World History Moment: Channel Tunnel Opens

British and French personalities met at the “Cercle Interallie” club in Paris, to discuss the possibilities of digging a tunnel under the Channel, between France and England. Shown here standing in front of a plan of the tunnel, are, left to right, Leo d?Erlanger (Britain) Rene Malcor (France), Louis Armand, of French railways, French ambassador to Britain, Rene Massigli and Lord Harcourt, of Britain.
British and French personalities met at the "Cercle Interallie" club in Paris, to discuss the possibilities of digging a tunnel under the Channel, between France and England. Shown here standing in front of a plan of the tunnel, are, left to right, Leo d?Erlanger (Britain) Rene Malcor (France), Louis Armand, of French railways, French ambassador to Britain, Rene Massigli and Lord Harcourt, of Britain. Jean-Jacques Levy / AP Photo
British and French personalities met at the “Cercle Interallie” club in Paris, to discuss the possibilities of digging a tunnel under the Channel, between France and England. Shown here standing in front of a plan of the tunnel, are, left to right, Leo d?Erlanger (Britain) Rene Malcor (France), Louis Armand, of French railways, French ambassador to Britain, Rene Massigli and Lord Harcourt, of Britain.
British and French personalities met at the "Cercle Interallie" club in Paris, to discuss the possibilities of digging a tunnel under the Channel, between France and England. Shown here standing in front of a plan of the tunnel, are, left to right, Leo d?Erlanger (Britain) Rene Malcor (France), Louis Armand, of French railways, French ambassador to Britain, Rene Massigli and Lord Harcourt, of Britain. Jean-Jacques Levy / AP Photo

World History Moment: Channel Tunnel Opens

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On May 6, 1994, the 31-mile-long Euro Tunnel opened on the English Channel, connecting Britain with Europe. Historian John Schmidt tells us the story of its construction and how the idea for a tunnel began over a century ago.