IT Masala

1952: A de Havilland Comet, flying for British Overseas Airways Corporation, becomes the first jet aircraft to enter commercial service, carrying passengers from London to Johannesburg, South Africa.

The early Comet was a four-engine aircraft, roughly the size of a small Boeing 737. It carried between 36 and 44 passengers, depending on its cabin configuration. Regardless of configuration, most early commercial jets were roomy and passenger comfort was a much higher priority than it is today.

The Comet, built by de Havilland, a British firm, was the backbone of the British commercial fleet. Other countries also turned to domestic aircraft manufacturers to populate their fleets: Boeing and Douglas (United States), Tupolev (Soviet Union), Caravelle (France).

Despite the line's overall success and longevity, the first Comets suffered from structural problems and the plane was involved in a number of accidents during the early and mid-'50s.

The plane that made that first London-Johannesburg flight, designated G-ALYP by BOAC (a forerunner of British Airways), was also among the first passenger jets to be lost. G-ALYP crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off the Italian island of Elba on Jan. 10, 1954, killing everyone on board.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Students on the Virginia Tech campus and abroad are turning to the internet to share stories and help with the grieving process.

The final number of deaths after the tragedy is at 33 and with everyone having friends at the school it sems, all should be connected.

There are over 200 groups on Facebook.com now in direct relation to the Virginia Tech tragedy with more growing. One of the groups has about 30,000 members showing just how much people can truly join together in an online community to help one another.

Britney Spears performed for the first time in more than three years on Tuesday, making a brief, unadvertised appearance at a San Diego nightclub, local media reported.

The gig, which reportedly lasted between 15 and 20 minutes, was not exactly a surprise. Rumors had run rampant in the past few days that three scheduled southern California shows featuring an unknown band called The M+M's were a cover for the troubled pop princess.

A television news report said $35 tickets for Tuesday's show at the 1,000-capacity House of Blues changed hands for as much as $500. The M+M's are also scheduled to play at House of Blues outlets on Wednesday near Disneyland and on Thursday on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. [ reuters ]