Scott Allsop's Blog, page 252
May 12, 2017
13th May 1950: First #Formula1 World Championship Grand Prix race at Silverstone
The first Formula One World Championship Grand Prix race took place at the Silverstone circuit in England. Formula One racing can trace its origins back to the European Grand Prix championships that took place in...
May 11, 2017
12th May 1949: Stalin lifts the Berlin Blockade
On May 12th 1949, the Soviet Union ended its blockade of West Berlin. Instigated on the 24th June the previous year, the blockade prevented all rail, road, and water transport between Berlin and the West...
May 10, 2017
11th May 868: The world’s earliest dated printed book created in China
The world’s earliest dated printed book, a copy of the Diamond Sutra, was created in China. The book itself is actually a scroll measuring just over 5 meters, and which was made from seven separate...
May 9, 2017
10th May 1941: Rudolf Hess secretly flies to Scotland to seek peace
On the 10th May 1941 Deputy Fuhrer of the German Party, Rudolf Hess, flew from Germany to Scotland on a mission to strike a peace deal with the British government. Other than a couple of...
May 8, 2017
9th May 1671: Colonel Thomas Blood attempts to steal the Crown Jewels
Colonel Thomas Blood attempted to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London. Blood was born in Ireland but travelled to England in 1642 following the outbreak of the English Civil War. Having originally...
May 7, 2017
8th May 1945: Victory in Europe Day after Germany surrenders
The 8th May 1945 was Victory in Europe Day – a public holiday to celebrate the end of the Second World War. The act of military surrender was authorised by Nazi leader Karl Dönitz, who...
May 6, 2017
7th May 1915: RMS Lusitania sunk by the German U-Boat, U-20
The British ship RMS Lusitania sank after being attacked by the German U-boat U-20 off the coast of Ireland. The Lusitania was launched by the Cunard Line in 1906 and was one of the largest...
May 5, 2017
6th May 1937: The Hindenburg airship disaster in New Jersey
On the 6th May 1937, the German passenger airship LZ 129 Hindenburg experienced a mid-air explosion at Lakehurst, New Jersey and was engulfed in flames in just 32 seconds. At the time, the Hindenburg was...
May 4, 2017
5th May 1912: Russian Communist newspaper Pravda first published
Pravda, the official newspaper of what became the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, was first published. Prior to the foundation of the CPSU many revolutionary socialists belonged to the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party....
May 3, 2017
4th May 1932: Al Capone imprisoned for income tax evasion
On the 4th May 1932, Al Capone began life as a convict in Atlanta Federal Penitentiary. Found guilty on October 17th 1931 of Federal Income Tax Evasion, he was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment. Capone...
