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Important Events

Here we feature some of the most seminal, historical, and influential events throughout history – both celebrated and unheralded – from the emergence of powerful civilizations and empires, to famous battles, great achievements, and events that have helped shape the world we currently know.

Taurid meteor shower 13,000 years ago.
12 April, 2019 - 18:45 Martin Sweatman

Prehistory Decoded at Gobekli Tepe: From a Cataclysmic Event Dawns the Origin and Perhaps the End of Civilization

Around 13,000 years ago, the Earth burned. A swarm of comet debris from the Taurid meteor stream had blasted the Americas and parts of Europe; the worst day in prehistory since the end of the ice age...
Byzantium survived the Arab invasions by developing a new system of defense.
10 April, 2019 - 14:03 Michael Goodyear

Adapting to Survive: How Byzantium Survived the Arab Invasions

The seventh century was a vital point in the history of the Byzantine army. Since the beginning of the century, territory in the Balkans had steadily been lost to Avars and Slavs . Byzantine forces...
Oliver Cromwell, Cromwellian Conquest of Ireland.
18 March, 2019 - 22:01 dhwty

Rebel Judge and Executioner? The Brutal Cromwellian Conquest of Ireland

In 1642, The English Civil Wars broke out. On one side were the supporters of the king, Charles I, while on the other were his opponents. In England, it was the Parliamentarians (supporters of the...
Doctor and Mrs. Syntax, with a party of friends, experimenting with laughing gas.
11 March, 2019 - 21:55 dhwty

Laughing Gas Parties Were A Big Hit With 19th Century Society

During the 19th century, the members of the British upper class engaged in a peculiar form of entertainment known as laughing gas parties. Such parties involved the inhalation of nitrous oxide (N 2 O...
"Muhammad the Apostle of God” .
3 March, 2019 - 13:58 Caleb Strom

The First Caliphs of Islam: Power, Corruption, War, and Treachery in the Rashidun Caliphate

The first caliphs of the Islamic World were the Rashidun , or “rightly guided,” caliphs and they controlled a vast empire. According to the Sunni Muslims, the Rashidun caliphs were chosen by Muhammad...
A flood of beer (kulkann / Adobe Stock)
1 March, 2019 - 14:00 dhwty

The Great London Beer Flood That Drowned Eight People in Alcohol

The Great London Beer Flood of 1814 was one of the most bizarre and tragic industrial accidents in the history of London. This disaster occurred at a brewery on Tottenham Court Road which resulted in...
Nineteenth-century painting depicting the Athenian politician Pericles delivering his famous funeral oration in front of the Assembly
23 February, 2019 - 13:49 dhwty

The Ins and Outs and 'Idiots' of Greek Democracy

Greece, or more specifically the city state of Athens , is considered to be the birthplace of democracy. Athenian democracy is well-documented and served as a model for the democracies of other Greek...
Main: The Crown Jewels. Credit: Historic Royal Palaces. Inset: An illustration of Thomas Blood. Photo source: Wikimedia.
10 February, 2019 - 13:56 dhwty

Thomas Blood: The Man Who Stole the Crown Jewels

Thomas Blood is an infamous Irishman known as the ‘Man Who Stole the Crown Jewels’. The self-styled colonel lived during the 17th century and established his reputation as a rogue and trickster...
Alexander the Great and physician Philip of Acarnania.
25 January, 2019 - 13:50 ancient-origins

Alexander the Great Didn’t Decay Because He Wasn’t Dead Says Clinician

By Dr. Katherine Hall / Science Daily It may have happened more than 2,300 years ago, but the mystery of Alexander the Great's death could finally be solved, thanks to a University of Otago, New...
‘Arrival of Burke, Wills and King at the deserted camp at Cooper's Creek, Sunday evening, 21st April 1861’ (1907) by John Longstaff.
16 January, 2019 - 14:04 Caleb Strom

Exploration and Misfortune—The Tragic Tale of the Burke and Wills Expedition

Going out into the unknown comes with a cost. This was learned the hard way by the Burke and Wills expedition of 1860-1861, the first European expedition across Australia from Melbourne, Victoria in...
Lottery in China from 1910.
10 January, 2019 - 22:58 dhwty

From Dividing Biblical Lands to Avoiding Execution In Rome, Public Life Has a Long History of Lotteries

On the 19th of November 1994, the first draw of the UK’s National Lottery took place. The jackpot was worth £5.8 million and was shared between seven ticket holders. The history of lotteries, however...
On Left - The Battle of Crécy. On Right – Philip VI of France.
1 January, 2019 - 01:57 dhwty

The Real Game of Thrones: Enduring Saga of The Hundred Years’ War

The Hundred Years’ War was a series of conflicts (as opposed to a single, continuous war) fought between England and France. According to record, the war began in 1337 and ended in 1453 (a total of...
On Left - Isabella directing the Siege of Bristol. On Right - Isabella of France is welcomed to Paris when she returned from England to pay homage to her brother, King Charles IV of France.
30 December, 2018 - 01:45 Mark Miller

The Wild Life of English Queen Isabella, She-Wolf of France aka the Rebel Queen Who Killed the King of England

Fourteenth century English Queen Isabella, the She-Wolf of France aka the Rebel Queen, was a complex, violent person who drank heavily but who was charitable to the poor and well-liked by her people...
29 December, 2018 - 01:58 ancient-origins

A Christmas story: the arrival of a sweet baby boy – or a political power to change the world?

Robyn J. Whitaker / The Conversation Dear tiny Jesus, with your golden fleece diapers, with your tiny little fat balled-up fists … Dear 8 pound 6 ounce newborn infant Jesus, don’t even know a word...
13th-century depiction of Henry II and his legitimate children: William, Henry, Richard, Matilda, Geoffrey, Eleanor, Joan and John.
28 December, 2018 - 01:48 Mark Miller

King Henry II Brought Law and Order to His Kingdom But His Rebellious Family Was A Different Matter

King Henry II of England ruled in the 12th century from Ireland to the Pyrenees, was warlike, given to anger, and was educated in law and languages. He was the first king of the Plantagenet dynasty...
Cavalry attack on the Bayeux tapestry. This tapestry depicts the Normans preparing for and invading England.
26 December, 2018 - 22:56 dhwty

The Norman Invasion: An Epic 11th Century Battle for the English Throne

When Edward the Confessor died childless, the stage was set for the Norman invasion of England in the 11th century. Although the king was succeeded by his brother-in-law, Harold Godwinson, the...
Still life with skull and withered opium head.
23 December, 2018 - 18:58 dhwty

Heroin: Killer Drug was Marketed and Sold by Bayer as a Non-Addictive Cough Syrup

Heroin is a deadly drug with a notorious reputation. It is considered to be a dangerous addiction-producing drug, and the abuse of this substance has extremely negative results on individuals and...
Medieval castle
9 December, 2018 - 13:56 ancient-origins

Were the Dark Ages Really Dark?

The idea of a worldwide Dark Age or universal decline in man’s knowledge may be difficult to accept because the broad deterioration of ancient civilizations didn’t happen at an even pace in all...
Great Fire of London in the year 1666 by William Russel Birch
8 December, 2018 - 18:56 ancient-origins

Here is What it Would Have Been Like to be Caught in the Great Fire of London

Great explosions rang out in London’s Lower Thames Street: the sound of houses, shops, warehouses and taverns being blown up, a method intended to halt the spread of the seemingly unstoppable flames...
The Hagia Sophia, an iconic work of architecture that housed many iconic works of art.
23 November, 2018 - 13:56 Mark Miller

How Byzantine Art and Architecture Captivated the Known World

The rich, beautiful art and opulent architecture of the Byzantine Empire glorified Jesus, the saints, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the emperors. Byzantine art motifs, the mosaics, paintings, and...
The Pancake Bakery
13 November, 2018 - 13:58 dhwty

Why Were The Shrove Tuesday Riots So Brutal?

The Shrove Tuesday Riots (known also as the Bawdy House Riots of 1668, or the Messenger Riots) were a series of brutal riots that took place in London in 1668. During the 17 th century, it was...
A 16th century fresco depicting the Council of Nicaea.
9 November, 2018 - 22:54 dhwty

The Council of Nicaea: Pagan Emperor Constantine Used Christianity to Unify Church and State

The Council of Nicaea (also known as the First Council of Nicaea) was the first ecumenical council of the Christian Church. This council, which was convened in 325 AD, was assembled by the Roman...
‘Children’s Crusader’, 1905
9 November, 2018 - 17:23 dhwty

The Children's Crusade: Thousands of Children March to Holy Land but Never Return

The Children’s Crusade is one of the more unusual events that occurred in Medieval England. In the year 1212, tens of thousands of self-proclaimed, unarmed crusading children set out from northern...
A foreboding comet crossing the sky. Ancient comet sightings were often linked to important, and sometimes frightening, events in the minds of those who witnessed them.
9 November, 2018 - 14:01 ashley cowie

Ancient Comet Sightings Inspired, Frightened, Dazzled, and Baffled Past Astronomers and Star Gazers

Since the earliest days of humankind, our ancestors looked into the night sky and watched bright celestial spectacles we know today as comets. While modern astronomers have a rich understanding of...

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