Category: Histories of countries and key towns and cities around the world

By Tim Lambert Early Saskatoon Saskatoon was founded in 1883 by a group of temperance Methodists from Toronto led by John Neilson Lake. It was probably named after a local berry. However, at first, Saskatoon was a tiny settlement. The railway reached Saskatoon in 1890 but it remained very small with a population of only… Continue reading A History of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

By Tim Lambert Early Shanghai Shanghai is one of China’s great cities. By the 11th century AD, Shanghai was a small market town. It grew steadily larger and in 1533 a wall was built around the town. Later in the 16th century, Yuyuan Garden was created. By 1700 Shanghai had a population of about 50,000… Continue reading A History of Shanghai China

By Tim Lambert Early Sitka The indigenous people of Southeast Alaska were the Tlingit. They were hunter-gatherers. They mostly depended on fishing for their livelihood, although they also hunted mammals like seals. The Russians first arrived in Alaska in 1741. They built their first settlement at Unalaska in 1772. In 1790, Aleksander Baranov (1746-1819) was… Continue reading A History of Sitka Alaska

By Tim Lambert Sydney is Founded Sydney was founded in 1788 when the first fleet arrived in Australia from England. On 13 May 1787, a fleet of 11 ships set sail from Portsmouth, England. Onboard were 759 convicts, most of them men with sailors and marines to guard the prisoners. With them, they took seeds,… Continue reading A History of Sydney

By Tim Lambert Early Tajikistan During the Bronze Age, agriculture and trade flourished in what is now Tajikistan. People built the town of Sarazm. However, the written history of Tajikistan began in the 6th century BC when the Persians conquered the region. It was the first of many empires to rule Tajikistan. The Persian Empire… Continue reading A History of Tajikistan

By Tim Lambert The Ancient City of Rome There was a settlement in Rome by the mid-8th century BC. In the 6th century BC, it was ruled by Etruscan kings. The kings were advised by the Senate, a body that consisted of Roman aristocrats or patricians. However, in 510 BC the Romans rebelled and expelled… Continue reading A History of the City of Rome

By Tim Lambert In the early 15th century, Togo was inhabited by various tribes who practiced agriculture and used iron tools. However, in the 16th century, the Portuguese began taking slaves from the area across the Atlantic. Other European nations soon joined them. Togo became part of the notorious Slave Coast from which slaves were… Continue reading A History of Togo

By Tim Lambert The Foundation of Toronto For ten thousand years native people lived on the site of the city of Toronto. The first European to reach the area was a Frenchman named Etienne Brule in 1615. However, the first European settlement was a French trading fort called built in Fort Rouille in about 1750.… Continue reading A History of Toronto

By Tim Lambert Dedicated to Agata Ulanowska Torun in The Middle Ages Torun is a historic city in Poland. It is famous for its many Medieval buildings. The town of Torun was founded by the Teutonic Knights (an order of German knights who ruled parts of the Baltic). On 28 December 1233, Torun was given… Continue reading A History of Torun Poland

By Tim Lambert Early Turkmenistan The early people of Turkmenistan were nomadic or semi-nomadic herders. However, the Persian Empire conquered the region in the 6th Century BC.  However, when Alexander died in 323 BC, his Empire broke up. Later parts of Turkmenistan were under the Parthian Empire, which ruled much of Central Asia from 247… Continue reading A History of Turkmenistan