Halloween

 Happy Halloween https://localhistories.org/a-brief-history-of-halloween/

Agincourt

 On 25 October 1415, the English won a decisive victory over the French at Agincourt. The longbow proved to be, once again a very effective weapon. https://localhistories.org/a-history-of-the-longbow/

Eyam, Derbyshire

 Most people in England have heard of the village of Eyam in Derbyshire. When the plague struck the village the people heroically quarantined themselves to stop it from spreading and most of them died. Sadly it's probably a myth. The village WAS quarantined but the evidence suggests the authorities imposed the quarantine (a common practice at that time). It also seems the wealthy villagers fled before the quarantine was imposed, leaving the poor to their fate (also a common practice). Over the years it became a romantic legend. But, as with so many such charming stories it probably never happened. This article examines the evidence: https://www.economist.com/1843/2020/04/16/eyam-revisited-lessons-from-a-plague-village

Michaelmas

 An interesting article about Michaelmas customs https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Michaelmas/?fbclid=IwAR27bp7Qp_LbGh5dEln53kokHBOIUlZbYWH4Ov_Wqth7bHJYXCy9vVLGY9U

Female Jesters

Women in comedy have a long history. In the Middle Ages and 16th century, the rich were entertained by jesters. Some jesters were female. The custom of having jesters died out in the 17th century. But the modern circuses began in the late 18th century and by the beginning of the 19th century, they included clowns. By the mid-19th century, there were female clowns. In 1846 a London newspaper mentioned female clowns. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, there were women comedians in music halls (in music halls a variety of acts would entertain the crowds). Read more in my history of women's jobs.

Longbow

 On 26 August 1346, the English won a resounding victory over the French at Crecy. The longbow was a deadly weapon. This is my history of the longbow.

Ukraine

 Ukraine has a tragic history. It became independent of Russia once before, in 1918 but in 1921 the Communist Russians invaded and forced the Ukrainians to become part of the Soviet Union. In the early 1930s there was a terrible famine in Ukraine. It’s not clear if Stalin deliberately caused the famine but he certainly carried on taking grain by force even when it was clear millions of people were starving. This man-made famine is called The Holodomor. https://www.britannica.com/event/Holodomor