by David West | Jul 9, 2026 | News
On the 9th of July, 1763, the Mozart family began their grand tour of Europe which greatly enhanced son Wolfgang Amadeus’s profile. I have written about Beethoven, and if I’m honest, I can’t think of a piece that would make it to my desert island discs, yet Mozart’s...
by David West | Jul 8, 2026 | News
Artemisia Gentileschi was born on the 8th of July 1593. She is a minor character in Called to Account, the fourth book in the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures, partly because the timing of her rapist’s trial fitted into the book’s timeline, and because misogyny was the...
by David West | Jul 7, 2026 | News
On the 7th of July in 1456 Joan of Arc was acquitted of heresy, 25 years after her execution. In 1928 sliced bread was invented, and in 1953 Che Guevara set off on his grand tour of Central and South America. But I’ve already written about those, so today I give you...
by David West | Jul 6, 2026 | News
On the 6th of July, 1885, Louis Pasteur successfully tested his vaccine against rabies on Joseph Meister, a boy who had been bitten by a rabid dog. Pasteur got a mention in my post on antiseptics, but let us look into vaccination. The origins of vaccination can be...
by David West | Jul 5, 2026 | News
On the 5th of July, 1851, Thomas Cook organised the first package holiday, or excursion, from Leicester to Loughborough. I have posted on a few of the package holidays that Claire and I have taken, such as the Valley of the Kings, and Machu Picchu. Let’s explore the...
by David West | Jul 4, 2026 | News
I have written about the Battle of Marathon. So let’s have a look at a later Ancient Greek battle. The Battle of Mantinea was fought on the 4th of July in 362 BCE. The Battle of Mantinea, fought in 362 BC, was one of the most significant and decisive engagements of...
