An interesting historical story.
August 23, 480 B.C. is the suggested date for the start of the Battle of Thermopylae. There have been two movies about it. “The 300 Spartans” was a B-movie that has its fans, but “300” was a huge box office success. It has been criticized for its supposed historical inaccuracies, Read more
Edmund Ironside was the son of Aethelred the Unready. His family battled the Danes in the 11th Century. In 1016, his father died and Edmund became king of the English. In the next few months he fought several battles with Cnut. He lost the last one, the Battle of Read more
Sigurd Eysteinsson was known as “Sigurd the Mighty”. He was a Viking earl who ruled the Orkney and Shetland Islands in the late 9th Century. Being a Viking, he was of course greedy for more. He helped conquer northern Scotland. In the process, he challenged a Scottish chief to Read more
One of the most consequential battles of the Revolutionary War occurred on August 16, 1777. The Battle of Bennington was part of the Saratoga Campaign. British Gen. John Burgoyne was marching south from Canada to try to cut off New York from New England. The advance did not go Read more
In 1942, the Royal Marine Boom Patrol Detachment was created in Great Britain. It was a special forces unit that was trained to conduct secret missions using small boats. It was headed by the dashing Maj. Herbert “Blondie” Hasler. He came up with a plan to hit the Germans Read more
During the Blitz of London in 1940, many people were killed by German bombs. Sometimes they left pets behind. After a bombing raid, a mixed breed terrier was found amongst the ruins. An Air Raid Warden named King fed the dog some scraps and the little dog followed him Read more
Elizabeth Bathory was born on August 7, 1560. She went on to become the “female dracula”. Here is the legend. How much is true cannot be determined. Elizabeth Bathory was a Hungarian countess. Her husband was a general and she lived in a castle in the Carpathian Mountains. She surrounded Read more
Anaximander was the first philosophy who wrote down his ideas. Unfortunately, most of his writings have been lost. We do know some of them from Plato and Aristotle. He questioned mythology and substituted natural explanations for phenomena. He is credited with founding astronomy. He created the first gnomen which Read more
In 249, the Romans sent a fleet to recapture Drepana on Sicily during the First Punic War. It was being used as a base for raids on the Italian coast. Consul Publius Claudius Pulcher tried to arrive at dawn to catch the Carthaginian fleet sleeping. Unfortunately, the enemy admiral was Read more
One of the most famous Civil War spies was Maria Isabella Boyd. Better known as Belle Boyd. Belle was born in Virginia in 1844. When the Civil War broke out, her 45-year-old father enlisted in Stonewall Jackson’s brigade. A loyal and patriotic Southerner, she wanted to serve her country. Read more