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
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
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
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
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...
Battle of Heiligerlee
The Battle of Heiligerlee was fought on the 23rd of May, 1568, opening the Eighty Years’ War, which was the war in which my ancestor, Sir Anthony Standen, began his espionage career. You can follow his story in The Spy who Sank the Armada, the first book in the Sir...
Abraham Lincoln’s Patent
I have written about Lincoln’s beard, and his Gettysburg Address, but did you know he was an inventor? On the 22nd of May, 1849, Lincoln was issued a patent for his invention to lift boats. This makes him the only US president to hold a patent. Don’t tell Trump or...
Syracuse
On the 21st of May, 878, Syracuse on Sicily was captured by the Muslim Aghlabids after a nine month siege. Amongst other events I could have chosen to write about, Charles Lindburgh landed at Le Bourget Field in Paris on the same day in 1927 having crossed the...
First Council of Nicaea
The first calling of the Council of Nicaea was on the 20th of May 325. The First Council of Nicaea was a landmark assembly of Christian bishops convened in 325 AD in the city of Nicaea (modern İznik in Turkey). Called by the Roman Emperor Constantine I, it was the...
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
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
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
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
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...
Battle of Heiligerlee
The Battle of Heiligerlee was fought on the 23rd of May, 1568, opening the Eighty Years’ War, which was the war in which my ancestor, Sir Anthony Standen, began his espionage career. You can follow his story in The Spy who Sank the Armada, the first book in the Sir...
Abraham Lincoln’s Patent
I have written about Lincoln’s beard, and his Gettysburg Address, but did you know he was an inventor? On the 22nd of May, 1849, Lincoln was issued a patent for his invention to lift boats. This makes him the only US president to hold a patent. Don’t tell Trump or...
Syracuse
On the 21st of May, 878, Syracuse on Sicily was captured by the Muslim Aghlabids after a nine month siege. Amongst other events I could have chosen to write about, Charles Lindburgh landed at Le Bourget Field in Paris on the same day in 1927 having crossed the...
First Council of Nicaea
The first calling of the Council of Nicaea was on the 20th of May 325. The First Council of Nicaea was a landmark assembly of Christian bishops convened in 325 AD in the city of Nicaea (modern İznik in Turkey). Called by the Roman Emperor Constantine I, it was the...