by David West | Apr 16, 2026 | News
Who is Harriet Quimby? If I tell you that on the 25th of July, 1909, Louis Bleriot became the first man to pilot an aeroplane across the English Channel, you’ll probably say “I knew that.” On the 16th of April, 1912, Harriet Quimby became the first woman to pilot an...
by David West | Apr 15, 2026 | News
The Battle of Rain was fought on the 15th of April, 1632. I have written about the Miracle of the Rain so let’s delve into the Battle of Rain. Rain is a town in the Donau-Ries district, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Lech, close to its confluence...
by David West | Apr 14, 2026 | News
The Battle of Barnet was fought on the 14th of April, 1471. Barnet got a fleeting mention in my post on Malmsey wine, but let’s delve into the detail. The Battle of Barnet was one of the decisive engagements of the Wars of the Roses and a turning point in the struggle...
by David West | Apr 13, 2026 | News
Catherine de Medici was born on the 13th of April, 1519, in Florence. She is a minor character in The Spy who Sank the Armada, the first book in the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures. I have mentioned her in a previous post, but let us look into her life in more detail....
by David West | Apr 12, 2026 | News
On the 12th of April, 1606, the Union Flag was adopted as the flag of English and Scottish ships. I’m going to say straight away that I consider the Union Flag to be the Union Jack when it is flown at the jackstaff of one of His Majesty’s ships. It’s controversial but...
by David West | Apr 11, 2026 | News
On the 11th of April, 1814, the Treaty of Fontainebleau was signed. It ended the War of the Sixth Coalition against Napoleon Bonaparte, and forced him to abdicate uncondionally for the first time. It does feel increasingly as though I’m running out of history I want...
