The Great Gold Robbery took place on the night of 15 May 1855, when a shipment of gold to Paris was stolen from the guard's van of the rail service between London and Folkestone. There were four robbers: two employees of the rail company, a former employee and Edward Agar, a career criminal. They took wax impressions of the keys to the train safes and made copies. One of them ensured he was on guard duty when a shipment was taking place, and Agar hid in the guard's van. They emptied the safes of 224 pounds (102 kg) of gold, valued at £12,000 (approximately equivalent to £1,193,000 in 2021); the theft was only discovered in Paris. When Agar was arrested for another crime, his former girlfriend, in need of funds, revealed the details of the theft. Agar admitted his guilt and testified as a witness. The other three were arrested, tried and found guilty of the theft. In 1978 a highly fictionalised version of events was turned into a film, The First Great Train Robbery, featuring Sean Connery.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Gold_Robbery

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1825:

Roberto Cofresí, one of the last Caribbean pirates, was apprehended after his flagship sloop Anne was captured by authorities. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_the_sloop_Anne

1936:

The prototype of the Supermarine Spitfire flew for the first time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermarine_Spitfire

1960:

Cuban photographer Alberto Korda took his iconic photograph Guerrillero Heroico of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrillero_Heroico

1981:

The ZX81, a pioneering British home computer, was launched by Sinclair Research, and went on to sell more than 1.5 million units around the world. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX81

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

veepstakes: (US politics, slang, humorous) The process by which candidates for the Presidency of the United States choose a running mate to become the Vice President if elected. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/veepstakes

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Thy universe, O God, is home, In height or depth, to me; Yet here upon thy footstool green Content am I to be; Glad when is oped unto my need Some sea-like glimpse of Thee.   --Lucy Larcom https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Lucy_Larcom