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

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 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, 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 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 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