Origins of the name America and lost wonders of the USSR: 29th October: today's top history news

M1 Motorway Turns 50
The first section of the motorway was officially opened by transport minister Ernest Marples on November 2nd, 1959. To mark the anniversary, a slideshow of images of the time is featured on the website of the BBC.

Where does the name America come from?
The Waldseemuller map of 1507 gave America its name and was the first document to depict America as a separate continent. There is only one known surviving copy of the map which is displayed in the US Library of Congress. An article on the BBC website tells the story of the map.

British divers discover ancient city
According to The Telegraph, British divers on holiday in Montenegro may have discovered the remains of an ancient Greek or Roman temple. A team from the University of Southampton’s Department of Maritime Archaeology are due to carry out further research on the site later this month.

The extraordinary abandoned wonders of the Soviet Union
The WebUrbanist website features a special series devoted to the abandoned infrastructure and cities of the Soviet Union. The second part of the series tells the story of seven of these sites, from a 19th-century island fort to a mine complex, and is illustrated with fascinating photos.