Europe

Sir Hans Sloane was a naturalist who had managed to amass an enormous collection of books, manuscripts, dried plants and antiquities from his travels. As he neared his death, he did not wish to see his collection broken up or, worse yet, forgotten. Sloane bequeathed his collection to King George II who, in turn, gave his royal assent to an Act of Parliament to establish the British Museum using Sloane's collection as a foundation. Two large libraries of books, one of which included the only surviving copy of Beowulf, were added to the Sloane materials. The concept for the British Museum was unique - it was owned by the government, but not by the king, and was freely open to the public. First situated in the Montagu House, the exhibition galleries and a reading room opened on January 15, 1759. The gallery was first situated in Montagu House in Bloomsbury. [...]

On January 10, 1863' the London Underground (a.k.a. the Tube) became the first underground rail system in the world. In 1890 the world's first electric trains began operating there as well. The original track ran between London Paddington station and Farringdon station. Many more lines would be added to the Underground railway network over the years, but most of it was developed over the next 50 years.

The Cunard Line, then known as the Cunard White Star Line launched the RMS Queen Elizabeth in 1938. Named for Queen Elizabeth (not the current Queen but her mother) the RMS Queen Elizabeth was the largest passenger liner ever built, a record she held for 56 years.

The cathedral in Pisa has a free-standing bell tower on which construction began August 9, 1173 and took 117 years to complete. The development of the Tower started in 1173. Initially intended to be a bell tower, it stood upright for more than 5 years, yet when the third floor was finished in 1178 it started to lean.

In the Netherlands, cycling is somewhat of a national obsession, and Amsterdam lies deep in the cycling whirlwind. Amsterdam is referred to as the bicycle capital of the world and as of next year, it will make its mark as one of the most cycling-friendly cities. From spring of 2019, mopeds and scooters will be banned from all the bike lanes.

Just after midnight on Christmas morning, Allied and German troops engaged in World War I put down their weapons to sing Christmas carols.  Soldiers exchanged presents of cigarettes, plum puddings, and even played friendly games of soccer.  The so-called "Christmas Truce of 1914" was one of the last examples of the outdated notion of chivalry between enemies in warfare.

rom colorful buildings to canal-lined streets, Amsterdam is a city that tourists travel from far and wide to photograph. However, one of its most photographed spots has most recently been brought down.

Since 17th November, there has been unrest as anti-government protestors have taken to the streets of France’s capital demonstrating against high costs of living and spike in the diesel prices. The demonstrations in Paris also attacked Macron’s presidency and shed light on the mass public’s belief that his regime only favored the rich and was trying to modernize the French economy at a rate that was far from realistic.

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, in 1901, The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. The ceremony came on the fifth anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor of dynamite and other high explosives.

On December 4, 1872, the captain of the commercial sailing vessel Dei Gratia, spotted the American ship Mary Celeste sailing toward the Straights of Gibraltar. Captain David Reed Morehouse of the Dei Gratia knew the Mary Celeste had sailed out of New York only a few weeks before.

Can you imagine planning your next adventure travel or luxury travel to Italy and finding that the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa is no more? Well thankfully, experts and geologists have seen to it that this will not come to be for years to come.

Just off the coast of the land border with Albania, Corfu lies on the far northwest corner of Greece. Considered as the second largest Ionian islands along with its small surrounding islands. Many tours to Greece highlight Corfu as a must-visit destination because of its rich history and breathtaking landscapes. In Corfu’s history, this island was where a shipwrecked Odysseus sought refuge from the storms and where other travelers have rested. Its stunning bays, great hills, and lush coastline have drawn visitors since the 8th century BC. Corfu holds a historic location of strategic importance and has been fought over for centuries.