Beheading

 I wrote a brief history of beheading in England. For centuries it was the usual method of executing the upper class. 

Chien-Shiung Wu

 I had not heard of the woman physicist Chien-Shiung Wu till today. It's a pity because she was a prominent scientist. She deserves to be remembered more. 

Katherine Fenkyll

 I found an interesting video about Katherine Fenkyll, a successful Tudor businesswoman. It gives an interesting insight into the lives of Tudor women.

Hanging

 I wrote a brief history of hanging 

End of the Middle Ages Day

 29 May is End of the Middle Ages Day. On 29 May 1453, the Turks captured Constantinople, ending the Eastern Roman Empire. (They renamed it Istanbul). It's often regarded as the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Renaissance. When I was a boy 1485 was seen as the end of the Middle Ages because England got a new king, the first of the Tudor dynasty. But that was Anglo-centric. A change of dynasty in England made little or no difference to the rest of Europe.

A History of the Guillotine

 I wrote a brief article about the guillotine 

History of Photography

 I wrote a brief history of photography 

History of Trousers

 I wrote a brief history of trousers 

Lambert Simnel

 On 24 May 1487, a boy named Lambert Simnel was crowned king of England in Dublin. (King Henry VII was not impressed!). Simnel claimed to be Edward Plantagenet. Edward disappeared a few years before and he was almost certainly murdered. But he had a claim to the throne.

Simnel's forces invaded England but were easily defeated by the army of King Henry VII. Simnel was captured but he was lucky. King Henry spared his life, making him a royal kitchen servant. Simnel died about 1535.

The history of the slave trade

 I found this interesting video about the history of the slave trade

Lesbian Marriages

 I found an interesting video Lesbian Marriage is Older Than You Think 

Women with short hair

It's a myth that women with short hair are a modern thing. This video shows that at times in the 19th century, it was common for women to have short hair. 

A History of Transport

 I wrote a brief history of transport from Ancient Times to the 21st Century

Norway National Day

 17 May is National Day in Norway

International Boys Day

 16 May is International Boys Day. Happy Boys Day! 💪

National Archery Day

 11 May 2024 is National Archery Day. Here is a little history I wrote of the longbow https://localhistories.org/a-history-of-the-longbow/

History of Hereford

 I wrote a brief history of the English Cathedral City of Hereford 

Piss Poor

 It's a myth that the phrase piss poor came from the days when people used to sell their urine for use in tanning. If you had to sell your urine you were piss-poor. It's true that urine was once sold but that is not where the phrase came from. It was first recorded in the 1940s long after they stopped using urine for tanning. The word 'piss' was added to words to strengthen or emphasise them e.g. people might say piss weak. The phrase piss poor has nothing to do with selling urine.

Bra Advert

 In the USA on 4 May 1987, for the first time, an advert for bras on TV showed a live woman wearing a bra instead of a mannequin wearing one. At one time it was unacceptable for ads to show women wearing bras.

Harrogate

 I wrote a history of the English spa town of Harrogate