4 May 1780: the Derby is run for the first time

This day in 1780 saw the inaugural running of the Derby at Epsom - the 'greatest flat race in the world'.

The Derby (officially the Derby Stakes) is one of the world's classic horse races and arguably the most prestigious, identifying itself as the "greatest flat race in the world".

It all began in 1779, when Edward Smith-Stanley, AKA the 12th Earl of Derby, organised a meeting at Epsom Racecourse for him and his pals to race three-year-old fillies. He named that race the Oaks, after his estate now a public park and golf course in Carshalton.

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Ben Judge

Ben studied modern languages at London University's Queen Mary College. After dabbling unhappily in local government finance for a while, he went to work for The Scotsman newspaper in Edinburgh. The launch of the paper's website, scotsman.com, in the early years of the dotcom craze, saw Ben move online to manage the Business and Motors channels before becoming deputy editor with responsibility for all aspects of online production for The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday and the Edinburgh Evening News websites, along with the papers' Edinburgh Festivals website.

Ben joined MoneyWeek as website editor in 2008, just as the Great Financial Crisis was brewing. He has written extensively for the website and magazine, with a particular emphasis on alternative finance and fintech, including blockchain and bitcoin. 

As an early adopter of bitcoin, Ben bought when the price was under $200, but went on to spend it all on foolish fripperies.