Newcastle is famous for a lot of things.
People travel from all over the country to experience our pubs, bars and clubs and Geordies are known to be football mad.
But the city has so much history stretching from before Roman times to 2024.
The North East was an integral hub during the Industrial Revolution thanks to its supply of coal. And let’s not forget, the railway was born here thanks to the work of George and Robert Stephenson in the 1820s and 1830s developing the locomotive in their Newcastle works.
All of this is well-known and documented. But the city still has so much history which is largely unknown to even Geordies themselves.
So, here are seven incredible facts about the city. Hopefully, most of which you didn’t know.
We have facts about executions and the earliest record of football in the region. As well as some World War II and innovation titbits.
Have a read and let us know your thoughts.
1. Mosley Street was the sight of a world first.
Mosley Street in the city centre was the first public road in the world to be illuminated by electric light by Joseph Swan in 1879. | NLPhoto: Newcastle Libraries
2. Nun's Moor played a significant role in the Second World War.
During and after WW2, Nun's Moor Park housed Italian prisoners of war. A number of parallel accommodation blocks sat in the eastern half of the park. The prisoners were let out to do work around the city including road sweeping and postal deliveries. The camp was demolished in 1959. | Harry Green - stock.adobe.com
3. Tyneside played a part in the story of the Titanic.
RMS Carpathia, the boat that rescued Titanic survivors, was built in a River Tyne shipyard, in Newcastle. | TWAMPhoto: TWAM
4. Football has been around for around 1000 years
Football in the North East is recorded as early as 1280 when a man was killed during a match at Ulgham near Morpeth after a player ran into the knife of another player, which pierced his belly. | Getty Images