Giordano Bruno
The On This Day website spoils me with choice for 27th January. King Charles I was found guilty and sentenced to beheading in 1649. King James VI had a Scottish schoolmaster Dr John Fian burned for witchcraft in 1591, and the Vatican opened a blasphemy and theological...
America and the Bald Eagle
On This Day tells me that on the 26th of January 1784 Benjamin Franklin expressed his unhappiness over the choice of the eagle as the symbol of America. Benjamin Franklin expressed his dissatisfaction with the bald eagle as America's national emblem primarily because...
Edward III
King Edward III of England was crowned on 25th January 1327, following a tumultuous period marked by political instability and the deposition of his father, King Edward II. Born on 13th November 1312, Edward was the son of Edward II and Isabella of France. His early...
William of Orange
On the 24th of January 1568 the Duke of Alva declared William I of Orange an outlaw. William is a character in The Spy who Sank the Armada, the first book in the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures. My account of my ancestor’s life (he was the elder brother of my tenth...
Elizabeth Blackwell
On the 23rd of January, 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman in the United States to earn a degree in medicine. I have posted about the education of women before, particularly in medicine. Elizabeth Blackwell (1821–1910) was a pioneering figure in the...
King Robert II of Scotland
I’ve written about Kings of Scotland before, and my word, hasn’t AI got better at creating believable illustrations over the last year. My ancestor Sir Anthony Standen lived through the reigns of English monarchs from Henry VIII (briefly) to James I and perhaps even...
Louis XVI
On 21st January 1793 King Louis XVI was guillotined in Paris. He was the great-great-grandson of Louis XIII, a key character in my work in progress, the fifth book of the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures. King Louis XVI of France, born on August 23, 1754, was the last...
Bishop Henry
I like a mystery, and I’ve found one today. The On This Day website tells that it was on 20th January 1156 Lalli slayed the English Crusader Bishop Henry. According to the tales, Lalli was a freeholder who opposed the Christianization efforts led by Bishop Henry in...
Sumptuary Laws
On 19th January 1363 King Edward III of England introduced his sumptuary laws. King Edward III of England, who reigned from 1327 to 1377, is known for implementing a series of sumptuary laws aimed at regulating clothing and food consumption among different social...
Giordano Bruno
The On This Day website spoils me with choice for 27th January. King Charles I was found guilty and sentenced to beheading in 1649. King James VI had a Scottish schoolmaster Dr John Fian burned for witchcraft in 1591, and the Vatican opened a blasphemy and theological...
America and the Bald Eagle
On This Day tells me that on the 26th of January 1784 Benjamin Franklin expressed his unhappiness over the choice of the eagle as the symbol of America. Benjamin Franklin expressed his dissatisfaction with the bald eagle as America's national emblem primarily because...
Edward III
King Edward III of England was crowned on 25th January 1327, following a tumultuous period marked by political instability and the deposition of his father, King Edward II. Born on 13th November 1312, Edward was the son of Edward II and Isabella of France. His early...
William of Orange
On the 24th of January 1568 the Duke of Alva declared William I of Orange an outlaw. William is a character in The Spy who Sank the Armada, the first book in the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures. My account of my ancestor’s life (he was the elder brother of my tenth...
Elizabeth Blackwell
On the 23rd of January, 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman in the United States to earn a degree in medicine. I have posted about the education of women before, particularly in medicine. Elizabeth Blackwell (1821–1910) was a pioneering figure in the...
King Robert II of Scotland
I’ve written about Kings of Scotland before, and my word, hasn’t AI got better at creating believable illustrations over the last year. My ancestor Sir Anthony Standen lived through the reigns of English monarchs from Henry VIII (briefly) to James I and perhaps even...
Louis XVI
On 21st January 1793 King Louis XVI was guillotined in Paris. He was the great-great-grandson of Louis XIII, a key character in my work in progress, the fifth book of the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures. King Louis XVI of France, born on August 23, 1754, was the last...
Bishop Henry
I like a mystery, and I’ve found one today. The On This Day website tells that it was on 20th January 1156 Lalli slayed the English Crusader Bishop Henry. According to the tales, Lalli was a freeholder who opposed the Christianization efforts led by Bishop Henry in...
Sumptuary Laws
On 19th January 1363 King Edward III of England introduced his sumptuary laws. King Edward III of England, who reigned from 1327 to 1377, is known for implementing a series of sumptuary laws aimed at regulating clothing and food consumption among different social...








