On this day: Lincoln Cathedral was Consecrated

On or around May 9, 1092, Lincoln Cathedral was consecrated (dates from almost a millennium ago are a bit vague). After spending 4 years overseeing its construction, Bishop Remigius died two days before the consecration. It suffered through fires and…

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Friday, 9th May 2014

On this day: Mount Pelée Erupted

On May 8, 1902, Martinique's Mount Pelée erupted. The lava flow from the volcano completely destroyed the town of St. Pierre, killing almost all of its 30,000 inhabitants.

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Thursday, 8th May 2014

The contradictory position of satellite censorship

In the early days of online mapping, sensitive locations were often censored for security reasons. Examples include military installations, government buildings, royal residences, prisons, power plants and more. However in many cases blurring happened on one service but not another.…

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Thursday, 8th May 2014

On this day: The Palace of Versailles was Inaugurated

On May 7, 1664, the Palace of Versailles was inaugurated by King Louis XIV. It served as the centre of political and royal power until the start of the revolution in 1789. Given how opulent it is, and the living…

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Wednesday, 7th May 2014

On this day: The Eiffel Tower Opened

On May 6, 1889, the Eiffel Tower was opened to the public. Serving as the entry gate to the World's Fair, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest man-made structure in the world for the next 41 years. With around 7…

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Tuesday, 6th May 2014

On this day: Napoleon Died In Exile on Saint Helena

On May 5, 1821, Napoleon died on Saint Helena. Following his defeat in the Battle of Waterloo six years earlier, the British had imprisoned Napoleon on this South Atlantic island. As he still believed he was an emperor he complained…

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Monday, 5th May 2014

Welcome to Google Sightseeing!

Google Sightseeing takes you on a tour of the world as seen from satellite or street views using Google Maps. Our team of authors present weird and wonderful sights as suggested by readers.

Like this site? We published a photo book of the best entries, you should buy a copy.