Gday...

1971  -  Burger King opens its first Australian Hungry Jacks store in Innaloo, Perth. 

Burger King is a worldwide chain of hamburger fast food stores. It began in Florida in 1953 under the name of Insta-Burger King, and initially offered a simple selection of burgers, French fries and milkshakes. As it increased its variety of menu items and gained in popularity, it started to expand into other countries.

When the restaurant chain sought to expand into the Australian market, it was unable to trade under the name of Burger King, as the name had already been trademarked by an Adelaide takeaway. The Australian franchisee selected the name of Hungry Jacks from a list of possible alternatives which had previously been trademarked in other countries by the company.

The very first Australian Hungry Jacks was opened in Innaloo, a Western Australian suburb 9km from Perth's CBD, on 18 April 1971. Within ten years, there were 26 stores across Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland. The first store in New South Wales opened in 1981, and Victoria in 1986.

1791  -  One of William Wilberforce's early campaigns against the slave trade in Britain is easily defeated in the House of Commons.

1906  -  An earthquake measuring approximately 7.9 on the Richter scale devastates San Francisco. 

1945  -  Over one thousand Allied bombers attack the German island of Heligoland, killing 128 people. 

Heligoland is a small, triangular-shaped island in the North Sea, belonging to Germany. Situated 70 km from the German coast line, Heligoland actually consists of two islands: the populated 1.0 km² main island of Hauptinsel to the west and the Düne ("dune") to the east, which is somewhat smaller at 0.7 km². The two islands were connected until 1720, when a storm flood washed away the land connecting them.

The islands became a major naval base for Germany during the First World War, and the civil population was evacuated to the mainland. The islanders returned in 1918, but during the Nazi era the naval base was reactivated. The civilians remained, but on 18 April 1945, over one thousand Allied bombers attacked Heligoland and obliterated all dwellings. 128 people, all members of anti-aircraft crews, were killed, whilst the civilians remained protected in rock shelters. The civilian population was evacuated the next day, and the islands remained uninhabited for many years.

From 1945 to 1952 the islands were used as a bombing range, and on 18 April 1947, the Royal Navy detonated 6800 tons of explosives in a concerted attempt to destroy the main island. The military installations were destroyed, but most of the island remained. In 1952 the islands were restored to the German authorities. After clearing a huge amount of undetonated ammunition, the German authorities redeveloped Heligoland as a holiday resort.

1968  -  An American millionaire purchases London Bridge which is falling down in London, England, to relocate it to Arizona, USA. 

There have been a number of different London Bridges over the past 2000 years. In 46AD, the Romans built the first bridge across the Thames River; it was a simple wooden construction which was burnt down in 1014. The replacement bridge was destroyed by a storm in 1091, and the next bridge after that was destroyed again by fire in 1136. The famous stone bridge which was opened in 1260 suited the city until the necessity arose in the early 1800s for a second crossing over the Thames. Engineer John Rennie started construction in 1825 and finished the bridge in 1831. The design was superior, containing five high arches, and constructed from strong Dartmoor granite. It was opened by King William the fourth on 1 August 1831. However, a necessary widening process some 70 years later weakened the bridge's foundations to the point where it began sinking an inch every eight years.

On 18 April 1968, London Bridge was auctioned and sold for $2,460,000 to Robert McCulloch of the USA, who then paid another $2.7 million to move it to Lake Havasu City, Arizona. There, it was rebuilt brick by brick, and finally opened and dedicated on 10 Oct 1971. Initially, the bridge did not even cross a river. McCulloch later dredged a channel of 1.5km long from the main body of Lake Havasu, creating an island and thus a purpose for the bridge. As a tourist attraction, the bridge now draws around two million visitors annually.

Cheers - John