13 April 1960: the first satellite navigation system is launched
On this day in 1960, Nasa sent the Transit 1B satellite into orbit to provide positioning for the US Navy’s fleet of Polaris ballistic missile submarines.
These days, satellite navigation systems are everywhere. Even the meanest smartphone can be used to guide you to your destination. Type in where you want to go, switch off brain, and follow the arrows. Only losers and old people use maps these days.
Satnavs aren't perfect, of course. They can cause irritation to residents when their normally quiet streets get marked as a handy shortcut for unsuitably large lorries. And they regularly cause hilarity when we hear of another inattentive fool who's driven into a river or off a cliff because that's what the satnav told them to do.
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But GPS isn't the only system in town. The Soviet Union launched its Glonass system in the late 1960s. Now run by Russia's armed forces, it was the second system to achieve whole earth coverage.
China's BeiDou system has been operating since 2000. And India has its IRNSS, which provides coverage over the sub-continent. The EU isn't being left behind either – it has its Galileo system, in which the UK, having spent around £10 billion on it, is no longer involved.
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MoneyWeek news quiz: How many bank branches have closed in past decade?The price of gold and silver made headlines this week, as did the Lifetime ISA and more bank branch closures. How closely have you been following the news?
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Review: Constance Moofushi and Halaveli – respite in the MaldivesTravel The Constance resorts of Moofushi and Halaveli on two idyllic islands in the Maldives offer two wonderful ways to unwind
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31 August 1957: the Federation of Malaya declares independence from the UKFeatures On this day in 1957, after ten years of preparation, the Federation of Malaya became an independent nation.
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9 April 1838: National Gallery opens in Trafalgar SquareFeatures On this day in 1838, William Wilkins’ new National Gallery building in Trafalgar Square opened to the public.
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3 March 1962: British Antarctic Territory is createdFeatures On this day in 1962, Britain formed the British Antarctic Territory administered from the Falkland Islands.
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10 March 2000: the dotcom bubble peaks
Features Tech mania fanned by the dawning of the internet age inflated the dotcom bubble to maximum extent, on this day in 2000.
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9 March 1776: Adam Smith publishes 'The Wealth of Nations'
Features On this day in 1776, Adam Smith, the “father of modern economics”, published his hugely influential book The Wealth of Nations.
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8 March 1817: the New York Stock Exchange is formedFeatures On this day in 1817, a group of brokers moved out of a New York coffee house to form what would become the biggest stock exchange in the world.
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7 March 1969: Queen Elizabeth II officially opens the Victoria Line
Features On this day in 1969, Queen Elizabeth II took only her second trip on the tube to officially open the underground’s newest line – the Victoria Line.
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4 March 1519: Hernan Cortes arrives in Mexico
Features On this day in 1519, Hernan Cortes landed in Mexico before marching on the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan.
