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An illustration of Hero’s aeolipile. Life of Hero of Alexandria Hero’s precise dates of birth and death are not well-documented, but he is thought to have lived in the Roman province of Egypt during the 1st century CE, possibly under the rule of emperor Vespasian. Alexandria, the city where he resided and worked, was a […]
Adam Gurowski. Count Adam Gurowski: History and Political Activity in Europe Adam Gurowski was born on September 10, 1805, into a family of noble origins and a count’s title. He was the oldest of seven siblings. His sister, Cecilia, was married to Baron Frederiks, general adjutant of Tsar Nicholas I, and his brother, Ignacy, married […]
John S. Mosby. Slave Owners Rebellion? It is said that the most robust support for secession came from the areas that had the most slaveowners. Based on this information, some would argue that the cause of withdrawal was slavery. High federal support in areas with limited slaveowners, such as West Virginia, Western North Carolina, and […]
Anne of Cleves. Painitng by Barthel Bruyn the Younger. It seems unfair that Anne of Cleves, the fourth wife of King Henry VIII, is known throughout history as the “ugly” wife (out of the six total he had) when in reality, it was her wit and intellect that makes her remarkable. Born in Dusseldorf in […]
By Colten M., 10th Grade October is LGBTQ+ History Month, the perfect time to learn more about a topic that’s often left out in school. Whether you are already an expert on queer history or are just getting started, there is always more to learn (and allies should learn too!). In this list, I have […]
Tannenfels, a German blockade runner which was sunk. The Strategic Importance of Bordeaux Bordeaux, located in southwest France along the Garonne River, was a vital port for the Axis powers during the Second World War. Following the fall of France in 1940, the German military took control of the port and used it to facilitate […]
Exclusive picture of President Jimmy Carter in Stuart E. Eizenstat’s biography, President Carter. Far more complex, both politically and technically, was a divisive debate over whether to build the B-1 bomber, which presents a good lesson in how difficult it is, even for a president with a military background like Carter’s, to balance the appetites […]
Francois Georges-Picot. During the First World War, the Triple Entente was faced with the very real prospect of the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire. Eager to secure their interests in the Middle East, the British and the French drew up the Sykes-Picot Agreement to divide the region in the case of victory against the Central […]
Depiction of the fighting near Dunker Church by Thure de Thulstrup. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons. Should anyone consider “civil war” over the outcome, one way or the other, of the presidential election that is six weeks from now, let’s look at the Battle of Antietam. It took place 162 years ago this month and […]
Trial of a sow and pigs at Lavegny. The Rationale Behind the Madness The notion of arraigning a barn swallow or bovine may seem utterly ludicrous today, but to medieval minds steeped in religious doctrine and folklore, it was a perfectly reasonable concept. The theological underpinning was that animals, having been granted a place in […]