for State Security

The Stasi used blackmail, intimidation, and imprisonment, as well as psychological manipulation, to target perceived dissidents. By the time the organisation’s activities ended following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the Stasi was regarded as one of the most effective intelligence agencies of the Cold War ...

6th February 1819: Modern Singapore established with the signing of the Treaty of Singapore

Sir Stamford Raffles, who had been appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen in modern Indonesia, had identified Singapore as an ideal location for the British East India company due to its natural harbour and strategic position along the Straits of ...

4th February 1703: Forty six of the Forty-Seven Rōnin commit seppuku after avenging the death of their master

47 of Asano Naganori's former samurai plotted to avenge their lord’s death from seppuku after he attacked Kira ...

31st January 1918: Battle of May Island damages and sinks Royal Navy vessels during accidental collisions in thick fog

The Battle of May Island was not an actual battle but rather a peacetime disaster caused by miscommunication and navigational errors near the Isle of May in the Firth of Forth in Scotland during World War ...