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On this day - 8 March

Historical items of interest as featured in the papers of the day.

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First episode of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy broadcast on radio

Daily Express 08/03/1978

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy originated as a radio show, broadcast in the United Kingdom, with the first ever episode aired on March 8th 1978. The story followed the adventures of Arthur Dent after the Earth is destroyed as he travels the galaxy with friend Ford Prefect aboard a stolen spaceship.

It was written by Douglas Adams, who later published an adaptation of the first series as a novel. From there, the popularity of the story took off leading to more novels, radio shows, TV series, games and films.

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Collapse of the Azure Window

Daily Mirror 08/03/2017
The Azure Window was a prominent tourist attraction on the coast of Gozo, an island near to Malta. It was a natural archway and had been featured in popular media several times including in Game of Thrones, Clash of Titans and The Count of Monte Cristo. On March 8th 2017 the archway collapsed during a storm.

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