By Tim Lambert The beginning of space exploration In the early 20th century Konstantin Tsiolkovsky (1857-1935) realized that only a rocket could provide propulsion in the near-vacuum of space. He also proposed that a rocket should be built in stages so it would dump each stage when its fuel was exhausted. In 1926 Robert H.… Continue reading A History of Space Travel
Category: Daily Life in the Past
A History of Sport
By Tim Lambert Sport In The Ancient World Egyptian Sport People have always played sports. In Ancient Egypt, people went swimming. They also enjoyed boxing, wrestling, and archery. They also played a game that involved standing on a boat and trying to knock the opposing team into the water with a stick. The Olympic Games… Continue reading A History of Sport
A History of St George’s Day
By Tim Lambert St George is, of course, the patron saint of England. ‘Cry God for Harry, England, and Saint George!’ Those immortal words are from Shakespeare’s Henry V, but who was St George and how did he become the patron saint of England? St George was a Roman soldier who lived in the 3rd… Continue reading A History of St George’s Day
A History of St Valentine’s Day
By Tim Lambert The Origins of St Valentine’s Day The Romans held a fertility festival called Lupercalia in mid-February. However, it’s not clear if there is any link between the Ancient festival and modern St Valentine’s Day. 14 February was not associated with romantic love until the late Middle Ages. In the 14th century, people… Continue reading A History of St Valentine’s Day
A History of Surgery
By Tim Lambert Ancient Surgery Surgery was invented in the Stone Age. Some adults had holes cut in their skulls. At least sometimes, people survived the ‘operation’ because the bone grew back. We do not know the purpose of the ‘operation’. Perhaps it was performed on people with head injuries to release pressure on the… Continue reading A History of Surgery
A History of Sweets
By Tim Lambert Early Sweets People have always liked eating sweet food. The earliest sweet was, of course, honey, which people have eaten since prehistoric times. In the Middle Ages, rich people ate desserts like preserved fruits, jelly and dried fruit, and wafers made from batter. The Tudors were also fond of sweet foods (if… Continue reading A History of Sweets
A History of Swimming
By Tim Lambert Early Swimming Swimming was a common skill in the Ancient World. People in Egypt and other parts of the Ancient World went swimming. It was popular with the Greeks and Romans. Roman soldiers were trained to swim well. In the Middle Ages knights were expected to be able to swim well. In… Continue reading A History of Swimming
A History of Tea
By Tim Lambert Early Tea According to legend, tea was first discovered in 2737 BC by a Chinese emperor called Shen Nung when some leaves blew into hot water. In reality, tea drinking was discovered much later in history (we are not sure exactly when), and we don’t know who discovered it. From China, tea… Continue reading A History of Tea
A History of Television
By Tim Lambert Today, television is the main form of entertainment for millions of people worldwide. The word is made up of the Greek word ‘tele,’ meaning ‘far off’ and the Latin word for vision ‘sight’. John Logie Baird, the man who invented television, was born in 1888. Baird invented a primitive system of television… Continue reading A History of Television
A History of the Olympic Games
By Tim Lambert The Early Olympic Games In Ancient Greece, the Olympic Games began in Olympia in 776 BC. They were held in honor of Zeus, the leader of the gods, and people from all over Greece and the Greek colonies came to participate in them. Wars stopped to allow everyone to take part. Greek… Continue reading A History of the Olympic Games