Last hanging in Scotland
The last hanging in Scotland was carried out this week in 1963. Henry John Burnett was convicted of murdering merchant seaman Thomas Guyan and was executed in Aberdeen. Burnett had been living with Guyan's former wife, and when she threatened to return to Guyan, and leave Burnett, Burnett stole a shotgun, killed Guyan, and stole a car at gunpoint. He was swiftly apprehended, arrested, and tried.
Murder trial is a first
When Alfred Monson was tried for the murder of Windsor Hambrough the man who would inspire the creation of Sherlock Holmes gave evidence at his trial.
Hambrough had been killed at the Ardlamont estate in Argyll, and the trial set a legal precedent, being declared not proven, as each side – prosecution and defence – had presented convincing evidence. Monson left the court a free man, but his likeness was later used as the basis of a waxwork for Madame Tussauds, where it was posed with his gun.
99 killed in ferry disaster
The Meikle Ferry disaster killed 99 passengers on Dornich Firth this week in 1809. The ferry was so overloaded that it sat too low in the water. Waves washed over the side, and quickly sent it down. Only 12 passengers survived the disaster, which left many families without a breadwinner. A fund was started to support the bereaved, which raised close to £3000 in donations. The sinking led the the construction of Bonar Bridge.
Find out more about the Meikle Ferry disaster
Scot invents television
Television inventor John Logie Baird was born in Dunbartonshire this week in 1888. He wasn’t the only inventor hoping to develop a viable, working television system, but he was the first to succeed, and he gave his first public demonstrations at Selfridges department store in London in 1925. The BBC adopted his technology for its first television broadcasts but, as colour came around, Baird's innovations were being outpaced by his rivals and fell out of favour. He died aged just 58, aptly in front of a television.
West Highland Railway opens
The West Highland Railway officially opened this week in 1894 four days after the opening of one of the most important stations on the route: Fort William. It was built in two stages, with the first section, running from Craigendoran to Fort William, coming into operation in 1894, and the latter part, to Mallaig, in 1901.
Trains on the line were operated by the North British Railway. The weather on the day of opening was fine and clear, and showed off the new line - and the surrounding countryside - at its best.
Find out more about the railway
Trade unionist Willie Gallacher dies
Trade unionist Willie Gallacher died this week in 1965. Born in Paisley on Christmas Day 1881, he was a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain and elected to the House of Commons as the MP for West Fife.
He was highly critical of British involvement in the First World War and imprisoned for writing an article to that effect, and imprisoned again after the war when he was involved in a strike and violent demonstration against longer working hours once hostilities had come to an end.
Read more about Willie Gallacher
Macbeth kills King Duncan
Macbeth killed King Duncan I this week in 1040, and the event famously inspired Shakespeare to write the play that took the murderer's name. Often referred to as 'the Scottish play', it is considered bad luck to use the word 'Macbeth' in a theatre. The killing occurred after Duncan led his troops into Moray, of which Macbeth was effectively lord. Macbeth’s troops put up a defence and Duncan came off worst. He was ultimately buried on Iona, although it is thought he had first been buried at Elgin, close to the site of his death.