Browsing: January 16

A Brief History On January 16, 2006, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was sworn in as the President of Liberia, the first female to be elected head of state of any African country. Digging Deeper Sirleaf had previously served as the Minister of Finance for Liberia but had escaped to the US after a 1980 coup put Samuel Doe in charge.  Sirleaf was well acquainted with the US, having gone to college in the States, at Madison Business College, the University of Colorado Boulder, and Harvard. Apparently Sirleaf must have done a good job, for she was reelected in 2011 and served…

A Brief History This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on January 16th.  For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event. Digging Deeper On January 16, 27 BC, the Roman Senate conferred upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus the title “Augustus,” effectively making Augustus Caesar the first Roman Emperor, marking the beginning of the Roman Empire. On January 16, 27 BC, Livia Drusilla (58 BC–AD 29) became in effect the first Roman empress when her husband received the honorary title of Augustus (“honorable” or “revered one”)…

A Brief History On January 16, 1537, an armed insurrection took place in England, specifically in Cumberland and Westmorland, pitting unhappy Roman Catholics against the blasphemous King Henry VIII. Digging Deeper Known as “Bigod’s Rebellion,” this religious war sounds mighty close to “By God’s,” a somehow almost appropriate name.  The name of the rebellion actually derived from Sir Francis Bigod, a leader of the revolt. King Henry VIII had infamously disbanded the Catholic Church in England and started his own brand of Christianity, later called The Church of England, in order to legitimize his marital wishes.  The rebellion failed in…

A Brief History On January 16, 27 BC, Livia Drusilla (58 BC–AD 29) became in effect the first Roman empress when her husband received the honorary title of Augustus (“honorable” or “revered one”) from the Roman Senate.  Roman civilization is not a new one. There have been many developments in this civilization. Family life in Roman times along with the lives of women in ancient Rome need special mention in this regard. It is fascinating to note that the lives of Roman women of the yesteryears are similar to those of modern women of this era. Women of those times…

A Brief History On January 16, 27 BC, the Roman Senate conferred upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus the title “Augustus,” effectively making Augustus Caesar the first Roman Emperor, marking the beginning of the Roman Empire.  While previously the Romans had indeed conquered many lands, their government had been a Republic and run by the Senate until Gaius Julius Caesar (the man usually referred to as simply Julius Caesar) became Dictator of Rome, sort of a de facto king or emperor.  If you notice the similarity in names between Julius and Augustus, you can be assured this is not coincidental. Digging…