By Tim Lambert The Invention of Plastic Plastic is an artificial material that can be easily moulded. Its name is derived from the Greek word plastikos, meaning easily moulded or shaped. Plastics were first made in the 19th century. The first plastic was called Parkesine. It was invented by Alexander Parkes in 1862. He made… Continue reading A History of Plastic
Category: Articles
A History of the Asteroids
By Tim Lambert The Discovery of the Asteroids The asteroids are small heavenly bodies, almost all of which orbit between Mars and Jupiter. The first asteroid to be discovered was Ceres. It was discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi in 1801. He named it after the Greek goddess of Agriculture. In 1802 Wilhelm Olbers discovered a second… Continue reading A History of the Asteroids
They Were the First!
By Tim Lambert In 690 AD, Empress Wu Zetian became the first woman to rule China. In 1678, Elena Piscopia became the first woman in the world to gain a PhD. In 1725, Catherine I became the first woman to rule Russia. In 1783, two men, Jean-François de Rozier and the Marquis d’Arlandes, made the… Continue reading They Were the First!
A History of Sex Work
By Tim Lambert Sex Work in the Ancient World Sex work is often called the world’s oldest profession. Exchanging services for food or other goods probably occurred in Prehistoric times. It certainly was common in the earliest civilizations in Iraq and Egypt. Sex workers were recorded in Ancient Iraq as early as 2,400 BC. Sex… Continue reading A History of Sex Work
A History of Pigs
By Tim Lambert The Domestication of Pigs Pigs are intelligent animals. Wild pigs are clean animals. However, for humans, pigs are very useful. Pigs were first domesticated in Western Asia about 8,000 BC. They later spread to Europe. Pigs were independently domesticated in China about 6,000 BC. In the Roman Empire, pork was a common… Continue reading A History of Pigs
A History of Fish and Chips
By Tim Lambert Fish and chips is a traditional British dish, and there are many fish and chip shops. So how did this come about? Potatoes are native to South America, and they were grown by the native people for thousands of years before Europeans discovered them. The Spaniards took potatoes to Spain in the… Continue reading A History of Fish and Chips
A History of Bricks
By Tim Lambert The Invention of Bricks The first bricks were made about 7,000 BC when people in the Middle East mixed clay and straw. They used wooden moulds to mould the bricks. Simple, sun-dried bricks were not very durable, but in about 4,000 BC, people began drying bricks in kilns. The Romans made vast… Continue reading A History of Bricks
A History of Eating Birds
By Tim Lambert For thousands of years, people have eaten birds. Many different types of birds were hunted or raised for food. Birds’ feathers were, of course, useful. Chickens Chickens were domesticated in Southeast Asia about 6,000 BC. Later, chickens spread to India, then to the Middle East and Europe. The Romans liked eating chickens… Continue reading A History of Eating Birds
A History of Shaving
By Tim Lambert Early Shaving At times in history, beards have been fashionable for men, while at other times they were clean-shaven. In Ancient Egypt, men were usually clean-shaven. They used razors made of copper or bronze. Stubble was removed with pumice stones. Both men and women shaved off body hair. Egyptians shaved their hair… Continue reading A History of Shaving
The Brighton Trunk Murders
By Tim Lambert An Unsolved Trunk Murder in Brighton 1934 An unsolved murder took place in Brighton, England in 1934. A body was found in a trunk but the victim was never identified and the case was never solved. On 17th June 1934, a railway employee named William Vinnicombe noticed a horrid odour coming from… Continue reading The Brighton Trunk Murders