Belgian general election 1954

[timrollpickering]

Welcome to the most boring day in history (with apologies to fans of Belgian elections)

Don't get too excited. In fact, don't get excited at all. Today is April 11. And that is an important date, as revealed by this important research breakthrough made in 2011:

Computer programmer William Tunstall-Pedoe has calculated [April 11, 1954] to be the most objectively dull day since 1900.

On that day a general election was held in Belgium, a Turkish academic was born and an Oldham Athletic footballer called Jack Shufflebotham died. Apart from that nothing much happened.

Mr Tunstall-Pedoe's computer programme, called True Knowledge, came to its lofty decision after being fed some 300 million facts about "people, places, business and events" that made the news.

The following day's Daily Telegraph does rather support this with the second story being how hammocks were being replaced by canvas bunks on two aircraft carriers.

www.markpack.org.uk/131070/most-boring-day-in-history-april-11/

So just what did happen in the Belgian general election that day?

[Pete Whitehead]

Whatever did happen* it is an absurd premise, for those of us on here at leas,t that any day on which an election was held in a Western democracy could be the most boring in history

* and actually it sounds like quite an interesting election

[Devil Wincarnate]

Indeed, as Pete states, it was actually quite interesting.  It set off a major battle between Catholics and socialists/liberals over secular and religious education.  And it made for the return of Van Acker, who promptly introduced a raft of useful social legislation especially on education and pensions.

It seems like the usual cheap shot at Belgium.  Which is a shame, because it's a great place and won't exist in 100 years time.

[timrollpickering]

It was a computer that determined the day to be the most boring. I guess the consequences weren't attached to the data about the poll.