I have written about Romans  before, Cicero for example. But the story of Commodus needs telling. On 31st December 192 A.D. the Roman Emperor Commodus survived an attempted poisoning by his mistress only to be strangled in his bath. Emperor Commodus, born on August...

On 30th December 1460, during the War of the Roses, the Duke of York was killed and his army defeated by King Henry VI at the Battle of Wakefield. I’ve written about the final battle in the War of the Roses, Bosworth Field, so here is another. The Battle of Wakefield...

On 29th December 1170 Archbishop Thomas Becket was slain at the High Alter of Canturbury Cathedral by four knights. His is a story that would have been well known to my ancestor, Sir Anthony Standen, Elizabethan spy and the hero of my book, The Spy who Sank the...

On 28th December 1065 Westminster Abbey was consecrated. Westminster Abbey, one of the most iconic religious structures in the United Kingdom, has a rich history that spans over a thousand years. Located in the City of Westminster, it has been a site of Christian...

On 27th December 1831 HMS Beagle sailed from England with Charles Darwin onboard, heading for South America. Charles Darwin was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, best known for his contributions to the understanding of evolution. Born on February 12,...

King Lear was first performed on 26th December 1606. William Shakespeare’s King Lear is one of his greatest tragedies, drawing inspiration from British folklore, historical chronicles, and contemporary sources. The story of Lear is rooted in the legend of Leir of...

The choice of December 25th as the date for Christmas Day, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, is rooted in a combination of historical, theological, and cultural factors. While the exact date of Jesus' birth is not recorded in the Bible, early Christians sought to...

On 24th December 1515 King Henry VIII appointed Thomas Wolsey as Lord Chancellor of England. I’m really enjoying the BBC adaptation of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light. Wolsey was Thomas Cromwell’s mentor, and is often referred to. Thomas Wolsey (c. 1473-1530) was...

I’ve posted about astronomy before, and here’s another one. On 23rd December 1690 John Flamsteed observed Uranus without realising that it he was the first to observe it. John Flamsteed (1646-1719) was an influential English astronomer, best known as the first...

I have written about Romans  before, Cicero for example. But the story of Commodus needs telling. On 31st December 192 A.D. the Roman Emperor Commodus survived an attempted poisoning by his mistress only to be strangled in his bath. Emperor Commodus, born on August...

On 30th December 1460, during the War of the Roses, the Duke of York was killed and his army defeated by King Henry VI at the Battle of Wakefield. I’ve written about the final battle in the War of the Roses, Bosworth Field, so here is another. The Battle of Wakefield...

On 29th December 1170 Archbishop Thomas Becket was slain at the High Alter of Canturbury Cathedral by four knights. His is a story that would have been well known to my ancestor, Sir Anthony Standen, Elizabethan spy and the hero of my book, The Spy who Sank the...

On 28th December 1065 Westminster Abbey was consecrated. Westminster Abbey, one of the most iconic religious structures in the United Kingdom, has a rich history that spans over a thousand years. Located in the City of Westminster, it has been a site of Christian...

On 27th December 1831 HMS Beagle sailed from England with Charles Darwin onboard, heading for South America. Charles Darwin was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, best known for his contributions to the understanding of evolution. Born on February 12,...

King Lear was first performed on 26th December 1606. William Shakespeare’s King Lear is one of his greatest tragedies, drawing inspiration from British folklore, historical chronicles, and contemporary sources. The story of Lear is rooted in the legend of Leir of...

The choice of December 25th as the date for Christmas Day, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, is rooted in a combination of historical, theological, and cultural factors. While the exact date of Jesus' birth is not recorded in the Bible, early Christians sought to...

On 24th December 1515 King Henry VIII appointed Thomas Wolsey as Lord Chancellor of England. I’m really enjoying the BBC adaptation of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light. Wolsey was Thomas Cromwell’s mentor, and is often referred to. Thomas Wolsey (c. 1473-1530) was...

I’ve posted about astronomy before, and here’s another one. On 23rd December 1690 John Flamsteed observed Uranus without realising that it he was the first to observe it. John Flamsteed (1646-1719) was an influential English astronomer, best known as the first...