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GENGHIS KHAN DIES:August 18, 1227Genghis Khan, the Mongol leader who forged an empire stretching from the east coast of China west to the Aral Sea, dies in camp during a campaign against the Chinese kingdom of Xi Xia. The great Khan, who was over 60 and in failing health, may have succumbed to injuries incurred during a fall from a horse in the previous year.
OLD IRONSIDES EARNS ITS NAME:August 19, 1812During the War of 1812, the U.S. Navy frigate Constitution defeats the British frigate Guerri?re in a furious engagement off the coast of Nova Scotia. Witnesses claimed that the British shot merely bounced off the Constitution's sides, as if the ship were made of iron rather than wood. By the war's end, "Old Ironsides" destroyed or captured seven more British ships. The success of the USS Constitution against the supposedly invincible Royal Navy provided a tremendous boost in morale for the young American republic
19th August 1897The London Elecric Cab Co. began operating the first taxi-cab in London's West End and City. The black and yellow electric cars went at 9 mph. They had a range of just up to 30 miles, but proved uneconomical and were withdrawn in 1900.
19th August 1897The London Elecric Cab Co. began operating the first taxi-cab in London's West End and City. The black and yellow electric cars went at 9 mph. They had a range of just up to 30 miles, but proved uneconomical and were withdrawn in 1900.
You'd think if they could put together an electric car in 1897, they would have built a practical electric vehicle for the modern age by now. It seems to be taking them a while.....
You'd think if they could put together an electric car in 1897, they would have built a practical electric vehicle for the modern age by now. It seems to be taking them a while.....
Well they did-The traditional Electric powered 'Milk Float' has been around all my life and is still in use today despite competition from the supermarkets.
Well they did-The traditional Electric powered 'Milk Float' has been around all my life and is still in use today despite competition from the supermarkets.
A what?
August 201862 Eight-hour workday is bornToday marks a birthday of sorts for the eight-hour workday. In the mid-1800s most people worked ten- or twelve-hour days, prompting the newly formed National Labor Union (NLU) to call on Congress to officially trim the workday. While Congress didn't heed the NLU's pleas, the union's efforts pushed the issue onto the national stage. The public picked up the call for shorter hours, as did some legislators: Federal employees were the first to enjoy truncated days when Congress passed appropriate legislation in 1863. However, after a few fruitful decades, the drive for the eight-hour day hit a snag in 1886, when a strike by workers at the McCormick Reaper Manufacturing Company turned bloody. Though the workers, who had hit the picket line to protest for shorter hours, were victims of violence, the ugly affair, along with the ensuing Haymarket Riot, branded the push for the eight-hour day as a radical movement. But, in 1923, the movement received support from an unlikely ally, as the Carnegie Steel Corporation granted shorter work hours to its employees. Eventually, President Franklin Roosevelt made the eight-hour workday an official part of his New Deal legislation.
A what?
Check out Now here is a thought-Why is one of the biggest users in Britain have the rather inappropriate name of 'Express Dairies'? ?:lol:
Thats a neat little vehicle! To answer your Question; it's because they only go 15-20 mph. I read the FAQ!
August 211863 Sack of Lawrence, KansasThe vicious guerilla war in Missouri spills over into Kansas and precipitates one of the most appalling acts of violence during the war when 150 men in the abolitionist town of Lawrence are murdered in a raid by Southern partisans.
August 221776 Redcoats land at Long IslandOn this day in 1776, the British arrive at Long Island, between Gravesend and New Utrecht, with ?near twenty four thousand men ready to land in a moment,? according to one observer. General William Howe's large army came to Long Island hoping to capture New York City and gain control of the Hudson River, a victory that would divide the rebellious colonies in half. Five days later, on August 27, the Redcoats marched against the Patriot position at Brooklyn Heights, overcoming the Americans at Gowanus Pass and then outflanking the entire Continental Army. The Americans suffered 1,000 casualties to the British loss of only 400 men during the fighting. Howe chose not to follow the advice of his subordinates, however, and did not storm the Patriot redoubts at Brooklyn Heights, where he could have taken the Patriots? military leadership prisoner and ended the rebellion
Well there wasn't much in the way of interesting facts about yesterday but today we really hit the jackpot.Without even bothering to look up the date I can report the following two items on the 22 August.
- 1485: Henry Tudor defeats Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, thus establishing the Tudor dynasty of monarchs.1642: King Charles I raises his standard at Oxford, thus starting the First English Civil War.
August 231939 The Hitler-Stalin PactOn this day in 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union sign a non-aggression pact, stunning the world, given their diametrically opposed ideologies. But the dictators were, despite appearances, both playing to their own political needs.
August 241814 British troops set fire to the White HouseOn this day in 1814, during the War of 1812 between the United States and England, British troops enter Washington, D.C. and burn the White House in retaliation for the American attack on the city of York in Ontario, Canada, in June 1812.
PARIS LIBERATED:August 25, 1944After more than four years of Nazi occupation, Paris is liberated by the French 2nd Armored Division and the U.S. 4th Infantry Division. German resistance was light, and General Dietrich von Choltitz, commander of the German garrison, defied an order by Adolf Hitler to blow up Paris' landmarks and burn the city to the ground before its liberation. Choltitz signed a formal surrender that afternoon, and on August 26, Free French General Charles de Gaulle led a joyous liberation march down the Champs d'Elysees.
