Have you heard of the “Night Witches”?
“The Night Witches” is the name given by German soldiers to Russian female pilots on the Eastern Front during World War II. “The Night Witches” flew under the cover of darkness their wooden biplanes toward their target. Then, as they got close to their target, they switched their engines to idle mode, glided over their […]
The Spanish meet the Aztecs
On the 8th November 1519, the conquistador, Hernán Cortes, arrived in Tenochtitlan along with 400 Spaniards and around 1000 native troops. Who Was He? His full name was Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro Altamirano, he was the 1st Marquess of the Valley of Oaxaca, his expedition caused the end of the Aztec Empire, which […]
Things you may not know about Shakespeare?
As April 23rd is Shakespeare’s birthday, or is it, (more later) I thought I would write some notes about him. Shakespeare’s father John came to Stratford upon Avon from Snitterfield before 1532 as an apprentice glover and tanner of leathers. He prospered and began to deal in farm products and wool before being elected […]
May 19th is an interesting date for Tudor England
This was the date of a marriage and an execution, both related to Henry VIII. On May 19th, 1499 Catherine of Aragon married Henry’s elder brother, Arthur, by proxy! Yes, by proxy, this was because Catherine was 13 and Arthur 12 and they were in two different countries. It all came about due to the […]
William the Conqueror
William the Conqueror was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087. He is responsible for commissioning ‘The Doomsday Book’, one of the most important historical documents ever created. William was the son of the unmarried Duke Robert 1st of Normandy and his mistress Herleva. His illegitimate status and […]
Theseus
Theseus was the hero of many Greek legends, most notably Theseus and the Minotaur but was he a real person? Theseus was a mythological king and founder hero of Athens, sometimes described as the son of king Aegeus and sometimes the son of the god Poseidon. He was everything a Greek hero should be handsome, […]
Henry VIII
If you think of an English monarch, 9 times out of 10 Henry VIII will come to mind. He was an imposing character in life, and what he did while he was King, good and bad he shaped the Britain we live in today! Henry VIII was born on the 28th June 1491 and became […]
Tutankhamun
Tutankhamun was a young Boy King, lost to history, until his fully intact tomb was discovered in the Valley of the Kings in 1922. He is now one of, if not the most famous of all the Egyptian Pharaohs! Tutankhamun became Pharoah of Egypt at the young age of nine years old, and reigned until […]
Dick Turpin
Dick Turpin has become a legendary figure, a heroic dandy, with ballads written about him, popular theatre shows in the 18th and 19th century, and even Film and TV shows. In reality though, he was far from dandy, and was a vicious and violent criminal! Richard (Dick) Turpin was born at the Blue Bell Inn […]
Ghandi
An Indian lawyer who used nonviolent resistance and persuasion to lead the successful campaign for India’s Independence from colonial British rule He inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on the 2nd of October in 1869. Born and raised in a Hindu family in coastal Gujarat, Gandhi […]