by David West | Jan 20, 2026 | News
On the 20th of January, 1649, proceedings began in the High Court of Justice in the trial of King Charles I. Charles was not born to be king, but his elder brother Henry Frederick died of typhoid, at the age of 18, in 1612. In addition to succeeding Henry as king,...
by David West | Jan 19, 2026 | News
It was on the 19th of January, 1969, that Jan Palach died. I was ten years old. I have recently read John Le Carré’s George Smiley series, which deals with what the West knew as the Cold War. Jim Prideaux was Le Carré’s character who dealt with Czechoslovakia. I...
by David West | Jan 18, 2026 | News
On the 18th of January, 1871, Wilhelm I of Germany was proclaimed Kaiser Wilhelm in the Hall of Mirrors of the Palace of Versailles towards the end of the Franco-Prussian War. Kaiser Wilhelm I (1797–1888), born Prince Wilhelm of Prussia, was the first German Emperor...
by David West | Jan 17, 2026 | News
On the 17th of January, 1920, the Volstead Act came into effect in the United States of America introducing the prohibition of alcohol. The Volstead Act, formally known as the National Prohibition Act of 1919, was the legislative backbone of America’s great national...
by David West | Jan 16, 2026 | News
On the 16th of January, 1547, Grand Duke Ivan IV of Muscovy became the first Tsar of Russia. Ivan’s early life was shaped by trauma and instability. Born to Grand Duke Vasily III and Elena Glinskaya, he inherited the throne at just three years old. When his mother...
