One could, of course, argue about which English novel has the most memorable opening and closing lines, but since the novel has sold more than 200 million copies and is the most printed original English book, it is safe to say that the greatest number of persons have had a chance to remember the lines: “It [more...]
Dr Joseph Guillotin may have instigated the guillotine, but he did not invent it. The good doctor (1738-1814) taught anatomy, physiology and pathology at the university in Paris for five years. He was a leading Freemason, reputedly acquainted with Voltaire. In 1784, together with Benjamin Franklin and others, he was a member of the commission [more...]
There are no rules until they are broken. The idea behind this phrase is that the boundaries of acceptable behavior are complex and subtle, and cannot be codified by a simple set of rules. Therefore it’s best to start out with a set of general expectations backed up by a few rules, and to add [more...]
Isinglass is the name of two quite different things: a gelatinous substance obtained by cleaning and drying the air bladders of certain fish, used in the clarification of wines and beers and in making jellies, etc. These days, gelatin is mainly produced from other animal sources. the mineral mica, a silicate containing potassium and aluminum that [more...]
Albert Einstein’s theory is known as the Theory of Relativity because its core principle is that the speed of light in a vacuum is always the same, relative to the observer. This is totally unlike the speed of anything else. If you are driving along the motorway at 100km/hr and the car in the next lane [more...]
Many people have been executed after their death, the first one mentioned being Leonidas of Sparta in the 5th century BCE, beheaded and crucified after he died in the battle of Thermopylae. In the Christian era in Europe, more than a few persons suffered a death penalty after they had already died or been killed, [more...]
Gretna Green, a small village in Scotland just across the border from England, is renown for the many weddings celebrated there: more than 5000 each year and one in six Scottish weddings. It is especially known as a place where young couples eloped to. It all started in 1754, when Lord Hardwicke’s Marriage Act took affect, [more...]
Many will remember that the hero of Henry Fielding’s novel had a lively career that often ran afoul of the law. When the novel was published in 1749, Fielding was a magistrate in the Bow Street magistrates’ office in London, also the site of the Bow Street Court. At the time, pursuit of criminals was unregulated. [more...]
In North America there are many Union Stations: Washington DC, Los Angeles, Chicago, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, even Saskatoon, to mention just a few. When railways were first built, each company had its own station. The situation in London in the 19th century suggests the problems: the use and expense of areas of land on the fringe [more...]
In the early days of aviation before the First World War, the Daily Mail a British newspaper was keen to promote its paper and encourage the development of aviation, so it sponsored a number of air races. These were a novelty and each of them were covered in great detail in its pages and by [more...]
In the Victorian period, competing railway companies built a number of railway stations in the City of London and in London. Since then all the stations have undergone substantial redevelopment, but many still remain their original architectural features including impressive roof spans. London Bridge – Opened in 1836, London Bridge was first station to be built [more...]
The British Parliament is steeped in history and tradition, and parliamentary debates in the House of Commons are often very lively and noisy with Members of Parliament calling out to the opposition party, waving order papers, exaggerating laughter or deriding the speeches of the opposition members. Critics liken it to a bear pit or a [more...]
A hong bowl is a punch bowl made in China for the export trade, originally in the 18th century, when European countries established trading posts in China. Back then, such a trading post was called a factory, in Chinese, hong. The factories didn’t produce anything but were rather the base of the factor: the agent, [more...]
Each time the America’s Cup match races are held, sponsors claim that the America’s Cup is the oldest sporting trophy, and the media often say the same. The official website is more circumspect, stating: “… the America’s Cup is often called the oldest trophy in sport.” The first race was in 1851, around the Isle [more...]
The home of the President of United States was officially named the White House in October 1901. Construction of the building started in 1792, and the John Adams was the first President to occupy the building in 1800, even though it was far from finished. During the 19th century it was variously known as the Residence, [more...]
If you think the expression sounds like a product endorsement, you are right. If you think it sounds like a soap ad, you are absolutely correct, perhaps envisioning an well-known lovely smiling from a magazine page or speaking in a television spot. The soap manufacturer in question didn’t hesitate to advertise with testimonials. Lillie Langtry appeared [more...]
The Department of Transport (D of T) in the UK produces detailed annual reports on traffic accidents where a person has been injured. When investigating a traffic accident, police will take report any contributory factors which contributed to the collision. Not every accident will have a contributory factor reported, and some may have more than [more...]
Samuel Gilbert Scott, b.c.1813 in Philadelphia, became famous in Britain for his daring act of high-diving and other stunts until he met his accidental death in his show. Before his arrival in Britain, he was a former sailor who worked on American and British frigates and became very adapt as a top-man working in the ship’s [more...]
If you just bought a watch rated “50M”, you would be forgiven for assuming that it is waterproof to a depth of 50 meters. So can you go diving with it? No way… Ratings such as 30M, 50M, 100M and 200M indicate watches that are in some way water resistant, but are unsuitable for scuba diving. [more...]
Red tape is when bureaucracy gets in the way of what you need: local government asking for obviously unnecessary documentation for something you want to do to your house—that you probably could have gotten away with without asking for approval; or it’s taking ages to just get a stamp of approval on a simple form, and [more...]