Way before The Beatles, Elvis and Justin Bieber, in the 19th Century, Franz Liszt, a composer from a small Hungarian town became the first person to whom the label “celebrity”was attached. Lisztmania as it was described at the time, had all the hallmarks of what we would recognise as “-mania” Continue Reading
Industrial Age
Myth: George Washington’s Teeth
The first President of an independent United States, George Washington’s teeth were made from gold, ivory, lead and teeth extracted from animals and slaves. They were not wooden.
Myth: Napoleon’s height
There is a common misconception that Napoleon Bonaparte was small. He was measured as five feet two inches using the French system of measurement which in the English system is five feet seven inches. He employed particularly tall bodyguards which may have contributed to the perception that he was small. Continue Reading
Socialists didn’t want women to have the vote
The Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) lead by Emmeline Pankhurst (labelled the Suffragettes as a term of derision by The Daily Mail newspaper) campaigned for property-owning women to have the vote from 1903 to 1917. The nascent Labour Party and other Socialists didn’t want more votes for the bourgeoisie and Continue Reading
Historical UK General Election Results and Suffrage
With the upcoming General Election in the UK, it might be interesting to look at the Elections and changes in suffrage in UK history. 2017 Not yet known (as of 7 June 2017) 2015 Victory: Conservative Prime Minister(s): David Cameron Theresa May Majority: 16 Image: By Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Continue Reading
OMG, unfriended. WTF?
Although millennials seem to think they invented text-speak, having no concept of communication such as telegram or morse code, you might be surprised to learn that some of the words associated with social media were in use much earlier than you might expect. OMG In a letter from Admiral John Continue Reading
Why are months so weird?
Calendars throughout history have struggled to be logical and maintain synchronism between the lunar cycle (about 29.5 days) and the solar year (about 365.25 days). Most systems include a bodge factor or intercalary months or days to bring things back into line, with varying degrees of accuracy. Sumerian The ancient Continue Reading
They couldn’t hit an elephant at this distance
Union General John Sedgwick was a brave and inspiring figure in the American Civil War. At a skirmish near Spotsylvania Court House, Confederate snipers were causing problems when he was trying to deploy his men. The following report by General McMahon who was at his side, describes his unfortunate last conversation: Continue Reading
The Metric System was not invented by the French
The Metric System of measures was introduced by the First French Republic in 1799 and has developed into the SI system (International System of Units) recognised as the official measuring system of most countries around the world. However, the system was not invented by the French. John Wilkins, the first Continue Reading
Sausage Poison
In the early nineteenth century, authorities in the Kingdom of Wurttemberg in Stuttgart, became concerned at the increase in fatal food poisoning cases following a decline in hygiene standards after the devastation caused by the Napoleonic War. Many health officials examined this issue and determined the cause to be the consumption Continue Reading