The Adventurers who Crossed Half the Pacific in a Raft

Thor Heyerdahl was a man who lived for excitement. At the age of 22, he sailed to the volcanic Marquesas islands. Less than a decade later, he was fighting Nazis with the Free Norwegian Forces. But it was his long-held belief in an ancient link between South America and Polynesia that got him fired up […]

This Week in History: Golfer who Drank 1,400 Bottles of Radioactive Water Dies

This week, American millionaire and amateur golfer Eben Byers died after drinking radioactive water for years.

The Heaven Book that Abolished Slavery

The capital of the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy, Bologna is a historical goldmine for lovers of obscure but important history. The city enjoyed great success during the Medieval period, but perhaps the most interesting thing is the Liber Paradisus, otherwise known as the Heaven Book. Dating back to 1256 – and beating Britain and the […]

This Week in History: Birth of Napoleon’s Greatest Diplomat

This week, over 250 years ago, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord was born. Talleyrand (the man in the flowing white wig stood directly behind the table) was a French politician and diplomat who served under, and later conspired against, Napoleon.

Ye Olde Snippets: Age Is Just A Stereotype

The old believe everything; the middle-aged suspect everything; the young know everything.

The Richest Person in History

Names such as Carnegie, Rockefeller or Rothschild are all synonymous with vast fortunes, and rightly so. However when it comes to deciding the individual with the largest ever fortune things get more complicated. A smart guess would be to look at some of the wealthiest people around in the time of the Roman Empire, such […]

This Week in History: The Great Emu War Ends, Emus Win

In this week in history, Australia admitted defeat in its war with thousands of large, flightless birds. Imagine an army, 20,000 strong, that can run at 30 mph – significantly faster than Usain Bolt – take up to five bullets before being felled and tear down metal fencing with just their legs. Major Meredith of […]