On This Day in History
Britain's first motorway opens
1958Britain's first motorway, the Preston Bypass, opened to the public. (Preston Bypass)
Also on this day
- 1965 A glasnost meeting is held in Moscow — The glasnost meeting took place in Moscow, the first demonstration in the Soviet Union after the Second World War, and a starting point for the country's civil-rights movement.
- 1914 The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition sets out — The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition began, in an attempt to make the first land crossing of Antarctica.
- 1972 Gough Whitlam takes office in Australia — Gough Whitlam took office as the 21st prime minister of Australia and formed a duumvirate with his deputy Lance Barnard, ending 23 years of Liberal-Country Party government.