1 May 1851 - The Great Exhibition opened.

In effect the first World Fair held in the specially constructed Crystal Palace in Hyde Park from May to October 1851. It showcased the best of British and international design and industry. One of the principal organizers was the Prince Albert, the Prince consort. 

The Crystal Palace itself covered 990,000 sq ft and was moved in 1854 to Sydenham Hill where it remained until destroyed by fire in 1936. 

14,000 exhibitors from around the world drew more than 6 million visitors over the 5½ months of the exhibition to view many new inventions and innovations.  

Steampunk is such a good look. There was a married couple on a TV quiz show here a few years ago who came in steampunk outfits. We have steampunk festivals across the country and a bookshop in Hay-on-Wye has a dedicated steampunk section.

2 May 1952 - The first commercial jet airliner service began.

The de Haviland Comet, which first flew in 1949, entered service as a commercial airliner with BOAC flying from London to Johannesburg in May 1952. Unfortunately within two years five Comets were lost in accidents killing 110 people. In the two last incidents structural failure was the cause, so production of the aircraft was halted. It resumed in 1958 but the Comet was never to become a successful commercial airliner. Nevertheless over 100 were built with the last flying as late as 1997.

I drop Howard off at the pool. 

3 May 1923 - The first non-stop flight across the USA.

Lts Oakley Kelly and John Macready USAAF took off in a Fokker T.2 monoplane from Mitchel Field Hempstead NY on the afternoon of 2 May 1923 and flew non-stop for 26 hrs 50 mins across the USA landing at Rockwell Field San Diego CA the following day.    

4 May 1926 - The General Strike began, 100 years ago today.

The largest "down tools" in British history. It began with a crisis in the coalmining industry. With outdated equipment and cheap foreign imports a report recommended a reduction in wages and an increase in working hours to pay for updating the industry. With the slogan "Not a penny off the pay, not a minute on the day" the coalminers went on strike on 1 May. The Trades Union Congress announced a General Strike of all workers in support of the miners to begin at midnight 3 May.

It was remarkably well observed; no public transport ran, no newspapers were printed, no docks operated. The government feared violence and a Communist-style uprising, so appealed for an army of civilians to take on the workers' role. This too was well attended with thousands of middle and upper class men and women driving trains and buses with many signing up as special constables in the police. A state of emergency was declared and the army set up camps in London's parks with armoured cars escorting supplies across the city. In fact there was surprisingly little violence. 

Faced with government steadfastness the TUC called off the strike on 12 May, but the miners continued until they too gave in and accepted a pay cut in November.    

The government saw the events of May 1926 as revolution averted. 

4 May 1926 - The General Strike began, 100 years ago today.

The largest "down tools" in British history. It began with a crisis in the coalmining industry. With outdated equipment and cheap foreign imports a report recommended a reduction in wages and an increase in working hours to pay for updating the industry. With the slogan "Not a penny off the pay, not a minute on the day" the coalminers went on strike on 1 May. The Trades Union Congress announced a General Strike of all workers in support of the miners to begin at midnight 3 May.

It was remarkably well observed; no public transport ran, no newspapers were printed, no docks operated. The government feared violence and a Communist-style uprising, so appealed for an army of civilians to take on the workers' role. This too was well attended with thousands of middle and upper class men and women driving trains and buses with many signing up as special constables in the police. A state of emergency was declared and the army set up camps in London's parks with armoured cars escorting supplies across the city. In fact there was surprisingly little violence. 

Faced with government steadfastness the TUC called off the strike on 12 May, but the miners continued until they too gave in and accepted a pay cut in November.    

The government saw the events of May 1926 as revolution averted. 

So, the proletariat finally had enough & go on strike crippling the country. But as always, the bourgeoisie wins out. 

The novelist Arnold Bennett was in London at the time and kept a record of the Strike in his diary. A few extracts -

Tuesday May 4th - "No evening paper. News from the wireless at very short intervals, ½ hour intervals at night up to midnight. I should think that nearly all theatres would soon be closed. Already there has been a noticeably increasing gravity in the general demeanour".

Wednesday May 5th - "Most people gloomy, but all uncompromising. General opinion that the fight would be short but violent. Bloodshed anticipated next week. Plenty of wireless messages, futile. Typescript-printed Times and Financial News.

Thursday May 6th - "Not a taxi on the streets that I saw. Dined at the Yacht Club, after some trouble about me not being in evening dress (a new rule I had never heard of). However, I insisted on dining there, and did. Imagine enforcing evening dress in the middle of a General Strike!"

Tuesday May 11th - "I am still sticking to my point with everyone that the calling of the general strike is a political crime that must be paid for. How can this be denied when the Unions Council had the infernal cheek to issue permits to goods and vehicles to use the roads and railways, I cannot understand. As if anybody could possibly need permission to use roads except in a revolution".

Wednesday May 12th - "The general strike now seems pitiful, foolish - a pathetic attempt of underdogs who hadn't a chance when the over-dogs really set themselves to win. Everybody, nearly, among the over-dogs seems to have joined in with grim enthusiasm to beat the strike". 

You're sounding like one of those Leftie Liberals we hear about. 

Arnold Bennett provided articles for the New York Herald Tribune during the Strike. 

A number of collieries closed due to the Strike never to operate again, including Burley Pit where my great-grandfather was killed in 1917.  

A number of collieries closed due to the Strike never to operate again, including Burley Pit where my great-grandfather was killed in 1917.  

Dangerous job back then, even now. The canaries warned you about gas, cave-ins another matter. 

One of my best jobs was working for a labor lawyer.  My favorite term after hours and hours of dictation:  "the complement is depressed".

Which reminds me of my only union joke:  How many Teamsters does it take to change a light bulb?  Twelve.  You got a problem with that?

One of my best jobs was working for a labor lawyer.  My favorite term after hours and hours of dictation:  "the complement is depressed".

Which reminds me of my only union joke:  How many Teamsters does it take to change a light bulb?  Twelve.  You got a problem with that?

Worked both with and against labor lawyers when I was a union negotiator, Shula. One comes to mind that I knew quite well a long time ago. As fate would have it his son followed in his footsteps & is now running for congress in my district. Do not know him, but his father was a stand-up guy. 

5 May 1835 - The first railway service in mainland Europe began

GB began railway services in 1825, but it was nine years before continental Europe adopted the idea. In 1834 the Belgian government financed a line between Brussels and Mechelen, the first phase of a line to link the port of Ostend with the interior.

It was built to a British design using British locomotives. Within ten years Belgium had the most miles of rail track in Europe after GB.