Robert Plot, Professor of Chemistry at Oxford, devised a cunning plan to enable James II to permanently rid the country of parliaments: he advised James to found a hermetic college for the alchemical creation of gold, thus making the need for parliamentary subsidies redundant.
Fact of the Day
Quote of the Day
"The thing that impresses me most about America is the way parents obey their children.
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~ Edward VIII/Duke of Windsor
On This Day
19 Germanicus, Roman general and member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, died of a 'mysterious illness' (most probably assassination). He was viewed by many as the perfect Roman and his death led to a climate of fear in Rome.
1957 The worst nuclear accident in British history occurred when a fire led to a major radiation leak at the Windscale (now known as Sellafield) nuclear plant in Cumbria.
1971 After being sold, dismantled and moved to the USA, London Bridge was reconstructed and reopened in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.
2004 Former Superman actor Christopher Reeve died, aged 52, possibly from an adverse reaction to an antibiotic. He became a prominent activist for people with spinal cord injuries after being severely injured when thrown from his horse.