The TGV is France's train à grande vitesse; literally "high-speed
train". Developed by Alsthom (now Alstom) and SNCF and operated
primarily by SNCF, it connects cities in France and in some other
neighbouring countries, such as Belgium, Italy and Switzerland with
the network centred on Paris. TGVs under other brand names connect
France with Germany and the Netherlands (Thalys) and the United
Kingdom (Eurostar). Trains derived from TGV design also operate in
South Korea (KTX), and Spain (AVE). Development of high-speed rail
transport in France began in the 1960s. After a lengthy period of
testing which included changing the traction of the trains from gas
turbines to electricity from overhead lines after a sharp rise in oil
prices, TGV operation began in 1981 with an initial line between Paris
and Lyon. The success of the line led to rapid expansion and the
opening of lines to the west and north-east of France as well as
further extension to the south.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TGV
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1759:
The British Museum opened.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Museum)
1919:
Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, two of the most prominent
socialists in Germany, were tortured and murdered by the Freikorps.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freikorps)
1943:
Construction of the world's largest office building, The Pentagon, was
completed.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pentagon)
1967:
The Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the American
football championship game now known as Super Bowl I.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_I)
2001:
The English Wikipedia, a Wiki free content encyclopedia, was
officially launched.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia)
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Wikiquote of the day:
"Imagine a world in which every single person on the planet is given
free access to the sum of all human knowledge. That's what we're
doing." -- Jimmy Wales
(
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jimmy_Wales)