A life long lived...

[ColinJ]

He had an ancient (maybe 1950s) Raleigh bike (not racer) that had 3 speed derailleurs. He'd had it since new. I didn't know such things (3 speed dearilleurs) existed

I didn't either!

(I assume that it was a derailleur, not a Sturmey Archer 3-speed hub gear?)

 

[gbb]

Never really knew my grandma's on either side, but my paternal grandfather (who i did know up till he died at 84 iirc) was born circa 1897, a master carpenter, served in the First World war.

I didn't either!

(I assume that it was a derailleur, not a Sturmey Archer 3-speed hub gear?)

No, derailleur drive. 3 sprockets, (imagine how that was received at that time ...although it may pre date even the 1950s for all I know.)
So mid 2000s, it all still functioned perfectly, kinda all looked original equipment.

 

[Beebo]

It was just 66 years from the first powered flight to landing on the moon. 1903 - 1966.
That has to be the fastest development ever.

 

[gavroche]

My grandmother was born in 1899 and passed away in 1989. She lived through two world wars and German occupation. She raised 11 children on her own and two sisters when she was the eldest of three at the age of 16 when father died from internal bleeding after being kicked by a horse. She lived on a farm all her life, was a very hard worker and was afraid of no one, including men. She was also a talented raconteur and I loved listening to her talking about her life experiences.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Mid 2000s, we had an elderly guy come in to look after the works landscaping. He had an ancient (maybe 1950s) Raleigh bike (not racer) that had 3 speed derailleurs. He'd had it since new. I didn't know such things (3 speed dearilleurs) existed.

I always thought the early derailleur systems were two or three speed.

 

[Brains]

It was just 66 years from the first powered flight to landing on the moon. 1903 - 1966. 1969
That has to be the fastest development ever.

Even shorter was the 41 years between the first powered flight and the first flight to space.

1903 - The Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk
1944 - Von Braun with a V2 in Germany

Chuck Yeager, the first man to break the speed of sound in a 'plane, met one of the Wright brothers.
Theoretically, so could have von Braun, as they lived within 100 miles of each other in the late 1940's

 

[Gillstay]

A nice lady we lost recently had seen the first car to reach Davos and yet to drive through the place that would seem like ancient history.

it was a Fiat.