Scott Allsop's Blog, page 58

31st October 1913: Formal dedication of the Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental highway in the United States

The Lincoln Highway connected New York City on the East Coast to San Francisco on the West Coast, traversing 13 states along the ...

30th October 1942: German Enigma machine ciphers retrieved from submarine U-559 by British sailors

A British party of Lieutenant Francis Fasson, Able Seaman Colin Grazier, and canteen assistant Tommy Brown, boarded the slowly-sinking submarine after it had been damaged by depth charges and retrieved the Enigma codebooks and all the current settings for the U-boat ...

29th October 1964: ‘Murf the Surf’ and two accomplices carry out the biggest jewel heist in New York’s history

‘Murf the Surf’ and two accomplices committed the biggest jewel heist in New York’s history when they stole priceless gems from the American Museum of Natural ...

28th October 1922: Benito Mussolini’s Blackshirts approach the Italian capital in the March on Rome

Mussolini and up to 30,000 supporters from across the country, the Blackshirts, embarked on a calculated and audacious march to Rome to seize ...

27th October 312: Constantine the Great receives his Vision of the Cross, marking the start of his conversion to Christianity

While preparing for the decisive Battle of the Milvian Bridge, Constantine reportedly witnessed a Christian cross which may have been accompanied by a Latin inscription which roughly translates as ‘In this sign, you will ...

26th October 1776: Benjamin Franklin departs America for France to secure a formal alliance and treaty

On February 6, 1778, France formally allied with the American colonies when they signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the Treaty of Alliance that brought much-needed military aid including troops, naval support, and ...

25th October 1854: Charge of the Light Brigade undertaken by British forces during the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War

Due to miscommunication and a lack of clear orders Lord Cardigan led the Light Brigade, a cavalry unit consisting of approximately 670 horsemen, in a frontal assault against a fortified Russian artillery position at the end of the ...

24th October 1648: Peace of Westphalia ends the Thirty Years’ War that ravaged Europe

The Peace of Westphalia confirmed the autonomy of states with the Holy Roman Empire and redefined the borders and sovereignty of numerous European ...

23rd October 1910: Blanche Stuart Scott becomes the first American woman to pilot an aircraft in public

She continued making exhibition flights until 1916, earning her the nickname the ‘Tomboy of the ...

22nd October 1884: The International Meridian Conference in Washington, D.C. adopts Greenwich as the prime meridian

The Greenwich Meridian became the international standard for zero degrees longitude, ensuring continuity with most existing nautical ...