 "History Today: When BBC broadcast Greenwich Time Signal for the first time")
February 5 is remembered as an important day in history as several events took place on this day across the world.
In our ongoing series History Today , we dive deeper into some of the most important events to have taken place on this day across the world.
Firstly, the Greenwich Time Signal or BBC ‘pips’ was broadcast for the first time on February 5, 1924. On this day in 2020, the Senate acquitted President Donald Trump in the first impeachment. In 1869, the biggest gold nugget in history was found in Australia’s Victoria.
Here is all that happened on this day over the years.
Greenwich Time Signal broadcast for the first time
On this day in 1924, BBC began broadcasting the hourly time signals known as Greenwich Time Signal or ‘pips’ in collaboration with the Royal Greenwich Observatory. So the tradition of sounding the BBC ‘pips’, a series of six short tones, was born. The notes were marked every hour before beginning the news bulletins or programmes.
The pips were the brainchild of Sir Frank Watson Dyson and then head of BBC John Reith. Earlier, in 1924, the BBC had aired Big Ben’s chimes during the New Year countdown. This inspired Dyson, an astronomer, to propose broadcasting precise time signals for greater accuracy.
The idea was approved by Reith and he enlisted the help of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich to create an effective time-keeping system. The time signal originated from two mechanical clocks at the Royal Observatory. Electrical contacts on the clock pendulums sent precise timing signals to BBC Broadcasting House, where they were converted into audible tones.
Senate acquits Donald Trump in impeachment trial
In 2020, the US Senate acquitted President Donald Trump in his first impeachment trial, clearing him of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress charges. The trial stemmed from allegations that Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden while withholding military aid.
The Senate voted 52-48 to acquit on abuse of power and 53-47 on obstruction of Congress. Republican Senator Mitt Romney was the only member of his party to vote for the conviction of Trump on the first charge.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe votes, concluding the third presidential impeachment trial in US history, marked a decisive victory for Donald Trump after five months of intense controversy over Ukraine, which shook Washington and endangered his presidency. However, both sides acknowledged that the ultimate verdict on Trump would come from the voters in just nine months.
Biggest gold nugget in history found in Australia
John Deason and Richard Oates discovered the largest alluvial gold nugget in Victoria, Australia on this day in 1869. The nugget, weighing over 158 pounds (72 kilograms), was so big that it had to be broken into three pieces before it could be weighed at the local bank.
The nugget known as “Welcome Stranger”, caused a sensation around the world and further fuelled the Victorian gold rush. This became a testament to the allure of gold and the dreams of fortune that drew so many people to the Australian goldfields.
While the nugget was melted down for its gold value, the legacy of it being the biggest gold nugget continues to live. A replica of the “Welcome Stranger” can be found at the Old Treasury Building in Melbourne, a reminder of the golden history of Victoria.
This Day, That Year
On this day in 2003, US Secretary of State Colin Powell appeared before the UNSC to present evidence that Iraq possessed proscribed weapons of mass destruction and posed an immediate danger.
Portuguese football player Cristiano Ronaldo was born in Funchal, Portugal in 1985.
In 1943, Mexico adopted its present constitution.
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