WEIRD HISTORY
A 19th-century engraving depicts the Angel of Death descending on Rome during the Antonine plague. J.G. Levasseur/Wellcome Collection, CC BY – By Andrew Latham, Professor of Political Science, Macalester College 2020 Oct 01 – Before March of this year, few probably thought disease …
What route did the first settlers to colonize the islands of the Caribbean take? M.M. Swee/Moment via Getty Images – 2020 Sep 29 Authors Matthew F. Napolitano, Ph.D. Candidate in Archaeology, University of Oregon Jessica Stone, Affiliated Researcher in the Department of Anthropology, …
An outlandish idea code-named ‘Operation Fantasia’ aimed to demoralize the Axis power by mimicking legendary spirits. Operation Fantasia aimed to destroy Japanese morale by exposing soldiers and civilians to a Shinto portent of doom: kitsune, or fox-shaped spirits with magical abilities. (Illustration by …
A sample of crucible slag from an 11th century archaeological site in Iran, which was found to contain chromium. Rahil Alipour, UCL – By Michael Irving 2020 Sep 23 – Chromium is a common addition to alloys to make materials like tool steel or …
A subject of historical discussion, the phrase Black Irish is almost never referred to in Ireland. Who were the black Irish? Some say they came from the Spanish Armada. (“Defeat of the Spanish Armada”, painted by Philip James de Loutherbourg). Wikimedia Commons – …
Chartwell, the home of Winston Churchill, is mentioned in the National Trust report. – Joe Minihane, CNN • Updated 2020 Sep 27 – Grand buildings replete with turrets, picture windows and kitchen gardens. Perfectly manicured lawns. And hundreds of rooms stuffed with antiques …
The U.S. Supreme Court changed size seven times in its first 80 years, from as few as five justices to as many as 10. Now, some argue it’s time to revisit the issue. The Supreme Court consisted of nine justices in 1894, but …
If confirmed, the footfalls would represent the oldest evidence of Homo sapiens’ presence on the Arabian Peninsula – Researchers identified seven prehistoric human footprints at Alathar, a dried-up lake bed in Saudi Arabia. (Palaeodeserts Project) – By Alex Fox, SmithsonianMag.Com 2020 Sep 21 …
What happened to the crew of the Mary Celeste? Source: yaroslavartist /Adobe Stock – By dhwty 2020 Sep 10 – On December 4, 1872, a ship now known as the Mary Celeste was found adrift in the choppy seas of the Atlantic. The …
The subject of the portrait is Devajammani, says historian Nigel Chancellor – Courtesy: Sotheby’s – By Aparna Alluri BBC News, Delhi 2020 Sep 20 – When Devajammani arrived at the royal court of Mysore in 1805, it was to marry Krishnaraja Wadiyar III. …
