Owain Glydŵr

Owain Glydŵr

On the 16th of September, 1400, Owain Glydŵr was declared Prince of Wales by his followers. I have posted about a later Prince of Wales, Henry Frederick, who gets a mention in my work in progress, The Favourite Murder, the fifth book in the Sir Anthony Standen...
Gilles de Rais

Gilles de Rais

On the 15th of September, 1440, Gilles de Rais was taken into custody. He is one of the earliest known seriel killers. I posted recently about Jack the Ripper, it appears that he was rather restrained in comparison with Gilles de Rais. Gilles de Rais, also known as...
The Flight of the Earls

The Flight of the Earls

On the 14th of September, 1607, Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone and Rory O’Donnell, Earl of Tyrconnell departed Rathmunnel in Ireland for mainland Europe, along with nearly 100 family members, retainers, and followers. Ireland in the late 16th and early 17th centuries...
Beethoven and George Smiley

Beethoven and George Smiley

On the 13th of September, 1807, Beethoven’s Mass in C Major, Opus 86, premiered. It was commissioned by Nikolaus I, Prince Esterházy. I am drawn to this topic for two reasons. I was interviewed by John Suchet at the 2024 Dartmouth Book Festival, and John is the great...
Battle of Marathon

Battle of Marathon

The accepted date of the Battle of Marathon is the 12th of September, 490 BCE. On that day, on a sun-drenched plain near the small town of Marathon, an event unfolded that would echo through the corridors of history. It was a time when the mighty Persian Empire, under...