By Tim Lambert Sugar cane first grew in South Asia. Later, the Arabs and Europeans grew sugar cane. However, in the Middle Ages and Tudor times, sugar was expensive, so most people used honey to sweeten their food. At the end of the 15th century, sugar cane was taken to the New World. Vast numbers… Continue reading A History of Sugar
Author: Tim Lambert
The Island That Became an Entertainment Empire
Atlantic City’s story traces a journey from Indigenous seasonal summer settlements and the solitary homes of the first settlers to glittering casinos and multibillion-dollar investments. The area experienced the heyday of its resort era, a postwar decline, a reboot through the legalization of gambling, and a new wave of projects aimed at ensuring the city… Continue reading The Island That Became an Entertainment Empire
A History of Pewter
By Tim Lambert Pewter was an alloy of tin and lead (although today lead is no longer used. Modern pewter is made of tin, antimony and copper). The earliest known pewter was made in Egypt in about 1,500 BC. The Romans also made pewter. In the Middle Ages, pewter was used by the Church and… Continue reading A History of Pewter
A History of Lead
By Tim Lambert People learned to use lead as early as 6,500 BC. It was used to make beads in what is now Turkey. Lead proved to be a useful metal because it has a low melting point and it does not corrode. The Romans used lead to make pipes. In fact, the Latin word… Continue reading A History of Lead
A History of Western New York’s Most Dangerous Roads: From Niagara Falls Boulevard to Route 5 in Hamburg
Western New York’s road network reflects a broader pattern seen across New York State, where rapid post-war expansion in the 1950s and 1960s reshaped how communities were connected. During this period, infrastructure planning focused heavily on accommodating growing car ownership and suburban development. Wide, high-speed arterial roads were built to move large volumes of traffic… Continue reading A History of Western New York’s Most Dangerous Roads: From Niagara Falls Boulevard to Route 5 in Hamburg
Best Historical Nonfiction Books You Should Read
While many readers gravitate toward fiction for escapism, historical nonfiction books serve a different purpose. These works rely on primary sources, documented narratives, verified timelines, and data to explain how the core concepts actually function. Whether the topic is a specific political biography or a massive social movement, the books offer a grounded perspective that… Continue reading Best Historical Nonfiction Books You Should Read
Famous Women Pilots
By Tim Lambert In 1784, Elisabeth Thible became the first woman to fly in an untethered balloon. In 1909, Elise Deroche became the first woman to fly solo. Raymonde de Laroche was born in 1882. In 1910, she became the first woman to gain a pilot’s licence (in France). Harriet Quimby was born in 1875.… Continue reading Famous Women Pilots
A History of Airplanes
By Tim Lambert Early Airplanes At first, people learned to fly in balloons or gliders, but in the 20th century, they made heavier-than-air flying machines. On 17 December 1903, the Wright brothers flew a plane. Once the plane had been invented, aircraft technology developed rapidly. In 1908, Henri Farman became the first recorded passenger in… Continue reading A History of Airplanes
A History of Balloons
By Tim Lambert Early Balloons The hot air balloon was invented by two brothers, Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier. On June 4, 1783, the Montgolfiers publicly demonstrated an unmanned hot-air balloon. On 19 September 1783, a duck, a sheep, and a cockerel became the first living creatures carried by a hot air balloon. On 27 August… Continue reading A History of Balloons
When History Trends: How Social Media Revives Interest in the Past
Source History was always one of those school subjects that most people grew up hating. Why do you have to spend hours of your childhood learning about things that already happened, especially when history teachers make them seem so boring? Obviously, there’s a massive amount of importance regarding history and learning from the sins of… Continue reading When History Trends: How Social Media Revives Interest in the Past