By Tim Lambert Mary Blandy Mary Blandy was convicted of murdering her own father and was hanged for the crime. Mary was born in 1720 into a middle class family. Her father was a well-to-do lawyer and the town clerk of Henley on Thames, in Oxfordshire. Mary was, by all accounts, an intelligent woman and… Continue reading Infamous Poisoners
Category: Articles
A History of Light
By Tim Lambert Human beings have always needed artificial light. Today, we take it for granted. You press a switch, and it appears. However, for our ancestors, providing light after dark was far more difficult. At first, a fire provided the only light at night. Oil Lamps and Candles However, Prehistoric people used stones with… Continue reading A History of Light
A History of Milwaukee
By Tim Lambert Early Milwaukee Milwaukee began as three different communities. Solomon Juneau arrived in the area in 1818. He founded a town called Juneautown. In 1835, a man named Byron Kilbourn created a separate town to the west, across a river. It was called Kilbourntown. At the same time, George Walker started another settlement… Continue reading A History of Milwaukee
Pictures of Banff, Alberta
By Tim Lambert These are some pictures I took on a trip to the town of Banff, Alberta and the Canadian Rockies. Banff is a beautiful town and the Rockies are breathtaking. Banff, Alberta Another view of Banff Looking down on Banff The view from a hotel room in Banff The Canadian Rockies seen from… Continue reading Pictures of Banff, Alberta
A Brief History of Benin
By Tim Lambert Early Benin The African country of Benin is named after the Empire of Benin, which once existed in what is now Nigeria. Before the 19th century, what is now Benin was divided into different states. The Portuguese began trading with the region in the 16th century. In the 17th century, the British,… Continue reading A Brief History of Benin
A Brief History of Mauritania
By Tim Lambert Early Mauritania In the 3rd century, Berbers arrived in what is now Mauritania. In the 7th century, the Arabs arrived. In the 15th century, the Portuguese arrived in Mauritania. They were followed by other Europeans who traded with the local people for gum arabic and slaves. In 1817, the French took control… Continue reading A Brief History of Mauritania
A History of Comets
By Tim Lambert Comets are balls of ice and organic material ‘leftover’ from when the Solar System formed. They originate on the outer limits of the Solar System, past the orbit of Neptune. However, most comets have highly elliptical orbits, so for part of their orbits, they approach the Sun more closely. As they approach… Continue reading A History of Comets
A History of Radio
By Tim Lambert The radio was a great invention. It allowed people to communicate over long distances, including ship crews. It also allowed entertainment. It is debatable who invented radio. As with many inventions, there were several men working on the same idea around the same time. However, on 2 June 1896, Marconi became the… Continue reading A History of Radio
A History of Plastic
By Tim Lambert Plastics are artificial materials that can be easily moulded. Its name is derived from the Greek word plastikos, meaning easily moulded or shaped. Plastics were first made in the 19th century. The first plastic was called Parkesine. It was invented by Alexander Parkes in 1862. He made it by mixing cellulose nitrate… Continue reading A History of Plastic
A History of the Asteroids
By Tim Lambert The Discovery of the Asteroids The asteroids are small heavenly bodies, almost all of which orbit between Mars and Jupiter. The first asteroid to be discovered was Ceres. It was discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi in 1801. He named it after the Greek goddess of Agriculture. In 1802 Wilhelm Olbers discovered a second… Continue reading A History of the Asteroids