Documenting the historical links between people and places as recorded by commemorative plaques
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Plaque Of The Day
myf says, "I like this one because it's so unexpected - such a great scientist, in a hut, in the middle of Norfolk!"
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
Holy Trinity Church. Founded in the first half of the 12th century, its architecture is like that of the 13th and 14th centuries, with woodwork and pews of the 17th and 18th centuries. The church is a good example of how a church was arranged after the Reformation. The stained glass over the altar was the gift of John Walker, Rector, and is late Perpendicular, in date 1470-1480 a rare date in York glass.
70 Goodramgate, York, United Kingdom
Subjects
Surrey Docks Fire On September 7th 1940 the docks were set on fire in the first raid of the Blitz
Surrey Quays, Deal Porters Way, Southwark, London, United Kingdom
Subjects
Texas Historical Marker #09426
Carnegie Public Library. Opened 1904 through the efforts of local women's clubs. Building a gift of public benefactor Andrew Carnegie. Only library in Kaufman County; has been information center for students of five local colleges and a site of early civic functions. Has over 14,000 books. #9426
207 N. Frances, Terrell, TX, United States
Subjects
Sir Francis Pettit-Smith 1808 - 74 inventor of the steam screw propeller was born here
52 High Street, Hythe, United Kingdom
Subjects
В ознаменование 150-летия Наро-Фоминского шелкового комбината 1840-1990 г.г.
English translation: In commemoration of 150 years of Naro-Fominsk Silk Combinate (1840-1990)
ploshad Svobody, 2, Naro-Fominsk, Russia
Site of The Thatched House Tavern. On June 1st 1815 was formed The Royal Yacht Squadron as named in 1833 by order of His Majesty King William IV
78 St James's Street, London, United Kingdom
Subjects
Kentucky Historical Marker #2191
Desegregation of Murray State College. Shortly after the historic U.S. Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education, et. al. decision, Murray State College "with all deliberate speed," welcomed Mary Ford Holland of Kuttawa, Ky., as a student in the summer of 1955. Holland's enrollment earned her the distinction of being Murray's first African American student. (Reverse) Holland's enrollment at Murray State occurred without incident. In the fall of 1955, four more African American students enrolled. They were Geneva Arnold, Bobby Brandon, Arlene Keyes, & Willie Earl Perry-graduates of Murray's segregated Frederick Douglass High School.
Murray State University campus, Murray, ,
The Billings House / La Maison Billings. Park Hill was built by Braddish Billings, a pioneer in local lumbering and agriculture. Born in Massachusetts in 1783, he was the first settler of Gloucester Township in 1812, his homestead forming the nucleus of Billings Bridge. In symmetry and classical detail, Park Hill draws on New England architecture of the Georgian period. The original house was built in 1828 but the north wing, which may have been moved intact from an earlier Billings home, was added in 1831. Later, a verandah was removed and the dormers and south wing added. Billings died in 1864 at Park Hill, which was occupied by his descendants until 1975. / Né au Massachusetts en 1783, premier habitant de Gloucester en 1812, un des pionniers de l’exploitation forestière et de l’agriculture dans la région, Braddish Billings fit bâtir Park Hill en 1828, qui fut l’embryon de Billings Bridge. Par sa symétrie et son ornementation classique, la maison s’inspire de l’architecture de la Nouvelle-Angleterre de l’époque géorgienne. On lui ajouta en 1831 l’aile nord, qui proviendrait d’une des premières maisons de Billings. Par la suite, on supprima la véranda et on construisit les lucarnes et l’aile sud. Billings y est mort en 1864 et ses descendants l’ont habitée jusqu’en 1975.
2100 Cabot Street, Ottawa, ON, Canada
This building erected in 1980 on the site of the Argosy Cinema (1935) latterly the Regal Cinema
Mackays, Preston Street, Faversham, United Kingdom
20" gate valve. This valve was originally installed in Calf Hey Dam in 1856
Calf Hey Road, Rossendale, United Kingdom
Texas Historical Marker #12017
Horrell-Higgins Feud. The Horrell and Higgins families were among the early settlers of Lampasas County. Tom, Mart, Merritt and Sam Horrell were accused of many crimes, including cattle rustling and murder. Pink Higgins was a cattleman and trail driver who, in 1876, began accusing the Horrell brothers of stealing his cattle. On January 22, 1877, Pink Higgins shot and killed Merritt Horrell in the Gem Saloon. This was the beginning of a six-month battle between the Horrell brothers and Pink Higgins, Bob Mitchell, Bill Wren and their followers. On March 26, Tom and Mart Horrell were ambushed on their way into Lampasas. Captain John C. Sparks of the Texas Rangers went in pursuit, but no one was captured. Higgins remained a fugitive, but eventually surrendered and was ordered to appear in court. On June 4, the Lampasas County District Clerk's Office was burglarized and District Court records were destroyed. Three days later, the biggest battle of the feud took place on the public square in Lampasas; one man from each side was killed. Major John B. Jones, commander of the Texas Ranger Frontier Battalion, came to Lampasas and sent Sergeant N. O. Reynolds and a company of Rangers out to capture the Horrells. The brothers were arrested and agreed to make peace by sending a letter of reconciliation to the Higgins party. This treaty was the formal end to one of the worst feuds in Texas history. What was perhaps the true termination of the feud came in 1878 in the town of Meridian, when Tom and Mart Horrell were murdered in their jail cell by a vigilante mob. Sam Horrell left Texas, resettled in Oregon and died of old age. Pink Higgins eventually settled near Spur in West Texas and went to work as a range detective. (2000) #12017
Lampasas County Courthouse (west side), Lampasas, TX, United States
John Curry OBE (1949-1994) World champion ice skater and gold medal winner at the 1976 Winter Olympic Games lived here.
Arden Lodge Residential Home - 946 Warwick Road, Acocks Green, Birmingham, United Kingdom