Tag: around the world

On This Day 78 Years Ago – Around the world in 91 hours!

On: By: Philip Wake
On 10th July 1938 Howard Hughes began his flight around the world and arrived 91 hours later to break the previous record by more than four days! Howard Robard Hughes Jr (1905 - 1976) was an American business magnate, entrepreneur, investor, aviator, aerospace engineer, inventor, film producer and philanthropist. He was known as one of the most financially successful men in the world and gained prominence as an unorthodox film tycoon in Hollywood from the late 1920s. He made big-budget Read more [...]

On This Day 51 Years Ago – Great Train Robbery’s Tea-Boy escaped from Prison

On: By: Philip Wake
On 8th July 1965 Ronnie Biggs escaped from Wandsworth prison. He was one of the criminals who took part in the Great Train Robbery of 1963 in which  £2.6 million (equivalent to £49.1 million today) was stolen from a Royal Mail train heading between Glasgow and London in the early hours of 8th August 1963. Though the gang did not use any firearms Jack Mills the train driver was beaten over the head with a metal bar. His injuries were severe enough to end his career. It was the latter aspect Read more [...]

On This Day 49 Years Ago – Sir Francis Chichester Sails Around the World in 226 Days

On: By: Philip Wake
On 28th May 1967 Sir Francis Chichester arrived in Plymouth in his yacht, Gypsy Moth IV, after completing his epic single-handed voyage around the world. He crossed the finishing line at 20:58, nine months and one day after setting off from Plymouth having completed the first leg of his journey to Sydney in 107 days and the second leg back to Plymouth in 119 days. Sir Francis was the first man to sail around the world solo with only one port of call. Thousands of small boats accompanied Sir Read more [...]