Documenting the historical links between people and places as recorded by commemorative plaques
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Plaque Of The Day
Alexander Fleming and penicillin maroon plaque
Jez says, "This plaque is great because it is fairly high up on the building and indicates the exact room that Alexander Fleming worked in"
Place Of The Day
Norwich, United Kingdom
Norwich has a long history. It has been a city since 1094. From the Middle Ages until the Industrial Revolution, Norwich was the largest city in England after London and one of the most important. This is refelected in its plaques.
Most-viewed plaques
In the last 11 years, between 20 May 2009 to 6 Jan 2021, Open Plaques had 4,530,517 page views from 1,234,480 users. Some were triggered by internet memes such as Steve Ullathorne's 2012 image of a George Orwell plaque with a CCTV camera next to it. Others, such as those for Alan Turing, were probably triggered by an anniversary and campaign for recognition.
- George Orwell 1903-1950 novelist & political essayist lived here (19526 page views)
- Jacob von Hogflume 1864-1909 Inventor of time travel. lived here in 2189 (15077 page views)
- George Orwell 1903-1950 novelist and political essayist lived here (6390 page views)
- Jimi Hendrix 1942-1970 guitarist and songwriter lived here 1968-1969 (5714 page views)
- Alan Turing 1912-1954 founder of computer science and cryptographer, whose work was key to breaking the wartime Enigma codes, lived and died here. (4085 page views)
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 1859-1930 creator of Sherlock Holmes lived here 1891-1894 (3846 page views)
- Alan Turing 1912-1954 code breaker lived here from 1945-1947 (3679 page views)
- This building housed the offices of Charles Dickens' magazine 'All The Year Round' and his private apartments 1859-1870 (3339 page views)
- Dame Agatha Christie 1890-1976 detective novelist and playwright lived here 1934-1941 (3027 page views)
- The Peterloo Massacre. On 16th August 1819, a peaceful rally of 60,000 pro-democracy reformers, men, women and children was attacked by armed cavalry resulting in 15 deaths and over 600 injuries. (3006 page views)
recently photographed plaques
Texas Historical Marker #13043
Anderson, Clayton & Co.. In 1904, Frank E. Anderson, his brother, Monroe D. Anderson, and his wife's brothers, William L. and Benjamin B. Clayton, formed the partnership of Anderson, Clayton & Co. in Oklahoma City. The successful cotton firm moved its headquarters in 1916 to Houston and built Long Reach, a cotton compressing-storing-shipping complex covering 32 acres on the new Houston Ship Channel, including a wharf for the simultaneous loading of eight steamships. At the time, the world's cotton-trading center was the New York Cotton Exchange; Houston and other cities had lesser exchanges. In 1924, the Houston Cotton Exchange moved into a new building at this site. Anderson, Clayton & Co. became the building's principal tenant for many years. From the eleventh floor headquarters, company officials supervised more than 24,000 employees stationed around the world. The company incorporated in 1945. By 1960, coffee had surpassed cotton in sales, and the firm continued to diversify, with interests in related foods and textiles. By the 1980s, the food division had become its principal asset, and the Quaker Oats Company acquired the business in 1986. The firm's Houston partners greatly influenced the city's development and enriched its future. The M.D. Anderson Foundation established the Texas Medical Center, the University of Texas-M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and many other projects. Ben Clayton created the Clayton Research Foundation and other philanthropies. Will Clayton became prominent as Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs and for his work on the Marshall Plan after World War II. He and his wife gave their home to Houston's Public Library. In 1996, the former Cotton Exchange Building became the Anderson Clayton Courthouse Annex. (2005) #13043
?, Houston, TX, United States
Ici vécut Jean Moulin, grand patriote, premier président du Conseil National de la Résistance, assassiné par les Allemands 1943
English translation: Here lived Jean Moulin, great patriot, first president of the National Council of the Resistance, assassinated by the Germans 1943
Grand rue Jean Moulin, Montpellier, France
Subjects
Leonard George Harley carpet weaver at Carpet Trades Ltd Mill Street lived here 1951 to 2001
Bennett Street, Kidderminster, United Kingdom
Subjects
In memory of the five Quinn brothers, Arthur, Charles, John and Edward who were all killed in World War One and George who survived, and they all lived together on this site.
Sainsbury's Superstore Southend Lane London SE26, London, United Kingdom
Subjects
Hier woonde en werkte, van 1896 tot 1932, de Vlaamse schrijver Cyriel Buysse (1959-1932) gehuwd met Nelly Tromp-Dyserinck
English translation: Here lived and worked, from 1896 to 1932, the Flemish writer Cyriel Buysse (1959-1932) married to Nelly Tromp-Dyserinck
Laan van Meerdervoort 11, Den Haag, Netherlands
Subjects
Jesmond Parish Church. Designed in 1858 by Dobson and built in memory of the notable preacher Richard Clayton.
Eslington Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
Subjects
Educator, Thinker, Innovator, Thomas Prior 1681-1751, born Rathdowney, A founder of Dublin Society (RDS) 1731
Church of Ireland, Rathdowney, Rathdowney, Ireland
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Hier wohnte Alfred Bergmann jg. 1910 Flucht Schweiz Ausgeliefert 1940 An Gestapo Ermordet 20.4.1940
English translation: Alfred Bergmann
Uhlandstr. 194 A, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Berlin, Germany
Subjects
Texas Historical Marker #12630
Micham Main. Little is known about this Anderson County pioneer until he married Elizabeth Van Winkle in Crawford County, Illinois, in 1820. The Mains lived in the Illinois township of Palestine until 1833, when, drawn by a favorable change in the Mexican colonization laws, they moved their family to the Nacogdoches District of what is now Texas. Micham Main applied for a land grant in David G. Burnet's colony and received property in what is now Anderson County in 1835. He farmed the land, as was required under the terms of his grant, and joined the Republic of Texas army for a brief tenure in 1836. Ten years later, the first Texas legislature created Anderson County, and Micham Main was appointed as one of three men to establish a site for a county seat and to give it a name. Along with James Box and John Parker, also from Illinois' Palestine township, a 100-acre tract of land was selected and accepted by the Anderson County commissioners court. Early histories of Anderson County credit Micham Main with naming the new Anderson County seat Palestine for his former residence in Illinois. Later accounts, however, recognize John Parker for this action. Primary source materials that could verify either claim have not surfaced. Nevertheless, Micham Main remains an important part of Anderson County's early history. He died at his home in 1847 and is buried in the Swanson Cemetery. (2002) #12630
500 N. Church St., Palestine, TX, United States
Francis Crick O.M. F.R.S. 1916-2004 Eminent Scientist Nobel Laureate Discoverer of the structure of DNA & the genetic code lived here 1945-1947
56 St. George's Square, London, United Kingdom
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