Tuesday, April 19, 2005

100 years ago

There was it seemed a diversity of opinion as to whether York should have in the future an up-to-date service of electric trams or motor 'buses. A correspondent kindly sent along a cutting from the automobile topics of the "Bystander" relating to motor buses in London, which he hoped would prove of interest. It was as follows: "While I am very hopeful of the ultimate benefits that the 'mobus' will confer on traffic in general, the actual performances of some of the new vehicles are rather disappointing. I refer particularly to the new Milnes Daimler 'buses that the London Motor Omnibus Company is putting on the road. A few days ago I got onto one, rejoicing in the name of 'Vanguard,' which was standing near the Law Courts. "After some hesitation, it crawled into the Strand and stopped dead. The driver, who was hardly, I think, 'au fait' with his machinery, proceeded, helped by remarks from passing 'busmen, to empty a packet of white powder on to his clutch."

50 years ago

The body of Dr Albert Einstein, mathematician, physicist and philosopher, was cremated at Princeton (New Jersey) after the brain and main organs had been removed for scientific and medical study. The cremation was kept secret, just as he himself had been shielded during his illness and death. Dr Einstein, who was 76, spent his last years in scholarly retirement as a member of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton watching the development of inventions, such as nuclear fission and television, which grew from mathematical concepts he formulated. Dr Einstein had entered hospital for a gall bladder ailment, and had died suddenly early the previous morning from a ruptured aorta.

25 years ago

A judge ruled that a pig which caused £276 damage to a car on the A1709 Hull Road had been "propelled by some super pig force". He said the farmer's "strange" explanation that the pig had somehow managed to escape its specially constructed pen, and had leapt onto the road, had to be believed. The judge dismissed a claim for damages by the car's driver, as it could not be proved the farmer had been negligent in looking after the pig - which died after hitting the car.

Updated: 16:21 Monday, April 18, 2005