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

By Tim Lambert Medieval Prague The Slavs arrived in the Czech Republic in the 6th century. In about 870 they built a castle in Prague. In time a town grew up by the castle. By the late 10th century Prague was a thriving town. In 973 it was given a bishop. In the early 13th… Continue reading A History of Prague

By Tim Lambert Early Quebec The city of Quebec was founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain. He began a trading post there. During the 17th century and the early 18th century, Quebec grew slowly. The Maison Chevalier was built in 1752. In 1759 it was the scene of a decisive battle when it was… Continue reading A History of Quebec

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

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

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 1403, the City God Temple of Shanghai was built. In 1533, a wall was built around the town. In 1559, Yu Gardens was created. By 1700,… Continue reading A History of Shanghai

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 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 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 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