Nearly three years after George I had succeeded to the British throne, the Elector of Hanover was not precisely the most well-liked man within the nation. Along with his thick accent, he nonetheless struck most individuals as irredeemably German. To compound issues, his son appeared decided to eclipse him, pointedly throwing large events that left his father trying soul-numbingly boring. What was a king to do?
The reply was a theatrical spectacular that also resonates down the ages. On the night of 17 July, the monarch boarded an open barge at Whitehall and set off up the Thames in the direction of Chelsea. The primary British day by day newspaper, the Each day Courant, takes up the story: “Many different Barges with Individuals of High quality attended, and so nice a Variety of Boats, that the entire River in a way was cowl’d; a Metropolis Firm’s Barge was make use of’d for the Musick, whereby have been 50 devices of all kinds, who play’d all the way in which from Lambeth the best Symphonies, compos’d categorical for this Event, by Mr Hendel; which his Majesty favored so nicely, that he caus’d it to be plaid over thrice in going and returning”.
‘Mr Hendel’ was, in fact, the good George Frideric Handel, who had as soon as labored for George in Hanover. Some mentioned the long run king had been offended by Handel’s profitable transfer to London, however the Water Music was the proper solution to rebuild their relationship. The banks of the Thames have been filled with sightseers; many individuals declared that they had heard nothing prefer it.
The king was clearly delighted with Handel’s efforts, and the occasion went on nicely into the evening. “At Eleven his Majesty went a-shore at Chelsea the place a Supper was prepar’d,” mentioned the Courant, “after which there was one other very tremendous Live performance of Musick, which lasted until two; after which, his Majesty got here once more into his Barge, and return’d the identical Manner, the Musick persevering with to play till he landed”. | Written by Dominic Sandbrook
17 July 1761
The primary part of the Bridgewater canal was opened. Commissioned by Francis Egerton, third Duke of Bridgewater, it was constructed to move coal from Bridgewater’s mines at Worsley to the economic elements of Manchester, and was the primary main canal in England to not observe an current watercourse. Considered one of its most notable options was the Barton aqueduct – the work of Derbyshire- born engineer James Brindley who had been introduced in to advise on the venture.
17 July 1862
The US Militia Act authorised the president to make use of “individuals of African descent” in army or naval service. The charges of pay established by the act for black troopers have been decrease than these loved by their white counterparts.
17 July 1918: Russia’s royals are killed in chilly blood
A cellar in Yekaterinburg turns into the scene of a horrific homicide
“The ambiance round us is electrical,” Alexandra, the previous empress of Russia, wrote to a pal in one among her final letters earlier than her demise. “We worry {that a} storm is coming however we all know that God is merciful.” If Alexandra had recognized what was actually coming, even she might need questioned the Almighty’s intentions for her household.
Within the metropolis of Yekaterinburg, on the sting of the Urals, July 1918 was punishingly scorching. In a former service provider’s home, commandeered by the native Soviet, Russia’s royal household awaited their destiny. Because the fall of the monarchy greater than a 12 months earlier, Nicholas II, his spouse, Alexandra, and their 5 youngsters – Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Alexei – had been stripped of their privileges, positioned underneath heavy guard and shipped east. However with Russia now torn aside by civil conflict, and Czechoslovakian forces approaching town, the ambiance was heavy with rigidity.
Simply after midnight on the seventeenth, the Bolshevik commander Yakov Yurovsky ordered the royal household out of their beds and right into a dingy cellar, supposedly to attend for his or her transport. Then Yurovsky started studying out a rapidly scribbled demise sentence: “Nikolai Alexandrovich, in view of the truth that your family are persevering with their assault on Soviet Russia, the Ural Government Committee has determined to execute you.”
“What? What?” mentioned the previous emperor, and at that, the guards started capturing. Nicholas fell without delay. However the scene that adopted was full chaos, a nightmare of smoke and bullets. The couple’s teenage daughters weren’t killed immediately, so Yurovsky and his males completed them off with bayonets. A number of the youngsters had diamonds sewn into their garments, which made the duty of killing them even messier. It was a horrific enterprise. | Written by Dominic Sandbrook
17 July 1920
Kenneth “they assume it’s throughout” Wolstenholme was born in Worsley, Manchester. A wartime bomber pilot, he gained the DFC and Bar however will in all probability be finest remembered for his commentary for the BBC of the 1966 World Cup remaining.
17 July 1955: Disneyland opens to the world
Chaotic scenes mar the theme park’s first day
On 17 July 1955 in Anaheim, California, Walt Disney welcomed Individuals into his very personal Backyard of Eden. “To all who come to this glad place, welcome,” he proclaimed. “Disneyland is your land. Right here age relives fond recollections of the previous, and right here youth could savour the problem and promise of the long run. Disneyland is devoted to the beliefs, the desires, and the laborious details which have created America, with the hope that will probably be a supply of pleasure and inspiration to all of the world.”
Disney had been planning an enormous Mickey Mouse Park, because it was initially known as, since at the very least 1948. The park value within the area of $17 million, and public curiosity was huge. Though Disney issued simply 11,000 tickets on the primary day, it’s been estimated that the crowds numbered about 28,000, hundreds having purchased faux tickets or just climbed over the fences into the park.
Regardless of Disney’s rhetoric, that first day was a catastrophe. California was within the grip of a heatwave, and the temperature hit 38°C (101°F). Within the sweltering warmth, the encircling roads have been jammed with visitors, and ladies’s excessive heels sank into the melting asphalt. Three areas have been closed after a fuel leak, and among the rides broke down. Many refreshment stands ran out of food and drinks, whereas a plumbers’ strike meant that there was no water within the ingesting fountains. Even the reside TV protection, co-presented by the actor (and future president) Ronald Reagan, was a shambles.
To Disney’s executives, the opening turned often known as ‘Black Sunday’. However Disneyland by no means appeared again. | Written by Dominic Sandbrook
