Alan Turing

Alan Turing

On the 28th of May, 1936, Alan Turing submitted his paper On Computable Numbers for publication. Alan Turing was one of the most influential scientists of the twentieth century, a pioneer of computer science, artificial intelligence, and modern cryptography. His...
Giuseppe Garibaldi

Giuseppe Garibaldi

On the 27th of May, 1860, Giuseppe Garibaldi began the siege of Palermo during the war of Italian unification. Giuseppe Garibaldi was one of the central figures of the Italian Risorgimento, the 19th-century movement for the unification of Italy. A revolutionary,...
John Calvin

John Calvin

On the 26th of May, 1538, John Calvin and his followers were expelled from Geneva. Calvin lived in exile in Strasbourg for the next three years. John Calvin (1509–1564) was one of the most influential theologians of the Protestant Reformation, shaping a branch of...
HMS Coventry

HMS Coventry

On the 25th of May, 1982, HMS Coventry was sunk by Argentine Airforce A4 Skyhawks during the Falkland Conflict. I have written a review of Admiral Sandy Woodward’s account of the conflict, One Hundred Days. It is a magnificent book and historical record. Coventry was...
Ashmolean Museum

Ashmolean Museum

On the 24th of May, 1683, the Ashmolean Museum opened in Oxford. It was the world’s first university museum. Well, I’ll take any excuse to write about Oxford. The Ashmolean Museum is one of the great cultural treasures of Britain and holds a unique place in the...