Today in History
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1924 The Greenwich Time Signal is broadcast for the first time
The “BBC pips” are five short and one long tone broadcast by many BBC radio stations to signal the start of the hour.
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1919 United Artists is founded
Charlie Chaplin was one of the film studio’s founders.
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1909 The world’s first synthetic plastic is developed
That day, Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland announced the invention of Bakelite at an American Chemical Society meeting.
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1869 The biggest gold nugget in history is found
The “Welcome Stranger” was discovered in Moliagul, Australia, and had a refined weight of 71.081 kg.
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1852 The Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg opens to the public
It was founded in 1764 and is one of the world’s largest and oldest museums.
Births On This Day, February 5
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1985 Cristiano Ronaldo
Portuguese footballer
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1969 Michael Sheen
Welsh actor
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1900 Adlai Stevenson
American politician, 31st Governor of Illinois
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1878 André Citroën
French engineer, businessman, founded Citroën
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1840 John Boyd Dunlop
Scottish businessman, co-founded Dunlop Rubber
Deaths On This Day, February 5
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2010 Harry Schwarz
German/South African lawyer, politician, diplomat, 13th South African Ambassador to the United States
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2008 Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Indian guru
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1993 Joseph L. Mankiewicz
American director, screenwriter, producer
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1938 Hans Litten
German jurist
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1881 Thomas Carlyle
Scottish historian
