On October 2, 1535, Jacques Cartier became the first European to sight Mont Royal and the large village of Hochelaga, where he was greeted by a sizeable crowd. Over time it became the rather larger community of Montreal. Cartier was…

On this day 35 years ago, the US returned sovereignty of the land around the Panama Canal to Panama. Since the US had financed and constructed the canal, the land 8km (5miles) on either side of it, except in cities,…

On September 30, 1935, the Hoover Dam was dedicated by President Franklin D Roosevelt. Construction was completed six months later, an astounding 2 years ahead of schedule, despite immense challenges and experimental building techniques. Photosphere by Roelof de Vries

On this day in 1885, the Tramway in Blackpool opened - the first of its kind in the world. These days the 18km (11 mile) system carries more than 6 million passengers a year, mostly on shiny new trams, though…

Eighty years ago today the RMS Queen Mary was launched in Clydebank Scotland. She served as a luxury cruise liner for Cunard for about three decades, until age forced her into retirement. Instead of being scrapped, she was moored permanently…

On September 25, 1911, ground was broken for Fenway Park in Boston, the oldest ballpark still in use in the Major Leagues. The Red Sox started playing in the iconic stadium the following season. In 1999 plans were announced to…