#Middlebury
On May 31, 1859, the famous tower clock known as Big Ben, located at the top of the 320-foot-high Elizabeth Tower, rings out over London for the first time. At night, all four of the clock’s faces, each one 23 feet across, are illuminated. A light above Big Ben is also lit to let the public know when Parliament is in session.- On June 4, 1876, a mere 83 hours after leaving New York City, the Transcontinental Express train arrives in San Francisco. First-class passengers rode in beautifully appointed cars with plush velvet seats that converted into snug sleeping berths. Third-class passengers sat on narrow wooden benches.
- On June 5, 1922, George W. Carmack, the first person to discover gold along the Klondike River, dies in British Columbia. In 1896, near the confluence of the Yukon and Klondike River, Carmack stumbled across a deposit of gold so rich that thumb-sized pieces of gold lay scattered along the creek bed.
- On June 6, 1933, eager motorists park their automobiles on the grounds the first-ever drive-in movie theater, in New Jersey. Inventor Richard Hollingshead had come up with the idea in his driveway with different projection and sound techniques.
- On June 2, 1953, Queen Elizabeth II is formally crowned monarch of the United Kingdom in a ceremony steeped in traditions that date back a millennium.
- On June 3, 1965, 120 miles above the Earth, Major Edward White II opens the hatch and steps out of the Gemini 4 capsule, becoming the first U.S. astronaut to walk in space. Attached to the craft by a 25-foot tether, White remained outside the capsule for 20 minutes.
- On June 1, 1980, CNN (Cable News Network), the world’s first 24-hour television news network, makes its debut. CNN signed on at 6 p.m. EDT from its headquarters in Atlanta.
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