At Brussels Railway Station on 4 April 1900, the 16-year-old Belgian anarchist, Jean-Baptiste Sipido, attemped to shoot Edward, Prince of Wales, the son of Queen Victoria and heir to the UK throne. Sipido fired two shots at Prince Edward and Princess Alexandra, while the royal couple were sitting in a train, with one of the bullets grazing Prince Edward’s head. Sipido said he tried to kill Prince Edward because he held him responsible for the many deaths suffered in the …
Jesse James, outlaw, bank robber, train robber and murderer, was gunned down at his home in St Joseph, Missouri, on 3 April 1882. Aged only 34, James was shot in the back of the head by Bob Ford, who was a fellow member of the James’ Gang – Ford was looking to claim the $5,000 reward that had been set on James (interestingly, there was a massive reward on Ford, too) The story of the trial, conviction, sentence and full …
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On 2 April 1805, Hans Christian Andersen was born in Odense, Denmark. To mark the day of his birth, we’ve posted below two newspaper reports from the Archive that offer a terrific insight into Andersen’s life, thoughts and character. The first report comprises a letter that Andersen wrote about the First Schleswig War (i.e. the famous Schleswig-Holstein Question which, according to Lord Palmerston, ‘Only three people…ever really understood’), that took place between the Danes and the Schleswig-Holsteiners (although Prussian and Swedish forces …
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On the 2nd and 3rd of May 1923, John Arthur MacReady and Oakley G. Kelly flew non-stop from New York to San Diego, California. During the 27-hour flight, they covered 2,800 miles at an average speed of 100 mph. To mark their historic achievement, here is a newspaper report about their pioneering flight. Aberdeen Journal – Saturday 05 May 1923 Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000577/19230505/097/0007