By Tim Lambert Hanging was the most common method of execution in England from Saxon times until the 20th century. At first, the criminal stood on a ladder, which was pulled away, or on a cart, which was moved. From the 18th century, he stood on a trapdoor. Sometimes the hanged man broke his neck… Continue reading A History of Capital Punishment
A History of Highwaymen
By Tim Lambert The idea of robbing people while they travel along roads is a very old one. In the Middle Ages, there were plenty of outlaws ready to rob travelers. However, the ‘golden age’ of highwaymen was the 17th century and 18th century. At that time trade and commerce were increasing and there were… Continue reading A History of Highwaymen
The Bushranger Ned Kelly
By Tim Lambert The Beginning n In the 19th century Australia had a number of outlaws or bushrangers; the most famous is Ned Kelly. Edward or Ned Kelly was born in 1855 of Irish parents. Ned Kelly became a bushranger in 1878 when policemen called Alexander Fitzpatrick went to arrest his brother for horse stealing.… Continue reading The Bushranger Ned Kelly
A History of Pirates
By Tim Lambert A pirate is a person who robs ships. The idea is not new! There have been pirates since ancient times. After 800 BC a people called the Phoenicians from what is now Lebanon had many merchant ships carrying valuable cargoes across the Mediterranean. As they sailed near the Adriatic Sea and the Aegean Sea… Continue reading A History of Pirates
The Shark Arm Case Sydney
By Tim Lambert The Shark Arm Case happened in Sydney, Australia in April 1935. Fishermen caught a 14-foot-long live tiger shark. It was put on display in Coogee Aquarium but at about 5 pm on 25 April 1935 (Anzac Day) the shark regurgitated a tattooed human arm. The arm was well preserved and it had… Continue reading The Shark Arm Case Sydney
Elizabeth Short, The Black Dahlia
By Tim Lambert Elizabeth Short, known as the Black Dahlia was the victim of an unsolved murder that took place in 1947. She was just 22. Her body was found on the morning of Wednesday 15 January 1947 on a vacant building plot in the Leimert Park district of Los Angeles in California. Her naked… Continue reading Elizabeth Short, The Black Dahlia
A Biography of Ivan the Terrible
By Tim Lambert Ivan the Terrible is remembered as a cruel tyrant although he also strengthened Russia. (When Ivan was born Russia was much smaller than it is now and much less powerful). Ivan was born on 25 August 1530. His father was Grand Prince Vasily III of Moscow. However, the Grand Prince died in… Continue reading A Biography of Ivan the Terrible
Tyrants in History
By Tim Lambert There have been many tyrants in history and they were responsible for the deaths of millions of innocent people. Here are some of the most infamous tyrants. Queen Mary Of England Mary Tudor was Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon’s daughter. Mary was born on 18 February 1516. However, Catherine fell from… Continue reading Tyrants in History
A History of Weapons in the First World War
By Tim Lambert In the First World War, both sides dug trenches and laid barbed wire in front of them. It meant that the defending side was at a great advantage. They were protected by their trenches while the attacking side, advancing on foot were very vulnerable to fire from rifles and machine guns. It… Continue reading A History of Weapons in the First World War
A Short History of the Second World War
By Tim Lambert 1939 On 1 September 1939, the German army invaded Poland. So began the Second World War. At that time the USA was the most powerful country in the world but it was resolutely neutral. The USSR was the second most powerful industrial nation but Stalin, its leader, had made a nonaggression pact… Continue reading A Short History of the Second World War