By Tim Lambert Early Trade Unions Trade unions originated in Britain in the late 18th century. As the country underwent the Industrial Revolution, working men began to unite to press for better wages and conditions. However, for decades, trade unions had to fight for their rights. The British upper class was alarmed by the French… Continue reading A History of British Trade Unions
Tag: History
A Brief History of Contraceptives
By Tim Lambert Life was hard for women before artificial contraception. Not only did they usually have large numbers of children, but those children were also born close together. Reliable contraception was one of the great inventions of the 20th century. Of course, people have always attempted to prevent pregnancy. In Ancient Egypt, women made… Continue reading A Brief History of Contraceptives
A History of Pewter
By Tim Lambert Early Pewter Pewter was an alloy of tin and lead (although today lead is no longer used. Modern pewter is made of tin, antimony and copper). The earliest known pewter was made in Egypt in about 1,500 BC. The Romans also made pewter. In the Middle Ages, pewter was used by the… Continue reading A History of Pewter
A History of Lead
By Tim Lambert Early Lead People learned to use lead as early as 6,500 BC. It was used to make beads in what is now Turkey. Lead proved to be a useful metal because it has a low melting point and it does not corrode. The Romans used lead to make pipes. In fact, the… Continue reading A History of Lead
A History of Airplanes
By Tim Lambert Early Airplanes At first, people learned to fly in balloons or gliders, but in the 20th century, they made heavier-than-air flying machines. On 17 December 1903, the Wright brothers flew a plane. Once the plane had been invented, aircraft technology developed rapidly. In 1908, Henri Farman became the first recorded passenger in… Continue reading A History of Airplanes
A History of Balloons
By Tim Lambert Early Balloons The hot air balloon was invented by two brothers, Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier. On June 4, 1783, the Montgolfiers publicly demonstrated an unmanned hot-air balloon. On 19 September 1783, a duck, a sheep, and a cockerel became the first living creatures carried by a hot air balloon. On 27 August… Continue reading A History of Balloons
A History of Satellites
By Tim Lambert The First Satellites Artificial satellites have had a huge impact on daily life since the first one was launched in 1957. They have helped science, communications, navigation, and spying!. The idea of launching an artificial satellite around the Earth occurred as early as the 19th century. In 1869, Edward Everett Hale wrote… Continue reading A History of Satellites
A History of Anaesthesia
By Tim Lambert Early Anaesthesia The word anaesthesia is derived from Greek words meaning without feeling or sensation. The word was used in England by the early 18th century. However, it wasn’t used to mean lack of pain during an operation until 1846. Before the advent of modern anaesthesia, there were ways of dulling pain.… Continue reading A History of Anaesthesia
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
Last Orders at The Bar
By Gabriella Bowe-Peckham This is a dissertation by Gabriella Bowe-Peckham about the loss of British heritage and community values as seen through the decline in pubs in Hampshire. It looks particularly at the town of Romsey, which once had an important brewing industry. It was also famous for its pubs!