On This Day
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Cornwall Railway opens across the Royal Albert Bridge, linking the English counties of Devon and Cornwall

The Royal Albert Bridge is a railway bridge which spans the River Tamar in England between Plymouth, Devon and Saltash, Cornwall.

The Royal Albert Bridge is a railway bridge which spans the River Tamar in England between Plymouth, Devon and Saltash, Cornwall. Its unique design consists of two 455-foot (138.7 m) lenticular iron trusses 100 feet (30.5 m) above the water, with conventional plate-girder approach spans. This gives it a total length of 2,187.5 feet (666.8 m). It carries the Cornish Main Line railway in and out of Cornwall. It is adjacent to the Tamar Bridge which opened in 1961 to carry the A38 road.

The Royal Albert Bridge was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Surveying started in 1848 and construction commenced in 1854. The first main span was positioned in 1857 and the completed bridge was opened by Prince Albert on 2 May 1859.

Historical Significance

The Royal Albert Bridge is a railway bridge which spans the River Tamar in England between Plymouth, Devon and Saltash, Cornwall.

Events Before

  1. Inventor Cyrus McCormick (48) weds Nancy Fowler

    Inventor Cyrus McCormick (48) weds Nancy Fowler

  2. US President Millard Fillmore (58) weds Caroline Carmichael (43) in Albany, New York

    US President Millard Fillmore (58) weds Caroline Carmichael (43) in Albany, New York

  3. First vision of the Virgin Mary to 14-year-old Bernadette of Lourdes, France

    The Song of Bernadette (German: Das Lied von Bernadette) is a 1941 novel that tells the story of Saint Bernadette Soubirous, who, from February to July 1858 reported eighteen visions of the Blessed…

  4. Big Ben, a 13.76-tonne bell, is recast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry

    Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, and, by extension, for the clock tower which stands at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England.

  5. Abraham Lincoln says "A house divided against itself cannot stand" accepting Illinois Republican Party's nomination for

    Abraham Lincoln says "A house divided against itself cannot stand" accepting Illinois Republican Party's nomination for the Senate

Events After

  1. Slavery is abolished in the Dutch East Indies for areas under direct rule

    The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies, was a Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which declared independence on 17 August 1945.

  2. Willie Park Sr. marries Susanna Law in Inveresk, Scotland

    Willie Park Sr. marries Susanna Law in Inveresk, Scotland

  3. Start of the Pony Express, mail is delivered by horse and rider relay teams between St. Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento,

    Start of the Pony Express, mail is delivered by horse and rider relay teams between St. Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California

  4. First Pony Express rider reaches Sacramento, California

    The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders between Missouri and California.

  5. Champion of England Tom Sayers and American John Heenan fight a brutal 2-hour, 27-minute draw that ends only after polic

    Champion of England Tom Sayers and American John Heenan fight a brutal 2-hour, 27-minute draw that ends only after police stop the fight near Farnborough in England, acknowledged as the first world title bout

More from the 1850s

birth

Alice Mary Robertson is born

Alice Mary Robertson, American politician, known for american politician, was born on 1854-01-02.

birth

Tim Keefe is born

Tim Keefe, American athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1857-01-01.

City of Glasgow steamer inaugurates Philadelphia-Liverpool line

City of Glasgow steamer inaugurates Philadelphia-Liverpool line

National debt of Britain and Ireland is £765,126,582

National debt of Britain and Ireland is £765,126,582

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 4, 1859?
The Royal Albert Bridge is a railway bridge which spans the River Tamar in England between Plymouth, Devon and Saltash, Cornwall. Its unique design consists of two 455-foot (138.7 m) lenticular iron trusses 100 feet (30.5 m) above the water, with conventional plate-girder approach spans. This gives it a total length of 2,187.5 feet (666.8 m).
Why is Cornwall Railway opens across the Royal Albert Bridge, linking the English co... significant?
The Royal Albert Bridge is a railway bridge which spans the River Tamar in England between Plymouth, Devon and Saltash, Cornwall.

Explore More

May 4 in HistoryYear 1859