13 November-First Helicopter Flight

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Paul Cornu was an engineer who was a native of France. He made first successful manned helicopter flight in 1907. Though the flight lasted just 20 seconds it began the development of an aircraft which can take off and land vertically. The helicopter can also hover, fly forward, backward, and laterally.

The idea of vertical flight dates back over 2500 years to the spinning top with which Chinese children played. During the following centuries various attempts were made to develop flying machines based on the toy. Leonardo da Vinci designed a flying machine in the 1480’s.

By the early 1900’s several unmanned flights were made. Manned flights were attempted but the machine was tethered to the ground. Following Cornu’s flight, development of the helicopter continued. In 1942 a helicopter designed by Igor Sikorsky went into production in the United States. Cornu failed to get support for his development and devoted his time to manufacturing bicycles. He was killed in 1944 during the Allied World War II landings in Normandy.

The first successful manned helicopter flight in history was made by French engineer Paul Cornu in the year 1907 On This Day.

Photo by Irish Air Corps

AW139 landing in Baldonnel at sundown by Irish Air Corps on 2011-01-17 16:30:41

17 October-Marconi

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Guglielmo Marconi was a Nobel Prize-winning physicist who was a native of Italy. His father Giuseppe was from Bologna, Italy. His mother was Annie Jameson from Daphne Castle, Co Wexford, Ireland. Marconi’s great grandfather was John Jameson, founder of Irish whiskey distillers Jameson & Sons. Through his own research and using research carried out by others Marconi developed the first effective system of radio communication.

On December 12th 1901 Marconi succeeded in sending the first wireless signal across the Atlantic to America. He routed the signal through Marconi House, Rosslare, Co Wexford and Clifden in Co Galway. The signal was received 3,500km (2,200 Miles) in Newfoundland.

Marconi founded the Marconi Telephone Company and became a successful businessman. He continued to experiment with radio technology. In 1907, having built high-powered radio transmission stations on both sides of the Atlantic, he established regular transatlantic transmissions. Marconi died in Rome on July 20^th 1937.

Guglielmo Marconi began offering limited commercial wireless telegraph service between Ireland and Nova Scotia in the year 1907 On This Day.

Photo by National Library of Ireland on The Commons

Marconi Wireless Telegraph Station, Malin Head, Co. Donegal

Marconi

Library of Congress

10 August-Borris Golf Club

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Borris Golf Club is one of the oldest golf clubs in Ireland. It is located close to the picturesque town of Borris, County Carlow, Ireland. It is a mature parkland course at the foot of Mount Leinster in the grounds of Borris House. Borris House is the home of the Mc Murrough Kavanagh family the former Kings of Leinster. The family still live in Borris House and have always played a major role in the life of the town of Borris.

Borris Golf Club was established in 1907. At that time, there were about one hundred golf clubs in Ireland. In that year golf clubs were also opened in Milltown, Muskerry, Scrabo, Spa, Tuam and Ennis. Mr William McMorrough Kavanagh was MP for Carlow at the time. He originally started laying out a golf course mainly for the benefit of his sons. However when locals established a club he provided the course and clubhouse to Borris Golf Club for an annual fee. The club was affiliated to the Golfing Union of Ireland in 1908. By 1909 the club had a membership of just over 100. By 1925, however, Borris Golf Club had fallen into decline. It was revived again by Major Arthur Kavanagh of Borris House

Today Borris Golf Club has a membership of over 500. It has a practice ground and putting green. The clubhouse has a bar and catering facilities. Despite the fact that it is a 9-hole course alternating tee-boxes create the impression that Borris Golf Club is in fact an 18-hole course. The tree lined course, the excellent fairways and the well maintained greens provide golfers at all levels with the opportunity for a challenging game.

The Irish Field records that Borris Golf Club, which is located close to the picturesque town of Borris, County Carlow, Ireland, was instituted in the year 1907 On This Day.

Photo by Patrick and Martha Dundon

Borris by Patrick and Martha Dundon on 2010-05-05 11:05:09

Photo by red, white, and black eyes forever

Borris Viaduct by red, white, and black eyes forever on 2011-08-12 21:20:48

20 January-Agnes Mary Clerke

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Agnes Mary Clerke was an astronomer and writer who was a native of Co Cork, Ireland. The author of several books and reviews, she played a major role in bringing astronomy and astrophysics to the public during the Victorian era. The Clerke Crater on the moon is named in her honour. The crater is located near the landing site of the Apollo 17 Lunar mission.

Agnes Mary Clerke was born in Skibbereen, Co Cork on February 10^th 1842. She was educated at home by her parents. Her father, who had taken courses in astronomy, owned a 4” telescope. From a young age Agnes regularly observed Saturn’s rings and Jupiter’s moons using her father’s telescope.

Having studied advanced mathematics, physics and astronomy, Agnes moved to Florence, Italy. She lived there for ten years studying science and languages before moving to live in London in 1877. She published her best known book ‘A Popular History of Astronomy during the Nineteenth Century’. She wrote several other books and contributed articles to Encyclopaedia Britannica and the Catholic Encyclopaedia.

Agnes Mary Clerke, astronomer and writer who was a native of Co Cork, Ireland, died aged 64 in the year 1907 On This Day.

Agnes Mary Clerke

Agnes Mary Clerke, 19th century astronomer, born in Skibbereen, County Cork.

Wiki Commons

28 July-Tupperware

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Tupperware is a range of food preparation and storage products for the home. The product was invented by American businessman Earl Tupper in 1942. He used a waste product from oil refining to make lightweight, non-breakable containers. Today Tupperware is sold by direct marketing in over 30 countries around the world.

Earl Silas Tupper was born on his family’s farm in New Hampshire, USA in 1907. Having graduated from school he established a landscaping business. He later worked for the Du Pont chemical company before establishing the Tupperware Company in 1948.

Tupperware was initially sold in stores. However following the success of Brownie Wise’s ‘party-plan’ marketing it was decided to sell Tupperware products by direct marketing. Today the products are sold by almost 2 million people in over 30 countries. Tupper sold his company and retired to Costa Rica in 1973. He died aged 76 in 1983.

Earl Tupper, the founder of Tupperware was born in New Hampshire, USA in the year 1907 On This Day.

Photo by asgw

Tupperware