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

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 Mendyk 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 Ancient Albania The people of Albania learned to use bronze about 2,100 BC. Then about 1,000 BC, they learned to use iron. The Iron Age people of Albania are called the Illyrians. The Illyrians eventually came into conflict with Rome and the Romans conquered them in 167 BC. Under Roman rule, Albania… Continue reading A Short History of Albania

By Tim Lambert Early Algeria In 150 BC, Berber kingdoms existed in what is now Algeria. However, in 24 BC, they were annexed by the Romans. They built roads, cities, and aqueducts. Under the Romans, Algeria became Christian. The famous theologian Augustine (354-430) lived in Hippo (present-day Annaba). As the Roman Empire in the west… Continue reading A Short History of Algeria

By Tim Lambert In the Middle Ages what is now Angola was organized into kingdoms. The people lived by agriculture. Craftsmen made things of metal and pottery. The Portuguese first reached Angola in 1483 but at first, they showed little interest in the area. The first Portuguese colony in Angola was not founded till 1575.… Continue reading A Short History of Angola

By Tim Lambert Early Argentina Before Europeans came to Argentina it was thinly populated. In the Northwest, people grew crops such as potatoes and squash. They sometimes lived in walled towns and they used metal and made pottery. However, most of the indigenous people lived by hunting animals and gathering plants. They continued their hunter-gatherer… Continue reading A Short History of Argentina

By Tim Lambert Dedicated to Frederick Wilde During the 17th century and 18th century, European explorers reached Australia. In 1770 Captain Cook claimed eastern Australia for Britain. He called it New South Wales. Life was hard for ordinary people in the 18th century and punishments for even minor crimes were severe. In England, you could… Continue reading A Short History of Australia