A Brief History On October 13, 54 A.D., Roman Emperor Claudius was poisoned to death, possibly by his wife, via tainted mushrooms! Digging Deeper Claudius is most famous for being Roman Emperor when the Roman Empire added Britain to its territory. As such, he is generally remembered for his expansion of Roman control over a territory that would remain in Roman possession for centuries. Yet it is with his personal life, particularly in his marriages, that we find all sorts of less impressive accomplishments. His first marriage was to Plautia Urgulanilla (try saying that five times fast!). This marriage ended…
Browsing: Politics
A Brief History On October 12, 1216, King John of England lost his crown jewels! Digging Deeper England has had only one king named John for a good reason: their only king who had that name was quite possibly the country’s worst monarch in its entire over 1000-year-long history! John “Lackland” or “Softsword” (December 24, 1166 – October 19, 1216) reigned as England’s king from April 6, 1199 until his death on October 19, 1216. He succeeded the famed crusader-king Richard the Lionhearted on England’s throne and experienced one debacle after another. Even before John’s reign officially began, he tried…
A Brief History On October 11, 1972, a race riot took place not in a city, but at sea! Digging Deeper From the 1950s on into the 1970s, tensions among American whites and blacks were appallingly high. While we Americans commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s peaceful efforts at integration with a holiday, the March on Washington and “I have a dream” speech are but part of the story of the long and arguably still ongoing effort at promoting racial equality in our country. By the end of the 1960s, another more violent part of that story came into play. Nationwide…
A Brief History On October 9, 1911, an accidental bomb explosion in China lead to the ultimate fall of China’s last imperial dynasty. Digging Deeper By 1911, the Qing or Manchu dynasty had ruled over China for almost 300 years. During that time period, China experienced numerous internationally embarrassing disasters from its defeat in the Opium Wars to the failed Boxer Rebellion. 1911 would see the proverbial straw that broke the imperial camel’s back. An incident known as the Wuchang Uprising broke out on this day in 1911 by accident. A revolutionary leader named Sun Wu was accidentally injured by…
A Brief History On October 5, 1789, the women of Paris marched to Versailles to confront King Louis XVI about his refusal to abolish feudalism, to demand bread, and to force the King and his court to move to Paris. Digging Deeper English playwright and poet William Congreve (January 24, 1670 – January 19, 1729) famously noted, “Heav’n has no rage like love to hatred turn’d, Nor Hell a fury, like a woman scorn’d.” Perhaps his words were prescient for the violent chaos of the French Revolution as best exhibited when a veritable mob of weapons wielding women wanted to…
