Scott Allsop's Blog, page 30

17th July 1917: King George V changes the name of the British royal family to the House of Windsor

Amidst enormous anti-German sentiment during the First World War, King George V made a historic proclamation that all descendants of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in the male line, who were British subjects, would bear the surname ...

16th July 1935: World’s first parking meter installed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

The meters were installed along the southeast corner of First Street and Robinson Avenue in downtown Oklahoma City, and charged 5 cents per hour. They proved effective in regulating parking spaces and ensuring a higher turnover rate, which benefited local ...

15th July 1815: Napoleon Bonaparte voluntarily surrenders to the British

Napoleon Bonaparte voluntarily surrendered to British Captain Maitland on board the Royal Navy ship HMS ...

14th July 1915: McMahon-Hussein Correspondence begins, resulting in the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire in World War I

While Hussein believed Britain had agreed to recognise a vast independent Arab state, the British maintained that certain areas were excluded. This ambiguity went on to fuel later tensions and conflict in the Middle ...

13th July 1863: New York City draft riots mark the largest civil urban disturbance in American history

Over 100 people were killed in the riots and thousands more were injured. In addition, millions of dollars of damage was caused to buildings and ...

12th July 1862: Creation of the Congressional Medal of Honor

A resolution to create the U.S. Army Medal of Honor was authorised by Congress and signed into law by President Abraham ...

11th July 1804: Vice President Aaron Burr fatally wounds Alexander Hamilton, former Secretary of the Treasury, in a duel

Hamilton’s death shocked the nation, as he was a leading figure in American politics and instrumental in the country’s ...

10th July 1913: Highest recorded temperature on Earth

The highest temperature ever recorded on Earth was measured at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, ...

9th July 1762: Catherine the Great becomes Empress of Russia following a coup against her husband, Peter III

Peter III ascended the throne in January 1762 and within just six months had alienated key segments of Russian society. Meanwhile Catherine had garnered support from a number of key individuals due to her alignment with Russian ...

7th July 1952: SS United States establishes the record for the fastest transatlantic crossing by an ocean liner

SS United States secured the Blue Riband, an accolade awarded to the passenger liner crossing the Atlantic with the highest average speed, and continues to hold the record to this ...