On this day

1945 The United Nations was formed with the aim to 'save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.'


(Another reason for not bothering having the EU)

@divegeester said
On this day in 1997...

'Brown Monday' on the London Stock Exchange with £10 billion being wiped off the value of shares after British Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown failed to clarify his Government's stance on the European single currency.

You making up history?

@wolfgang59 said
You making up history?

No more than you making up stories about Canadian victories.

Coincidentally, on this day in 1851...

Moby-Dick; or, The Whale by American writer Herman Melville. Is published. The book is sailor Ishmael's narrative of the obsessive quest of Ahab, captain of the whaling ship Pequod, for revenge...

“He piled upon the whale's white hump the sum of all the general rage and hate felt by his whole race from Adam down; and then, as if his chest had been a mortar, he burst his hot heart's shell upon it.”

Herman Melville, Moby-Dick.

On this day in 1933...

all of London's world famous buses were officially painted red.

@divegeester said
On this day in 1933...

all of London's world famous buses were officially painted red.

How does one officially paint something? Is the brush held with officially gloved hands?

@divegeester said
On this day in 1933...

all of London's world famous buses were officially painted red.

Why were they painted red? Was it so that they could be observed better or was there another reason?

@divegeester said
On this day in 1933...

all of London's world famous buses were officially painted red.

Wikipedia says Londoners began painting buses red in 1907.

@handyandy said
Wikipedia says Londoners began painting buses red in 1907.

In 1907 there would have been several competing companies all having their
own unique livery. London Transport (officially London Passenger Transport Board)
wasn't created until the 30's when it took control of all the bus, tram and trolley
buses. Presumably they wanted them all in the same colour?

Recently it has been suggested that London buses are colour-coded for
the benefit of tourists ... not sure how popular that will be with Londoners!

On this date in 1881, the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona Territory, took place. It was a 30-second shootout between lawmen (including Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday) and members of a loosely organized group of outlaws called The Cowboys. Three outlaws, Tom and Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton, were killed.

@handyandy said
On this date in 1881, the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona Territory, took place. It was a 30-second shootout between lawmen (including Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday) and members of a loosely organized group of outlaws called The Cowboys. Three outlaws, Tom and Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton, were killed.

Man even then Americans were shooting each other eh? Was there an NRA then too?

@wolfgang59 said
In 1907 there would have been several competing companies all having their
own unique livery. London Transport (officially London Passenger Transport Board)
wasn't created until the 30's when it took control of all the bus, tram and trolley
buses. Presumably they wanted them all in the same colour?

Recently it has been suggested that London buses are colour-coded for
the benefit of tourists ... not sure how popular that will be with Londoners!

I love those buses and the drivers managing getting through hard traffic and re-directed routes because of construction work. When I lived in London '64-65. I was amazed to see the conductors effortless keeping an eye on everybody getting on and off, and that they didn't do it without having paid their ticket first.

@handyandy said
Wikipedia says Londoners began painting buses red in 1907.

That’s correct. One of the competing London bus companies wanted their buses to stand out so they painted them bright red. Later on after further commercialisation of routes, mergers and the formation of some sort of early bus pseudo-quango, the routes were centrally controlled and some big-wig decided to “officially paint” them all red.

Tourists get excited, locals are more “meh”.

@great-big-stees said
Man even then Americans were shooting each other eh? Was there an NRA then too?

The National Rifle Association was founded in 1871.