THIS WEEK IN HISTORY

June 25, 1967 – The world's first live global satellite TV programme is aired

The BBC programme, Our World, featured artists from 19 countries. The Beatles premiered their song, All You Need Is Love, on the show. Some 400 million viewers tuned in to watch the show.


June 26, 1925 – Charlie Chaplin's film The Gold Rush receives its premiere

The comedy featuring Chaplin in his famous Little Tramp role is a classic of the silent film genre. The English star actor repeatedly stated that this is the film he wants to be remembered for.


June 27, 1954 – The world's first nuclear power plant is activated

The reactor at Obninsk in Russia remained in operation for 48 years. The technology remains controversial, especially due to the unsolved long-term storage of the highly dangerous nuclear waste.


June 28, 1939 – The world's first scheduled transatlantic flight takes off

The Boeing 314 Clipper flying boat was operated by Pan Am. It took about 24 hours to reach France. The scheduled service was soon discontinued again because of the outbreak of World War II.


June 29, 1995 – The Space Shuttle Atlantis docks with the Russian space station Mir

The rendezvous in space marked a new age of cooperation between the former Cold War adversaries. The docking created the largest man-made Earth satellite in history.


June 30, 1936 – The novel Gone with the Wind is published

Margaret Mitchell's story set in the American South during the American Civil War became one of the biggest best-sellers. The 1939 movie version starring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable was also successful.


July 1, 1903 – The Tour de France Bicycle Race is flagged off for the first time

The now annual multi-leg bike race lasted for 20 days with a course that stretched about 1,500 miles. The race was first created by the sports daily, L'Auto, as a way to boost its circulation.

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