It is not mentioned in the Bible that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. The myth has arisen from the connection of a “sinner” who is forgiven by Jesus (Luke Chapter 7) and the introduction of Mary Magdelene; Mary of Bethany (John Chapter 11); and a Mary “…from whom seven devils Continue Reading
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
UFO Sighting in Ancient Egypt
In 1933, Alberto Tulli, the Director of the Vatican Museum (Egyptian Section) visited Cairo and found an interesting papyrus in an antique shop. He was unable to afford to purchase it but made a copy of the text which appears to describe the visitation of UFOs (fiery disks) in around 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
Tunguska: The Largest Impact Event in Recorded History
On the morning of 30 June 1908, a large explosion flattened 2,000 km2 of forest near the Stony Tunguska River in Eastern Siberia. There were no recorded human casualties. Fallen trees at Tunguska, 1927 In 1930, a scientific expedition, lead by Leonid Kulik, recorded the testimony of S Semenov: At breakfast time Continue Reading
Nostradamus Prophecies: Death of Henry II of France and the Election of Donald Trump
Michel de Nostradame, usually anglicised to Nostradamus, wrote Les Propheties in 1555, which is a collection of over a thousand quatrains (four line poems) that have often been interpreted as prophecies of future events. Nostradamus rejected the label of “prophet” and disliked astrologers. However, that hasn’t stopped many commentators interpreting the Continue Reading
S.P.A.M., SPAM, spam (and lobster thermidor)
SPAM luncheon meat was first produced in the Depression era in the United States (1937), by the Hormel Foods Corporation. It was named by Ken Daigneau who had won a contest (and $100). Ken was the brother of a Hormel Vice-President, but that may be entirely coincidental. Hormel insist that the Continue Reading
The Longest Word
The longest word in literature is the fictional dish described in Aristophanes’ comedy Assemblywomen, written in around 391 BC. λοπαδοτεμαχοσελαχογαλεοκρανιολειψανοδριμυποτριμματοσιλφιοκαραβομελιτοκατακεχυμενοκιχλεπικοσσυφοφαττοπεριστεραλεκτρυονοπτοκεφαλλιοκιγκλοπελειολαγῳοσιραιοβαφητραγανοπτερύγων which is the name of a dish compounded of all kinds of dainties, fish, flesh, fowl, and sauces. which, in the Roman alphabet is written as: Lopadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimhypotrimmatosilphioparaomelitokatakechymenokichlepikossyphophattoperisteralektryonoptekephalliokigklopeleiolagoiosiraiobaphetraganopterygo with a rough English 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