Scott Allsop's Blog, page 255
May 19, 2017
20th May 1873: Levi Strauss & Co. patent riveted blue jeans
On the 20th May 1873, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis secured the patent for riveted blue jeans. The rivets strengthened the jeans, reducing the likelihood of tearing and making them perfect for manual labour. Strauss...
May 18, 2017
19th May 1919: Mustafa Kemal arrives in Samsun and begins the Turkish War of Independence
The Turkish War of Independence began when General Mustafa Kemal Pasha, the Inspector of the Ottoman 9th Army and later known as Atatürk, arrived at the town of Samsun on the Black Sea Coast. The...
May 17, 2017
18th May 1291: Siege of Acre signals end of Crusader influence
On the 18th May 1291, the Crusader-controlled city of Acre was seized by the Muslim forces of the Mamluk Sultan Al-Ashraf Khalil. The Siege of Acre, sometimes known as the Fall of Acre, marked the...
May 16, 2017
17th May 1943: Royal Air Force No. 617 Squadron carries out the ‘Dambusters’ raids
Royal Air Force No. 617 Squadron attacked German dams in Operation Chastise, otherwise known as the Dambuster Raids. 617 Squadron was formed specifically to attack three major dams that provided hydro-electric power and water to...
May 15, 2017
16th May 1966: Start of the Cultural Revolution in China
The ‘May 16th Notification’ of 1966 effectively started the Cultural Revolution in China. The notification suggested that the Communist Party had been infiltrated by enemies of Communism, and that only Mao Zedong’s leadership could remove...
May 14, 2017
15th May 1940: The first McDonald’s restaurant opened in San Bernadino, California
Richard and Maurice McDonald opened the first McDonald’s restaurant in San Bernardino, California. The McDonald brothers had successfully run the ‘Airdrome’ hotdog stand in Arcadia, California, for three years before they began their first McDonald’s...
May 13, 2017
14th May 1796: Edward Jenner vaccinates against smallpox
On the 14th May 1796, English physician and scientist Edward Jenner purposefully infected 8-year James Phipps with cowpox. Rather than committing an act of gross medical negligence, Jenner was actually scientifically testing – and proving...
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...
