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 English man and a French man: The race was […]
Sherlock Holmes, a fictional invention of the Victorian era.
He has become the most famous fictional detective of this era, and it could be claimed of all time. During the Victorian era, as Britain’s police force became more professional and successful, it was inevitable that detective novels would follow and become extremely popular, with Sherlock Holmes becoming the most fashionable. When did he become […]
Scotland’s First Football Captain of colour
On March 12 1881 a British Guiana-born defender, Andrew Watson, made history when at Kennington Oval when he led the Scottish National team out for an international against England. A match, which, I as an Englishman have to admit, saw Scotland thrash England 6 goals to 1. He inflicted a terrible defeat on England. So, […]
The History of Lotteries
England’s first recorded lottery started on January 11th, 1569, 450 years ago. Where did they start? They started in China around 200 BC, to fund major projects, such as building the Great Wall of China. Then the Romans used them However, to Romans lotteries were a game played at dinner parties. Well, that was until […]
What became of Alice’s Adventures Under Ground?
Well, they became Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland All this happened because a girl called Alice Liddell was being rowed down the Isis, (the name of the Thames at Oxford) for a picnic by Charles Dawson, a friend of her father, who was always telling her and her sisters stories. On this lovely summer’s day in […]
Do you know the story of William McGonagall, the worst poet in Britain?
William McGonagall was famous due to being regarded as the worst poet in British history! A Scotsman from Dundee who over 25 years wrote some 200 poems. They were so bad that he kept being asked to recite his poems at events all over Scotland and the UK. The problem with them. The complaint about […]
About Champagne!
The Romans first planted vineyards in the champagne region of France, it was a pinkish wine. However, there was a problem making wines sparkle, and bottles strong enough to withstand the pressure. In the 19th century Veuve Clicquot cracked it, starting the growth of the famous Champagne houses. During the French Revolution, they tried to […]
Steamboat Willie the first Mickey Mouse cartoon with sound
“I only hope that we never lose sight of one thingthat it was all started by a mouse.” Walt Disney, Disneyland; October 27, 1954 It was the first Disney Cartoon with sound, with Mickey’s voice provided by Walt himself! This is the reason why on November 18, 1928 the Disney company celebrates Mickey’s birthday, […]
When did we first learn of the Balaclava, the Cardigan and the Raglan Sleeve
Did you know that these three items of clothing were the result of the Crimea War? Some war wasn’t it? This is what makes history fun. 10 questions to discuss: How did soldiers in the Crimea War adapt to the harsh winter conditions? What clothing item, originally improvised by soldiers, became fashionable after the […]
Mechanical Turk – a chess machine that could beat anyone
Have you heard of the Mechanical Turk? I do not mean the Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) Amazon’s crowdsourcing marketplace, this is not the same. The Mechanical Turk was a creation of Wolfgang von Kempelen. How did it happen? In 1769 when the French illusionist François Pelletier was invited to perform in Vienna at the court […]