Elizabeth Woodville (1437-1492), Queen of England (1464-1470 and 1471-1483) In the year 1464, Edward IV of England marries Elizabeth Woodville, keeping the marriage a secret for five months (May 1), England and Scotland sign a 15-year-truce (Jun 11), Christian I of Denmark and Norway is no more king of Sweden (Jun 23), and Charles VIII of Sweden is re-elected to the throne of Sweden (Aug 9), Tenguella, the founder of the Empire of Great Fulo in Western Africa, becomes chief of the Fula people, still one of the largest ethnic groups in the Sahel and West Africa - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Picture credit: Luc Latulippe Time for another quote! Things that people have uttered in a moment of elation, insight, inspiration, wisdom, despair – or any other emotion. Try to guess or remember first who said that, and if you don’t know, you’ll see who it was at the very end of this article. These pieces are there to lift your spirits, brighten your day, increase your tolerance of fellow human beings – or just give you a temporary relief from whatever you were doing a moment ago – or what is going around you. Continue reading

Letters patent (still in use, this one from 1888) is a legal instrument issued by a monarch, president or other head of state granting an office, right, monopoly, title or status to a person or corporation. In the year 1578, Humphrey Gilbert is granted letters patent from the English crown to establish a colony in North America (Jun 11), Swedish forces defeat the Russians in Wenden (in today’s Latvia) and proceed to take Polotsk (in today’s Belarus) (Oct 21), Sonam Gyrso becomes the third Dalai Lama of Tibet, fur trade begins in Newfoundland in North America - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

This time in Language Day we take on a more general approach to what it is to use a language, any language, in our daily lives. And we take on a specific item there, i.e. the simple expression “Language!” And the idea that it is a good idea to once in a while - and in some very specific circumstances - to check ourselves as speakers of a language. How do we express ourselves, how do we say things in ways that may be interpreted by others as offensive? Continue reading

In the year 1580, King Philip II of Spain becomes King of Portugal in a personal union of the two crowns, maintaining Portuguese independence (Mar 25), England signs a commercial treaty with the Ottoman Empire (Jun), Buenos Aires is founded (Jun 11), Francis Drake returns to England after circumnavigating the globe (Sep 26) - and all these fine people were born: 1580-xxxx Casper Caspersson Reiher Jr.* rich landowner/Mayor of Helsinki - Reval, Swedish Estonia (1621/c. Continue reading

In the year 1582, Russia cedes its conquered areas in Livonia (Northern Latvia and Southern Estonia) to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (Jan 15), Pope Gregory XIII implements the Gregorian Calendar , and Thursday October 4 of Julian calendar becomes in Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain Friday, October 15 of the Gregorian, skipping over 10 days (Oct 4-15), future English playwright William Shakespeare marries Anne Hathaway (Nov 29) - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

This time in **First Names First **it is all about Laura! So, take your pick! Find some inspiring stories behind the names. Give this a couple of minutes – for lives lived have all something worthwhile to tell us. Let them! Laura Mancini* the eldest of the five Mancini sisters/part of the Mazarinettes at the court of Louis XIV of France – Rome, Papal States (1636) Laura Bassi* Italian physicist/academic/the first woman to have a doctorate in science – Bologna, Papal States (1711) Continue reading

Uddens gränd in Visby, Gotland This time in Streets &Squares we visit Sweden, and the island of Gotland. And even more precisely the Hanseatic city Visby on the western shore of the island. Visby has been on the map since the 10th century. So, lots of history here, and we get right on it! But before that, perhaps you want to get to the feeling of it all with this video about the medieval Visby: Visby’s Last Stand Continue reading

Ivan the Terrible (1530-1584), Grand Prince of Moscow and the first Tsar of all Russia In the year 1584, Archangelsk in northern Russia is founded (Jan-Mar), Ivan the Terrible of Russia dies, and is succeeded by his son Feodor (Mar 28), the conflict between Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu culminates in the Battle of Nagakute (May 17), Roanoke Island is located by the British (Jun 4), the Siege of Antwerp by the Spanish begins (Jul), William I of Orange is assassinated (Jul 10) – and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Another one in our series First Names First! Your “task” – should you accept it – is to pick one of the names below, then follow the Wikipedia link to read about the person, and to see what if anything he or she could contribute your life with. Lives lived have all something to tell us – let them! This time it is all about Larry, derived from Lawrence or Laurence, but here about people mainly known as Larry! Continue reading

Two sides of a half groat with portrait of King Edward III. Photo credit Numisantica In the year 1330, King Edward III of England starts his personal reign by executing the regent Roger Mortimer (Oct 19), the Wallachians (Romanians) defeat the Hungarians, thus getting closer to independence (Nov 12), the British Isles are hit by a great storm, creating large areas of sand dunes on Anglesey (Dec 6), the city of Kirkkonummi in Finland is founded, Riga Castle is founded by the Livonian Order – and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

St Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland. Founded in 1191 In the year 1362, King Haakon VI of Norway, son of Magnus IV of Sweden, proclaims himself king of Sweden in opposition to his father - later reconciled, they rule Sweden together (Feb 15), a fire destroys much of St Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin (Apr 6), England and Castile form an alliance (Jun 22), the Chancellor of England opens Parliament with a speech in English for the first time, English now the official language in law courts instead of French (Oct 13) - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

As you walk through life, you get to hear a lot of sayings thought out and uttered by myriad of people throughout decades, centuries. Sayings like “history repeats itself”. Sayings that tell us that life goes on like it always does no matter what happens. With its compulsory variations depending on who we are, where we are, and when we are. But do you ever pause to think that every minute, and perhaps every second, all things possible are happening somewhere in the world? Continue reading

In the year 1557, Spanish forces launch a surprise attack against the indigenous Mapuche in present-day Chile (Apr 30), Mary I of England joins her husband Philip II of Spain in his war against France (Jun 7), Spain becomes bankrupt, throwing the German banking houses into chaos, the Portuguese settle permanently in Macau with the permission of the Ming dynasty government, the Welsh mathematician Robert Recorde publishes The Whetstone of Witte, containing the first recorded use of the equals sign and also the first use in English of plus and minus signs - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

In the year 1581, the English Parliament outlaws Roman Catholicism (Jan 16), Francis Drake is knighted by Elizabeth I (Apr 4), the Northern Netherlands (Union of Utrecht) proclaim their independence from Spain (Jul 26), Russia begins the conquest of Siberia (summer), Sweden captures Narva from Russia (Sep), Finland, part of Sweden since 1154, becomes a Grand Duchy - and all these fine people were born: 1581-xxxx Robert Shirley* traveler/adventurer/helped to modernize the Persian army - Wye, Kent, England (1628/c. Continue reading

This time in Language Day we concentrate in a very common item, in use all around the world - the pencil! The English word for it comes from Old French pincel, from Medieval Latin pincellus, and from Latin penicillus “painter’s brush, hair-pencil,” literally “little tail,” being diminutive of peniculus “brush,” itself a diminutive of penis “tail”. In 1565 a large deposit of graphite was discovered in England. Extremely pure and solid, it could easily be sawn into sticks. Continue reading

As you may have noticed, we tend to pick each month here in the **First Names First **male and female names that both start with the same letter. We had Clint two weeks ago, now it’s time for Claire. So, take your pick! Find some inspiring stories behind the names. Give this a couple of minutes – for lives lived have all something worthwhile to tell us. Let them! Claire Waldoff* (b Clara Wortmann ) cabaret singer – Gelsenkirchen, Westphalia, German Empire (1884) Continue reading

Tom Welling as Clark Kent/Kal-El The American television series Smallville, which is based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, has delighted a new generation of audience in the streaming services. And the older generations too of course! The series premiered in October, 2001, and the finale of its tenth and final season was seen in the United States in May, 2011. So, it’s been a while, but the story itself never gets old. Continue reading

Angela Field - Nov 1, 2024There are conflicting views as to the irigin of the name “Penny Lane”. And there are so many famous names of Liverpudlians not mentioned in that list.

This article in our article series Streets & Squares is about Liverpool, a coastal city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside in western England. In the 19th century, Liverpool was a major port of departure for English and Irish emigrants to North America. With the metropolitan area it has today a population of well over two million people. Besides the port, Liverpool is of course world famous for its ardent football supporters - and the Beatles! Continue reading