210 years ago on the 12th October 1810 the very first Oktoberfest was held. Known across the world today as a German beer-drinking holiday, many do not know how old the festival is. So where did it originate from? In 1810, Bavaria, within modern-day Germany, was ruled by Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria. Maximilian had […]
August has been another exciting month of archaeological and historical discoveries. From ancient stone age artwork, to historic graffiti, to a hoard of gold, and the impact of coronavirus, there has been plenty to talk about. Here is a pick of just eight pieces of news to have been announced last month. The grave of […]
One of the most famous writers from the medieval period is Geoffrey Chaucer. He lived between the 1340s and 1400 and most famously wrote The Canterbury Tales. He was also the first writer to be buried in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey. However, he had a granddaughter named Alice who was born a few years […]
So far in the Ancient Wonders series we have looked at The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Colosseum, Stonehenge and the Great Wall of China. We now return to the original list of the Seven Wonders of the World, compiled in the 2nd century BC, by investigating the Colossus of Rhodes. The Colossus has captured […]
Although much of the world has been in lockdown for several months now, there have still been many exciting discoveries in the fields of history and archaeology that have been announced. Just this month new archaeological sites have been found and research has changed our knowledge of things we thought we previously knew. So here […]
In 1995 Disney released the film Pocahontas which earnt $346 million at the box office and received two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe and a Grammy. In the subsequent years, many began to learn that Pocahontas was based on a real person who was born 400 years before the film’s release – and that her […]
Our interview series returns today as we speak to the wonderful historical author, Sharon Bennett Connolly. Sharon has been fascinated by history her whole life. She has studied history academically and just for fun – and even worked as a tour guide at historical sites. For Christmas 2014, her husband gave her a blog as […]
Although people living in medieval Europe knew a lot more of the wider world than many initially think, with strong trade links in Asia and northern Africa, they were still intrigued about what lay beyond the land known to man, and stories of mythical creatures abounded. One such creature which fascinated for centuries was the […]
Today is the day before Easter and around the world people – Christians and non-believers alike – are preparing to celebrate tomorrow. Whether it’s by eating a pile of chocolate Easter Eggs or having a big meal with family, everyone will have their own traditions. But as Easter has been celebrated for just shy of […]
Countless wars have been fought throughout the course of human history. Some have lasted for just minutes, such as the Anglo-Zanzibar War which lasted no more than 45 minutes, and others have officially lasted for hundreds of years. Perhaps one of the most bizarre wars, however, is one that Australia waged in 1932 against emus. […]
