The buildings and architecture of Bristol are an eclectic combination of
styles, ranging from the medieval to 20th century brutalism and beyond.
During the mid-19th century, Bristol Byzantine, an architectural style
unique to the city was developed, of which several examples have survived.
Buildings from most of the architectural periods of the United Kingdom can
be seen throughout Bristol. Parts of the fortified city and castle date back
to the medieval era, as do some churches dating from the 12th century
onwards. As the city grew, it merged with its surrounding villages, each
with its own character and centre, often clustered around a parish church.
The construction of the city's floating harbour, taking in the wharves on
the Avon and Frome rivers, provided a focus for industrial development and
the growth of the local transport infrastructure, including the Clifton
Suspension Bridge and Temple Meads railway station. The 20th century saw
further expansion of the city, the growth of the University of Bristol, and
the arrival of the aircraft industry. During World War II, the city centre
suffered from extensive bombing during the Bristol Blitz. The redevelopment
of shopping centres, office buildings, and the harbourside continues to this
day.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buildings_and_architecture_of_Bristol>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1858:
Fourteen year-old peasant girl Bernadette Soubirous reported the first of
eighteen Marian apparitions in Lourdes, France, resulting in the town
becoming a major site for pilgrimages by Catholics.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernadette_Soubirous>
1929:
To help settle the "Roman Question", Italy and the Holy See of the Roman
Catholic Church agreed to establish the Vatican City as an independent
sovereign enclave within Italy.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_City>
1979:
During the Iranian Revolution, the Pahlavi dynasty in Iran effectively
collapsed when the military declared itself "neutral" after rebel troops
overwhelmed forces loyal to Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in armed street
fighting.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pahlavi_dynasty>
1990:
Anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela, a political prisoner for 27 years,
was released from Victor Verster Prison near Paarl, South Africa.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela>
660 BC:
According to tradition, Emperor Jimmu founded Japan and established his
capital in Yamato.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Jimmu>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
adjacent (adj):
1. Lying next to, close, or contiguous; neighboring; bordering on.
2. Just before, after, or facing
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/adjacent>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
In Common Sense Paine flared forth with a document so powerful that the
Revolution became inevitable. Washington recognized the difference, and in
his calm way said that matters never could be the same again. --Thomas
Alva Edison
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Thomas_Alva_Edison>