Burke and Hare

 I wrote about Burke and Hare. They are sometimes called graverobbers. In fact, they didn't; they killed people and then sold the victims' bodies to surgeons for dissection.

Witchcraft Law

 In England, the first law against witchcraft was passed in 1542. It was repealed in 1547 but was replaced by a new law in 1563. The first person in England to be executed for witchcraft was Agnes Waterhouse in 1566. Sadly, many other men and women followed.

The Aztec Eagles

 On 24 July 1944 about 300 Mexicans formed a squadron called the Aztec Eagles. They fought against Japan. Brazilian soldiers fought against Germany. Mexico and Brazil were the only Latin American countries to send armed forces to fight in the Second World War. 👏

Colombia Independence Day

 20 July is Colombia Independence Day. Happy Independence Day! 

A Quid

 The slang word quid probably comes from the Latin 'quid pro quo', which means 'something for something'. Until the 19th century all banks not just the Bank of England issued notes when you deposited gold with them.

They gave a note saying 'I promise to pay the bearer on demand the sum of 1 pound (of gold) or later 5 pounds or 10 pounds. The notes were quid pro quo (something for something).

The Nazis Banned Jazz

 In 1935, the Nazis banned broadcasting jazz music and swing music, claiming it was degenerate music created by Jews and black people (The Nazis despised both). The Nazis also banned the saxophone. In 1939, they made it illegal to listen to foreign radio stations. Yet, some brave young people known as 'swings' continued to listen to jazz.

My New Book About True Crime

 A copy of my first book has arrived. I am rather proud of it. You can buy it from Lulu books

St Swithun's Day

 15 July is St Swithun's Day. St Swithun was Bishop of Winchester in the 9th century. He asked to be buried outside the cathedral so people could walk over his grave and raindrops could fall on it. However, on 15 July 971, his body was reburied in the cathedral.

According to legend St Swithun was not happy about it and it rained heavily that day. There is a superstition that if it rains on St Swithun’s day (15 July) it will rain for the next 40 days!

Margarine

 On 15 July 1869 Hippolyte Mège-Mouriès patented margarine, a cheap substitute for butter. Big deal, you might think but remember that in the 19th century poor people survived mostly on bread. It was a big part of their diet and butter was expensive. Margarine was a big help to the poorest. 🧈

Gertrude Bell

 Gertrude Bell was born on 14 July 1868. She was an archeologist and writer. And she wrote about her travels in the Middle East. Gertrude was also an anti-suffragist. She believed women should NOT be allowed to vote and she campaigned against it.

The Nazis Disapproved of Makeup

The Nazis strongly discouraged make-up. While not actually illegal lipstick, hair dye and painted nails were frowned upon. Girls in the Hitler Youth were forbidden to have them.

In contrast, in Britain using make-up was encouraged with slogans like ‘beauty is your duty’. Like most things, cosmetics were in short supply but women improvised, dying their legs brown to make it look as if they were wearing stockings and using boot polish as mascara.

Ruth Ellis was hanged

 I found an interesting newsreel about the execution of Ruth Ellis 

My First eBook

 My first eBook is now available on Kindle.

Fanny Adams

 I wrote about Fanny Adams, an 8-year-old girl who was the victim of a horrific murder in Alton, Hampshire in 1867 

The Bloody Benders

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

South Sudan

9 July is South Sudan Independence Day. (South Sudan became independent on 9 July 2011). Happy Independence Day! 👏

Here Come the Murderers!

Today, I published my first book about true crime. I called it Here Come the Murderers! The price for my new book is £6 (UK pounds). 

Quebec Founded

 Happy birthday Quebec. The city was founded on 3 July 1608.

The condemned Cell

 I found an interesting video about the condemned cell of a Welsh prison