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On This Day In History

16th February 1937: Organic chemist Wallace Carothers is awarded a patent for nylon

The DuPont company’s organic chemist Wallace Carothers received a patent for linear condensation polymers, the basis of the material better known as nylon.

Tomorrow's historical event

17th February 1966: The Beach Boys start recording Good Vibrations

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15th February 1971: The UK and Ireland decimalise their currency

On the 15th February 1971, the United Kingdom and Ireland abandoned their old currency of pounds, shillings and pence and introduced a decimalised system. Read More

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14th February 1990: Voyager 1 creates the ‘Pale Blue Dot’ image of Earth

Pale Blue Dot, the most distant photograph ever taken of Earth, was created by the Voyager 1 space probe. Read More

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13th February 1689: William and Mary become co-regents

On the 13th February 1689, William and Mary became co-regents of the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland after agreeing to the Declaration of Right. Read More

Poster for the premiere of Rhapsody in Blue

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12th February 1924: First performance of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”

George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue was performed for the first time at a concert by Paul Whiteman and his Palais Royal Orchestra called An Experiment in Modern Music. Read More

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11th February 1979: Iranian Revolution overthrows the Shah

On the 11th February 1979 Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, was overthrown as a result of the Iranian Revolution. Read More

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10th February 1355: St Scholastica’s Day Riot began in Oxford between ‘town and gown’

Tensions between university students and the locals of Oxford had been building for some time before violence broke out. Read More

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9th February 1969: First test flight of Boeing 747 ‘Jumbo Jet’

On the 9th February 1969, the first test flight of the Boeing 747 ‘Jumbo Jet’ took place. Read More

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