Frank Pick (1878–1941) was a British transport administrator. In 1906, he joined the Underground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL) where he rose through the corporate ranks, becoming managing director in 1928. On 1 July 1933, he became chief executive officer and vice- chairman of the London Passenger Transport Board when it was formed to take charge of most of the transport operations in and around London. Pick had a strong interest in public design, steering the development of the London Underground's corporate identity by commissioning commercial art, modern architecture and graphic design, including the first version of the Underground's roundel (pictured). Under his direction, London's Underground network and associated bus services expanded considerably, reaching out into new areas and stimulating the growth of London's suburbs. His impact on the growth of London between the world wars led to him being likened to Baron Haussmann and Robert Moses. Pick wrote and lectured extensively on sociological issues and on the place of art and design in society, for which he was compared to Gaius Maecenas and Thomas Aquinas.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1879:

American evangelist Charles Taze Russell published the first issue of The Watchtower, the most widely circulated magazine in the world. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Watchtower

1911:

The German gunboat Panther arrived in the Moroccan port of Agadir, sparking the Agadir Crisis between Germany, Great Britain, and France. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agadir_Crisis

1943:

Tokyo City was dissolved, with its territory divided into the special wards of the newly created Tokyo Metropolis. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo

1960:

Ghana became a republic with Kwame Nkrumah as its first president. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwame_Nkrumah

1963:

The British government revealed that former MI6 agent Kim Philby had engaged in espionage for the Soviet Union. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Philby

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

scuppernong: 1. A large greenish-bronze grape native to the Southeastern United States, a variety of the muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia). 2. A sweet, golden or amber-colored American wine made from this variety of grape. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/scuppernong

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Man is always partial and is quite right to be. Even impartiality is partial.   --Georg Christoph Lichtenberg https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Georg_Christoph_Lichtenberg