January 9th in History
TheSirfurryanimalWales
1768 – Philip Astley opens the world's first modern circus
The British equestrian, who is considered the father of modern circus, opened a riding school in London where he also performed tricks for an audience in the afternoons.
1431 – The trial against Joan of Arc begins
She was executed on May 30, 1431, exonerated in 1456, and canonized in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV.
1799 Income tax was introduced into Britain by William Pitt the Younger, to raise funds for the Napoleonic War. The rate was two shillings in the pound.
1816 Sir Humphry Davy tested his Davy safety lamp for miners at Hebburn Colliery. In January 1819, Davy was awarded a baronetcy, at the time the highest honour ever conferred on a man of science in Britain. A year later he became President of the Royal Society.
1854 The first free lending Library opened, on Marylebone Road, London.
1970 – On Jimmy Page‘s 26th Birthday, Led Zeppelin performed at The Royal Albert Hall in London during their UK 1970 tour. The show was recorded but it was released three decades later in 2003 as part of the double DVD set that contains footage of the band’s concerts from 1969 to 1979.
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