On the 21st of July, 1865, Wild Bill Hickok shot and killed David Tutt in a shootout in Springfield, Missouri. I have written a post on the gunfight at the OK Corral so let’s look into this other Western legend. Wild Bill Hickok, born James Butler Hickok, was one of...

On the 20th of July, 70 CE, during the siege of Jerusalem, Titus (son of Emperor Vespasian) stormed the Fortress of Antonia, north of the Temple Mount, and engaged in street fighting with the Zealots. Now I’m ashamed to say that I hadn’t previously known the source of...

On the 19th of July, 1553, the Privy Council overturned the will of the recently deceased King Edward VI, and proclaimed Edward’s half-sister Mary as queen in place of Lady Jane Grey, who had been queen for just nine days.  Lady Jane Grey was born in October 1537 at...

On the 18th of July, 1290, King Edward I of England issued the Edict of Expulsion banishing all Jews from England. There were around 16,000 Jews in England at that time. I haven’t written much about Edward I although he did get a mention in my post on Clifford’s...

On the 17th of July, 1918, Tsar Nicholas II was executed along with his immediate family and retainers by Bolshevik Chekists at the Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg, Russia. I wrote a little about the Russian Revolution in my post on Leon Trotsky. Nicholas II of Russia...

On the 16th of July, 1228, Saint Francis of Assisi was canonized by Pope Gregory IX. His feast day is the 4th of October. The Franciscans, the order of mendicant friars founded by Saint Francis of Assisi are discussed in Fire and Earth, the second book in my Sir...

John Ball was one of the most striking and controversial figures associated with the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, remembered less as a military leader than as a powerful voice of radical social and religious protest. A priest by training, Ball became famous for sermons...

On the 14th of July, 1596, Cádiz was captured by English and Dutch troops under the command of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, and an English and Dutch fleet under the command of Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham. My ancestor, Sir Anthony Standen, accompanied...

I have written about my fascination with flight, so today’s choice is fairly easy. On the 13th of July, 1919, the airship R34 landed in Norfolk having completed the first return flight across the Atlantic in 182 hours of flight. The British rigid airships R33 airship...

On the 21st of July, 1865, Wild Bill Hickok shot and killed David Tutt in a shootout in Springfield, Missouri. I have written a post on the gunfight at the OK Corral so let’s look into this other Western legend. Wild Bill Hickok, born James Butler Hickok, was one of...

On the 20th of July, 70 CE, during the siege of Jerusalem, Titus (son of Emperor Vespasian) stormed the Fortress of Antonia, north of the Temple Mount, and engaged in street fighting with the Zealots. Now I’m ashamed to say that I hadn’t previously known the source of...

On the 19th of July, 1553, the Privy Council overturned the will of the recently deceased King Edward VI, and proclaimed Edward’s half-sister Mary as queen in place of Lady Jane Grey, who had been queen for just nine days.  Lady Jane Grey was born in October 1537 at...

On the 18th of July, 1290, King Edward I of England issued the Edict of Expulsion banishing all Jews from England. There were around 16,000 Jews in England at that time. I haven’t written much about Edward I although he did get a mention in my post on Clifford’s...

On the 17th of July, 1918, Tsar Nicholas II was executed along with his immediate family and retainers by Bolshevik Chekists at the Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg, Russia. I wrote a little about the Russian Revolution in my post on Leon Trotsky. Nicholas II of Russia...

On the 16th of July, 1228, Saint Francis of Assisi was canonized by Pope Gregory IX. His feast day is the 4th of October. The Franciscans, the order of mendicant friars founded by Saint Francis of Assisi are discussed in Fire and Earth, the second book in my Sir...

John Ball was one of the most striking and controversial figures associated with the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, remembered less as a military leader than as a powerful voice of radical social and religious protest. A priest by training, Ball became famous for sermons...

On the 14th of July, 1596, Cádiz was captured by English and Dutch troops under the command of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, and an English and Dutch fleet under the command of Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham. My ancestor, Sir Anthony Standen, accompanied...

I have written about my fascination with flight, so today’s choice is fairly easy. On the 13th of July, 1919, the airship R34 landed in Norfolk having completed the first return flight across the Atlantic in 182 hours of flight. The British rigid airships R33 airship...