After much controversy1 around construction delays, worker deaths and civil unrest over the cost of the event and other issues, the 2014 FIFA World Cup will get underway in Brazil on Thursday, with a game between the host nation and…

On June 10, 1829, the first Boat Race took place at Henley-on-Thames, when Cambridge confidently challenged Oxford to a race, only to be soundly beaten.  It took a number of years for the race became a permanent fixture on the…

On June 9, 1534, Jacques Cartier became the first European to see the St Lawrence River, where he spent some time exploring before returning to France. Although many people consider this as the start of Canadian history, it is actually…

On June 6, 1892, the first section of Chicago's iconic 'L' (elevated) transit system opened. The Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad had been constructed along an alley stretching 5.8km (3.6miles) from Van Buren St to 37th St. Thirty…

Introduced to the southeastern United States in the 19th century as an ornamental plant and to help fight against soil erosion, the perennial vine known as kudzu has infested tens of thousands of square kilometres in the US, wiping out forests and native vegetation while covering and engulfing entire buildings.

June 5, 1976, was a bleak day for engineering history with the collapse of the Teton Dam. This brand new structure  was built over 3 years at a cost of at least $100million, with construction pushing on despite concerns about…