63 years ago today, the first ever Formula One world championship race took place in +Silverstone Circuit. Officially called the Grand Prix d’Europe and the fifth race of the summer, it was dominated throughout, as widely predicted, by Alfa Romeo. Nino Farina won ahead of team-mate Luigi Fagioli after Juan Manuel Fangio retired with an engine problem. Present at the race was King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret and more than 120,000 spectators.

[via Im a die hard F1 Fan]