31st May

[chenrezig]

1578 English explorer Martin Frobisher sailed from Harwich to Frobisher Bay in Canada. Over time he brought home1500 tons of 'gold ore'. After years of smelting, it was realized that the presumed gold was merely worthless iron pyrite (fool's gold) that was later used to pave streets in London, leading to the myth that the streets of London were paved with gold.

1838 The last battle on English soil took place at the Battle of Bosenden Wood between armed soldiers and 40 agricultural peasants. They were led by flamboyant Cornish wine merchant (Sir William de Courtenay) and were protesting against the poverty of their lives.

1859 The clock in the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament was started, with the bell (Big Ben) sounding for the first time on 11th July 1859.

1889 A painting of a small dog listening to a phonograph was shown to the general manager of 'The Gramophone Company' in London by the painter, Francis Barraud. It was of his dog, Nipper. The phonograph was painted out and a gramophone substituted. It soon became the famous trademark for the company 'His Master's Voice'.

1902 The Peace of Vereeniging ended the Boer War, in which British casualties numbered 5,774 killed (and 16,000 deaths from disease) against 4,000 Boers killed in action.

1910 Lord Baden-Powell's sister Agnes formed the Girl Guides.

1911 The White Star liner Titanic was launched at Belfast. At the ceremony, a White Star Line employee claimed, 'Not even God himself could sink this ship.'

1916 World War 1: The Battle of Jutland in which the Royal Navy lost one battleship, one cruiser and five destroyers. The Germans lost one battleship, one cruiser and one destroyer. At the end of the day, 2,545 men had been killed.

1930 Don Bradman became the first Australian to score 1,000 runs in England between the start of the cricket season and the end of May.

1939 Terry Waite, religious adviser to the Archbishop of Canterbury was born. In January 1987 he was held prisoner in Lebanon after being kidnapped on a visit to negotiate the release of hostages.

1956 Len Hutton, England cricketer, was knighted.

1962 Adolf Eichmann, the architect of the Nazi holocaust, was hanged in Israel for his crimes against humanity.

1985 The Football Association, supported by Margaret Thatcher, banned English clubs from playing in Europe following the Heysel stadium tragedy.

[Rosalind]

go90 tha22222

[annie]

tha22222