Latest articles by Chris Carter
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28 January 1958: the Lego brick is patented
Features Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, the son of the Danish founder of Lego, patents the famous eight-stud Lego brick, on this day in 1958.
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Five stylish new hotels opening this year
Reviews From hip new digs in Sydney to luxurious OTT rooms at Versailles. Chris Carter reports.
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22 January 1979: Public sector strike cripples Britain
Features On this day in 1979, thousands of public sector workers downed tools over the Labour government's unpopular policy to tackle inflation.
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20 January 1841: Britain takes possession of Hong Kong
Features On this day in 1841, Hong Kong island was ceded to Britain following the Chuenpi Convention, along with a resumption of the opium trade.
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A way round Covid-19 travel restrictions
Reviews Assuming travel to your intended destination is allowed at all, why not just rent the whole hotel? Chris Carter reports.
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14 January 2002: Britain’s foot-and-mouth disease epidemic ends
Features The government finally declared Britain’s foot-and-mouth disease crisis over on this day in 2002, almost a year after the first case had been identified.
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13 January 1908: Henri Farman wins the Deutsch-Archdeacon Prize
Features On this day in 1908, Anglo-French flyer Henri Farman scooped the 50,000 franc Deutsch-Archdeacon Prize after the Wright Brothers refused to compete.
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12 January 1948: Britain’s first supermarket opens
Features The self-service supermarket came to Britain on this day in 1948, when the London Co-operative Society opened a store in Manor Park.
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11 January 1569: England holds its first lottery draw
Features Outside Old St Paul's Cathedral in London, England's first lottery draw got underway on this day in 1569.
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9 January 1799: income tax introduced to Britain
Features In the 1790s, with Britain at war with Napoleon, the country urgently needed cash. And so on this day in 1799, a 10% levy was raised on all income over £60.
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Collectors mean a new lease of life for classic motorbikes
Reviews Spanner twirlers in need of a project could do worse than buy a classic motorbike, says Chris Carter
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Five stylish English spa hotels
Reviews Chris Carter reports on five of the best English spa hotels for you to revitalise your body, mind and soul when the lockdowns end.
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6 January 1639: Virginia orders the destruction of its tobacco crop
Features Faced with the plunging price of tobacco, the colonists of Virginia directed that half of the crop should be destroyed to avoid an economic catastrophe, on this day in 1639.
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6 January 1873: Crédit Mobilier of America scandal investigated
Features On this day in 1873, the US House of Representatives launched an investigation into the scandal surrounding the building of the Union Pacific Railroad.
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5 January 1766: Christie’s first auction
Features Venerable auction house Christie's began business on this day in 1766 selling pillow cases, bed-sheets and second-hand chamber pots.
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4 January 1698: the Palace of Whitehall is destroyed by fire
Features On this day in 1698, a basket of linen caught fire burning to the ground one of Europe's most complex and beautiful royal residences – the Palace of Whitehall.
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The art market managed to tough it out in 2020
Reviews It’s been a difficult year, but the art market has held up surprisingly well, says Chris Carter
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Four offbeat hotels in Scandinavia
Reviews From a retreat made of ice in Sweden to a treehouse in Norway. Chris Carter reports
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23 December 1913: The US Federal Reserve is created
Features After much debate, Woodrow Wilson finally signed the bill that would create the US Federal Reserve on this day in 1913.
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23 December 1834: Joseph Hansom patents the Hansom cab
Features The 19th-century forerunner of the London black cab, architect Joseph Aloysius Hansom patented his Hansom cab on this day in 1834.
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21 December 1844: The Rochdale Pioneers open for business
Features On this day in 1844, the Rochdale Pioneers opened a little shop on Toad Lane in Rochdale, Lancashire, which became a model for co-operatives around the world.
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Three of the best places in England to see in the New Year
Reviews Wave farewell to a dispiriting year, and welcome in the New Year at these uplifting destinations in England.
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17 December 1900: The Guzman Prize is announced
Features On this day in 1900, Clara Guzman stumped up 100,000 francs prize money for the first person to communicate with and receive a response from another planet.
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17 December 2003: the first powered flight of SpaceShipOne
Features The privately funded and built space plane, SpaceShipOne, witnessed its first powered flight on this day in 2003 – a crucial step towards winning the $10m Ansari XPrize.
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