The opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&M;), often considered the dawn of modern transport, took place on 15 September 1830. Eight trains set out from Liverpool to Manchester carrying dignitaries including the Duke of Wellington, then prime minister. At Parkside the trains stopped to take on water, and former cabinet minister William Huskisson alighted and was struck by a locomotive, suffering fatal injuries. As a large crowd waiting to meet the trains in Manchester was becoming unruly, Wellington decided that the event should continue. On arrival in Manchester a hostile crowd pelted Wellington with vegetables and he ordered the trains return to Liverpool. Faults meant only three of the locomotives were still functional; the party eventually returned six and a half hours late. The accidents led to significant coverage of the opening, raising the profile of the new technology, and within a month schemes were announced to connect the industrial centres of England. (Full article...).
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opening_of_the_Liverpool_and_Manchester_Railway
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1766:
An earthquake registering an estimated 7.1 Ms struck Istanbul and was followed by a tsunami that caused significant damage. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1766_Istanbul_earthquake
1844:
In Shiraz, Iran, the Báb declared himself to be a messenger of God to Mullá Husayn, leading to the foundation of Bábism, considered to be a precursor to the Baháʼí Faith. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A1bism
1958:
Ethnic riots mostly targeting the minority Sri Lankan Tamils broke out in Ceylon, resulting in at least 158 deaths over the next few days. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958_anti-Tamil_pogrom
2014:
Prayut Chan-o-cha, the commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army, launched a coup d'état against the caretaker government following six months of political crisis. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Thai_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
mouthbrooder: (zoology) Any animal that cares for its offspring, either eggs or juveniles, by holding them in its mouth for extended periods of time. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mouthbrooder
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
There’s a creation, a creating force. But whatever it is is in everything we see. It’s in that log, in that stone. It’s just the power. And I’ve had many experiences with it. Certain circumstances bring it out, which all the mystics know. That is part of our Zen training too. It’s called an "opening." … For a second, you see what the world is. It is a whole other way of seeing, which is horrible, terrifying, and extraordinary and a great blessing to have. --Peter Matthiessen https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Peter_Matthiessen