Scott Allsop's Blog, page 5

6th July 1988: Piper Alpha oil platform destroyed by a series of explosions in the deadliest offshore oil disaster in history

The public inquiry into the Piper Alpha oil platform disaster identified numerous failings in maintenance procedures, communication, design, and emergency ...

5th July 1865: United States Secret Service established in Washington, D.C., by the Department of the Treasury

Although the Secret Service is now most commonly associated with the protection of national leaders, this didn’t begin until after the assassination of President William McKinley in September ...

3rd July 1973: David Bowie announces the end of Ziggy Stardust during a concert at the Hammersmith Odeon in London

Prior to the last song of the performance, Bowie told the crowd, “Not only is it the last show of the tour, but it’s the last show that we’ll ever do.” Even some of the band members were taken by surprise at the ...

2nd July 1881: American President James A. Garfield shot by Charles J. Guiteau

James A. Garfield, the 20th President of the United States, was shot by Charles J. Guiteau at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington, ...

1st July 1979: Sony Corporation releases the Walkman portable cassette player in Japan

While retailers were unsure about the demand for a playback-only cassette device, Sony conducted street demonstrations and distributed units to celebrities and influencers that led to the Walkman selling over 30,000 units in Japan within its first two ...

30th June 1894: Tower Bridge in London officially opened by the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII

The opening ceremony was attended by the Lord Chamberlain and the Home Secretary, H. H. Asquith, who watched the Prince of Wales formally declare the bridge open while a parade of vessels passed underneath the raised ...

28th June 1935: United States approves the construction of a vault to hold the country’s gold reserves at Fort Knox, Kentucky

Constructed of granite-lined concrete and reinforced with steel, the vault is located at the centre of the building. Gold began arriving in January 1937, transported by the U.S. Army in a series of high-security rail ...

26th June 1794: French army makes the first recorded military use of an aircraft for reconnaissance during the Battle of Fleurus

The aircraft used was a tethered hydrogen balloon named l’Entreprenant, operated by the French army’s newly established Company of Aeronauts, and it represented an innovation in military ...

24th June 1509: Henry VIII crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey in London

Henry's joint coronation with his wife, Catherine of Aragon, marked the start of a 38 year rule, during which England experienced political, religious, and dynastic changes that dramatically altered the landscape of English ...

23rd June 1757: British East India Company troops defeat the Nawab of Bengal in the Battle of Plassey

The two armies met near the village of Palashi, on the banks of the Bhagirathi River, in present-day West Bengal. Despite commanding an estimated 50,000 troops, his army was ineffective so the Nawab fled the battlefield and was later captured and ...