Scott Allsop's Blog, page 8

26th May 1923: First 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race begins, establishing the endurance racing format

The first race began at 4 p.m. on 26 May 1923 and concluded at the same time on the following day. Taking place on public roads closed for the occasion, the circuit of just over 17 kilometres included long straights, village roads, and tight ...

25th May 1977: The first Star Wars film is released in cinemas

The first instalment of the Star Wars film series was released in cinemas in the United States of ...

23rd May 1949: West Germany formally established, otherwise known as the Federal Republic of Germany

West Germany was a federal parliamentary republic with a Chancellor as head of government and a President who held a largely ceremonial ...

19th May 1922: Young Pioneer organisation formally established in the USSR

Officially known as the Vladimir Lenin All-Union Pioneer Organisation in honour of the recently deceased Bolshevik leader, the Young Pioneers were modelled in part on scouting organisations, but with a strong political and ideological framework aligned with the principles of the Communist ...

18th May 1848: The Frankfurt Parliament opens at St. Paul’s Church as the first freely elected parliament for all of Germany

The Parliament sought to draft a constitution to unify the independent German states into a single nation governed by liberal principles, but faced significant challenges from the outset and was dissolved by force in June ...

17th May 1756: The Seven Years’ War begins, when Great Britain formally declares war on France

The Seven Years’ War is widely regarded as the first truly global conflict as the declaration of war marked the start of full-scale hostilities between the major European powers and their colonies across the ...

16th May 1960: The first laser was successfully operated by Theodore Maiman at the Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California

The device constructed by Maiman used a small rod of synthetic ruby crystal, surrounded by a helical flash lamp that provided the necessary energy to excite the atoms within the ruby, and is often seen as the start of the 'laser ...

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, ...

14th May 1878: The last witchcraft trial in the United States was held in Salem, Massachusetts

Lucretia Brown was a member of the Christian Science religion and alleged that a man named Daniel Spofford had used his "mesmeric" mental powers to harm her, asking the court to prevent Spofford from exercising control over her through his mental ...

13th May 1861: Queen Victoria issues a “Proclamation of Neutrality” concerning the American Civil War

Britain's declaration of neutrality recognised the Union and the Confederacy as belligerents, allowing the Confederacy to contract for supplies and commission warships, but it fell short of recognising the Confederacy as a sovereign nation. This protected British interests by avoiding entanglement in the conflict while maintaining the country’s right to trade with both the Union and the ...