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High flier

He’s one of the world’s most admired men both for his flamboyance and his business acumen. Yet the beginnings were not very promising.

Biography on the History Channel takes a peek into the life of Richard Branson, son of a lawyer and an airline stewardess. He was educated at the exclusive Stowe School but did not excel, possibly due to his nearsightedness and dyslexia.

In his teens, he developed a national magazine, Student at the Age of Sixteen. At 17, he began a student advisory service. After leaving school, Branson entered the music industry. Considering he could sell records cheaper than the existing average, he started a mail-order catalogue with friends. It was a success.

Soon enough he had opened a record discount shop. He named it Virgin, because it was his first venture. Virgin Records was formed in 1972. The first recording studio was built in Oxfordshire. Mike Oldfield recorded the first album that sold more

Chasing a sub

It’s a megastructure like none you’ve seen before — a new nuclear submarine that’s the biggest ever produced by any naval force.

The National Geographic Channel visits the USS Virginia at 8 p.m. on Thursday April 27 for a close look at this sub.

The first major redesign of nuclear subs since the end of the Cold War, the USS Virginia is the most tricked-out underwater warship in the US Navy.

Built to answer America’s military needs for the 21st century, this sub features a number of forward-looking advances in naval technology.

The episode takes a look at how the USS Virginia was created. The show brings over designers and engineers and talks about the challenges that arose in creating a new class of submarine.

The show promises an exciting ride aboard the newest addition to the Navy’s nuclear-powered arsenal. — NF

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