Category: Daily Life in the Past

By Tim Lambert Early Panties Roman women sometimes wore panties called a subligaculum. However, after the fall of Rome, women did not usually wear panties until the end of the 18th century. Their only underwear was a long linen garment called a shift, which they wore under their dress. In modern times, women’s panties were… Continue reading A History of Panties

By Tim Lambert The Invention of Photography 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 it.… Continue reading A History of Photography

By Tim Lambert The Domestication of Pigs 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… Continue reading A History of Pigs

By Tim Lambert The Invention of Plastic Plastic is an artificial material 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… Continue reading A History of Plastic

By Tim Lambert The Invention of Radio 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… 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 Road Safety in the 19th Century 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.… Continue reading A History of Road Safety

By Tim Lambert The First Satellites Artificial satellites have had a huge impact on daily life since the first one was launched in 1957. They have helped science, communications, navigation, and spying!. The idea of launching an artificial satellite around the Earth occurred as early as the 19th century. In 1869, Edward Everett Hale wrote… Continue reading A History of Satellites

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 Ancient Sewers In the ancient world, public health was often surprisingly advanced. Stone Age farmers lived in a village at Skara Brae in the Orkney Islands about 3,000 BC. They built stone huts with drains under them, and some houses had cubicles over the drains. It’s thought they were inside toilets. In… Continue reading A History of Sewers