Scott Allsop's Blog, page 237

9th October 1410: The Prague Astronomical Clock first noted in a medieval document

Known as the Orloj, the astronomical clock was designed and built by the Imperial clockmaker Mikuláš of Kadaň and Charles University professor Jan Šindel. Consisting of three main components, the astronomical dial and the mechanical...

8th October 1829: Robert Stephenson’s locomotive Rocket wins the Rainhill Trials

On the 8th October 1829, Robert Stephenson’s steam locomotive The Rocket won the Rainhill Trials and secured a prize of £500 and the contract for Robert Stephenson and Company to produce locomotives for the new...

7th October 1879: Germany and Austria Hungary form the Dual Alliance

A series of three wars in less than a decade had seen the creation of a unified Germany directed by the Realpolitik of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Keen to consolidate the newly-united country, he turned...

6th October 1981: Egyptian President Anwar Sadat assassinated by terrorists

On the 6th October 1981 Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was assassinated by members of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, a terrorist group that was enraged by the peace treaty he had negotiated with Israel. His assassins...

5th October 1936: The Jarrow March departs for London

The Tyneside town of Jarrow had been the site for Palmer’s Shipyard that was responsible for a large proportion of the town’s employment. Having operated since 1851, the yard was sold in 1933 due to...

4th October 1582: Gregorian calendar introduced by Pope Gregory XIII

On the 4th October 1582, Pope Gregory XIII implemented the Gregorian calendar. Although this calendar is now the most widely used calendar in the world, it was initially only adopted by the Catholic Church and...

3rd October 1918: Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria comes to the throne

Boris III became Tsar of Bulgaria at the end of the First World War, just four days after his father, Ferdinand I, signed the Armistice of Thessalonica with the Allied Powers. In order to save...

2nd October 1187: Saladin captures Jerusalem from Crusaders

On 2nd October 1187, the Siege of Jerusalem came to an end when Saladin captured the city from the crusaders who had ruled the city since 1099. Having been defeated at the Battle of Hattin...

1st October 1949: Mao Zedong declares the establishment of the People’s Republic of China

The Chinese Communists in the People’s Liberation Army had been fighting the second stage of a long and costly civil war against the Nationalist forces of Chiang Kai-shek, known as the Kuomintang, since shortly after...

30th September 1967: BBC Radio 1 begins broadcasting

At 7am on the 30th September 1967, the words “… And, good morning everyone. Welcome to the exciting new sound of Radio 1” launched the BBC’s new popular music station. Created to compete with the...