On May 1, 1851, the Great Exhibition opens to wide acclaim in the Crystal Palace in London. Inside the Crystal Palace, a giant glass-and-iron hall designed by Sir Joseph Paxton, more than 10,000 exhibitors set up eight miles of tables. Technological wonders from around the world were on display, but the exposition was clearly dominated by Britain, the premier industrialized nation and workshop of the world. Conceived by Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, the Great Exposition was a rousing success, hosting 6 million visitors before it closed in October. The many goods displayed ranged from kitchen appliances to false teeth, silks to farm machinery.
Also on This Day
- Lead Story
- Empire State Building dedicated, 1931
- American Revolution
- President Eisenhower proclaims Law Day, 1958
- Automotive
- Ford factory workers get 40-hour week, 1926
- Civil War
- Battle of Chancellorsville begins, 1863
- Cold War
- American U-2 spy plane shot down, 1960
- Crime
- Former NBA All-Star indicted, 2002
- Disaster
- Record-breaking tornado wave begins, 2003
- General Interest
- Great Exhibition opens, 1851
- The Battle of Manila Bay, 1898
- An American tops Everest, 1963
- Labour party returns to power in Britain, 1997
- Hollywood
- Citizen Kane released, 1941
- Literary
- Joseph Heller is born, 1923
- Music
- Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro premieres in Vienna, 1786
- Old West
- Calamity Jane is born, 1852
- Presidential
- Herbert Hoover dedicates Empire State Building, 1931
- Sports
- Rickey Henderson breaks stolen base record, 1991
- Vietnam War
- Senator criticizes Nixon's handling of the war, 1969
- North Vietnamese troops capture Quang Tri, 1972
- World War I
- International Congress of Women adopts resolutions, 1915
- World War II
- Alan G. Cunningham, British liberator of Ethiopia, is born, 1887
May 1, 1851:
Great Exhibition opens
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This Week in History, May 1 - May 7
- May 01, 1851
- Great Exhibition opens
- May 01, 1898
- The Battle of Manila Bay
- May 01, 1963
- An American tops Everest
- May 01, 1997
- Labour party returns to power in Britain
- May 02, 1670
- Hudson's Bay Company chartered
- May 02, 1808
- Madrid revolts against French rule
- May 02, 1972
- End of an era at the FBI
- May 02, 2011
- Osama bin Laden killed by U.S. forces
- May 03, 1946
- Japanese war crimes trial begins
- May 03, 1947
- New Japanese constitution goes into effect
- May 03, 1952
- Fletcher lands on the North Pole
- May 04, 1886
- The Haymarket Square Riot
- May 04, 1970
- National Guard kills four at Kent State
- May 04, 1979
- Margaret Thatcher sworn in
- May 05, 1821
- Napoleon dies in exile
- May 05, 1862
- Cinco de Mayo
- May 05, 1945
- Six killed in Oregon by Japanese bomb
- May 05, 1981
- IRA militant Bobby Sands dies
- May 06, 1937
- The Hindenburg disaster
- May 06, 1954
- First four-minute mile
- May 07, 1763
- Pontiac's Rebellion begins
- May 07, 1915
- Lusitania sinks
- May 07, 1954
- French defeated at Dien Bien Phu
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