On This Day October 1

On October 1, 1881, the southeastern England town of Godalming was the first town in the world to introduce a public electricity supply system, making electricity accessible to its residents.

Introduction of street lighting to Godalming, November 1881 (from The Graphic)

In 1881, Calder and Barrett, a London-based firm, installed a generator powered by two Poncelet waterwheels at Westbrook Mill. This generator provided electricity for three 250 V arc lights at the mill, and overhead cables were extended along Mill Street to the town center. There, an additional four arc lights were installed. Additionally, a second 40 V circuit was set up to supply power for 34 incandescent lamps, seven of which were located at the mill, with the rest distributed throughout the town center.

However, the success of this electrification scheme was mixed, with criticisms emerging. Some found the lights in the town center to be too dim, while those at the mill were considered excessively bright. By the close of 1881, the generator had been relocated to the rear of the White Hart pub, where it was now driven by a steam engine. In April 1882, Siemens took over the operation of this pioneering electrical endeavor.

WANT MORE THINGS THAT HAPPENED ON OCTOBER 1? CHECK OUT MY ONTHATDAY BLOG. HERE'S A LINK.

On This Day September 30

A Boston dentist called William T.G. Morton (1819-68) is attributed with the initial discovering of general anesthesia for use in the medical field. In the mid 1840s, at the suggestion of his landlord Professor Charles Jackson, Morton started to experiment with using ether to anesthetize a patient before extracting a tooth. After trial runs on himself, his dog and a goldfish, Morton painlessly extracted a tooth from a patient, Eben Frost, after administering ether on September 30, 1846.

Re-enactment of the first public demonstration of general anesthesia by William T. G. Morton

WANT MORE ON THESE DAYS? CHECK OUT MY ONTHATDAY BLOG. HERE'S A LINK.

On This Day September 29

German engineer and inventor of the diesel engine, Rudolf Diesel, was lost overboard from the steamer Dresden while on his way to London on September 29, 1913. Many believe he committed suicide as, shortly after Diesel's disappearance, his wife Martha opened a bag that her husband had given to her just before his ill-fated voyage, with directions that it should not be opened until the following week. She discovered 200,000 German marks in cash.

Diesel c. 1900

WANT MORE ON THESE DAYS? CHECK OUT MY ONTHATDAY BLOG. HERE'S A LINK.

On This Day September 28

William the Conqueror, The Duke of Normandy, began the Norman conquest of England when he landed on Pevensey beach on September 28, 1066. William's first action on landing on Pevensey beach was ominously to trip over, land on his face and swallow some sand. A great cry went up that it was a bad omen but always ready for a bon mot, Norman duke splattered " I have seized England with both hands."

The Normans landing in England scene from the Bayeux Tapestry

WANT MORE ON THESE DAYS? CHECK OUT MY ONTHATDAY BLOG. HERE'S A LINK.

On This Day September 27

The Stockton and Darlington Railway, the first public railway to use steam locomotives, was opened on September 27, 1825 in north east England. The railway used George Stephenson's eight ton no. 1 engine, called Locomotion. The first purpose-built passenger car, Experiment, was attached and carried dignitaries on the opening journey racing along at 15 mph. At that time most people believed nobody could survive speeds above 16 mph so there was a lot of alarm.

The Locomotion for the Stockton & Darlington Railway

WANT MORE ON THESE DAYS? CHECK OUT MY ONTHATDAY BLOG. HERE'S A LINK.

On This Day September 26

Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG) registered the Mercedes name on September 26, 1902. The symbol of Mercedes-Benz is a three-pointed star inside of a circle and was designed by Gottlieb Daimler. The three points of the star stand for land, air and sea because Daimler's engines were used not only in cars and trucks but in airplanes and boats. The symbol was first used in 1909.

WANT MORE ON THESE DAYS? CHECK OUT MY ONTHATDAY BLOG. HERE'S A LINK.

On This Day September 25

On September 25, 1906, Spanish civil engineer Leonardo Torres y Quevedo publicly demonstrated the Telekino, guiding a boat from the shore. The device consisted of a robot that executed commands transmitted by electromagnetic waves. With the Telekino, Torres y Quevedo laid down modern wireless remote-control operation principles and the event is considered the birth of the remote control.

The Telekino receptor

WANT MORE ON THESE DAYS? CHECK OUT MY ONTHATDAY BLOG. HERE'S A LINK.