Shingles
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...
Henry III of France
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...
Constantinople
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...
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...
Shingles
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...
Henry III of France
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...
Constantinople
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...
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...