Rugby, Warwickshire

Rugby is a market town in the county of Warwickshire in central England on the River Avon. Rugby has a population of 62,790 (2002 estimate). The larger borough of Rugby has a population of 89,240.

Claims to fame

Rugby is most famous for the invention of Rugby football, which is played throughout the world. Legend has it that the game was invented by William Webb Ellis in 1823 at Rugby School, which is near the centre of Rugby.

Related Topics:
Rugby football - William Webb Ellis - 1823 - Rugby School

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Rugby School is one of England's oldest and most prestigious public schools, and was the setting of Thomas Hughes's semi-autobiographical masterpiece Tom Brown's Schooldays. A substantial part of the 2004 dramatisation of the novel, starring Stephen Fry, was filmed on location at Rugby School.

Related Topics:
Public schools - Thomas Hughes - Tom Brown's Schooldays - Stephen Fry

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Rugby is also birthplace of the jet engine. In April 1937 Frank Whittle built the world's first prototype jet engine at the British Thomson-Houston works in Rugby, and between 1936-41 based himself at Brownsover Hall on the outskirts of the town, where he designed and developed early prototype engines. Much of his work was also carried out at nearby Lutterworth. Holography was also invented in Rugby by the Hungarian inventor Dennis Gabor in 1947.

Related Topics:
Jet engine - 1937 - Frank Whittle - British Thomson-Houston - Brownsover Hall - Lutterworth - Holography - Hungarian - Dennis Gabor - 1947

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In the 19th century, Rugby became famous for its once hugely important railway junction which was the setting for Charles Dickens's story Mugby Junction.

Related Topics:
Railway - Charles Dickens - Mugby Junction

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Famous or notable people born in Rugby include the poet Rupert Brooke, the scientist Norman Lockyer who discovered helium, and the athlete Katharine Merry. Also, many famous names attended Rugby School, including Neville Chamberlain, Lewis Carrol, Matthew Arnold and Salman Rushdie. The bands Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized also came from Rugby.

Related Topics:
Rupert Brooke - Norman Lockyer - Helium - Katharine Merry - Neville Chamberlain - Lewis Carrol - Matthew Arnold - Salman Rushdie - Spacemen 3 - Spiritualized

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