Belle Vue Zoological Gardens was a large zoo, amusement park, exhibition
hall complex and speedway stadium in Belle Vue, Manchester, England,
opened in 1836. The brainchild of John Jennison, the park was intended
to entertain the genteel middle classes, with formal gardens and dancing
on open-air platforms during the summer, but they soon became one of the
most popular attractions in Northern England. Jennison set out a small
amusements area in Belle Vue during the 1870s, which was expanded in the
early 20th century to become what was advertised as the "showground of
the world". Popular rides included the 60 mph (97 km/h) Bobs roller
coaster and the Scenic Railway. Grand firework displays were given from
1852 and there was an annual Christmas circus from 1922. The Kings Hall,
opened in 1910, housed the Hallé Orchestra for several years and later
hosted concerts by artists such as Jimi Hendrix, The Who, The Rolling
Stones, Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash and Led Zeppelin. At its peak Belle
Vue occupied 165 acres (0.67 km2) and attracted more than two million
visitors a year. The zoo closed in September 1977 after its owners
decided they could no longer afford annual losses of £100,000.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belle_Vue_Zoological_Gardens>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1098:
First Crusade: The first Siege of Antioch ended as Crusader
forces captured the city, but the Seljuk Turks would later start a
second siege of Antioch a few days later.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Antioch>
1805:
Napoleonic Wars: A Franco-Spanish fleet recaptured Diamond Rock
(pictured), an uninhabited island at the entrance to the bay leading to
Fort-de-France, from the British.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Diamond_Rock>
1919:
First Red Scare: Anarchist followers of Luigi Galleani set off
eight bombs in eight cities across the United States.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1919_United_States_anarchist_bombings>
1967:
German university student Benno Ohnesorg was killed during a
protest in West Berlin against the visit of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah
of Iran, sparking the formation of the militant group 2 June Movement.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_June_Movement>
1994:
The Royal Air Force suffered its worst peacetime disaster when
a Chinook helicopter crashed on the Mull of Kintyre, Scotland, killing
all 29 people on board.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_Scotland_RAF_Chinook_crash>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
superannuate:
1. (transitive) To retire or put out of use due to age.
2. (intransitive) To become obsolete or antiquated.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/superannuate>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Though the General's feelings and my own were perfectly in
unison, with respect to our predilection for private life, yet I cannot
blame him, for having acted according to his ideas of duty, in obeying
the voice of his country. The consciousness of having attempted to do
all the good in his power, and the pleasure of finding his fellow-
citizens so well satisfied with the disinterestedness of his conduct,
will doubtless be some compensation for the great sacrifices, which I
know he has made.
--Martha Washington
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Martha_Washington>