The Open Turns 160 Today: What The World Looked Like Then
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Happy 160th birthday to The Open and that grand October 17th day at Prestwick when a small gathering played for the belt.
No author is listed, but what a perfect way to commemorate the beginning of it all (for pro golf at least) by highlighting what the world looked like then. And I’m sure all of the grateful pro golfers aound the world today uttered a thought or two of appreciation today for the pioneering work of the Morris’s and Park’s that has allowed them to stockpile Porsches and bloated annuities.
A few of my favorites from 1860, courtesy of The Open site:
- Abraham Lincoln was elected as the 16th President of the United States of America, making him the first Republican to hold the office.
- In 1860, there were only 33 American states, as opposed to the 50 that exist now, while the population of the USA was approximately 31 million. Today, the US population is over ten times as great, at 330 million.
- Queen Victoria was just over 23 years into her reign as Queen of the United Kingdom. She would remain on the throne until 1901, when she was succeeded by Edward VII.
- Anton Chekhov, the Russian playwright regarded as one of the greatest writers of short stories in history, was born in the Russian port city of Taganrog.
- Life expectancy in the United Kingdom was approximately 40 years, roughly half of what it is today.
They’re also celebrating the day at Prestwick:
