By Tim Lambert The following is a list of facts about history, all totally useless! On 24 December 1914, a German plane dropped a bomb on Dover. It was the first time the Germans bombed Britain. Nobody was killed. In 1979 Sweden became the first country to ban corporal punishment. In 1919 in Britain the… Continue reading Useless History Information
Category: Articles
A History of Swimming
By Tim Lambert Early Swimming Swimming was a common skill in the Ancient World. People in Egypt and other parts of the Ancient World went swimming. It was popular with the Greeks and Romans. Roman soldiers were trained to swim well. In the Middle Ages, knights were expected to be able to swim well. In… Continue reading A History of Swimming
Catherine Wilson – the Poisoner
By Tim Lambert Catherine Wilson has the distinction of being the last woman to be hanged in public in London. Public executions drew big crowds as they were free entertainment. Catherine Wilson was a female poisoner. Her poison of choice was colchicum, a kind of crocus. In small doses, it was used as a medicine… Continue reading Catherine Wilson – the Poisoner
A History of Television
By Tim Lambert Today, television is the main form of entertainment for millions of people worldwide. The word is made up of the Greek word ‘tele,’ meaning ‘far off’ and the Latin word for vision ‘sight’. John Logie Baird, the man who invented television, was born in 1888. Baird invented a primitive system of television… Continue reading A History of Television
Pictures of Bruges
By Tim Lambert Bruges is a beautiful city in Belgium. While on a cruise I took these pictures. A market in Bruges City Hall in Bruges Me in Bruges The Basilica of the Holy Blood in Bruges A canal in Bruges Another view of the canal in Bruges Eekhoetje is a very nice cafe in… Continue reading Pictures of Bruges
Pictures of Norway
By Tim Lambert These are some pictures I took on a cruise to Norway. Norway is a beautiful country, and the scenery is fantastic. Sailing up a Norwegian Fjord Approaching a village in Norway The cruise ship sailing to Norway The cruise ship at berth Me by the cruise ship The cruise ship in Norway… Continue reading Pictures of Norway
A History of Beheading in England
By Tim Lambert Beheading is an ancient method of punishment. St Alban was the first recorded British martyr. He was beheaded circa 305 AD in the Roman town of Verulamium, which is now called St Albans. In the Middle Ages, William the Conqueror introduced beading as a punishment for the upper class in England. Beheading… Continue reading A History of Beheading in England
A History of Hanging
By Tim Lambert Hanging was the most common method of execution in England from the Anglo-Saxon Era until the 20th century. At first, the prisoner was made to stand on a ladder, which was pulled away, or on a cart, which was moved. From the 18th century, he stood on a trapdoor. Sometimes the prisoner… Continue reading A History of Hanging
A History of The Guillotine
By Tim Lambert Most of us associate the guillotine with the French Revolution. However, mechanical devices for beheading people were used in Europe long before then. One was recorded in Dublin in 1307. The Scots had a beheading device called The Maiden, which was used between 1564 and 1710. Meanwhile, in the town of Halifax… Continue reading A History of The Guillotine
A History of Photography
By Tim Lambert Photography in the 19th Century Photography is the art of capturing images. The word photography means drawing with light. It comes from the Greek words photos graphe. The word was coined by John Herschel in 1839. Photography began when people discovered that certain light-sensitive chemicals would ‘fix’ an image when exposed to… Continue reading A History of Photography