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• Prehistoric French Artistes Painted Earliest Wall Art

  History in the Headlines

  Jennie Cohen

  14 May 2012 | 2:37 pm

  A figure painted in red and back appears on a rock that was once part of France’s Abri Castanet rock shelter. (Credit: Raphaëlle Bourrillon)Covered in ancient images of horses, rhinoceroses and other creatures, France’s Grotte Chauvet contains some of the most famous wall art in the world—but not, researchers now say, the oldest examples of the genre. Several thousand years before prehistoric painters left their stamp on the famous cave, their neighbors to the west were decorating the limestone surfaces of their rock shelter with abstract symbols. These representations of female…

• Arthritisaurus: Did Elderly Dinos Get Inflamed Joints?

  History in the Headlines

  Jennie Cohen

  15 May 2012 | 5:00 pm

  Scientist Judyth Sassoon with a pliosaur skull that shows signs of arthritis. (Credit: Simon Powell, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol)Reports of arthritis in humans date back to 4500 B.C., and it’s believed that the disorder afflicted our earliest ancestors. Now, a new study shows that, long before people took over, the planet’s erstwhile reptilian masters—dinosaurs and giant marine predators—may also have suffered from joint pain, swelling and stiffness. Writing in the latest edition of the journal Palaeontology, researchers describe the skull of an enormous pliosaur…

• Saturday 15 May 1669

  Pepys' Diary

  Samuel Pepys

  15 May 2012 | 5:00 pm

  Up, and at the Office all the morning. Dined at home and Creed with me home, and I did discourse about evening some reckonings with him in the afternoon; but I could not, for my eyes, do it, which troubled me, and vexed him that would not; but yet we were friends, I advancing him more without it, and so to walk all the afternoon together in the garden; and I perceive still he do expect a change in of matters, especially as to religion, and fits himself for it by professing himself for it in his discourse. He gone, I to my business at my Office, and so at night home to supper, and to bed.

• Will You Read Ed Klein's 'The Amateur'?

  History in the News

  16 May 2012 | 1:11 pm

  At the start of this week Edward Klein 's latest tell-all book The Amateur was published.

• Censorship of 16th-Century Big Thinker Erasmus Revealed

  Breaking News Feed

  hnn

  16 May 2012 | 12:57 pm

  More than 400 years before modern-day governments tried shutting down blogs or blocking tweets, two people tasked with censoring a sometimes-critic of the Catholic Church in Renaissance Europe took to their duties in very different ways: one with great beauty, the other with glue and, it appears, a message.Now, two books, housed at separate libraries at the University of Toronto, illustrate two unusual approaches censors took when dealing with the same author, Erasmus.Born in Rotterdam around 1466, Erasmus was a prolific writer who sought out wisdom in ancient Greek and Latin texts. His…

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  History in the Headlines

• Arthritisaurus: Did Elderly Dinos Get Inflamed Joints?

  Jennie Cohen

  15 May 2012 | 5:00 pm

  Scientist Judyth Sassoon with a pliosaur skull that shows signs of arthritis. (Credit: Simon Powell, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol)Reports of arthritis in humans date back to 4500 B.C., and it’s believed that the disorder afflicted our earliest ancestors. Now, a new study shows that, long before people took over, the planet’s erstwhile reptilian masters—dinosaurs and giant marine predators—may also have suffered from joint pain, swelling and stiffness. Writing in the latest edition of the journal Palaeontology, researchers describe the skull of an enormous pliosaur…

• Prehistoric French Artistes Painted Earliest Wall Art

  Jennie Cohen

  14 May 2012 | 2:37 pm

  A figure painted in red and back appears on a rock that was once part of France’s Abri Castanet rock shelter. (Credit: Raphaëlle Bourrillon)Covered in ancient images of horses, rhinoceroses and other creatures, France’s Grotte Chauvet contains some of the most famous wall art in the world—but not, researchers now say, the oldest examples of the genre. Several thousand years before prehistoric painters left their stamp on the famous cave, their neighbors to the west were decorating the limestone surfaces of their rock shelter with abstract symbols. These representations of female…

• Murder in Parliament, 200 Years Ago

  Christopher Klein

  11 May 2012 | 12:32 pm

  Spencer Perceval, whose murder remains the only assassination of a British prime minister in history. (Credit: National Portrait Gallery)John Bellingham quietly entered the House of Commons lobby around 5 p.m. on May 11, 1812. As members of Parliament conversed in small clusters, the tall, thin man calmly sat down on the bench next to the fireplace. Beneath Bellingham’s placid veneer, however, roiled a sea of bitterness. The Liverpool businessman had been arrested in Russia on charges of insurance fraud in 1804, and he spent more than five years festering in rat-infested jails, surviving at…

• Oldest Known Mayan Calendar Debunks December 2012 Myth

  Jennie Cohen

  10 May 2012 | 1:12 pm

  Structure Excavated at Xultún   http://www.history.com/news/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/xultun_001.jpg In 2010, a room featuring murals was discovered at the Maya archaeological site of Xultún, located in Guatemala’s Petén rainforest. Researchers believe it served as the studio of a scribe or calendar priest some 1,200 years ago. (Credit: Tyrone Turner/National Geographic) la Panoramic View of Murals   http://www.history.com/news/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/xultun_004.jpg Only 56 square feet in size, the room is decorated with murals dating back to roughly 800 A.D. on…

• Perforated Skulls From Middle Ages Found in Spain

  Jennie Cohen

  9 May 2012 | 1:25 pm

  One of the perforated skulls recently unearthed in Spain. (Credit: Plataforma SINC) The oldest form of neurosurgery known to archaeologists, trepanation involves the removal of part of the skull with a sharp instrument in order to expose the brain. Its history stretches back to prehistoric times. Skulls up to 10,000 years old have been found throughout Europe, pierced by sharp stones such as flint and obsidian. In later years primitive drilling tools became more common, and doctors in ancient Egypt, China, India, Rome and Greece made trepanning part of their repertoire. While physicians…

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  Pepys' Diary

• Saturday 15 May 1669

  Samuel Pepys

  15 May 2012 | 5:00 pm

  Up, and at the Office all the morning. Dined at home and Creed with me home, and I did discourse about evening some reckonings with him in the afternoon; but I could not, for my eyes, do it, which troubled me, and vexed him that would not; but yet we were friends, I advancing him more without it, and so to walk all the afternoon together in the garden; and I perceive still he do expect a change in of matters, especially as to religion, and fits himself for it by professing himself for it in his discourse. He gone, I to my business at my Office, and so at night home to supper, and to bed.

• Friday 14 May 1669

  Samuel Pepys

  14 May 2012 | 5:00 pm

  Up, and to St. James's to the Duke of York, and thence to White Hall, where we met about office business, and then at noon with Mr. Wren to Lambeth, to dinner with the Archbishop of Canterbury; the first time I was ever there and I have long longed for it; where a noble house, and well furnished with good pictures and furniture, and noble attendance in good order, and great deal of company, though an ordinary day; and exceeding great cheer, no where better, or so much, that ever I think I saw, for an ordinary table: and the Bishop mighty kind to me, particularly desiring my company another…

• Thursday 13 May 1669

  Samuel Pepys

  13 May 2012 | 5:00 pm

  Up, and to the office, where all the morning, it being a rainy foul day. But at noon comes my Lord Hinchingbroke, and Sidney, and Sir Charles Harbord, and Roger Pepys, and dined with me; and had a good dinner, and very merry with; us all the afternoon, it being a farewell to Sidney; and so in the evening they away, and I to my business at the Office and so to supper, and talk with my brother, and so to bed.

• Wednesday 12 May 1669

  Samuel Pepys

  12 May 2012 | 5:00 pm

  Up, and to Westminster Hall, where the term is, and this the first day of my being there, and here by chance met Roger Pepys, come to town the last night: I was glad to see him. After some talk with him and others, and among others Sir Charles Harbord and Sidney Montagu, the latter of whom is to set out to-morrow towards Flanders and Italy, I invited them to dine with me to-morrow, and so to Mrs. Martin's lodging, who come to town last night, and there je did hazer her, she having been a month, I think, at Portsmouth with her husband, newly come home from the Streights. But, Lord! how silly…

• Tuesday 11 May 1669

  Samuel Pepys

  11 May 2012 | 5:00 pm

  My wife again up by four o'clock, to go to gather May-dew; and so back home by seven, to bed, and by and by I up and to the office, where all the morning, and dined at noon at home with my people, and so all the afternoon. In the evening my wife and I all alone, with the boy, by water, up as high as Putney almost, with the tide, and back again, neither staying going nor coming; but talking, and singing, and reading a foolish copy of verses upon my Lord Mayor's entertaining of all the bachelors, designed in praise to my Lord Mayor, and so home and to the office a little, and then home to bed,…

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  History in the News

• Will You Read Ed Klein's 'The Amateur'?

  16 May 2012 | 1:11 pm

  At the start of this week Edward Klein 's latest tell-all book The Amateur was published.

• Fmr. White House Science Analyst: FNC 'Racism Cloaked in Thinly Veiled Code'

  16 May 2012 | 12:11 pm

  WashPost 'On Faith' Editor: If You Oppose Same-Sex Marriage, You're Like Those Who Stood in the 'Schoolhouse Door' Jeff Schweitzer wants to help us "rediscover our inherent good, and act accordingly, individually and collectively," according to a summary of his book, "A New Moral Code." Unfortunately, that's going to be difficult in this "new age ... (more)

• Battle of the bulge? Dr Oz shows off more than intended in photo shoot for noodles

  16 May 2012 | 11:11 am

  In a recent photo shoot for Good Housekeeping, a picture of Dr Oz seems to show the medical expert engaged in his very own battle of the bulge.

• Family says Civil War hero buried at San Mateo

  16 May 2012 | 6:57 am

  GALLUP, N.M. - Here lies the final resting place of American Civil War hero Lt. Col. Manuel Antonio Chaves at the San Mateo Cemetery - probably.

• Ron Hart: Obama 'evolves'; Romney 'flip-flops'

  16 May 2012 | 2:47 am

  Obama got it right about gay marriage by finally announcing he is for it as a states' right issue.

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  Breaking News Feed

• Censorship of 16th-Century Big Thinker Erasmus Revealed

  hnn

  16 May 2012 | 12:57 pm

  More than 400 years before modern-day governments tried shutting down blogs or blocking tweets, two people tasked with censoring a sometimes-critic of the Catholic Church in Renaissance Europe took to their duties in very different ways: one with great beauty, the other with glue and, it appears, a message.Now, two books, housed at separate libraries at the University of Toronto, illustrate two unusual approaches censors took when dealing with the same author, Erasmus.Born in Rotterdam around 1466, Erasmus was a prolific writer who sought out wisdom in ancient Greek and Latin texts. His…

• Beheading: Once a Nobleman's Death

  hnn

  16 May 2012 | 12:55 pm

  When most people think of beheadings they probably think of events far away in time and place, such as Marie Antoinette's 1793 guillotine execution during the French revolution.But beheadings are hardly a thing of the past; in fact in some places they are becoming increasingly commonplace....In centuries past beheading was actually preferable to other common forms of execution (such as being burned alive or disemboweled). In early England beheading was considered a noble, and even honorable, death. Nigel Cawthorne, author of "Public Executions" (2006, Capella Press) notes that "Hanging was…

• A Mummy Switcheroo

  hnn

  16 May 2012 | 12:53 pm

  Min, the ancient Egyptian god of phallus and fertility, might have brought some worldy advantages to his male worshippers, but offered little protection when it came to spiritual life.Researchers at the Mummy Project-Fatebenefratelli hospital in Milan, Italy, established that one of Min's priests at Akhmim, Ankhpakhered, was not resting peacefully in his finely painted sarcophagus."We discovered that the sarcophagus does not contain the mummy of the priest, but the remains of another man dating between 400 and 100 BC," Egyptologist Sabina Malgora said.... Source:  Discovery News Source…

• Earliest wall art is found in France

  hnn

  16 May 2012 | 12:51 pm

  WASHINGTON — A massive block of limestone in France contains what scientists believe are the earliest known engravings of wall art dating back some 37,000 years, according to a study published Monday.The 1.5 metric ton ceiling piece was first discovered in 2007 at Abri Castanet, a well known archeological site in southwestern France which holds some of the earliest forms of artwork, beads and pierced shells.According to New York University anthropology professor Randall White, lead author of the paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the art was likely meant to adorn…

• Dogs may have helped humans beat Neanderthals

  hnn

  16 May 2012 | 12:43 pm

  One of the most compelling -- and enduring -- mysteries in archaeology concerns the rise of early humans and the decline of Neanderthals. For about 250,000 years, Neanderthals lived and evolved, quite successfully, in the area that is now Europe. Somewhere between 45,000 and 35,000 years ago, early humans came along.They proliferated in their new environment, their population increasing tenfold in the 10,000 years after they arrived; Neanderthals declined and finally died away.What happened? What went so wrong for the Neanderthals -- and what went so right for us humans?...The Cambridge…

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  Anglo-Dutch Wars

• The hired ship Prins

  Jim

  7 May 2012 | 11:27 am

  One of the ships hired for service with the fleet sent to aid the Portuguese in 1641 was named the Prins. The Prins was armed with 38 guns and had a crew of 120 men. My question is if this was the same ship hired by the Rotterdam Directors in 1652 for service in the First Anglo-Dutch War? Both ships carried the same number of guns and had the same crew size. The Prins in 1653 later had a larger

• The ship Prinses Albertina van Orangien

  Jim

  25 Jun 2011 | 1:49 pm

  In 1652 into 1653, Rombout van der Parre commanded a small ship hired by the Admiralty of Friesland: the Prinses Albertina van Orangien (the document from 1652 says Princesse Albartina van Orangien). In July 1652, he was assigned to Michiel De Ruyter's fleet that was to convoy merchant ships up and down the Channel. The specifications for the ship were as follows: Length: 107-1/2ft Beam:

• The Friesland ship Graaf Hendrik

  Jim

  30 Oct 2010 | 4:30 pm

  The ship Graaf Hendrik was hired by Groningen and served with the Admiralty of Friesland in the First Angl0-Dutch War. There are some pages from late 1652 that say that the Graaf Hendrik was a Groningen Directors' ship, but in 1653, the ship is always said to have served the Admiralty of Friesland. From the beginning of the war up until sometime in the spring of 1653, the Graaf Hendrik carried 30

• Some interesting tidbits from Carl Stapel from early 2007

  Jim

  17 Sep 2010 | 11:38 am

  I have been the beneficiary in the past of receiving documents from Carl Stapel with the fruits of his research. What has interested me lately has been a list of Noorderkwartier ships from 1642 with sizes in lasts and dates when the ships were built. These were ships that served in 1652-1653, some with the same captain. In some cases, the nominal lasts do not match the dimensions (such as the

• The Battle of Dunkirk in early 1639

  Jim

  4 Sep 2010 | 4:23 pm

  Our faithful reader and fellow researcher found this page that seems to give the names of the five Dutch warships in the foreground in the Van de Velde drawing of the Battle of Dunkirk on 18 February 1639: the Rotterdam, the Nassau, the Prins Hendrik, the ‘Deventer’ and the Aemilia.

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  American Presidents Blog

• His Excellency by Joseph Ellis

  Jennie W

  15 May 2012 | 12:08 am

  I’ve been working on His Excellency by Joseph Ellis for awhile now and have finally finished it. This isn’t a commentary on the book (which was fabulous), but rather the interruptions in my life! This is the third Ellis book I’ve reviewed here, so you can probably tell I like this writing style and research a lot! This book focuses on George Washington and does a great job of sifting through the murky myths around him to really give us a good picture of Washington himself. I especially enjoyed the early years and how Washington’s work in the British army later affected his leadership…

• Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis

  Jennie W

  11 May 2012 | 10:45 am

  I actually first read this book back as an undergradudate as it was required for a class.  It STILL is on my shelf, which says a lot, in my opinion!  Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis is a look at the founding generation and the first years of the new government.  Ellis focuses on the group that led these years, including the current present, George Washington, and many future presidents: Jefferson, Adams, and Madison.  Ellis uses 6 defining "moments" to wade through this period and highlight how this group worked together.  For instance, he uses the Burr/Hamilton…

• The Cleveland Kids

  Jennie W

  10 May 2012 | 12:12 am

  So my trivia was easy - Esther Cleveland.  Want to find out more about President Cleveland's kids?  The public of the day ceratinly did!  The Cleveland kids were hounded by the public and press, was as Frances Cleveland, much like Jackie and her kids would be later! Probably no prior presidential children were watched, followed, or written about as were Grover Cleveland's. The entire nation followed the Cleveland family, and the antics of the children growing up in the White House. Although common today, Cleveland's family was the first to receive this star treatment.

• Trivia Question

  Jennie W

  8 May 2012 | 3:28 pm

  With finals and spring cleaning (yes, I do have a life that doesn't include history....although right now I'm moving books and I own a lot of presidential histories....hmmmm....), I've been behind, so here's a trivia question.  Let's see who can get it!  Who is the only presidential child born in the White House?

• A Narrative of Some of the Adventures, Dangers and Sufferings of a Revolutionary Soldier

  Jennie W

  3 May 2012 | 9:20 pm

  In His Excellency by Joseph Ellis, there are quotes from “A Narrative of Some of the Adventures, Dangers and Sufferings of a Revolutionary Soldier” by Joseph Martin on Washington. I thought I’d include this one from before Yorktown:Sighting: October 5, 1781It is a moonless and rainy night as a squad of American sappers and miners attempt to extend the trench-line to within five hundred yards of the British perimeter. Sergeant joseph Plumb Martin is in charge of the digging, only twenty-one but a six-year veteran of the Continental army, one of those poor New England farm boys who had…

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  History According to Bob

• Battle of Bunker Hill Part 6

  Bob Packett

  15 May 2012 | 7:00 am

  This show is part 6 of 6 on Bunker Hill.This show is about the final assualt.

• George William

  Bob Packett

  14 May 2012 | 7:00 am

  This show is about George William ruler of Brandenburg and Prussia.

• Venice Fourth Crusade Part 3

  Bob Packett

  12 May 2012 | 7:00 am

  This show is part 3 of 3 on Venice and the Fourth Crysade.

• Overview of Reconstruction

  Bob Packett

  11 May 2012 | 7:00 am

  This show is an explanation of what to expect from the Reconstruction section .

• Marriage Napoleon and Marie Louise Part 1

  Bob Packett

  10 May 2012 | 7:00 am

  This show is part 1 of 2 on Napoleons marriage to Marie Louise .

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  History Net: Where History Comes Alive - World & US History Online

• Daily Quiz for May 16, 2012

  HistoryNet Staff

  15 May 2012 | 7:01 pm

  Hospital Sketches was the first successful book by this writer.

• Tapes Give New Voice to JFK's Vietnam Doubt

  dnewbold

  15 May 2012 | 4:14 pm

  The last 45 hours of more than 248 hours of declassified conversations of President John F. Kennedy, taped in the White House shortly before his death, reveal a president worried about where the war in Vietnam was headed. On the …

• Letters from Readers - June 2012

  dnewbold

  15 May 2012 | 3:44 pm

  Those Beautiful Evil Eyes Reading "Rescue in Death Valley" (April) relating to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 163, the "Evil Eyes," took me back to Aug. 8, 1966. I was a platoon sergeant with E Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 3rd …

• CH-21 Shawnee, the Flying Banana

  dnewbold

  15 May 2012 | 2:20 pm

  The Shawnee troop transport was first deployed to Vietnam in December 1961

• Daily Quiz for May 15, 2012

  HistoryNet Staff

  14 May 2012 | 7:01 pm

  Dwight F. Davis, a tennis player who founded the International Lawn Tennis Challenge - renamed the Davis Cup - also served as secretary of war in this president’s administration.

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  About.com African-American History

• This Week in African-American History: May 9 to May 15

  11 May 2012 | 9:00 am

  Image Courtesy of Getty Images May 9 1800:Abolitionist John Brown is born. 1867:Abolitionist and feminist Sojourner Truth delivers a speech at the first meeting of the American Equal Rights Association. May 10 1837:Pickney Benton Stewart Pinchback, a lieutenant governor of Louisiana during the Reconstruction Era is born....Read Full Post

• Preserving the Underground Railroad

  6 May 2012 | 6:43 pm

  Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain. Why is legacy so important? Clarence Still, a local New Jersey historian and descendant of abolitionist William Still, spent his lifetime answering this question. ...Read Full Post

• This Week in African-American History: May 2 to May 8

  2 May 2012 | 5:48 pm

  May 2 1844: Inventor Elijah McCoy, also known as the "Real McCoy," is born in Ontario, Canada. An inventor, McCoy owned patents to fifty inventions that enhanced the running of many engine-operated machines....Read Full Post

• Paul Laurence Dunbar: Voice of a Generation

  30 Apr 2012 | 6:51 pm

  Today is the last day of National Poetry Month and I've decided to end with a discussion of one of my favorite poems, "We Wear the Mask" by Paul Laurence Dunbar....Read Full Post

• Booker T. Washington: Unapologetic Accommodationist

  30 Apr 2012 | 3:26 pm

  Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Booker T. Washington once said, "an inch of progress is worth a yard of complaint."Throughout Washington's career, he countered with much opposition from men such as William Monroe Trotter and W.E.B. Du Bois who felt that he was not doing enough to fight for an immediate end of racism and segregation in the United States....Read Full Post

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  african american history - Google News

• First Black Female NASCAR Driver Seeks Community Support - Inland Valley News

  16 May 2012 | 12:39 pm

  Inland Valley NewsFirst Black Female NASCAR Driver Seeks Community SupportInland Valley NewsIt was the only time in NASCAR history that two African-Americans drivers have competed at the same time. With many accolades of her own including being spokesperson for the Safe America Diving program, and appearing in commercials such as the Verizon and more »

• The National Museum of African American History and Culture Seeking ... - Inland Valley News

  16 May 2012 | 12:15 pm

  Inland Valley NewsThe National Museum of African American History and Culture Seeking Inland Valley NewsOur coalition of Black Veterans Organizations supports a national museum project that allows Black Americans the opportunity to interpret our own history. We deserve the right to tell our own story. We have some concerns and reservations regarding the

• Dave Bakke: Black Civil War veteran's grave identified at Oak Ridge - The State Journal-Register

  16 May 2012 | 3:57 am

  Dave Bakke: Black Civil War veteran's grave identified at Oak RidgeThe State Journal-RegisterMartin's image has become iconic, symbolizing the sacrifice by African-American soldiers during the war. The photo is in the National Archives. It was only recently discovered that Martin is buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield.

• The Titan Times: African American Male Symposium Dinner Held At Langston ... - my.hsj.org

  15 May 2012 | 1:06 pm

  The Titan Times: African American Male Symposium Dinner Held At Langston my.hsj.orgPhoto of the African American Symposium Dinner that was held the LHA lunchroom on February 29th to celebrate Black History Month. - Langston Hughes held its annual Black Male Youth Symposium dinner for all African American male students to attend.and more »

• This Day in Black History: May 15, 1911 - BET

  15 May 2012 | 12:57 pm

  BETThis Day in Black History: May 15, 1911BETBy Jonathan P. Hicks Kappa Alpha Psi, a largely Black college fraternity, was chartered in the state of Indiana on this date in 1911 (the name was changed from Kappa Alpha Nu). The chartering with the state came four months after the fraternity was and more »

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  History.com - This Day in History - Lead Story

• May 16, 1929: First Academy Awards ceremony

  15 May 2012 | 11:00 pm

  On this day in 1929, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hands out its first awards, at a dinner party for around 250 people held in the Blossom Room of the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California. The brainchild of Louis B. Mayer, head of the powerful MGM film studio, the Academy was organized in May 1927 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and improvement of the film industry. Its first president and the host of the May 1929 ceremony was the actor Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. Unlike today, the winners of the first Oscars--as the coveted gold-plated statuettes…

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  Blog 4 History

• Martha’s Vineyard: A History of Deaf Equality on a Little Island

  admin

  29 Apr 2012 | 12:20 pm

  Martha’s Vineyard: A History of Deaf Equality on a Little Island A Guest post by T.L. Council The modern day incarnation of Martha’s Vineyard as a tourist resort is vastly different than what it originally was. From its earliest days, it was just a small, isolated village, filled with a friendly and vibrant people. The Vineyard is situated on Nantucket, a small island off the southern coast of Massachusetts. It was populated by English immigrants in the mid-17th century during a time when British settlement was going full force. What most people don’t know is that…

• Siege of Petersburg Online at BeyondtheCrater.com

  admin

  29 Apr 2012 | 12:12 pm

  The Siege of Petersburg near Richmond, Virginia is featured in an excellent online resource called “Beyond the Crater”.   Don’t miss this detailed coverage of a series of campaigns that are sometimes overlooked in the study of Civil War strategics.   Here, from the site’s introduction:  Welcome to The Siege of Petersburg Online, an information compilation site focusing on the Siege of Petersburg during the American Civil War. The Richmond-Petersburg Campaign was, rather than a true siege, a series of nine offensives by the Union forces against the…

• The Patriot War – Part 3

  admin

  6 Apr 2012 | 3:03 am

  Patriots Open a Second Front Along Michigan Border As noted in the last post on the Patriot War, Buffalo New York opened its arms to fleeing Canadian rebels in December 1837. Buffalo citizens pledged money and munitions to help the rebels and many joined the growing “army of liberation.” But Buffalo was not the only center of military mobilization. An army of American sympathizers, the western Patriots, formed in Detroit to “liberate” western Upper Canada (now Ontario). Henry S. Handy, a self-appointed general, took charge. He appointed fellow Patriots E. J. Roberts…

• The Patriot War – Part 2

  admin

  3 Mar 2012 | 1:25 am

  The Patriot War began in Upper Canada (Ontario) began on December 4, 1837, without any help from Americans (that would come later). William Lyon Mackenzie assembled 700 to 800 rebels on the outskirts of Toronto. They dithered too long before attacking and gave the colonial militia ample time to assemble. On December 7, the militia routed the rebels. Mackenzie and hundreds of supporters escaped to the US. He arrived in Buffalo on December 10 knowing his rebellion had failed, but not yet aware that the Patriot War had just begun. Mackenzie met a populace primed for action. Among the civic…

• Smithsonian Snapshot – Amelia Earhart’s Transatlantic Record Airplane: A Lockheed Vega 5B. 1932.

  admin

  1 Mar 2012 | 12:44 pm

  Amelia Earhart Lockheed Vega In celebration of Women’s History Month, this week’s Snapshot highlights Amelia Earhart’s Lockheed Vega 5B—the very plane she flew when she became the first woman to fly nonstop and solo across the Atlantic Ocean. On May 20 – 21, 1932, she flew this red Lockheed Vega 5B from Harbor Grace, Newfoundland, Canada, and landed about 15 hours later near Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The flight made Earhart an instant worldwide sensation and proved she was a courageous and able pilot. Image by Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Amelia Earhart’s…

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  New York History

• Teaching NY Social Studies: A Modest Proposal

  Peter Feinman

  16 May 2012 | 11:00 am

  What do we need to do so when we pass the torch to next generation it is ready to grab it? With the upcoming vote by the New York State Regents on the social studies requirements for a high school diploma and the ongoing issue of the Common Core Curriculum with its lack of citizenship as a goal and probable minimizing of local history, I thought I would take this opportunity to issue my own

• Researching NY: Science, Technology, Environment

  Editorial Staff

  16 May 2012 | 5:00 am

  The organizers of the Researching New York Conference invite proposals for panels, papers, workshops, roundtables, exhibits, and documentary and multimedia presentations on any aspect of New York State history —in any time period and from any perspective. The conference will be held at the University at Albany on November 15-16, 2012. This annual conference brings together historians, archivists,

• Cooperstown: Milo Stewart Photo Exhibit Opens

  Editorial Staff

  15 May 2012 | 2:00 pm

  The New York State Historical Association Research Library and The Cooperstown Graduate Program has announced the opening of a new exhibition celebrating the late Milo Stewart’s work, entitled Reflections of Home: Photography by Milo Stewart. The exhibition highlights Cooperstown landscapes and portraits taken by Mr. Stewart between 1965-1992. Split into three sections emphasizing Stewart’s eye

• New York's Jehudi Ashmun, Founder of Liberia

  Lawrence P. Gooley

  15 May 2012 | 11:00 am

  Thursday, April 21, marked the birthday of one of the most famous men you never heard of, and surely the least known of all North Country figures who once graced the world stage. It is also appropriate to recall his story at this time for two other reasons. It has ties to slavery and the Civil War as we mark the 150th anniversary of America’s darkest period. And, in relation to recent world news

• New Exhibit on the Great Fire of Troy

  Editorial Staff

  15 May 2012 | 5:00 am

  On May 10, 1862, as the nation was consumed by the ravages of the Civil War, Troy NY faced a devastating fire. As a train crossed the Hudson River on the Troy-Green Island Bridge, a spark from the engine ignited the wooden bridge. The fire spread rapidly, ultimately destroying over 600 buildings in the heart of the city in only six hours. Newspaper accounts, personal letters and even artist

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  Gil Troy

• A proud role for a strong Canada

  giltroy

  4 May 2012 | 3:27 pm

  OP-EDS & REVIEWS By Gil Troy, National Post, 5-4-12 On Nov. 8, 2010, Prime Minister Stephen Harper addressed the Inter-Parliamentary Coalition for Combatting Anti-Semitism, which gathered dozens of legislators from over 50 countries in Ottawa. Harper’s address stood out for its warmth, its passion, its power. “I know, by the way, because I have the bruises to show for it, that whether it is at the United Nations or any other international forum, the easiest thing to do is simply to just get along and go along with this anti-Israel rhetoric, to pretend it is just about being…

• My temporary visa to the land of the disabled

  giltroy

  30 Apr 2012 | 10:29 am

  OP-EDS & REVIEWS By Gil Troy, Montreal Gazette, 4-30-12 It was the kind of big, fancy cocktail party I attend rarely enough that I enjoy the occasion. I was looking forward to this one because, in addition to liking the honoree and his family, there were half a dozen friends whom I rarely see amid the 1,500 guests, just enough to make for an interesting evening. Yet as soon as I arrived, I wanted to leave. I felt nervous, vulnerable, endangered. For the first time in my life, I entered a crowded room full of partying people enjoying themselves and not really thinking about who they might…

• NYT Campaign Stops: Culture Warriors Don’t Win

  giltroy

  27 Apr 2012 | 12:01 pm

  OP-EDS & REVIEWS Culture Warriors Don’t Win By Gil Troy, NYT, 4-27-12 Associated Press Ronald Reagan campaigning for governor on Nov. 5, 1966 in Hawthorne, Calif. Mitt Romney’s apparent nomination proves that Republican voters are more pragmatic and centrist than their reputation suggests. The Republican candidates this year fought a classic political battle. Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul campaigned as purists, echoing Henry Clay’s famous expression from 1844, “I’d rather be right than president.” The realist Romney updated the belief of nineteenth-century…

• Romney Still Fails to Make the Sale

  giltroy

  4 Apr 2012 | 2:35 pm

  OP-EDS & REVIEWS By Gil Troy, HNN, 4-4-12 Mitt Romney’s three state sweep this Tuesday is being touted as the tipping point in his surge toward the Republican nomination. The candidate whose greatest ability has been his inevitability now seems all but destined to become the Republican nominee. But in this moment of near-triumph, it is worth examining the great failure of Romney’s campaign so far. In a country that loves to see candidates grow and evolve, with a media primed to write the redemptive campaigning comeback story, Romney never seemed to get better as a candidate, never had…

• The Tsantorum Tsurge and anti-Mormon Prejudice

  giltroy

  13 Feb 2012 | 7:26 pm

  OP-EDS & REVIEWS By Gil Troy, HNN, 2-13-12 So far, it seems that former Senator Rick Santorum is having his Paul Tsongas/Bill Bradley Moment. Remember them? Each of these former senators enjoyed a momentary surge when running against a flawed candidate on the Democratic side. In 1992, Tsongas was the Massachusetts media darling who had a brief moment in the political sun, attacking Bill Clinton as a “Pander Bear,” with pander coming out as “panda,” thanks to Tsongas’s Massachusetts accent. New Jersey senator Bill Bradley was the former New York Knicks basketball star and Rhodes…

• 

  Soldiers of the 38th

• Lance-Corporal Murray Smith

  16 May 2012 | 10:31 am

  Born on 31 August 1888 in Toronto, Ontario – husband of Minnie Smith, Toronto, Ontario – at the time of his enlistment in 1915: trade as teamster; married; no current or previous military service; Church of England; height of 5 feet 8.5 inches; chest of 35 inches fully expanded; fair complexion; brown eyes; dark brown hair.Joined the 126th Battalion, CEF, in Toronto, Ontario, on 20 December 1915 (number 775173) – taken on the strength of the 38th Battalion, CEF, on 4 or 6 December 1916 – wounded on 26 August 1917 – invalided to England on 31 August 1917.(Sources: Library and…

• Private Manfred Smith

  16 May 2012 | 10:28 am

  Born on 8 October 1887 in Ottawa, Ontario – son of Mrs. Katherine Smith, Ottawa, Ontario – at the time of his enlistment in 1916: present address same as mother; trade as blacksmith; single; no current or previous military service; Methodist; height of 5 feet 6.25 inches; chest of 42 inches fully expanded; fair complexion; blue eyes; light hair.Joined the 207th Battalion in Ottawa, Ontario, on 18 April 1916 (number 246147) – taken on the strength of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry on 11 or 12 April 1918 – transferred to the 38th Battalion, CEF, on 5 or 6 June 1918 –…

• Private John William Smith

  15 May 2012 | 8:31 am

  Born on 11 February 1895 in Liverpool, England - son of Jane Smith, Liverpool, England - at the time of his enlistment in 1915: trade as labourer; single; no current or previous military service; Church of England; height of 5 feet 7 inches; chest of 35.5 inches fully expanded; fair complexion; dark brown eyes; brown hair.Joined the 59th Battalion, CEF, on 19 April 1915 - transferred to the 38th Battalion, CEF, on 27 June 1915 (number 410624) - transferred to the 85th Battalion, CEF, on 1 November 1915 - transferred to the 13th Battalion, CEF, on 5 December 1916 - rejoined the 85th Battalion…

• Private John Herdman Smith

  15 May 2012 | 8:26 am

  Born on 27 March 1893 in Bristol, England - son of Mrs. J.N. Smith, Biggar, Saskatchewan - at the time of his enlistment in 1915: trade as musician; single; no current military service; previously served with the 14th Regiment's band in Kingston; Church of England; height of 5 feet 4 inches; chest of 35 inches fully expanded; fresh complexion; blue eyes; light brown hair.Joined the 38th Battalion, CEF, in Barriefield, Ontario, on 6 July 1915 (number 410890) - served with the 38th Battalion during its period of garrison duty in Bermuda - landed in France with the 38th Battalion on 13 August…

• Private John Christopher Smith

  14 May 2012 | 8:23 am

  Joined the 38th Battalion, CEF, on 20 July 1915 (number 410403) - served with the 38th Battalion during its period of garrison duty in Bermuda - landed in France with the 38th Battalion on 13 August 1916 - transferred to the 4th Canadian Labour Battalion, CEF, on 24 August 1917 - transferred to the 4th Canadian Infantry Works Company, CEF, on 20 July 1918.(sources: Library and Archives Canada (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca), online attestation papers; Canadian War Museum, 19740281-001, Manu 58F 2 3, 207th Canadian Infantry Battalion and 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Nominal Roll; The…

• 

  History Is Elementary

• Sell Those Textbooks!

  4 May 2012 | 9:46 am

  I gave Dear Daughter some money last week to clean out a few closets upstairs......so I wouldn't have to.She deposited three large containers with odds and ends at the bottom of the steps and announced she was done.  I said....."Oh, are those things to throw away?" She responded yes, but I was already ticking off things I could readily see as items I had paid for and might want to use again, so......instead of hauling the containers off to the street to the trash I sat down and went through the containers.  I made three piles.....keep, Goodwill, and…

• The Atlas of True Names

  3 May 2012 | 11:43 pm

  One of the maps available from The Atlas of True NamesTake a look at the map I posted above.   Notice something strange?   This map is from The Atlas of True Names.This site…..The Atlas of True Names…..is a truly unique resource.   The website states its purpose is to reveal the etymological roots, or original meanings, of the familiar terms on today’s maps of the World, Europe, the British Isles and the United States……The ‘True Names’ of 3000 cities, countries, rivers, oceans and mountain ranges are displayed on these four fascinating maps, each of…

• A Quiet, Simple Life

  2 May 2012 | 9:58 am

  There are many places I like.    There are a few I love.   Then there are those unique places that I fall in love with and could stay there forever.Seaside, Florida is one of those places for me.Seaside, FloridaThe minute I enter the picturesque town I feel the creative energy.   I feel the friendliness of the town, and the Victorian charm draws me in.A fantastic livable space....It’s just an added bonus that sandy white beaches and the emerald water of the Gulf of Mexico are just mere steps away.The town was developed in the late 1980s as a modern day…

• A Topic for Discussion...Handicaps and Politics

  10 Apr 2012 | 1:25 pm

  When you stop for a moment and consider Franklin Delano Roosevelt you have to be amazed and filled with awe that a man who had suffered through such a tremendous physical tragedy as he did during the summer of 1921 was able to rise to the highest office in the land given prevailing opinions concerning the disabled at that time.FDR contracted polio…or what was thought to be polio while on vacation and even though various cures never worked to restore his legs he also never accepted the fact his paralysis was permanent and constantly felt he was getting better.   Many state today…

• Bullets and Ballots

  27 Mar 2012 | 6:33 pm

  The song I’ve posted below isn’t as popular as Marvin Gaye’s hit “What’s Going On?”, but it is from the same album….the first of its kind for Motown…a concept album.Gaye wrote the songs during a time of great depression when he isolated himself from the outside world.  This site explains....Through television news broadcasts, Gaye saw the racial, political, and social problems that were plaguing the world, manifestations from the explosion of political and social activism that took place during the late ‘60s. As he wallowed in his seclusion, Gaye read letters from his…

• 

  Discovery News - History News

• A Mummy Switcheroo

  15 May 2012 | 4:38 pm

  A mummy that was thought to be one of the ancient god Min's priests is actually the remains of another man.

• Beheading: Once a Nobleman's Death

  15 May 2012 | 1:08 pm

  Cutting off a person's head is a particularly horrific method of execution -- and that's one reason it's popular among some groups.

• Europe's Early Man Drew Female Sex Organs, Animals

  14 May 2012 | 2:00 pm

  The engraved and painted images found on a limestone wall are believed to be the oldest wall art.

• Early Europe Art Depicts Female Sex Organs: Photos

  14 May 2012 | 2:00 pm

  The drawings of female sex organs and animal art were found in a limestone block in southern France.

• Parenting Lessons From the Ancient World

  13 May 2012 | 7:40 am

  Parents today are no more deserving of adulation in the form of flowers and gift cards than their ancestors.

• 

  O Say Can You See?

• Frame an Iconic American: Who's in the lead?

  NMAH

  16 May 2012 | 10:30 am

  Voting for our Frame an Iconic American contest opened May 11, 2012 and will run through May 26, 2012. Here's where the votes currently stand: If you haven't yet voted, you can still help choose a historical figure whose biographical portrait will be composed by Robert Weingarten, a noted photographic artist. Read about Audie Murphy, Alice Paul, Celia Cruz, Samuel Morse, and Frederick Douglass and then vote for the figure you would like to see portrayed. The finished portrait will be unveiled this fall and displayed at the Smithsonian.  

• Discovery in the collections: 1914 Kodachrome of George Eastman

  NMAH

  15 May 2012 | 10:22 am

  You know how sometimes you are looking for one thing, but find something else that is even better? This color portrait of George Eastman, the founder of the Eastman Kodak Company, is an example. It was taken by photographer Joseph D’ Anunzio on September 2, 1914, more than 20 years before Kodachrome film was introduced to the public. How is that possible? George Eastman by Joseph D’ Anunzio, September 2, 1914. The photograph came to the Photographic History Collection by an accident that worked to the museum’s advantage. In 1969, several hundred portraits were donated to the collection…

• Frame an Iconic American: Vote for your favorite historical figure

  NMAH

  11 May 2012 | 12:32 pm

  Help choose a historical figure whose biographical portrait will be composed by Robert Weingarten, a noted photographic artist. Read about Audie Murphy, Alice Paul, Celia Cruz, Samuel Morse, and Frederick Douglass and then vote for the figure you would like to see portrayed. The finished portrait will be unveiled this fall and displayed at the Smithsonian.  Voting opens May 11, 2012 and runs through May 26, 2012.   This project is inspired by the exhibition Pushing Boundaries: Portraits by Robert Weingarten, on view July 2-October 14 at the Smithsonian’s International Gallery,…

• Frederick Douglass: Orator, Activist, and Bad, Bad Man

  NMAH

  11 May 2012 | 11:50 am

  The National Museum of American History and photographer Robert Weingarten are working in collaboration to build a historic portrait with help from the public. During the week of May 7-11, the museum will present five blogs about significant individuals in American history. Between May 11-26, visitors can vote on which of these historic figures they would most like to see depicted in the portrait. Once a winner is announced, the public will have further opportunity to contribute to Weingarten’s unique process of visual biography. The finished portrait will be displayed at the…

• Samuel Finley Breese Morse: Artist and Inventor

  NMAH

  10 May 2012 | 9:35 am

  The National Museum of American History and photographer Robert Weingarten are working in collaboration to build a historic portrait with help from the public. During the week of May 7-11, the museum will present five blogs about significant individuals in American history. Between May 11-26, visitors can vote on which of these historic figures they would most like to see depicted in the portrait. Once a winner is announced, the public will have further opportunity to contribute to Weingarten’s unique process of visual biography. The finished portrait will be displayed at the…

• 

  About.com 19th Century History

• Visiting Fort McHenry

  14 May 2012 | 6:22 am

  I recently visited Maryland to see how the state is preparing for the War of 1812 Bicentennial, and a highlight was a visit to Baltimore's Fort McHenry. Francis Scott Key, ...Read Full Post

• Newspaper Sunday

  13 May 2012 | 6:38 am

  I've become a fan of Chronicling America, the truly amazing collection of old newspapers at the Library of Congress. When the site was recently shut down for about a week ...Read Full Post

• Today's "Lincoln Invented Facebook" Hoax

  8 May 2012 | 12:13 pm

  Twitter seems to have gone crazy this afternoon over a blog posting about how Abraham Lincoln invented Facebook, or something very similar to it, in 1845. The blog item, which apparently has already been taken down after quickly going viral, was an entertaining account of a visit to the Lincoln museum in Springfield, Illinois. The blogger said he was doing some research that involved whether Lincoln had ever written anything about P.T. Barnum. When a researcher retrieved the "Springfield Gazette," it turned out to be, instead of a newspaper one might expect, a prototype of a social networking…

• The Battle of Baltimore

  7 May 2012 | 6:15 am

  Late in the summer of 1814 British forces humiliated the United States by torching the Capitol and the White House, and it looked like something even worse was about to ...Read Full Post

• The Haymarket Riot

  4 May 2012 | 5:10 am

  The Haymarket Riot broke out when a peaceful outdoor union meeting in Chicago on May 4, 1886 turned chaotic when a bomb was thrown into the crowd. The police opened ...Read Full Post

• 

  About.com 20th Century History

• Eleanor Roosevelt: The First Lady of the World

  3 May 2012 | 5:14 pm

  Eleanor Roosevelt was always serious. When she was young, her mother even used to call her "Granny," a name that upset little Eleanor. When she was older, Eleanor put that seriousness to good use. ...Read Full Post

• History Quote of the Week

  3 May 2012 | 4:52 pm

  "Life was meant to be lived, and curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life." --Quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States and delegate to the United Nations ...Read Full Post

• Harry Houdini: The Handcuff King

  26 Apr 2012 | 7:06 pm

  Harry Houdini, the great escape artist, made his living creating increasingly risky death-defying stunts that usually involved handcuffs and frequently involved water. But how did this great magician get his start? Why did he pretend to be a spirit medium? How many movies did he appear in? How did he die? Find all this out plus more in this biography of Harry Houdini.

• The Tragic Story of the Kursk

  26 Apr 2012 | 6:28 pm

  During naval exercises on August 12, 2000, the Russian Oscar-II class nuclear submarine, the Kursk, sank in the Barents Sea. While several countries offered help try to rescue any survivors, Russia initially refused. Find out what happened to the Kursk. ...Read Full Post

• World War I: A Short History

  26 Apr 2012 | 5:51 pm

  They said it would end by Christmas. They were wrong. World War I, also known as the Great War, lasted for five bloody years. Learn more about how WWI began, how it was fought, and how it finally ended....Read Full Post

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  About.com African History

• This Day in African History – World War II: Axis Defeated in North Africa

  12 May 2012 | 7:10 pm

• 10 May 1994 - Mandela Inaugurated as President

  9 May 2012 | 7:20 pm

• This Day in African History – Death of Henry Morton Stanley

  9 May 2012 | 7:10 pm

• This Day in African History – Ethiopia regains its Independence

  4 May 2012 | 7:10 pm

  Read Full PostThis Day in African History – Ethiopia regains its Independence originally appeared on About.com African History on Saturday, May 5th, 2012 at 00:10:23.Permalink | Comment | Email this

• This Day in African History – The Groote Schuur Minute

  3 May 2012 | 7:10 pm

• 

  About.com American History

• Gideon v. Wainwright

  29 Apr 2012 | 8:17 am

  In 1963, the US Supreme Court ruled on Gideon v. Wainwright, a landmark decision requiring states to provide defense counsel in all criminal cases on the basis that it would be a violation of the sixth amendment rights. Due to this, the number of public defenders in the country exponentially rose. Learn more about this important case and its significance:...Read Full Post

• James Monroe - 5th US President

  27 Apr 2012 | 11:04 pm

  James Monroe was born on April 28, 1758 to relatively wealthy Virginia planters. However, both of his parents soon died, and he inherited his father's estate at a young age. Monroe had a distinguished career during the American Revolution. Afterwards, he had a huge political career that included all of the following positions at one time or another:...Read Full Post

• Top 10 Significant Presidential Elections

  27 Apr 2012 | 4:12 am

  As the nomination for Mitt Romney seems to be more and more assured, America is heading into its 57th presidential election. Only time will tell how significant this election will be. The following article takes a look at the ten most significant presidential elections in US history....Read Full Post

• Ulysses S Grant

  26 Apr 2012 | 10:59 pm

  On April 27, 1822, Ulysses S Grant was born. He was destined to lead the Union forces during the US Civil War. After the war, he rode a wave of popularity to be elected as the eighteenth president of the United States. Unfortunately, his time in office was wracked by five presidential scandals. Sadly, after the presidency, he lost all his money and wrote his memoirs as a way to raise money for his wife before his death on July 23, 1885.

• John Wilkes Booth's Death...

  25 Apr 2012 | 10:59 pm

  On April 26, 1865, John Wilkes Booth was found hiding with co-conspirator David Herold in a barn near Port Royal, Virginia. While Herold surrendered, Booth refused so the barn was set on fire. In the ensuing chaos, a soldier shot and killed Booth. However, there are some who claim that he did not die but instead escaped despite the fact that many people who knew Booth identified his body. There are many conspiracies surrounding Abraham Lincoln's death including ones that Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, ones that involved Andrew Johnson, and even one that included the Catholic Church. ...Read…

• 

  About.com Ancient / Classical History

• On This Day in Ancient History - A 14-Year-Old Became Emperor

  16 May 2012 | 2:43 am

  Elagablus Coin © Copyright the Trustees of the British Museum, produced by Natalia Bauer for the Portable Antiquities On this day in ancient Roman History - May 15: He ...Read Full Post

• Guess Who

  16 May 2012 | 1:42 am

  CC Flickr User Rictor Norton & David Allen Hints: 1.) Facing right is Socrates. You are to guess the man facing the left. 2.) Last week's Classics feel good story Columbia University custodian to graduate after 12 years of part-time study (courtesy of the Rogue Classicist) features a man who graduated from Columbia with a degree in Classics and a senior paper on this man. Answer Related: Sculptors Ancient Philosophers Timeline Greek Tragedy The Golden Age of Latin Drama Sign up for my free, weekly Ancient/Classical History newsletter

• These Are Pairs of ... ?

  15 May 2012 | 3:43 pm

  © Clipart.com Guess what these pairs of names have in common. Leuconotus and AltanusLibonotus and SubvesperusArgestes and EtesiaeCircias and CorusThracias and GallicusSupernas and CaeciasCarbas and OrnithiaeEurocircias and Volturnus Answer Related: Zeus' Mates and Children Names and Types of Nymphs Mars and Venus Caught in a Net The 4 Roman Winds Plutarch Sign up for my free, weekly Ancient/Classical History newsletter

• Myth Monday - The First Tyrant

  14 May 2012 | 1:55 am

  Candaules, His Wife, and Gyges by William Etty 1820PD Courtesy of Wikipedia Today's Myth Monday features a story about the first tyrant known to the Greeks. It could be based on history, since the main male character is, but the actual coup is very unlikely to have happened in this way. Read Full PostMyth Monday - The First Tyrant originally appeared on About.com Ancient / Classical History on Monday, May 14th, 2012 at 06:55:59.Permalink | Comment | Email this

• Do You Know the Connection Between Immolation and Salted Cakes?

  13 May 2012 | 4:31 am

  On This Day in Ancient History - May 13:Vestal Virgins worked on the mola salsa, the Romans' sacred salted cake. In her online article on mola salsa, author Caroline Tully cites Robin Lorsch Wildfang's book on Vestal Virgins to say that this was one of the days on which the Vestal Virgins gathered unripe spelt to use in the mola salsa. The grain would then Read Full PostDo You Know the Connection Between Immolation and Salted Cakes? originally appeared on About.com Ancient / Classical History on Sunday, May 13th, 2012 at 09:31:16.Permalink | Comment | Email this

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  About.com Asian History

• The Silk Road Returns

  14 May 2012 | 6:26 pm

  The ancient Silk Road was actually a network of transportation routes between East Asia and the Middle East, with branches into Europe. It crisscrossed Central Asia by land, and skirted the Indian Ocean basin by sea. The Silk Road reached its apex of trade and security during the time of the Mongol Empire, when the "Pax Mongolica" ensured relatively safe passage for traders and emissaries from across Asia and beyond....Read Full Post

• Historic Photos from Colonial India

  14 May 2012 | 2:23 pm

  Photos provide us with a glimpse of a moment in history. Of course, with early photography, the moments captured were much longer - the subjects had to stand still while the image developed on the glass. If they didn't, it would blur....Read Full Post

• Genghis Khan Statue Stirs Controversy in London

  23 Apr 2012 | 5:00 am

  To celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's upcoming Diamond Jubilee, marking the 60th anniversary of her accession to Great Britain's throne, an interesting piece of statuary has gone in at Marble Arch, London. It's an equestrian piece depicting a famous world leader born 850 years ago - Genghis Khan....Read Full Post

• Job Training for Tamil War Widows

  22 Apr 2012 | 10:41 pm

  The government of India is putting into place a job training program for widows from neighboring Sri Lanka. Many of these women, mostly ethnic Tamils whose husbands died in the three-decade long struggle for independence, have trouble supporting themselves because of limited educational opportunities....Read Full Post

• Quick Facts on the Vietnam War

  22 Apr 2012 | 3:26 pm

  Do you struggle to recall when the Vietnam War ended? Want to discuss modern-day parallels with the My Lai Massacre, but can't remember when it happened? Then Quick Facts on the Vietnam War is for you....Read Full Post

• 

  Top 10 Lists

• Top 10 Toys In Your Closet That Could Make You Rich

  TopTenz Master

  15 May 2012 | 11:01 pm

  Don’t worry, we’re not talking about some diamond-encrusted Barbie or a mini-Lamborghini.  No, these toys are somewhere in a closet and, quite possibly, you might have played with them in your childhood.  They are hard-to-find toys and collectibles that, for whatever reason, are holy grails in the collecting world.  Right now they could be sitting in your [...]

• Top 10 Successful Comedians That Were SNL Flops

  TopTenz Master

  14 May 2012 | 11:01 pm

  No other television show has boasted such a high degree of talent than Saturday Night Live.  Many big names in comedy over the past four decades have made a name for themselves through the show.  On the other end of the spectrum, many comic actors have been hired for the show and were unsuccessful at [...]

• Top 10 Recession-Proof Industries

  TopTenz Master

  13 May 2012 | 11:01 pm

  Certain businesses thrive on good economies.  Fine dining establishments, tourist trades, and gambling do well when the economy is good, but they tend to tank when it’s bad.  A lot of people are not willing to spend the money when they think their job is on the line. There are certain industries that do just [...]

• Top 10 Beautifully Flawed Albums

  Ryan Thomas

  10 May 2012 | 11:01 pm

  An album is usually considered to be an artist’s beautiful baby; but sometimes it can also be their ugly stepchild. Deformity, after all, is a part of nature, and the contrast only helps to accentuate the instances of unabashed beauty. Here are 10 artists who vied for some ugliness to really make their albums shine: 10. [...]

• Top 10 Greatest Golfers of All Time

  TopTenz Master

  9 May 2012 | 11:01 pm

  Over the last century, golf has emerged as one of the biggest and most widely played sports in the world.  The rise of golf, both in America and around the world, has brought fame and riches to many, many men, and today it could be argued that professional golf has never been more popular. But [...]

• 

  findingDulcinea / On This Day

• On This Day: Nelson Mandela Elected President

  9 May 2012 | 6:00 am

  On May 9, 1994, South Africa's newly elected parliament chose Nelson Mandela to be the first president of the post-apartheid era.

• On This Day: V-E Day Ends World War II in Europe

  8 May 2012 | 6:00 am

  On May 8, 1945, Germany officially ceased military operations, ending the European conflict of World War II and prompting massive celebrations in Allied countries.

• On This Day: Wounded Knee Standoff Ends

  8 May 2012 | 5:00 am

  On May 8, 1973, members of the militant American Indian Movement who had held the South Dakota hamlet of Wounded Knee surrendered to federal agents after a 10-week standoff.

• On This Day: Book Reveals That Nancy Reagan Contacted Astrologers for Advice

  3 May 2012 | 6:00 am

  On May 3, 1988, former Reagan cabinet member Donald Regan claimed in his memoir that first lady Nancy Reagan had used astrological advice to help schedule President Reagan's activities.

• On This Day: Mayday Tribe Anti-War Protesters Clash With Police in Washington

  3 May 2012 | 5:00 am

  On May 3, 1971, authorities in Washington quelled an anti-war protest organized by the Mayday Tribe, which had hoped to shut down the city. About 12,000 protesters were arrested over the course of several days, the largest mass arrest in U.S. history.

• 

  History in an Hour

• Who was the 20th century’s most evil dictator?

  Rupert Colley

  14 May 2012 | 7:00 pm

  Adolf Hitler is considered the 20th century’s most evil man according to a Facebook poll run last month by History in An Hour. Asking, “Who, in your opinion, was the 20th century’s most evil dictator?”, the April 2012 poll attracted … Continue reading →

• The Urinating Stalin

  Rupert Colley

  14 May 2012 | 3:00 am

  Over the weekend, Ukrainian nationalists from the Bratstvo (Brotherhood) party erected statues of Stalin in the cities of Kiev and Lvov – within hours they had been removed. The reason being – the 1.5 metre-high wooden statues painted gold depicted the former … Continue reading →

• Mary Seacole – a summary

  Rupert Colley

  13 May 2012 | 7:00 pm

  Mary Seacole was born Mary Jane Grant in 1805, in Kingston, Jamaica to a Jamaican mother and a Scottish soldier: ‘I have good Scots blood coursing through my veins,’ she once wrote. Her mother, a freed black woman, kept a … Continue reading →

• History In An Hour Shop – History In An Hour

  Rupert Colley

  11 May 2012 | 8:34 am

  Available as iBooks, Kindle, Nook and also available for the Sony Reader, Kobo and other formats Kindle* iTunes B&N Nook American Civil War $2.35 £1.49 $2.99 £1.49 $2.99 The Afghan Wars $2.35 £1.49 $2.99 £1.49 $2.99 The Reformation $2.35 £1.49 $2.99 £1.49 $2.99  … Continue reading →

• History In An Hour Shop – Audio

  Rupert Colley

  11 May 2012 | 8:30 am

  iTunes Amazon World War Two $2.95 £1.95 $3.39 £1.49 American Civil War $2.95 £1.95 $3.39 £1.49 The Cold War $2.95 £1.95 $3.39 £1.49 Nazi Germany $2.95 £1.95 $3.39 £1.49 Hitler $2.95 £1.95 $3.39 £1.49 Black History $2.95 £1.95 $3.39 £1.49

• 

  Yesteeyear

• Review: “The Blood of Heroes” by James Donovan

  Eric Hudson

  15 May 2012 | 8:44 am

  If you have no interest in history, or have never read or learned about this time period James Donovan’s “” is a must read. If you were inspired by the American revolution, you will definitely feel a connection to these transplanted Americans and their cause. With its short chapters and everyday language “” reads easily. [...]

• News on the Ancient World – May 14th

  Jon Holtgrefe

  14 May 2012 | 9:13 am

  Here is a rundown of ancient historical anniversaries of the coming two weeks(I normally do one, but a)there isn’t much going on in the next couple weeks and b)I’ll be out of town and thus unable to write one of these next weekend) and news on ancient history from the past week. As always, the [...]

• Rome and Han – A Fascinating Comparison

  Jon Holtgrefe

  10 May 2012 | 11:46 am

  For the first two centuries of the common era it is estimated that a full 50% of the world’s population lived under either the Roman Empire or the Han Dynasty. The only time in which the human race was, perhaps, more united was during the height of the Achaemenid Empire under which lived about 45 [...]

• The Importance of the Discovery of King Tut’s Tomb

  Eric Hudson

  9 May 2012 | 10:41 pm

  Today the man who first discovered the young King Tutankhamun’s tomb would have been 138. Unfortunately, Howard Carter died 17 years after he first unearthed the tomb from lymphoma. The discovery of King Tut’s tomb was a huge archeological breakthrough for many reasons. First, it was discovered during a time of very uncertain times in [...]

• Who is Your Favorite Historical Woman?

  Chris Rivait

  8 May 2012 | 1:15 pm

  In honor of Mother’s Day, I thought I would put out a poll on who your favorite historical woman is.  I have used the women found on the BFF (Best Friends Forever) t-shirts in my store for the poll.  There are 24 women, including all of Henry VIII’s wives, so scroll all the way down.  [...]

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  History Of Macedonia - Ιστορία της Μακεδονίας

• Παραποίηση της Ιστορίας από τον Γκρούεφσκι

  D-Mak

  15 May 2012 | 6:49 am

  Το έτος είναι το 2007 και ο πρωθυπουργός των Σκοπίων, Νίκολα Γκρούεφσκι απευθύνει χαιρετισμό στα πλαίσια της έναρξης της Διεθνούς Έκθεσης βιβλίου στα Σκόπια. Από την ομιλία του θα σταθούμε σε 2 σημεία: - O Σκοπιανός πρωθυπουργός αναφέρει προκλητικά ως “Σλάβους εκπαιδευτικούς” τους Έλληνες αδερφούς από την Θεσσαλονίκη,…

• Ποιά Γλώσσα μιλούσαν στην Μακεδονία το 1741;

  D-Mak

  14 May 2012 | 7:13 am

  Το έτος 1741 εκδόθηκε στην Νυρεμβέργη ένα πρωτοποριακό έργο για την εποχή του. Η Synopsis Universae Philologiae, έργο του γλωσσολόγου Gottfried Hensel περιείχε όλες τις γνωστές γλώσσες ανα την υφήλιο, καθώς και χάρτες με την ομιλούμενη γλώσσα σε κάθε περιοχή. Στην περιοχή της Μακεδονίας η ομιλούμενη γλώσσα ήταν φυσικά η Ελληνική καθότι το Ελληνικό…

• Σκοπιανό ante portas

  D-Mak

  14 May 2012 | 4:13 am

  Η προσεχής σύνοδος Κορυφής του NΑΤΟ θα διεξαχθεί, ως γνωστόν, στο Σικάγο, σε λίγες μόνον ημέρες, συγκεκριμένα την 20ή και 21η του τρέχοντος μηνός. Το ευαίσθητο θέμα της διεύρυνσης της συμμαxίας δεν περιλαμβάνεται κατ’ αρχάς στα θέματα της ημερήσιας διάταξης. Ουδείς όμως μπορεί να ισχυ­ριστεί ότι το θέμα αυτό δεν προκαλεί…

• Ακυβερνησία και Εθνικά Θέματα

  D-Mak

  14 May 2012 | 3:06 am

  ΑΚΥΒΕΡΝΗΣΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΕΘΝΙΚΑ ΘΕΜΑΤΑ Κωνσταντίνος Χολέβας-Πολιτικός Επιστήμων             Την ώρα που γράφονται αυτές οι γραμμές δεν είναι ξεκάθαρο το αποτέλεσμα των διερευνητικών εντολών . Καλό όμως είναι να θυμόμαστε ότι η παράταση της ακυβερνησίας  κάνει ορισμένους γείτονες να τρίβουν τα χέρια τους. Θυμίζω ότι το επεισόδιο των…

• Καταλονία: Το ελληνικό παρελθόν της Ισπανίας

  History

  14 May 2012 | 1:56 am

    Εμπόριον, Emporiae, Empuries· όποιο όνομα και να διαλέξουμε, η ουσία είναι μία και δεν αλλάζει: ο πιο σημαντικός αρχαιολογικός χώρος στην Ισπανία αλλά και ολόκληρη την ιβηρική χερσόνησο, φέρει ελληνική υπογραφή, είναι ηλικίας 2.000 και πλέον ετών και, ούτε λίγο ούτε πολύ, αποτελεί για τους Καταλανούς εθνική υπόθεση! Το ότι οι αρχαίοι…

• 

  lefthistory

• Native People of El Salvador Finally Gain Recognition

  16 May 2012 | 5:46 am

  By Edgardo Ayala. http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=107776 SAN SALVADOR, May 14, 2012 (IPS) - After...

• Nicaragua: Sandinismo and its Critics

  13 May 2012 | 7:57 am

  Following the triumph of the Sandinista revolution in July 1979, a vast global solidarity movement...

• Analysis: The Case of Romeo Langlois

  4 May 2012 | 1:22 pm

  Justice for Colombia: Wednesday, 2 May 2012 The disappearance of French journalist Romeo Langlois,...

• John Pilger’s Nicaragua: A Nation’s Right to...

  4 May 2012 | 1:19 pm

  John Pilger’s Nicaragua: A Nation’s Right to Survive. Brings to life the period of the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua. Puts Nicaragua in the context of its time and place - Central America at the height of the dirty wars that killed hundreds of thousands…

• A great video of images of the dictatorship in Chile, including...

  3 May 2012 | 1:44 pm

  A great video of images of the dictatorship in Chile, including the funeral of Pablo Neruda a few days after the coup, and images of an improvised demonstration. In the second part of the video you can see the same ‘guanacos’ and tear gas spraying as you can see in Chile today being used by the government of Sebastian Piñera - a government of those who benefited from and supported the dictatorship.

• 

  Blog > WW2History.com

• Austria’s dilemma is the world’s

  laurence

  15 May 2012 | 3:44 am

  Statue of Karl Lueger in Karl Lueger Platz, Vienna I was in Vienna a few days ago, filming for my next TV series, and witnessed Austrians wrestling with a dilemma about history that affects us all. The city authorities have just decided that a stretch of the historic inner road around the centre of Vienna which has for nearly 80 years been called the ‘Karl Lueger Ring’ will be renamed ‘University Ring’. Why? Well, because Lueger was not only a brilliant city administrator – he was mayor of Vienna from 1897 until 1910 and introduced social benefits like an…

• Hitler’s favourite city

  laurence

  3 May 2012 | 3:36 am

  Hitler’s favourite city today Congratulations to Mr Petrides of Kent who was the first person picked at random from those people who who got the answer right to the question in our spring competition: what was Hitler’s favourite city? The answer was Munich in Bavaria. This ‘German’ city wrote Hitler in Mein Kampf, that he was ‘more attached to’ than ‘any other spot of earth in this world’. Hitler, born an Austrian, always considered himself ‘German’ and it was only by finally being able to move to Munich in 1913 at the age of 24 that…

• WW2History is free!

  laurence

  29 Apr 2012 | 5:18 am

  We are all incredibly pleased to announce that WW2History.com is now free to the world! I thank all of the thousands of subscribers who have supported the site for the last two years and look forward to welcoming many more people to WW2History.com.

• Croatia’s dark history

  laurence

  21 Apr 2012 | 10:57 am

  The ancient city of Dubrovnik in Croatia. Croatia is an ideal tourist destination. The landscape is beautiful along the Adriatic, the people are friendly, there’s lots to see and do and the food is terrific. But, I thought as I journeyed along the Croatian coast last week, how many people really know what happened here during WW2? When you mention ‘the war’ to anyone in Croatia they almost always think you’re referring to the civil war in Yugoslavia twenty years ago, during which the historic city of Dubrovnik was shelled by the Yugoslav army as the Croats fought for…

• What would the British have done?

  laurence

  9 Apr 2012 | 6:15 am

  It’s not hard to understand why the British feel so proud about their role in the Second World War. The undeniable truth is that this country, led by Winston Churchill, held out against the Germans in 1940 and thus prevented the Nazi domination of Western Europe. And, of course, by thwarting the Germans the British never had to endure Nazi occupation and so didn’t have to discover just how many people in this land would have collaborated with the enemy. It’s this, I’ve always felt, that contributes to an underlying sense in the British national consciousness –…

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  American History Fun Facts Blog

• May 16, A Memorial Day Poem

  15 May 2012 | 10:12 pm

  Today we honor all of you, Who served your country with pride, You risked your life for all of us, As you fought side by side. Your strength and courage

• May 13, American History Collectibles

  13 May 2012 | 1:33 pm

  American History collectibles on ebay. Find collectibles and memorabilia from various periods in United States history.

• May 12, Teddy Roosevelt - 1st President to Star in Moving Picture

  12 May 2012 | 1:48 pm

  Today in American history, May 12, 1903: President Theodore Roosevelt, while on an official trip to San Francisco, was captured on moving picture film. He was the first president to have an official activity filmed. It was not the last time he was filmed - Roosevelt loved playing to the cameras and was filmed often during the rest of his life. The short film was made while Roosevelt was riding in a parade, while being escorted by the all black Ninth U.S. Cavalry Regiment. The film was titled "The President's Carriage", and was shown in nickelodeons across the country.

• May 11, Charles Warren Fairbanks - May 11, 1852 - June 4, 1918

  11 May 2012 | 11:32 am

  Who was Charles Warren Fairbanks? Born on this day in history, May 11, 1852, Fairbanks was the 26nd Vice President of the United States under Theodore Roosevelt (1905-1908). Born in Union County, Ohio, he became a lawyer and newspaperman, in addition to getting into politics. In 1893, he purchased the Indianapolis News with his uncle and a group of investors. He was elected U.S. Senator (Republican) in 1896, where he served until 1905. While serving on a Senate committee, Fairbanks was involved in trying to establish the U.S. - Canadian border. It was during this time that he said "I am…

• May 9, Belle Boyd - Confederate Spy

  9 May 2012 | 12:15 pm

  Belle Boyd Mathew Brady Maria Isabella ("Belle") Boyd was born on this day in 1844 in Martinsburg, Virginia (now West Virginia). She became a notorious Confederate spy during the Civil War, after she shot a drunken Union soldier when she was only 17. According to young Belle, the soldier had "addressed my mother and myself in language as offensive as it is possible to conceive. I could stand it no longer...we ladies were obliged to go armed in order to protect ourselves as best we might from insult and outrage." Some of Belle's nicknames at the time were "La Belle Rebelle", "the Siren of the…

• 

  Harm's Way: A Blacksmith's Journey

• Reviving what was (almost) lost

  Claire Gebben

  9 May 2012 | 10:24 pm

  The shift from the 19th to the 20th century was dramatic for its increased reliance on machines, which rang the death knell for the ancient art of blacksmithing. “At the beginning of the 19th century, with the industrial revolution, the blacksmith craft had passed its peak. The increasing precision in dimensions of the milled iron stock fundamentally changed the appearance of finished works. Chamfering and texturing was supposed to recreate the old familiar look. “The development of cast iron has to be considered as an additional factor contributing to the descent of…

• The early days of oil

  Claire Gebben

  27 Apr 2012 | 6:53 pm

  In researching about my blacksmith great-great-grandfather, I’ve often turned to a book called Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow. John D. Rockefeller (born 1839) was a contemporary of Michael Harm (born 1841), and both men migrated in the mid-19th century to Cleveland to build their fortunes (Rockefeller’s fortune was more substantial and enduring, but still). Photo courtesy of Cleveland Public LibraryRockefeller set up his first oil refineries, the Excelsior Works, Chernow writes, “on the red-clay banks of a narrow waterway called Kingsbury…

• Games making history

  Claire Gebben

  22 Apr 2012 | 4:29 pm

  Yesterday, Phil Humber of the Chicago White Sox pitched the 21st perfect game in baseball history. Yes, it was here in Seattle against the Mariners, and no, I wasn’t at the game to see it happen. In a weird synchronicity, though, this week I happened to be editing a scene in Harm’s Way where the characters are enjoying some outdoor recreation. The year is 1862. What sort of game would they have been playing? Baseball? Often, I’ve looked for answers about the past by logging into the King County Library web site to visit their 19th Century U.S. Newspapers database. First, I…

• Tom Thumb

  Claire Gebben

  16 Apr 2012 | 11:49 am

  On my recent visit to the (now-closed) Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art, a doll replica of Tom Thumb was on display. Oh right, you’re thinking, Tom Thumb, of the English fairy tale. The little guy who, among other mishaps, gets cooked in pudding and swallowed by a giant, right? Wrong. While fairy tales endure, living breathing persons often pass out of the public awareness. One legendary personage of the mid-19th century was General Tom Thumb. Born in 1838, Charles Sherwood Stratton’s growth slowed considerably after the first six months of his life. P.T. Barnum, Stratton’s…

• Mosquito frets and legends

  Claire Gebben

  12 Apr 2012 | 11:56 am

  Somewhere, I read (at the Cleveland Natural History Museum? the Great Lakes Science Center?) that the mouth of the Cuyahoga River was a swampy, mosquito-ridden land when Moses Cleaveland first surveyed the lots for Cleveland in 1796. When it comes to that, it still is. Enter any Cleveland woods mid-summer and the mosquito whine is sure to drive you back out. How did 19th century denizens of Cleveland cope with mosquitoes? Window screens did not come into use until after the Civil War. Research tells me they did have mosquito nets. I also found an 1862 reference to “head-bags made of…

• 

  History of Massachusetts

• The History of Massachusetts blog has moved!

  Rebekah Brooks

  11 May 2012 | 12:51 pm

  The History of Massachusetts blog has moved! The blog is now located at HistoryofMassachusetts.org! Please update your bookmarks and come check out the new site!

• John Hammond Jr Conducted Telepathic Experiments at Hammond Castle

  Rebekah Brooks

  16 Apr 2012 | 8:30 am

  John Hays Hammond Jr in 1922 John Hammond Jr. was a wealthy American inventor and owner of Hammond Castle in Gloucester. The castle housed not only his elaborate collection of ancient artifacts but also served as a laboratory where he and his team, which included scientist Andrija Puharich, conducted various telepathic experiments in the early 1950s. From 1951 to 1952, Hammond, who had a fascination with the occult but was mostly known for his work with radio waves, conducted a series of experiments on a well-known psychic at the time, Eileen Garrett. During the experiments, Hammond placed…

• The History of Hammond Castle

  Rebekah Brooks

  10 Apr 2012 | 12:35 pm

  Hammond Castle Hammond Castle is a Medieval-style castle located in the fishing village of Gloucester. The castle was built between 1926 and 1929 by an eccentric American inventor named John Hays Hammond Jr.  Hammond, who was a protege of Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison, is known as the “Father of Radio Control” because of his groundbreaking work with radio waves. Hammond was the son of the wealthy mining engineer, John Hays Hammond Sr. Hammond built the castle, which resides on the edge of a cliff overlooking Gloucester harbor, to house his large collection of Roman,…

• The French King Who Lived Above the Union Oyster House

  Rebekah Brooks

  4 Apr 2012 | 8:38 am

  Portrait of Louise Philippe I Louis Philippe I was the King of France from 1830 to 1845, but spent over 20 years as an exiled prince after the outbreak of the French Revolution. In the fall of 1797, he briefly lived above what would later become the Union Oyster House restaurant in Boston. Philippe's exile began during the Reign of Terror in 1793, a time of chaotic violence during which many aristocrats were guillotined. Prince Philippe, who was serving as a colonel in the French army at the time, fled France in April of that year and traveled around the world extensively looking for work.

• Faneuil Hall Weather Vane Stolen in 1974

  Rebekah Brooks

  28 Mar 2012 | 8:56 am

  The Faneuil Hall weather vane The copper weather vane that has topped the cupola of Faneuil Hall since 1742 was once stolen in 1974. When the theft was discovered in January of 1974, it made national headlines. Police first speculated that the criminal may have used a helicopter to steal the weather vane and believed the thief intended to sell it on the black market. According to an article in The Telegraph newspaper, the police detective in charge of the case, Paul Revere Carroll, a direct descendant of Paul Revere, got a phone call a few days after the theft from Robert Fandel, chief…

• 

  Civil War Days

• Civil War Days has moved!

  Rebekah Brooks

  11 May 2012 | 12:11 pm

  Civil War Days has moved and had a name change! CivilWarDays.blogspot.com is now located at http://civilwarsaga.com/ and has been renamed The Civil War Saga. Make sure to update your bookmarks and come check out the new site!

• Paul Revere's Grandsons Fought In the Civil War

  Rebekah Brooks

  16 Apr 2012 | 12:21 pm

  Portrait of Paul Revere, circa 1768 Paul Revere had a large family with a total of 51 grandchildren, three of whom, Paul Joseph Revere, Joseph Warren Revere and Edward Hutchinson Revere, served in the Union army during the Civil War. Paul Joseph Revere served as a colonel in the 20th Massachusetts Regiment along with Edward Hutchinson Revere who was an assistant army surgeon. Joseph Warren Revere served as a Brigadier General in the New Jersey Volunteer Infantry. Both Paul, who was wounded in the leg, and Edward were captured by Confederate troops during the Battle at Ball's Bluff in Virginia…

• Abraham Lincoln Was Related to Paul Revere

  Rebekah Brooks

  10 Apr 2012 | 9:26 am

  Abraham Lincoln in 1862 Although born and raised at different times and in different places, Abraham Lincoln was related to Paul Revere through three marriages in his family. Abraham Lincoln's father, Thomas Lincoln, had two cousins in Boston during the late 1700s named Amos and Jedediah Lincoln. Like himself, both cousins were carpenters, although they were much more successful at their trade. After Amos Lincoln participated in the Boston Tea Party when he was 20 years old and served as a Lieutenant Colonel during the Revolutionary War, he married Paul Revere's eldest daughter Deborah in…

• The Glowing Wounds of the Battle of Shiloh

  Rebekah Brooks

  2 Apr 2012 | 9:14 am

  After the Battle of Shiloh in April of 1862 in Tennessee, over 16,000 wounded soldiers lay in the rain and cold mud for over two days as overwhelmed doctors and nurses struggled to locate and treat the soldiers. Some of these wounded soldiers later reported that as they lay on the ground awaiting help, their wounds started to glow in the dark. Chromolithograph of the Battle of Shiloh, circa 1888 At the time, the reason for the glow was a mystery but doctor's did note that the wounds that glowed healed faster than those that didn't. The mystery remained unsolved until 2001, when two teenagers…

• Conjoined Twin Eng Bunker Drafted During the Civil War

  Rebekah Brooks

  27 Mar 2012 | 8:33 am

  Chang and Eng Bunker In 1865, conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker were living in North Carolina when Eng was suddenly drafted to fight in the Civil War. The Thailand natives were living in Traphill, North Carolina as naturalized citizens when the Union army raided the area and drafted some of the locals to join their army, despite the fact that many of them, including the Bunker brothers, were Confederate supporters. Union General George Stoneman put the names of all men over 18 years of age into a lottery wheel and selected names at random. Eng's name was drawn but Chang's wasn't. Since the…

• 

  From Out of the Top Hat: A Blog from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum

• Stories from The Vault: Abraham Lincoln’s Last Visit To His Step Mother

  Patrick Russell

  11 May 2012 | 2:47 pm

  Episode 21, Abraham Lincoln’s Last Visit To His Step Mother: This month, we sit down with Dr. Cornelius for a special Mother’s Day themed episode of “SFTV” and discuss Mr. Lincoln’s last visit to his step mother, we answer some questions from Facebook, and debunk a “famous” Mr. Lincoln quote often attributed to him on Mother’s [...]

• An authorized forgery of Abraham Lincoln?

  James Cornelius

  25 Apr 2012 | 9:58 am

  For about a century the Lincoln profession has analyzed statements by John Milton Hay that he wrote many of Lincoln’s letters, and/or signed his name to many documents, with the president’s acquiescence.  Hay was the assistant private secretary in the Executive Mansion for the entirety of Lincoln’s presidency, serving under secretary John Nicolay, his friend [...]

• Stories from the Vault: Book Discussion with author Randall Fuller

  Patrick Russell

  24 Apr 2012 | 2:17 pm

  Episode 20, Book Discussion with author Randall Fuller: In this special episode, we present a book discussion with Randall Fuller author of the book, “From Battlefields Rising: How The Civil War Transformed American Literature”. The discussion took place April 10, 2012 in our Union Theatre.

• Stories from the Vault: The Roundtable Discussion on Mary Todd Lincoln’s Insanity Trial (Part Two)

  Patrick Russell

  19 Apr 2012 | 12:18 pm

  Episode 19, The Roundtable Discussion on Mary Todd Lincoln’s Retrial (Part Two): In part two of our Roundtable Discussion, our panel focuses on the medical and legal aspects of Mary Lincoln’s trial.

• Stories from the Vault: The Roundtable Discussion on Mary Todd Lincoln’s Insanity Trial (Part One)

  Patrick Russell

  19 Apr 2012 | 12:18 pm

  Episode 18, The Roundtable Discussion on Mary Todd Lincoln’s Insanity Trial (Part One): In this two part episode, we present the audio from the Roundtable Discussion on Mary Todd Lincoln’s Insanity Retrial. The Insanity Retrial of  Mary Todd Lincoln is sponsored by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and the Illinois Supreme Court Historic [...]

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  Annoyz View

• True Origins of Shakespeare’s Hamlet Prince of Denmark

  annoyzview

  15 May 2012 | 11:30 pm

  Was Hamlet really a Prince of Denmark? This question has intrigued researchers for many centuries. But recent studies have come up with new information. Most scholars till date have unanimously agreed that Shakespeare based his great tragedy on Hamlet of Amlethus, who is mentioned as a legend in the “History of the Danes”. This record was written around 1200. The name of Amlethus was tracked back from the word “Amlothi” which appears in the 10th or 11th century poem written by an Icelandic poet Snow Bear.   Hamlet The Prince of Denmark But recent studies suggest that the roots of…

• Mysterious Causes for Lenin’s Death

  annoyzview

  14 May 2012 | 11:30 pm

  Vladimir Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and a communist politician who was at the forefront of 1917 October Revolution. He headed the Soviet State during its initial years (1917-1924). He was a persuasive orator and led to the formation of a completely new Soviet Union. There are many mysteries regarding his sudden death at 6:50 P.M. on January 21, 1924. He died just a few months before his 54th birthday. Generally known cause of his death was a massive stroke. Modern day medical experts opine that the cerebral arteries of the great leader had become so calcified that they sounded…

• Did Edison Steal Some of his Inventions?

  annoyzview

  13 May 2012 | 11:30 pm

  Thomas Alva Edison is claimed to be the greatest who ever lived and there is no doubt about this fact. He provided mankind with some of the most spectacular technologies. He held more than 1,000 patents which is a mean deed in no way. But some research about his life shows that he could go to any extents to claim credit for inventions done by others. There are some examples of this infamous deed. Thomas Alva Edison: Greatest inventor or is he? Edison is generally mentioned as the inventor of fluoroscope which was used for x-rays. X-rays are a huge boon for medical science. Invention and later…

• Mysteries Regarding Brazilian Stonehenge

  annoyzview

  11 May 2012 | 11:30 pm

  If you thought that strange stone made structures existed only in England then you are wrong. Archaeologists have discovered a new site with Stonehenge like features near the Amazon Basin in Brazil. Most believe this was a stone temple used by the Pagans. It is located in the Northern region of Brazil. With further excavations it is becoming evident that the builders were more sophisticated then they were held previously. Though the exact timing of this stone temple is still unknown but some pottery found near the site date back to atleast 2000 years.   Brazilian Stonehange: A Stone…

• Disappearance of Amelia Earhart

  annoyzview

  10 May 2012 | 11:30 pm

  Disappearance of Amelia Earhart is one of the most intriguing mysteries. She was an ambitious woman pilot and a symbol of independent woman. Amelia held many records in flying but her final challenge was circumnavigation of the globe in her specially equipped twin engine plane named Electra. Howland Island which is a tiny island in the middle of the South Pacific was her final stop. But Amelia never reached this island. It was on July 2, 1937 that Amelia and her fellow navigator Fred Noonan went missing as they were flying over the Pacific. This was in the last leg of their aerial…