December 24, 1801 — The “Puffing Devil” is first demonstrated
Constructed by Richard Trevithick in Camborne, Cornwall, the Puffing Devil holds the distinction of being the world’s first steam rail...
May 19, 2021
The Past
July 1, 1798 – France invades Egypt
Napoleon had grand dreams of empire when he embarked for the Middle East in 1798. And at first, they seemed...
May 24, 2021
November 15, 1793 — Mason and Dixon arrive in Philadelphia
Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon were a pair of English astronomers who were hired by Thomas Penn and Frederick Calvert,...
May 29, 2021
July 13, 1793 — Jean-Paul Marat is killed in his bathtub
Jean-Paul Marat was a fiery republican journalist who was an important figure in the French revolutionary movement. A scientist (he...
June 4, 2021
January 21, 1793 — Louis XVI of France is executed
The last king of France was not even a king at the time of his execution. He had been arrested...
June 9, 2021
1789 — Marie Antionette (allegedly) says “Let them eat cake”
The French phrase “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche” is usually translated as “Let them eat cake”, and is widely attributed...
June 14, 2021
April 28, 1789 — The Mutiny on the HMS Bounty
William Bligh, whatever else you might say about him, had three inarguable qualities. First, he had the strength of his...
June 19, 2021
February 22, 1788 — Arthur Schopenhauer is born
Arthur Schopenhauer was born in Danzig, in what is now Poland. The child of a wealthy patrician family, Arthur went...
June 24, 2021
January 18, 1788 — The First Fleet lands in Botany Bay
An advance party for the First Fleet to colonise Australia entered Botany Bay on this day. The Governor of the...
June 29, 2021
October 19, 1781 — British forces under Cornwallis surrender at Yorktown
Lieutenant-General Charles Cornwallis was a loyal servant of the crown of Great Britain, and not an untalented one. Forces he...
July 1, 2021
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