Page 1 of 66

On this day in history...

PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2015 8:57 am
by Lianachan
May 29th 1453 - the end of the eastern Roman empire as Mehmed the Conqueror captures Constantinople after a 57 day siege.

Re: On this day in history...

PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2015 10:18 am
by Heid the Ba
The first man onto the wall was this guy at 0930 or so. I'm hoping to get back to the City later this summer.

Re: On this day in history...

PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2015 10:27 am
by Мастер
Lianachan wrote:May 29th 1453 - the end of the eastern Roman empire as Mehmed the Conqueror captures Constantinople after a 57 day siege.


The western one lasted another 353 years :mrgreen:

Re: On this day in history...

PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2015 10:54 am
by Lianachan
Indeed. Sort of.

Re: On this day in history...

PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2015 12:16 pm
by Heid the Ba
Or a thousand years less, discuss.

Re: On this day in history...

PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2015 12:42 pm
by Lianachan
Also on this day, in 1953, Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary become the first men to climb Everest and in 1660 Charles II arrived in London (on his 30th birthday, as it happens) to reclaim the throne.

Re: On this day in history...

PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2015 1:00 pm
by Arneb
Heid the Ba' wrote:Or a thousand years less, discuss.

I'll go with "a thousand years less"because citing my father, the problem with the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation was that ist was neither holy, nor Roman, nor indeed an Empire, German, or a nation.

Re: On this day in history...

PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2015 2:30 pm
by Heid the Ba
The most apt phrase for that institution.

Re: On this day in history...

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2015 12:12 pm
by Lianachan
May 30th 1431 - one of my favourite historical people, Joan of Arc, is burnt at the stake by the English.

Re: On this day in history...

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2015 2:12 pm
by Arneb
On the same day 530 years later, the dictator of the Dominican Republic, Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina is killed in an ambush. I mention it because it inspired Mario Vargas Llosa to write his wonderful novel, La Fiesta del Chivo (The Billy-Goat's Feast). I recommend it to anyone wanting to learn how dictatorships work.

Re: On this day in history...

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2015 2:14 pm
by Arneb
BTW, since this is looking to become a regular diversion of ours, I've moved this to Baba O'Reilly. Hey, I've got to so something with my moderator hat, right?

Re: On this day in history...

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2015 7:02 pm
by Heid the Ba
Yet another abuse of power by the Mods, actually possibly the first use of power, never mind . . .

Re: On this day in history...

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2015 7:44 pm
by Мастер
Arneb wrote:
Heid the Ba' wrote:Or a thousand years less, discuss.

I'll go with "a thousand years less"because citing my father, the problem with the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation was that ist was neither holy, nor Roman, nor indeed an Empire, German, or a nation.


Well, was the eastern one the proper successor of Caesar? It had a bit of a "restructuring" in 1204.

Re: On this day in history...

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2015 7:45 pm
by Мастер
Arneb wrote:I recommend it to anyone wanting to learn how dictatorships work.


I checked out at an early age, and therefore have no direct memories of the dictatorship where I started live. However, the country to which I moved is very kindly planning a re-enactment for my benefit.

Re: On this day in history...

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2015 7:55 pm
by Heid the Ba
Мастер wrote:
Arneb wrote:
Heid the Ba' wrote:Or a thousand years less, discuss.

I'll go with "a thousand years less"because citing my father, the problem with the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation was that ist was neither holy, nor Roman, nor indeed an Empire, German, or a nation.


Well, was the eastern one the proper successor of Caesar? It had a bit of a "restructuring" in 1204.

We don't talk about 1204 round these parts, we do however piss in the Adriatic and or throw stones in at every opportunity.

You can argue that it hung on in Trebizond for a long time after 1453, or that Moscow is the new Constantinople/Rome. In fact I did in my honours course. :D

Re: On this day in history...

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2015 9:25 pm
by Мастер
Heid the Ba' wrote:or that Moscow is the new Constantinople/Rome. In fact I did in my honours course. :D


"is", or "was"? :mrgreen:

Re: On this day in history...

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2015 9:45 pm
by Arneb
Мастер wrote:
Arneb wrote:I recommend it to anyone wanting to learn how dictatorships work.


I checked out at an early age, and therefore have no direct memories of the dictatorship where I started live. However, the country to which I moved is very kindly planning a re-enactment for my benefit.


And you decided to watch the play from the boxes instead of taking part in the show?

Re: On this day in history...

PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2015 1:58 am
by Мастер
Arneb wrote:And you decided to watch the play from the boxes instead of taking part in the show?


It's better that way.

Re: On this day in history...

PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2015 8:52 am
by Heid the Ba
Мастер wrote:
Heid the Ba' wrote:or that Moscow is the new Constantinople/Rome. In fact I did in my honours course. :D


"is", or "was"? :mrgreen:

Was I suppose.

Re: On this day in history...

PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2015 10:21 am
by Heid the Ba
31st May 1916 saw the start of the Battle of Jutland, a low scoring draw between the Royal Navy's Home Fleet and Imperial Germany's High Seas Fleet.

Re: On this day in history...

PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 7:53 pm
by Lianachan
1st June 1879 - Eugene Napoleon, the last heir to Napoleon's dynasty, is killed fighting for Britain in the Zulu Wars.

Re: On this day in history...

PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 8:21 pm
by Heid the Ba
He was actually killed dicking about in an area he had been told not to go into. He was in an odd position, he couldn't be in the British Army (because Napoleon) but his mother was a close friend of Queen Victoria so he got to tag along. His minders were in the unenviable position of having to do what he said as he was an Imperial Prince but being responsible for his safety. My recollection is that the officer whose advice the Mint Imperial ignored was ostracised and may have committed suicide.

Edit: And there is some evidence that as a young thruster he wore very tight trousers which prevented him remounting quickly which is why he was killed. With apologies, I can get very tedious about the Zulu War.

Re: On this day in history...

PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 10:08 pm
by Lianachan
Heid the Ba' wrote:He was actually killed dicking about in an area he had been told not to go into. He was in an odd position, he couldn't be in the British Army (because Napoleon) but his mother was a close friend of Queen Victoria so he got to tag along. His minders were in the unenviable position of having to do what he said as he was an Imperial Prince but being responsible for his safety. My recollection is that the officer whose advice the Mint Imperial ignored was ostracised and may have committed suicide.

Edit: And there is some evidence that as a young thruster he wore very tight trousers which prevented him remounting quickly which is why he was killed. With apologies, I can get very tedious about the Zulu War.

Ah, cool - cheers. My summary was lifted directly from that well known bastion of impartial accuracy, the BBC.

Re: On this day in history...

PostPosted: Tue Jun 02, 2015 9:00 am
by Arneb
It may or may not have been June 2, but some time around this day, in 1265, 750 years ago, one Dante Alighieri, apparently a poet of some note, was born in Florence, Italy.

Re: On this day in history...

PostPosted: Tue Jun 02, 2015 10:08 am
by Lianachan
More firmly on the 2nd of June, in 1746, Charles Stuart was on the run and in hiding at Choradail on South Uist. Probably the safest he'd been while on the run, and he seemed to enjoy his time there. He'd arrived on the 14th of May and was to stay until the 5th of June. Romantic tradition has it that he spent that time in this cave, even though the historical record is extremely clear about him staying in a house.