Good News in History, August 2

On this day 12 years ago, Eric Clapton bought a 50% share in Cordings to save the historic British gentleman’s outfitters, based in London since 1839, from closure. The guitarist said he had been fond of the West End shop since a window display of a tweed suit caught his eye when he was 16, and he became a regular shopper there. Cordings was the originator of the Covert coat and the Tattersall shirt and made riding boots for the Queen Mother. WATCH Clapton tell the story… (2004)

MORE Good News on this Day:

• Japan abolished its samurai, farmer, artisan, merchant class system as part of the Meiji Restoration reforms (1869)
• The world’s first underground tube railway, Tower Subway, opened in London (1870)
• 240 years ago, the U.S. Continental Congress began signing the Declaration of Independence (1776)
• The Viking replica ‘Gaia’ reached the first Norse settlement in Newfoundland for the 1,000th anniversary of Leif Eriksson’s landing after having left Norway on May 17 (1991)
• New Orleans re-named their airport the  Louis Armstrong Airport, in honor of the trumpet player, singer and bandleader, one of the city’s favorite sons (2001)
• Liberian President Charles Taylor agreed to cede power (2003)