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

By Tim Lambert Ancient and Medieval Paris The city of Paris began in the 3rd century BC when a Celtic tribe called the Parisii built a fortified settlement on the Ile de la Cite. The Romans conquered the Parisii in 52 AD and they built a town on the River Seine. The Romans called Paris… Continue reading A History of Paris

By Tim Lambert The Swan River Colony Perth was founded in 1829 largely because the British feared the French would establish a colony in Western Australia. In 1827 Captain James Stirling (1791-1865) sailed to the Swan River in his ship HMS Success. Stirling believed the area would be ideal for a settlement. He persuaded the… Continue reading A History of Perth Australia

By Tim Lambert Perth in the Middle Ages The fair city of Perth was made a town or burgh by King David I in the early 12th century. There was probably already a settlement there but it was an obvious place to create a new town. It was at the first spot where the River… Continue reading A History of Perth Scotland

By Tim Lambert Early Poznan Poznan began in the 9th century when a fortress was built on an island in the River Warta called Ostrow Tumski. By the 10th century, a settlement grew up nearby. A Bishopric was established in Poznan in 986. In the 13th century, Poznan became a busy little market town. Poznan… Continue reading A History of Poznan, Poland

By Tim Lambert Early Regina The city of Regina was once a place called Pile O’Bones because of the bones left there by hunters. Then in 1882, the first settlers arrived at the site. The new settlement grew rapidly and it was renamed Regina (Latin for queen) for Queen Victoria. In December 1883 Regina was… Continue reading A History of Regina, Saskatchewan

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

By Tim Lambert Early Stockholm The great city of Stockholm began in the 13th century. At that time trade and commerce were increasing across Europe and many new towns were founded. In 1252 the regent of Sweden, Birger Jarl founded Stockholm. The new town grew rapidly. In 1289 it was described as the largest place… Continue reading A History of Stockholm

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 Tasmania About 35,000 years ago the Earth was in the grip of an ice age. The sea level was lower than it is today and Tasmania was joined to mainland Australia. Indigenous Tasmanians were able to cross on foot. However, about 12,000 years ago the ice age ended and the sea… Continue reading A History of Tasmania