The (in)famous Orient Express made its first run, and luxury train travel became a regular thing in an age where travelling of any kind was rough and dangerous. And Parisians could reach the orient in a little over a week!

(The journey is so iconic that even though the Orient Express ceased to operate almost a year ago, The Society of International Railway Travellers still holds an annual, weeklong, luxury rail voyage on the original route on the Venice-Simpion-Orient-Express. The next trip is August 23 to August 28, 2019 and you can book a double cabin for a mere £7,600.)

This was a historic day as supply chains rely on people, who need to be able to move around the world, and this took us a leap forward in accepted train travel.