#OTD 1977 One of the first personal computers, the Apple II, invented by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs, went on sale.
It had the 6502 microprocessor, ability to do Hi-res and Lo-res color graphics, sound, joystick input, and cassette tape I/O.
#OTD 1905 The Runcorn-Widnes Transporter Bridge was opened to replace a ferry across the River Mersey.
It was the first of its kind in Britain: a high-level gantry along which a wheeled trolley travelled with a cargo-carrying platform suspended beneath it.
It closed in 1961.
Red sky at night? Not quite. The view from the rear of 9167 tonight through a tunnel at 270 kmh.
#highspeedrail
#OTD 1849 The Great Hall of Euston station in London was opened.
Designed by Philip Charles Hardwick, it was essentially a waiting room, albeit a beautiful waiting room.
It was demolished in 1968 with the remodelling of the station.
#OTD 1915 Quintinshill rail disaster near Gretna kills 226, mostly troops, after the collision of 3 trains and resulting fire, the deadliest in the UK.
The cause was put down to multiple breaches of the railway's regulations and lack of track circuits.
#OTD 1975 The death of Dame Barbara Hepworth, English sculptor, aged 72.
Her work exemplifies Modernism and, along with Henry Moore and others, she helped to develop modern art, sculpture in particular, in Britain.
#OTD 1872 Bertrand Russell, English philosopher, mathematician and Nobel Prize recipient, was born.
He was imprisoned during the First World War for his outspoken pacifism and was one of the founders of the Committee of 100, advocating nuclear disarmament.
#OTD 1988 Guardsman Richard Stokes took part in the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace to become the first black soldier in the Grenadier Guards to take part in the ceremony.
#OTD 1962 The first episode of Bucknell's House airs. The cameras follow DIY expert Barry Bucknell as he renovated a Victorian end terrace in Ealing, but ripping out many period features in the process.
He widened the appeal of DIY, spawning many home improvement programmes.
#OTD 1949 The first British-produced jet bomber, Canberra, makes its first test flight.
Later this type of aircraft was used in the 1982 war in the Falklands, and the last was retired from the RAF in 2006.
The Canberra broke the altitude record 3 times during the 1950s.
#OTD 1820 Birth of Florence Nightingale, nurse and statistician, “The Lady With The Lamp,” who established modern nursing practice.
Her contributions to public health included developing methods of applying and displaying statistics to demonstrate the need for improvements.
We will remember them. Before breakfast this morning, I walked to the quiet side street next to the Gare du Nord in Paris. Two war memorials commemorate railway workers who lost their lives in both world wars.
#VEDay80
#OTD 1976 BBC Radio 1 DJ Johnny Walker announced he was quitting the station after being told he must pretend to like The Bay City Rollers.
He had fallen out with his bosses after describing them as "musical garbage".
A Bouillon Chartier kind of evening. And a topical street sign on the eve of the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
#Paris
#OTD 1951 The NIMROD computer, created by the British engineering firm Ferranti, is unveiled to the public at the Exhibition of Science in South Kensington, London, as part of the Festival of Britain.
The NIMROD is the first computer in history built specifically to play a game.
It's 20 years today since Brian Hagger left this mortal coil. Here's a throw back to last years exhibition and the fabulous ' Cookies'
#OTD 1800 At 6am, 100 gun warship Queen Charlotte caught fire in the Tuscan Archipelago and exploded at 11am killing 673.
The fire was caused by hay being thrown on a match tub, and the loaded guns subsequently exploding in the heat.
#OTD 2002 It was revealed that a David Beckham lookalike was to travel to the World Cup, as the England captain was hugely popular in the Middle East.
Andy Harmer made £350 for a personal appearance, and was the only lookalike approved by David.
So sorry. Take care of yourself, and think of the good times. x
#OTD 1948 Rory Gallagher, legendary blues / rock guitarist, was born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland.
Rory died following post operative complications on June 14th 1995.
youtu.be/mT3IglivTW8?...
#OTD 1947 Lord Louis Mountbatten, cousin of King George VI and a hero of World War II, was appointed the last Viceroy of India, the same day London announced that the British would leave India by June 1948.
#OTD 2010 Lionel Jeffries (b.1926), British actor and film director, died.
He played Grandpa Potts in the “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" (1968). He wrote and directed the 1970 film “The Railway Children" adopted from the Edwardian children’s book by E. Nesbit.
#OTD 1899 Birth of Sir Gilbert Roberts, British civil engineer who pioneered new designs, construction methods and use of high-tensile steels for several major bridges including the 1,006-metre Firth of Forth Road bridge in Scotland, one of the longest in the world.
#OTD 1955 Fanny Cradock's first cookery programme on television was Kitchen Magic in which she showed viewers how to produce Swiss roll, éclair and soufflé-en-surprise for 8 people.
#OTD 1963 Harold Wilson was elected leader of the Labour Party following the death of former leader Hugh Gaitskell, beating deputy leader George Brown and Shadow Chancellor James Callaghan after a second ballot. He was succeeded as leader by James Callaghan in 1976.
#OTD 2002 The Queen's sister, Princess Margaret died in her sleep after suffering a stroke and a heart attack.
Her body was laid to rest at Kensington Palace in order for the Royal Family to pay their respects.
#OTD 1924 The Royal Greenwich Observatory begins broadcasting the hourly time signals known as the Greenwich Time Signal.
They were the idea of the Astronomer Royal, Sir Frank Watson Dyson, and the head of the BBC, John Reith.
youtu.be/nQGtU0FUX6U?...
#OTD 1929 The first standardised rural automatic exchange was opened by the GPO at Haynes near Bedford, a GEC designed 100-line unit (RAX No.5).
Built to a modular design for flexibility and ease of installation, rural subscribers finally had telephone access 24 hours a day.
#OTD 2009 Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling was awarded the Légion d'Honneur, France's highest civilian award by President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris.
Her great-grandfather was French, and received the same award in 1924 for courage on the battlefield at Verdun in 1916.
Crescent moon and the St Pancras clock tower during blue hour.
