Documenting the historical links between people and places as recorded by commemorative plaques
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Plaque Of The Day
Florence Nightingale blue plaque
Jez says, "I like this because someone has very carefully bent a pipe so that it goes round the plaque"
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
West Florida Republic and St. Tammany Parish. St. Tammany Parish was among the Spanish-governed West Florida parishes and not included in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Residents revolted against Spanish rule September 1810, creating the Republic of West Florida. The republic lasted 74 days, raising a new flag and electing a president, before being forcibly annexed by the U.S. in December 1810.
68099 Louisiana 59, Mandeville, LA, United States
Texas Historical Marker #09780
City of Luling. Founded when Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio Railroad line intersected a main wagon road from South Texas to Austin. Many families of the Atlanta community (3 mi. SE) relocated here. Plum Creek Post Office, opened nearby in 1848, also moved here and was renamed Luling. The city was chartered Sept. 19, 1874. Original mayor was W. H. McClelland. The first aldermen were Jesse R. Bond, L. C. Cunningham, J. N. Stagner, Mike Tierney, and L. C. Wilder. Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio locator James Converse platted the townsite on Oct. 15, 1874. The G.H. & S.A. gave land for four public parks, and its president, T. W. Peirce, willed $2,000.00 to the town. Terminus of the railroad until mid-1875, Luling had heavy shipping and trade in its infancy. In late 1874 the population was 800 to 1,000, including drifters who gave the place an early reputation as a tough town. The law-abiding, however, established churches, schools, and stability, and within a few years the railroad boom town was only a legend. An oil boom began in 1922, and 125 producing wells have now been drilled within the city limits. Three major oil fields surround the town, which in later years has become also an agribusiness center. #9780
?, Luling, TX, United States
Catherine Howard (c.1520-1542), fifth wife of King Henry VIII lived in Horsham. She was beheaded.
West Street, Horsham, United Kingdom
Subjects
Alan Durband 1927-1993 co-founder of the Merseyside Everyman Theatre, teacher, author and tireless promoter of new writing
Foyer of the Everyman Theatre, 13 Hope Street, Liverpool, United Kingdom
Subjects
Joseph Bell 1837 - 1911. Pioneer in forensic science, surgeon, university lecturer to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and inspiration for Sherlock Holmes. Lived here 1884 - 1911.
2 Melville Crescent, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Subjects
Texas Historical Marker #06209
Texas American Bank/McKinney N. A., formerly the Collin County National Bank. This financial institution was organized on March 13, 1883, by a number of McKinney's prominent citizens and businessmen. Among those financial pioneers were James W. Throckmorton, who had served as governor of Texas in 1866 and 1867; G.A. Foote, the bank's first president; H.M. Markham, Vice President; W.L. Boyd, Cashier; Directors I.D. Newsome, Z.E. Ranney, J.A. Aston from Farmersville and H.A. Rhea from the Rhea Mills Community; and area leaders J.S. White,, T.B. Wilson, T.C. Goodner, T.H. Murray, E.M. McAuley, and G.A. Wilson. With an initial $75,000 in capital stock, Collin County National Bank grew steadily during its early years and became a leader in the financial community. The bank was housed first on the southeast corner of the courthouse square. It remained at that location until January 7, 1932, when it moved into the First National Bank Building on the east side of the square. In 1956, larger facilities were needed, resulting in the construction of a new building at 222 North Tennessee Street. Throughout its history, this financial institution has played a vital role in the growth and development of McKinney and Collin county. (1984) #6209
222 N Tennessee St, McKinney, TX, United States
THE BEATLES/played here on 17 occasions in 1962 and 1963/Formerly Majestic Ballroom
46 Conway Street, Birkenhead, United Kingdom
Subjects
Anne Brontë 1820-1849 writer died in a house on this site on May 28th 1849
Grand Hotel, St Nicholas Cliff, Scarborough, United Kingdom
Subjects
Egyptian House. Designed in the Egyptian style following the popularisation of Egyptian architecture after the Napoleonic campaigns. One of only two examples in the country. John Foulston 1823
Egyptian House, Ker Street, Plymouth, United Kingdom
Subjects
Texas Historical Marker #02274
Greenwood. Pioneer settlers came to this area as early as the 1850s. Local tradition states that the Greenwood and Hart families were among the first settlers in the area, and that the community was named for the Greenwood family and the creek was named for the Hart family. As the town of Greenwood began to grow, businesses, churches, a cemetery, school, and Masonic Lodge were established. A post office was opened in 1877, and a town well was dug by John Karr Berry in the early 1890s. At its peak, the town boasted two saloons, four grocery stores, two drug stores, a hotel, bank, hardware store, barber shop, blacksmith shop, cotton gin, and the Greenwood Gazette newspaper. The Greenwood Male and Female College, although in operation for less than twenty years, provided quality education for young people of the community. This small settlement has served as a supply center for surrounding farming communities for over one hundred years. It has also been a center of social and religious activities. Three churches serve the Greenwood area: Greenwood Baptist Church, founded as Hart's Creek Missionary Baptist Church about 1872; Greenwood Methodist Church, founded about 1880; and Greenwood Church of Christ, founded in 1896. #2274
FM 1204, Greenwood, TX, United States
Hebden Suspension Bridge. This plaque commemorates the centenary of the opening of this bridge built by Hebden blacksmith William Bell on September 26th 1885
River Wharfe, Hebden Bridge, United Kingdom
Subjects
Hier wohnte Feiga Reifen geb. Kupferstein jg. 1887 Ausgewiesen Aug.1939 Polen Ermodet in Majdanek
English translation: Here lived Feiga Reifen nee Kupferstein born 1887 Ausgewiesen Aug.1939 Polen Ermodet in Majdanek
Nürnberger Str. 16, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Berlin, Germany