On the 23rd of October, 1295, the first treaty forming the Auld Alliance between Scotland and France against England was signed in Paris.  Origins and Formation The origins of the Auld Alliance lie in the complex power dynamics of late 13th-century Europe. England,...

On the 22nd of October, 1836, Sam Houston was inaugurated as the first President of the Republic of Texas. I confess that I know little about Sam Houston other than that John Wayne and Richard Widmark were waiting for him to arrive with an army and relieve the siege...

The Battle of Trafalgar was fought on the 21st of October, 1805. So when I crack open a bottle of something alcoholic this evening I shall say the toast, ‘to the immortal memory of Lord Nelson and those who fell with him.’ I have written about the use of intelligence...

The 20th of October was my father’s birthday. I’ve posted about my father a few times, so for today’s blog I shall write about the Relief of Goes, an amazing feat during the Eighty Years’ War, which was my ancestor Sir Anthony Standen’s war. Context of the Conflict...

It’s hard to choose the subject of today’s blog. As a writer I am tempted by the publication of Jayne Eyre in 1847. Russia is hardly ever out of the news, and today marks the Treaty of Drottningholm between Sweden and Russia in 1791 and Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow...

On the 18th of October, 1009, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem was completely destroyed by Fatimid caliph Al Hakim bi Amr Allah, who hacked the church’s foundations down to the bedrock.  The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, located in the Christian Quarter...

The event which has caught my eye for the 17th of October is the founding of the University of Greifswald in 1456, according to Wikipedia, the second oldest university in Northern Europe. I confess that at first reading I missed the “northern” and thought no, Oxford...

OK, hands up, I’m not writing about Harry Potter’s owl. Hedwig (in German), Hedvig (in Hungarian), or Jadwiga (in Polish) was crowned king of Poland, even though she was a woman, on the 16th of October, 1384. Born around 1373 or 1374, she was the youngest daughter of...

I have posted about my interest in aviation, and I proposed to Claire in a hot air balloon, so I am drawn to balloons for today’s post. On the 15th of October, 1783, the Montgolfier brothers’ hot air balloon made the first tethered ascent with humans aboard, piloted...

On the 23rd of October, 1295, the first treaty forming the Auld Alliance between Scotland and France against England was signed in Paris.  Origins and Formation The origins of the Auld Alliance lie in the complex power dynamics of late 13th-century Europe. England,...

On the 22nd of October, 1836, Sam Houston was inaugurated as the first President of the Republic of Texas. I confess that I know little about Sam Houston other than that John Wayne and Richard Widmark were waiting for him to arrive with an army and relieve the siege...

The Battle of Trafalgar was fought on the 21st of October, 1805. So when I crack open a bottle of something alcoholic this evening I shall say the toast, ‘to the immortal memory of Lord Nelson and those who fell with him.’ I have written about the use of intelligence...

The 20th of October was my father’s birthday. I’ve posted about my father a few times, so for today’s blog I shall write about the Relief of Goes, an amazing feat during the Eighty Years’ War, which was my ancestor Sir Anthony Standen’s war. Context of the Conflict...

It’s hard to choose the subject of today’s blog. As a writer I am tempted by the publication of Jayne Eyre in 1847. Russia is hardly ever out of the news, and today marks the Treaty of Drottningholm between Sweden and Russia in 1791 and Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow...

On the 18th of October, 1009, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem was completely destroyed by Fatimid caliph Al Hakim bi Amr Allah, who hacked the church’s foundations down to the bedrock.  The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, located in the Christian Quarter...

The event which has caught my eye for the 17th of October is the founding of the University of Greifswald in 1456, according to Wikipedia, the second oldest university in Northern Europe. I confess that at first reading I missed the “northern” and thought no, Oxford...

OK, hands up, I’m not writing about Harry Potter’s owl. Hedwig (in German), Hedvig (in Hungarian), or Jadwiga (in Polish) was crowned king of Poland, even though she was a woman, on the 16th of October, 1384. Born around 1373 or 1374, she was the youngest daughter of...

I have posted about my interest in aviation, and I proposed to Claire in a hot air balloon, so I am drawn to balloons for today’s post. On the 15th of October, 1783, the Montgolfier brothers’ hot air balloon made the first tethered ascent with humans aboard, piloted...