- On this day in 1431. Joan of Arc is burned at the stake. Her claims of receiving visions and divine inspiration resulted in her being accused of heresy and witchcraft. During her trial she retracted her claims of vision and was sentenced to life imprisonment. She recanted on her retraction, and was burned at the stake on the 30th of May 1431 in Rouen.
- On this day in 1959. The first full size hovercraft , the SR-N1, designed by Sir Christopher Cockerell, is launched and tested at Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
- On this day in 1967. Evel Knievel the motorcycle daredevil stuntman successfully clears 16 cars in Gardena, California.
Joan of Arc’s Death at the Stake (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Memorial to Sir Christopher Cockerell at Hythe The inscription reads “HOVERCRAFT On this site Sir Christopher Cockerell (1910-1999) and his team continued the early development of hovercraft which he had first demonstrated in1955. They also developed and tested hovercraft skirts in a wave tank built here in 1965. Let this creative work be an inspiration to young engineers of the future” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This is daredevil Evel Knievel photographed in front of his house in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Add Your Piece of History 
I receive on-line updates from Ignatius Press–a catholic catalog featuring books, DVDs, CDs,–religious as well as some secular—today they sent out info regarding a new docudrama based on Joan of Arc–timely eh… 🙂 ?
http://www.ignatius.com/Products/JA-P/joan-of-arc.aspx
Hahah wonderful timing! It would have been a horrible way to die, I can not comprehend such a horrific thing. Thank you so much Julie 🙂
Interesting to read about the development of the Hovercraft.
Yes! 1959, 54 years ago. It’s amazing how people design and make such things. Thank you so much for your comment 🙂