Gettysburg – what happened?
One important thing about this battle, in fact it is extraordinary, is that even though the battle was fought in and around the town only one citizen of Gettysburg was killed, Jennie Wade. However, she didn’t become famous just because she was the only citizen of the town to be killed in the battle, but […]
Would you date Khutulun, a descendant of Genghis Khan
Khutulun, a descendent of Genghis Khan, was a Mongol noblewoman, a wrestler, a feared warrior, and the most famous daughter of Kaidu, a cousin of Kublai Khan. Therefore, she was also the great-great-granddaughter of Genghis Khan. Her physical strength and skill in archery, horseback riding, and warfare made her the ideal right-hand companion for her […]
Did you know that coffee originally came from Ethiopia?
Yes, the little coffee bean originated from Ethiopia. Its history is fascinating. The coffee bean has been travelling around the globe for centuries, it has even been smuggled out of strict countries, stolen from royalty and, yes, it has even changed entire nations and economies. The first question has to be, how did they discover […]
A naval battle in the middle of Africa, the Battle of Lake Tanganyika!
There are times in war when the actual fighting is an anti-climax, it is the logistics of getting a fighting force to the place of action, that wins it. An example of this is the first world war Battle of Lake Tanganyika. Where was the Battle of Lake Tanganyika held? Just think of this. Lake […]
Facts about the Battle of Britain
Did you know that ordinary men and women across the country played vital role in winning this battle? They were Air Raid Wardens, firefighters and even those in the Home Guard. However, don’t forget those many people, who between June and October 1940, built around 2,000 Hurricanes and Spitfires. For example, even at the height […]
The History of Recorded Music
Every school that puts on a History Portal Musical used to use a CD with both with backing track and show tracks. Today we all accept this as part of our lives, even though we have now moved on to downloading our songs. However, until November 1877, when Thomas Edison invented the Phonograph, you couldn’t […]
Can you work out how big the world is?
Can your children work out how big the world is? They can. You see 2,000 years ago Eratosthenes actually worked it out. It would be a superb exercise to see if he was correct, which, of course, he was! Well, nearly. He was a clever guy who lived in Egypt around 240BC. To him it […]
1908 New York to Paris Race
The 1908 New York to Paris Race was a bizarre car race with the drivers attempting to drive from New York to Paris, westward! This meant they had to drive from New York City to San Francisco, then up to Valdez, Alaska. The race had been started so that when they reached the Bering Strait, […]
The 1910 London to Manchester air race
In 1910 there was an air race between an Englishman and a French man. Why? It was all because in 1906 the Daily Mail issued a £10,000 challenge. However, it took until 1910 before anyone decided to accept the challenge, when two people did, and an English man and a French man: The race […]
The Air War in WW1
World War 1 happened just nine years after the Wright brothers flew the first powered aeroplane, however, the benefit of air power was quickly recognised by both armies. Initially as spotters, which, inevitably led to the other side sending up aeroplanes to stop them. The air war had begun! Air Power of a tool […]