Department No. XI · Room 11 · Floor 1
The Institute keeps twelve true footnotes in which events proceeded as planned, on time, and without incident. Dates are certain; excitement is not claimed.
Other departments keep revolutions, fires, and resignations. Department No. XI keeps the remainder: the bulletins that contained no news, the crossings that were crossed in order, the clocks that said the time correctly. Each footnote below is true, precisely dated, and entirely without climax.
Dull history matters because it is the only history that behaved itself. No one was surprised. The minutes were approved. The pips were on time. Scholars may consult the records in silence, and are asked to keep their voices down out of respect for the material.
Sweden. A whole country, across.
No serious casualties. Trams on time next week.
Footnote 01
At 8.45 p.m. on Good Friday the BBC's news announcer stated that there was no news, and piano music was played instead. The music lasted some fifteen minutes. No further developments followed.
Record. BBC Written Archives; Radio Times listing for 18 April 1930.
Footnote 09
At 04.50 on Dagen H the whole of Sweden moved from driving on the left to driving on the right. Traffic stopped, edged across, and resumed. There were no serious casualties and the trams were on time the week after, having been withdrawn.
Record. Swedish State Archives; Dagen H Commission report, 1968.
Footnote 10
On Monday 15 February 1971 Britain adopted decimal currency at the announced rate of one hundred new pence to the pound. Banks had closed the previous Thursday to prepare. They reopened, and the money was different in the expected way.
Record. Decimal Currency Board reports; Bank of England archive.