Scott Allsop's Blog, page 238
November 3, 2017
4th November 1839: The Newport Rising armed rebellion takes place in south Wales
Focusing on reform of the electoral system to improve the conditions of the working class, the release of the People’s Charter in 1838 had prompted the creation of the national working-class Chartist protest movement. William...
November 2, 2017
3rd November 1957: Laika the dog becomes first animal in orbit
On the 3rd November 1957, Laika the dog became the first animal to enter orbit around the Earth when she was launched into space on board the Soviet spacecraft Sputnik 2. Laika was never intended...
November 1, 2017
2nd November 1868: New Zealand becomes the first country to use standardised time
Prior to the adoption of universally accepted time zones, the vast majority of settlements around the world observed local mean solar time. Because of variations in geographical longitude, this meant that different towns and cities...
October 31, 2017
1st November 1911: First ever aerial bombing takes place during the Italo-Turkish War
On the 1st November 1911, the first aerial bombing took place when Italian Lieutenant Giulio Gavotti dropped four grenades on Turkish troops in Libya. Although unmanned balloons had been used by Austrian troops to carry...
October 30, 2017
31st October 1922: The cabinet of Benito Mussolini formally takes power in Italy
Mussolini, who was determined to restore the glory of the Roman Empire following the ‘mutilated victory’ of the First World War, had formed the precursor to the Fascist Party in 1919. His skill as an...
October 29, 2017
30th October 1938: War of the Worlds by Orson Welles is broadcast
On the 30th October 1938, Orson Welles directed and narrated a radio adaptation of The War of the Worlds as part of the Mercury Theatre on the Air. Despite its relatively low audience figures, the...
October 28, 2017
29th October 1618: Sir Walter Raleigh beheaded for treason against James I in the Main Plot
Raleigh had been a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I, who granted him permission to lead three expeditions to the Americas. Although he had inspired the Queen’s fury after secretly marrying one of her ladies-in-waiting, Raleigh...
October 27, 2017
28th October 1962: Cuban Missile Crisis ends with USSR’s agreement to remove missiles
At 9:00 am on the 28th October 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis ended when Soviet Premier Khrushchev agreed to remove Russian nuclear missiles from the island of Cuba. Although the missiles were identified by American...
October 26, 2017
27th October 1988: Ronald Reagan halts construction of the new US embassy in Moscow
Negotiations over the building of new embassies for the two superpowers were completed in 1969. Bugs had been discovered in the old US building in Moscow just three years earlier but, amidst the improving relations...
October 25, 2017
26th October 1860: Garibaldi hands southern Italy to Victor Emmanuel II
On the 26th October 1860 Giuseppe Garibaldi met with Victor Emanuel II, the King of Sardinia, at Teano and handed him control of southern Italy. Hailing him as King of Italy, Garibaldi’s surrender of the...
