Europe
On this day: Florence Nightingale was Born
On May 12, 1820, Florence Nightingale was born in the Italian city which she was named after. Known as 'the lady with the lamp' for her night-time nursing rounds during the Crimean War, there are several statues in her honour,…
On this day: Lincoln Cathedral was Consecrated
On or around May 9, 1092, Lincoln Cathedral was consecrated (dates from almost a millennium ago are a bit vague). After spending 4 years overseeing its construction, Bishop Remigius died two days before the consecration. It suffered through fires and…
On this day: Mount Pelée Erupted
On May 8, 1902, Martinique's Mount Pelée erupted. The lava flow from the volcano completely destroyed the town of St. Pierre, killing almost all of its 30,000 inhabitants.
The contradictory position of satellite censorship
In the early days of online mapping, sensitive locations were often censored for security reasons. Examples include military installations, government buildings, royal residences, prisons, power plants and more. However in many cases blurring happened on one service but not another.…
On this day: The Palace of Versailles was Inaugurated
On May 7, 1664, the Palace of Versailles was inaugurated by King Louis XIV. It served as the centre of political and royal power until the start of the revolution in 1789. Given how opulent it is, and the living…
On this day: The Eiffel Tower Opened
On May 6, 1889, the Eiffel Tower was opened to the public. Serving as the entry gate to the World's Fair, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest man-made structure in the world for the next 41 years. With around 7…
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