Category Archives: history

history, memes

October Quiz Questions

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Each month we’re posing six pub quiz style questions, with a different subject each month.
As always, they’re designed to be tricky but not impossible, so it’s unlikely everyone will know all the answers – just have a bit of fun.

British History

  1. In which year did the Battle of the Boyne occur?
  2. Who was the Prime Minister of Britain at the outset of World War I?
  3. When was Queen Victoria’s Coronation?
  4. Who designed the steamship SS Great Britain?
  5. Who attempted to blow up Parliament of the United Kingdom during the Gunpowder Plot of 1605?
  6. How many people died in the Great Fire of London?

Answers will be posted in 2 weeks time.

history

October 1926

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Our look at some of the significant happenings 100 years ago this month.

2. Birth. Jan Morris, born James Morris, British travel writer (d.2020)

11. Birth. Thích Nhất Hạnh, Vietnamese Thiền Buddhist monk and peace activist (d.2022)

12. British miners agree to end their strike.

14. AA Milne’s children’s book Winnie-the-Pooh is published in London.

Pooh Sticks

18. Birth. Chuck Berry, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d.2017)

31. Death. Harry Houdini, Hungarian-born American escapologist. Died of gangrene and peritonitis after his appendix ruptured. (b.1874)

history, links, natural history, science

September’s Monthly Links

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Once more we come to the time for this month’s selection of links to articles you may have missed. As always we start with the heavy science stuff (so feel free to skip it) and gently wind down from there.

Science, Technology, Natural World

WTF? Saturn has an enormous decagon at its south pole – as well as a hexagon at the north pole. How? Why?

Researchers have now mapped every neuron in the brain of a fly (above).

Aedes aegypti, a tropical mosquito the vector for spreading various tropical diseases, has been found breeding in east London.

It’s always been a puzzle how “early birds” got airborne. Scientists have now found the solution.

In Bolivia scientists have discovered an unknown species of small cat (below) – the first in over 100 years. This report from the Guardian an this from Scientific American [££££].

So why does your cat headbutt you? [££££]

Eyes are amazing. They can do many things which even our modern digital cameras can’t.

Here’s Isa Grant on another mystery: What forensic science says about spontaneous human combustion, and does it make sense?

What would happen if the Yellowstone supervolcano erupted? Would it mean the end of life as we know it?

Health, Medicine

Drug chemist Derek Lowe looks a some more (unexpected) positive effects of vaccines.

And from there it’s all the way down to …

History, Archaeology, Anthropology

There is an argument that civilisation is very much older than we think.

But then there is an awful lot we don’t know … like how to decipher the message on this 4000-year old disc (above).

Meanwhile over on Londonist, Matt Brown puts together the relationships between various Anglo-Saxon queens.

So just where is King Harold buried? It may, as is thought, be at Waltham Abbey (below). I like to think it is Waltham Abbey as this is very close to my childhood home. But there is no proof one way or the other.

The medievals suffered from infertility too. So what did they do about it?

Aphra Behn is often overlooked as the first professional female playwright in the 17th-century playwright, but in her day she was a celebrity.

London

Here’s Matt Brown’s latest instalment of colouring John Rocque’s 1746 map of London. This time we’re taken to Rotherhithe.

In much the same breath, Matt Brown takes a look at Soho’s street names …

… and he also takes a trip to the City of London Cemetery.

Lifestyle, Personal Development, Beliefs

Many of us are quietly rebelling against the never-ending rise of constant tracking: an app for this; a login for that. Everything is being tracked and monetised to make business a quick buck.

Shock, Horror, Ha ha ha!

And finally it’s time for this year’s Ig Nobel prizes – awarded for research which first makes people laugh, but then think.

history

September Quiz Answers

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Here are the answers to this month’s six quiz questions. If in doubt, all should be able to be easily verified online.

Classical & Ancient World

  1. In Greek mythology, who is the muse of sacred poetry? Polyhymnia
  2. What Roman holiday held from 17 to 23 December had a large influence on how Christmas was celebrated? Saturnalia
  3. What ancient wonder was located in the city of Alexandria in Egypt? Pharos, the Lighthouse of Alexandria
  4. What’s the name of the paradise warriors go to after death? Valhalla
  5. Anubis, the Ancient Egyptian God of Death, had the head of what? Jackal
  6. What is the title of the classic Greek epic attributed to Homer, telling the story of the Trojan War? The Iliad

Answers were correct when questions were compiled in late 2025.

history, memes

September Quiz Questions

Each month we’re posing six pub quiz style questions, with a different subject each month.
As always, they’re designed to be tricky but not impossible, so it’s unlikely everyone will know all the answers – just have a bit of fun.

Classical & Ancient World

  1. In Greek mythology, who is the muse of sacred poetry?
  2. What Roman holiday held from 17 to 23 December had a large influence on how Christmas was celebrated?
  3. What ancient wonder was located in the city of Alexandria in Egypt?
  4. What’s the name of the paradise warriors go to after death?
  5. Anubis, the Ancient Egyptian God of Death, had the head of what?
  6. What is the title of the classic Greek epic attributed to Homer, telling the story of the Trojan War?

Answers will be posted in 2 weeks time.

history

September 1926

Our look at some of the significant happenings 100 years ago this month.

3. Birth. Alison Lurie, American author and academic (d.2020)

8. The German Weimar Republic joins the League of Nations.

11. In Rome, Gino Lucetti throws a bomb at Benito Mussolini’s car, but Mussolini is unhurt.

14. The Locarno Treaties of 1926 are ratified in Geneva.

20. The North Side Gang attempts to assassinate Al Capone, then at the apex of his power, spraying his headquarters in Cicero, Illinois with over a thousand rounds of machine gun fire in broad daylight, as Capone is eating there. Capone escapes unharmed.

Al Capone

21. Birth. Noor Jehan, Pakistani singer and actress (d.2000)

25. The League of Nations Slavery Convention abolishes all types of slavery.

25. Henry Ford announces the 8-hour, 5-day work week.

history, links, medical, natural history, science, sexuality

Monthly Links for August

We’re at the end of August already, and even my young optician was being concerned about the speed with which the year was disappearing. Anyway here’s episode eight of this year’s monthly links to items you didn’t know you’d missed. As always we start with the heavy stuff …

Science, Technology, Natural World

Astronomers think they’ve discovered a black hole “star”, which would be a new kind of cosmic object.

The venerable Voyager 2 spacecraft, which is now outside the solar system, has done a very risky manoeuvre to save power and keep it working for anther couple of years. [££££]

Down on Earth there are safety concerns as scientists have made the first AI designed viruses.

Another concern, at least for ecologists, is where all the wasps have gone this summer.

While we’re on invertebrates, here are half a dozen somewhat surprising facts about them.

Larry the Cat has recently welcomed yet another new Prime Minister to Downing Street, but how do pets adapt to change?

Why do sleeping cats so often cover their eyes with a paw?

It was 388 years ago that Galileo worked out that physics means that human giants can’t exist. [££££]

Kew Gardens is about to start renovation of the iconic Palm House, but that means many plants have to be moved, and some even sacrificed.

Health, Medicine

Why do heatwaves hit women harder than men?

Research sems to be suggesting that in the final five minutes before death something odd happens with consciousness. [LONG READ]

Sexuality & Relationships

An essay on the importance of the foreskin. [LONG READ]

[NSFW] On the need for females to be fucked for bodily serenity.

Environment & Ecology

On the environmental effects of humans on trees.

History, Archaeology, Anthropology

Research is showing that long before any evidence of sails European stone age hunter-gatherers made sea voyages to Malta.

Another Ancient Roman shipwreck has been discovered off the coast of Sicily – and its fully laden with amphorae.

While on the ancient world, here’s a look at the mysteries surrounding the Antikythera Mechanism. And the author, Isa Grant, has taken a logical look at many unsolved mysteries, so dig around in her Substack.

Many researchers believe that ancient Pictish symbols are actually names, but this is unlikely.

Medievals had a fixation on female pubic anatomy.

Mummified bodies found in Chile have revealed a lost lineage of smallpox. [££££]

London

Here’s a quick look at half a dozen London places associated with Samuel Pepys.

The latest instalment of Matt Brown’s coloured rendition of John Rocque’s 1746 map of London is out on the edge of the East End.

Lifestyle, Personal Development, Beliefs

Nobody will admit to having far right beliefs these days, but here’s a checklist to allow you to determine if they really are.

On being more than an attractive photograph, because there’s life behind the frame.

On designing and wearing female attire without the need for underwear.

And finally … a look at the bizarre world of banning pop songs for profanity and what gets missed. [LONG READ]

history

August 1926

Our look at some of the significant happenings 100 years ago this month.

3. Birth. Tony Bennett, American singer (d.2023)

6. American Gertrude Ederle becomes the first woman to swim the English Channel, from France to England.

10. Birth. Marie-Claire Alain, French organist (d.2013)

13. Birth. Fidel Castro, Cuban revolutionary and politician (d.2016)

21. Death. Ugyen Wangchuck, King of Bhutan (b.1861)

Ugyen Wangchuk

history, links, medical, natural history, nudism, photography, science

Monthly Links

You really didn’t want to have missed these items …

Science, Technology, Natural World

The latest estimates are that Earth is home to around 20 million species of insect – that’s way more than was previously thought. [££££]

It’s interesting how non-native parrots thrive in cities – and largely don’t compete with native species. [LONG READ]

London’s Kew Gardens has digitised its 7 million plant specimens. [££££]

Here are some surprising facts about aquatic flora, including that seaweeds are not plants!

So what is it that makes about 10% of people left-handed?

Venezuela recently suffered a double earthquake, but why did so many buildings collapse?

Trust the Swiss! They’re pioneering putting solar panels between railway tracks as another way to generate electricity without using too much land for solar panels.

Now away from Earth … astronomers have detected “raspberry sugar” in a dust cloud in our Milky Way galaxy.

Health, Medicine

Drug chemist Derek Lowe looks at the very high failure rate of new drug candidates over the last 50-60 years.

I bet you didn’t know that hospitals routinely use antimatter! [LONG READ]

One academic writes about what it is like inside the UK’s top secret chemical weapons laboratory at Porton Down. [LONG READ]

There’s a new catalogue of viruses revealing which pose the greatest threats.

So now for some real, and scary, surgery: Irish surgeons have been able to remove a brain tumour through an eyelid!

Sexuality & Relationships

OK, boys, understand this … your ejaculate is not a waste product

Is it acceptable to state a preference over your partner’s pubic hair?

Art, Literature, Language, Music

Here’s an article on iconic and revolutionary Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki (above).

History, Archaeology, Anthropology

Archaeologists have at last managed to decipher 4000-year-old Linear Elamite from ancient Iran.

Back at home in the UK, archaeologists continue to rewrite what we thought we knew about Stonehenge.

An entire Byzantine town has been found in Egypt’s Western Desert

Back at home again, medieval football could end up getting you killed.

And now the story of the 17th-century siege of Basing House. [LONG READ]

London

And at last we journey to London to hear the story of Westminster Cathedral. [LONG READ]

Lifestyle, Personal Development, Beliefs

Here’ are some thoughts about the human body and why for some naturism feels right.

And then here are some thoughts on sleeping naked. [LONG READ]

And finally I’ll leave you with a look at some of the world’s strangest nude traditions.

history

July Quiz Answers

Here are the answers to this month’s six quiz questions. If in doubt, all should be able to be easily verified online.

General History

  1. In what year did the Battle of Waterloo occur? 1815
  2. Which ancient civilization built the city of Machu Picchu? Inca
  3. Which famous historical document begins with the words “We hold these truths to be self-evident”? The Declaration of Independence
  4. The Aztecs even used cocoa beans as what? Currency
  5. In what year did the Berlin Wall fall? 1989
  6. What event marked the beginning of World War I? The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Answers were correct when questions were compiled in late 2025.