Why is the year 1804, so important in history of transportation?

Why is the year 1804, so important in history of transportation?

A revolution in the field of transportation took place in 1804, when steam railways were introduced for first time. Earlier, horses were used to pull carriages along iron railways that were laid out. Richard Trevithick, a Cornish mining engineer was the first to use a steam engine to haul the trucks.

On February 11, 1804, the engine pulled a 20 ton truck from Merthyr Tydfil to Abercyon in Wales, covering a distance of 15 kilometres. Some people expressed the fear that the wheels would slip on the iron rails, but the trial run turned out to be a success. Trevithick was convinced the railway could be used for passenger travel also. He set up a small railway in London in 1808. He used to give joy rides to people in an engine named Catch-me-who-can.

Shakespeare’s Mistake!

In Shakespeare’s time in England, no one bothered much about spelling. That’s because the idea of always spelling words in the same way was still very new. As a matter of fact even Shakespeare wasn’t consistent in using spelling. He signed his name in several different ways at different times. Shagspeare, Shakespeare and Shaxpere are just a few of the spellings he used!