Category: Articles of the key ‘dark’ historical events across the world

By Tim Lambert Jack the Ripper was a mysterious figure who stalked the East End of London in 1888. Jack the Ripper’s Victims Martha Tabram (?) Nobody is certain how many women Jack the Ripper killed. Most people think there were 5 victims but there may have been others. One possible victim was Martha Tabram.… Continue reading A Biography of Jack the Ripper

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 Brief Biography of Ivan the Terrible

By Tim Lambert Auschwitz is perhaps the most notorious concentration camp where more than a million innocent people were murdered. During the First World War, a camp for immigrant workers was built by the Polish town of Oswiecim, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After the war it Oswiecim became part of the… Continue reading A History of Auschwitz

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 in Britain

By Tim Lambert Early Corporal Punishment Corporal punishment is derived from a Latin word meaning body. It meant physical punishment and in the past, it was very common. In the past corporal punishment was by no means limited to children. It was used on adults as well. Whipping has been a common punishment since ancient… Continue reading A History of Corporal Punishment

By Tim Lambert Domestic violence or partner-on-partner violence is probably as old as the human race. In 1655 Massachusetts Bay Colony in North America decreed ‘No man shall strike his wife nor any woman her husband’. The punishment was a heavy fine or corporal punishment. This was one of the first laws in the Western… Continue reading A History of Domestic Violence

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

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

By Tim Lambert Early Plague At different times in history, terrible pandemics have swept parts of the world killing millions of people. The best known is the Black Death of the 14th century but epidemics were nothing new in Europe. In 430 BC Athens was struck by an epidemic of an unknown disease, which devastated… Continue reading A History of Plague

By Tim Lambert Banishment Since Ancient Times forcing an offender to leave his home and go abroad or to another region either permanently or for a fixed period of time has been used as a punishment. Bastinado Bastinado was beating a person on the soles of their feet with a stick. Because the soles of… Continue reading A History of Punishments