Category: Daily Life in the Past

By Tim Lambert Photography in the 19th Century Photography is the art of capturing images. The word photography means drawing with light. It comes from the Greek words photos graphe. The word was coined by John Herschel in 1839. Photography began when people discovered that certain light-sensitive chemicals would ‘fix’ an image when exposed to… Continue reading A History of Photography

By Tim Lambert Pigs are intelligent animals. Wild pigs are clean animals. However, for humans, pigs are very useful. Pigs were first domesticated in Western Asia about 8,000 BC. They later spread to Europe. Pigs were independently domesticated in China about 6,000 BC. In the Roman Empire, pork was a common food. The famous doctor,… Continue reading A History of Pigs

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

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

By Tim Lambert In the early 17th century king and parliament clashed over the issue of religion. In the 17th century, religion was far more important than it is today. It was a vital part of everyday life. Furthermore, there was no tolerance in matters of religion. By law, everybody was supposed to belong to… Continue reading A History of Religion in the 17th Century

By Tim Lambert Today, road safety is much better than it was 100 years ago. Early cars were dangerous, and road accidents were common. However, road safety gradually improved during the 20th century. In Britain, the first speed limit was introduced in 1895. It was 2 miles per hour. In 1896, Walter Arnold became the… Continue reading A History of Road Safety

By Tim Lambert Ancient Greek Science The Ancient Greeks were the first scientists. Greek philosophers tried to explain what the world is made of and how it works. Empedocles (c. 494-434 BC) said that the world is made of four elements, earth, fire, water, and air. Aristotle (384-322 BC) accepted the theory of the four… Continue reading A History of Science

By Tim Lambert Sex Work in the Ancient World Sex work is often called the world’s oldest profession. Exchanging services for food or other goods probably occurred in Prehistoric times. It certainly was common in the earliest civilizations in Iraq and Egypt. Sex workers were recorded in Ancient Iraq as early as 2,400 BC. Sex… Continue reading A History of Sex Work

By Tim Lambert Early Shaving At times in history, beards have been fashionable for men, while at other times they were clean-shaven.  In Ancient Egypt, men were usually clean-shaven. They used razors made of copper or bronze. Stubble was removed with pumice stones. Both men and women shaved off body hair. Egyptians shaved their hair… Continue reading A History of Shaving

By Tim Lambert Ancient Shoes Long before history began wore shoes. During the Ice Age, people called Cro-Magnons wore simple leather boots. They lived during an ice age so protecting your feet from the cold was essential. In Egypt, shoes were not necessary because of the hot climate. Most people went barefoot much of the… Continue reading A History of Shoes