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

By Tim Lambert The Foundation of Washington DC Washington DC was founded to be the capital of the United States. The first European to explore the area was Englishman John Smith in 1608. Later in the 17th century settlers created tobacco plantations worked by black slaves. The town of Alexandria was founded in 1749 and… Continue reading A History of Washington DC

By Tim Lambert VIKING AND MEDIEVAL WATERFORD Waterford is one of Ireland’s oldest towns. The Vikings founded it. They founded several towns in Ireland of which Waterford was one. The exact year Waterford was founded is not known. However, according to tradition, it was around 853 but some people believe it was founded later in… Continue reading A History of Waterford

By Tim Lambert The town of Whitehorse was founded after gold was found in Yukon in 1896. In 1897 many people were camping in the area and soon the tents were replaced by permanent buildings. It’s believed the town takes its names from nearby rapids because they reminded people of the manes of white horses.… Continue reading A History of Whitehorse

By Tim Lambert Early Winnipeg Winnipeg stands at the confluence of two rivers. Its name comes from native words meaning murky waters. The French built a fur trading post on the site in 1738 called Fort Rouge. However, the fort was later abandoned. Then in 1810, the North West Company built a new fort called… Continue reading A History of Winnipeg

By Tim Lambert Early Wroclaw Wroclaw is one of Poland’s great cities. It began in the 10th century as a settlement on an island called Ostrow Tumski (Cathedral Island). In 990 Silesia and Wroclaw became part of Poland. In 1000 a bishopric (diocese of a bishop) was established there. In 1241 Wroclaw was devastated when… Continue reading A History of Wroclaw, Poland

By Tim Lambert Dedicated to Bea Price Early Zakopane Zakopane is a flourishing winter sports center at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. It’s commonly called the winter capital of Poland. However, until the 19th century, Zakopane was only a tiny village. It does not appear in history until the 17th century. However, during the… Continue reading A History of Zakopane

By Tim Lambert Early Costa Rica At the beginning of the 16th century, the indigenous people of Costa Rica were divided into tribes of farmers. They had created a sophisticated society. However, on 18 September 1502, Christopher Columbus sighted Costa Rica. In the mid 16th century the Spanish gradually conquered Costa Rica. However, it lacked… Continue reading A Short History of Costa Rica

By Tim Lambert Ancient Ireland The first humans arrived in Ireland between 7,000 and 6,000 BC after the end of the last ice age. The first Irish people lived by farming, fishing, and gathering food such as plants and shellfish. The Stone Age hunters tended to live on the seashore or on the banks of… Continue reading A Short History of Ireland

By Tim Lambert Early Jordan Before 8,000 BC Stone Age hunters lived in what is now Jordan. However, by about 8,000 BC people in the region began farming although they still used stone tools. People began to live in villages. By about 5,000 BC people in Jordan were making pottery. By 4,000 BC they smelted… Continue reading A Short History of Jordan

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 Short History of Paris