On May 28, 1932, the (unpronounceable for those of us outside the Netherlands) Afsluitdijk opened. This 32km (20mile) dike is part of a larger flood-protection scheme. Near the mid point is a monument and viewing tower. On the inland side…

On May 27, 1937, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge opened, with around 200,000 people walking or roller-skating across on the first day before it was opened to traffic. Close to a million people visited for the 50th anniversary celebration in…

On May 26, 1906, the new Vauxhall Bridge across the Thames in London opened. This was five years later than planned, as the process had to be delayed after somebody came to the (kind-of-important) realisation that the river bed couldn't…

On May 23, 1911, the imposing Main Branch of the New York Public Library was opened to the public, with more than a million volumes filling the 75 miles of shelving. In addition to being one of the world's foremost…

This weekend will see the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500, modestly called The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. The contest takes place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which was visited by the Street View car a couple of years ago.…

On May 22, 1859, the author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh. 221B Baker Street is, of course, the residence of his most famous character Sherlock Homes. The address didn't actually exist until the street was extended in…