On this day: First Person to Swim the English Channel

On August 25, 1875, Captain Matthew Webb became the first person to swim across the English Channel, from Dover to Calais. His second attempt at the feat took him close to 22 hours, and while a straight-line swim would have…

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Monday, 25th August 2014

On this day: Loch Ness Monster Legend Began

The legend of the Loch Ness Monster began on this day 1450 years ago, when Irish monk Columba banished a 'water beast' to the depths after it killed a man who had been swimming in the River Ness. (Although the…

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Friday, 22nd August 2014

My 200th Post – A Look Back

Almost six years ago I wrote a brief article for Google Sightseeing. Today marks my 200th full-length1 post, so I'm indulging myself with a look back at a few of my personal favourites. My first post was about the National…

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Friday, 22nd August 2014

On this day: The Mona Lisa Was Stolen

Call Inspector Clouseau! On August 21, 1911 the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre. The case was a mystery for two years until the thief (a museum employee who believed the painting belonged in Italy) was discovered when attempting…

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Thursday, 21st August 2014

On this day: Eero Saarinen Was Born

Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen was born on this day in 1910. His most famous work is probably the Gateway Arch in St Louis, though he has worked on many significant buildings, and was a noted contemporary furniture designer in the…

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Wednesday, 20th August 2014

On this day: St Isaac’s Cathedral Was Inaugurated

On August 19, 1768, St Isaac's Cathedral in St Petersburg was inaugurated. An estimated ten thousand tree trunks were embedded in the swampy ground to provide a stable base for the immense structure. Unfortunately the primitive spray-painting method used to…

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Tuesday, 19th August 2014

Welcome to Google Sightseeing!

Google Sightseeing takes you on a tour of the world as seen from satellite or street views using Google Maps. Our team of authors present weird and wonderful sights as suggested by readers.

Like this site? We published a photo book of the best entries, you should buy a copy.