Almanac: Gibraltar
And now a page from our "Sunday Morning" Almanac: July 24, 1704, 312 years ago today ... the day Britain and its Dutch allies seized Gibraltar from Spain.
Located at Europe's southern tip, Gibraltar and its towering rock dominate the narrow strait between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.
Granted sovereignty by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, Britain transformed Gibraltar into a fortress and naval base.
Unreconciled to Gibraltar's loss, Spain imposed a land blockade of the tiny territory in 1969, which lasted until 1985.
Rich in history, Gibraltar is a prime tourist destination famous for its indigenous monkeys ... and, of course, for its landmark rock, nearly 1,400 feet high.
Gibraltar looms large in our popular culture as well.
It rates a lyric in the Gershwin tune "Our Love Is Here to Stay" ... and it graced the opening of the CBS News series "The Twentieth Century" back in the 1950s and '60s.
And it was in Gibraltar that Beatle John Lennon wed Yoko Ono in 1969.
Nations and borders may come and go but, barring a cataclysm, it's very clear the Rock of Gibraltar is here to stay.
For more info:
- Visit Gibraltar (Gibraltar Tourist Board)
- HM Government of Gibraltar
- Lonely Planet: Gibraltar