by David West | Jun 1, 2026 | News
Robert Cecil was born on the 1st of June 1563. Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury (1563–1612) was one of the most skilled and calculating statesmen of late Tudor and early Stuart England. The younger son of the formidable chief minister William Cecil, 1st Baron...
by David West | May 31, 2026 | News
On the 31st of May, 455 CE, Emperor Petronius Maximus was stoned to death by an angry mob whilst trying to flee Rome. Petronius Maximus was Western Roman Emperor for a brief and ill-fated reign in the spring of 455 AD. Though he ruled for little more than two months,...
by David West | May 30, 2026 | News
Claire and I both had our second shingles vaccinations this week. Both of us have felt as if we’ve been punched hard in the arm. Thankfully it is beginning to feel a little better. At least we shouldn’t get shingles, which I understand can be very unpleasant. Symptoms...
by David West | May 30, 2026 | News
On the 30th of May, 1574, Henry III became King of France. Henry III of France (1551–1589) was one of the most enigmatic and controversial monarchs of the late Valois dynasty. His reign unfolded during the darkest years of the French Wars of Religion, a prolonged and...
by David West | May 29, 2026 | News
On the 29th of May, 1453, Constantinople fell to the Ottoman army under Sultan Mehmed II after a 53 day siege. It was the end of over 2000 years of the Roman Empire. The history of Constantinople is one of the most remarkable urban stories in the world: a city founded...
by David West | May 28, 2026 | News
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...
