The Assyrian Genocide

 I found an interesting video about the Assyrian genocide 

History of the Post Office

 I wrote a brief history of the Post Office 

Timeline of Surgery

 I wrote a timeline of surgery 

Frilly Knickers History

 I found an interesting article about the history of frilly knickers 

Viking Women

 I wrote a little article about Viking Women 

Happy Mayday

 Happy Mayday! I made a video about the history of Mayday.

The Crimean Slave Trade

 When most people think of the slave trade, they think of the transatlantic slave trade. However, there was another huge slave trade. For hundreds of years, slave traders raided Ukraine and Southern Russia, and slaves were sold in Crimea.

Battle of Hormozdgan

 On 28 April 224 AD, the Sassanids defeated the Parthians at the battle of Hormozdgan in Iran. The Parthians had ruled Iraq and Iran for 400 years. The Sassanids conquered Iraq and Iran and ruled them for 400 years until the Arabs invaded. The Parthians and the Sassanids were both powerful empires. Both were enemies of Rome, and they fought the Romans several times. I heard about an earlier empire, the Persian Empire, when I was young, mostly because they fought the Greeks. But I never heard about the later empires in the region, the Parthians and the Sassanids.

At school, I was taught a very Eurocentric version of history. I was told that the Romans conquered most of the known world, which isn’t true. I was not told that the Roman Empire had powerful rivals, the Parthian Empire, followed by the Sassanid Empire. As I said, I heard about the Persian Empire, but it was a very biased version of history in which the Greeks were the goodies and the Persians were the baddies.

The Sultana Steamship

 On 27 April 1865, a boiler on a steamship called The Sultana exploded. Hundreds of people were killed straight away, but the explosion caused a fire that quickly spread. The ship burned and sank. About 1,800 people died on the Sultana, more than died on the Titanic. The Sultana Disaster Museum. 

Alaska Timeline

 On 3 January 1959, Alaska became the 49th state of the USA. This is my timeline of Alaska.

Mayday Video

 I made a video about the history of Mayday 

History of Burlesque

 26 April is World Burlesque Day. This website has a history of burlesque. 

The Great Michael

 In 1512, the Scots launched the Great Michael. At 240 feet long, it was the largest ship afloat. She was much bigger than the Mary Rose. She was named after the Archangel Michael. She was supposed to have oak walls 10 feet thick, so thick that cannonballs could not penetrate them.

However, the Great Michael was too expensive for a poor country like Scotland to run, and in 1514, it was sold to the French. It’s not certain what happened to the Great Michael, but it’s possible she fought against the English at the Battle of the Solent in 1545 under the new name La Grande Nef d’Ecosse (The Great Scottish Nave).

National Lingerie Day

 25 April is National Lingerie Day. This is my history of women's underwear. 

Bass Fishing

A history of bass fishing

Sitka, Alaska

  I wrote a brief history of the town of Sitka, Alaska 

Happy St Georges Day

 A happy St Georges Day to everyone 

Moon Timeline

 I wrote a timeline of the Moon 

Good Friday

 It’s Good Friday. I wondered why it's called that. The word good used to mean holy, so it was Holy Friday. We are not sure why people eat hot cross buns on this day. It used to be the custom to put crosses on all buns and loaves of bread, but the custom died out except for spiced buns eaten on Good Friday.

Blue Umbrella Day

 16 April is Blue Umbrella Day. A day to raise awareness about sexual violence against boys.

The British Fascists

 In 1923, a woman named Miss Rotha Lintorn-Orman founded the first Fascist movement in Britain. At first, she called her organisation the British Fascisti, but she soon changed the name to the British Fascists. Later, in 1932 Oswald Moseley founded the British Union of Fascists.

Many former suffragettes joined the Fascists. A former suffragette named Mary Richardson became head of the women’s section of the British Union of Fascists.

History of Easter Video

 I made a video about the history of Easter 

17th century food

 One year ago I made this video about food and drink in the 17th century 

Purbrook Video

 I made a video about the history of the Hampshire villages of Purbrook and Widley 

St George's Day Video

 I made another video, this time about the history of St George's Day 

Women did work in the past

It's a persistent myth that women in the past did not work. They certainly did. 

History of Iran

 I wrote a brief history of Iran from the Ancient Persian Empire to The Present Day.

A video of Romsey

 Three years ago I made a video about the history of Romsey 

Happy Mother's Day

 Happy Mother's Day to all mothers 💝 This is a history of Mother's Day by Portsmouth Cathedral. 

Corporal Punishment Thailand

 Today, in 2025 Thailand has banned all corporal punishment. So far 68 countries have banned it completely.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

 On 25 March 1911, a fire began at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory in New York. (A shirtwaist was a type of women's blouse). The fire began on the top floors of a building. Some workers could not escape because a door to a stairwell was locked to prevent employee theft. One fire escape collapsed while people were trying to climb down it. Unfortunately, the fire department ladders were not long enough to reach the top floors of the building.

Altogether 146 people died, some of them jumping or falling from windows. After the tragedy, the New York State Legislature formed the Factory Investigating Commission. As a result of their findings, many laws were passed in New York State to improve the safety of factories. Laws were also passed regulating the employment of women and children.

A memorial to those who died was created in 2023.

The Battle of Margate

 On 24 March 1387, the English won a great naval victory at the Battle of Margate. The French were planning to invade England and gathered a large fleet. In a stunning victory, the English sank or captured more than 100 French ships. I had not heard of the Battle of Margate but without it, the French would have invaded England and they would likely have succeeded. So it was an important battle in English history.

The Bloody Benders

 I wrote about the Bloody Benders, a family of murderers in Kansas in the 1870s 

Easter Bunny

 I found a video debunking the myth that the Easter Bunny has Ancient Pagan Roots

History of El Salvador

I wrote a short history of the Central American nation of El Salvador

The History of Slot Machines

This is a history of slot machines

Massacre of Jews 1190

 On 16 March 1190, Jews were massacred in Clifford's Tower in York  

Stamshaw

This is my video about the history of Stamshaw in Portsmouth 

Aztec New Year

 12 March 2025 is the Aztec New Year. Happy New Year.

Debunking Day

 11 March is Debunking Day. I made this video debunking myths about the Tudors.

History of Menstruation

I wrote a brief history of menstruation 

Did they empty chamber pots into the street?

 You often hear the myth that people emptied their chamber pots into the street. This man does an excellent job of debunking the myth. 

International Women's Day

 8 March is International Women's Day. I wrote a history of women. 

History of Vietnam

 I wrote a short history of Vietnam. Its economy is booming today and it's well on the way to becoming a rich country.

Dentists Day

6 March is Dentists Day

History of Underwear

 I wrote a history of underwear 

History of Morecambe

 I found this history of the seaside town of Morecambe 

Timeline of Flying

 I wrote a new article, a timeline of flying 

Pictures of Portsmouth

 I made a new article for my website, pictures of Portsmouth 

Pictures of Winchester

 I created a new article, pictures of Winchester

Animal Firsts

 I wrote a little article about some animal firsts 

Lady Jane Grey

 I wrote a biography of Lady Jane Grey, who was queen of England for 9 days in 1553 

More myths about history

 One year ago I made this video about more myths about history 

Myths about the Guillotine

 I made a video about a myth about the guillotine 

History of St Valentine's Day

 I made a video about the history of St Valentine's Day Happy St Valentine's Day.

White Wedding Dresses

 I made a video about white wedding dresses. They are not worn to show virginity.

Rule of Thumb

 I heard this myth again the other day. This myth refuses to die. In the past, a man had a right to beat his wife provided he did not use a stick thicker than his thumb.

There has never been a rule or a law in England that a man is entitled to beat his wife provided he uses a stick no thicker than his thumb. William Blackstone (1723-80) wrote Commentaries on the Laws of England (1765-1769). He made no mention of a supposed rule that a stick could be used to hit your wife if it was not thicker than a thumb. So it was never a part of English common law.

We are not certain how the phrase ‘rule of thumb’ arose but it probably came from craftsmen using their thumbs to measure.

Namibia

 I wrote a brief history of Namibia 

Malawi

 This is my history of Malawi 

Jamaica

 I have written a history of Jamaica 

The Cathars

 I wrote a brief history of the Cathars, a religious sect that flourished in southern France in the Middle Ages

Blackpool

 I wrote a brief history of the English seaside town of Blackpool. It's a famous resort. 

Holocaust Memorial Day

27 January is Holocaust Memorial Day. On 27 January 1945, the Russian army liberated Auschwitz concentration camp.

Manchester History

 I wrote a history of the great English city of Manchester 

Liverpool

 This is my history of the English port of Liverpool. It was founded as a town by King John in the early 13th century. 

On Tenterhooks

 Why do say on tenterhooks? After it was woven wool was pounded in a mixture of clay and water to clean and thicken it. This was called fulling. Afterward, the wool was stretched on a frame called a tenter to dry. It was hung on tenterhooks. So if you were very tense, like stretched cloth, you were on tenterhooks.

Where do old sayings come from?

 My video about the origin of old sayings has reached 161,000 views

Sliced Bread

 Sliced bread went on sale in the USA in 1928. The first recorded use of the phrase ‘the best thing since sliced bread’ (or one just like it) was in 1952 when a comedian called Red Skelton said in a newspaper that television was ‘the greatest thing since sliced bread’.

Adverts for sliced bread said it was the greatest thing since wrapped bread (wrapped in waxed paper). So the best thing before sliced bread was wrapped bread.

Deep Wood

 When I was a child I had a book called Deep Wood. It was about talking animals, a badger, an owl, a hedgehog, etc. I loved that book. I thought it was easily as good as Winnie the Pooh but it never got anything like the same fame. It's a shame. It's also a mystery why some books are a big hit and others are not. 🦉Deep Wood was written by Trevor Elleston. It was published in 1945. 🦔

Sumptuary Laws

 On 19 January 1363, King Edward III introduced a sumptuary law. It laid down which types of cloth and fur each class could wear. The laws applied to the middle ranks of society, knights, merchants, and craftsmen. The king didn't want them to get ideas above their station and dress like nobles.

The law didn't mention the poor - since they couldn't afford expensive cloth anyway. Many more sumptuary laws were passed until the time of Elizabeth I in the late 16th century. Most people ignored them.

Medieval Women Doctors

 There were women doctors in the Middle Ages. In 1292 there were 8 registered women doctors in Paris (it was then a town of about 80,000 people). In 1311 women in France were forbidden to practice as surgeons unless they passed an examination in front of master surgeons.

Exeter

 I wrote a history of Exeter. It's a charming and historic town.

Timeline of Executions

 I wrote a timeline of executions 

Facts and Myths about Elizabeth I

 I found an interesting website of facts and myths about Queen Elizabeth I 

Timeline of Railways

 I wrote a timeline of railways 

The Olympic Games

 I wrote a brief history of the Olympic Games 

Selling your wife

 In the 18th century and early 19th century, men in England sometimes sold their wives 

The Tudor Year

 I wrote an article called What Happened on This Day in Tudor History. It's a list of dates during the year and bits of info about what happened on that day.