Monthly Archives: March 2015
HISTORIC REFUSAL
On March 31st, 1657, the English Parliament offered the crown of England to Oliver Cromwell, the man who had beheaded its previous owner, King Charles I. Cromwell declined. Dictatorship seemed to be working well, so why bother? And king or not, he still got to have his image on coins of the realm.
IT’S PALM SUNDAY
Image from: http://clipart.christiansunite.com/ Wishing all Christians a blessed day as they recall the Saviour’s joyous entry into Jerusalem.
HISTORIC SCHOOLS: ETON COLLEGE
Despite being England’s “Mad King Harry”, the tragic Henry VI had his lucid moments. During one of them he founded Eton College. Originally known as “The King’s College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor”, the school gave free education to seventy boys from poor families. The following year Henry founded King’s College Cambridge, which […]
HISTORIC HAPPENING: ROYAL FUNERAL
If you’re going to be in or near Leicester, England this week, a royal funeral is finally going to be held at the cathedral for Richard III, the last Plantagenet king. It’s taken 530 years, but his remains were only found three years ago – in a car park. Numerous activities related to the late […]
HISTORIC MOVIE IDEAS FOR MARCH
March’s historic viewing suggestions: And Now Miguel (1966) (Mid-29th Century) The Barretts Of Wimpole Street (1934) (Victorian Era) Enchantment (1948) (Victorian Era / WW II Crossover) Mary Poppins (Disney, 1964) (Edwardian Era) The Secret Of Kells (Animated, 2009) (Viking Era Ireland) (8+, could frighten younger kids) The Secret of Roan Inish (1994) (Post WW II […]
WORLD DOWN’S SYNDROME AWARENESS DAY
People with Down’s Syndrome are born with an extra chromosome that limits intellectual function and can cause health issues such as intestinal problems and heart and vision defects. This condition, which occurs in 1 out of 800 births world births, was not always known as Down’s Syndrome (or, in the U.S.A, Down Syndrome). In an […]
TRIVIA TRAIL: KITES
Question: Where is the world’s largest kite museum? Answer: Weifang, China, where the kite is thought to have been invented almost 3,000 years ago. Their initial purpose was probably military (surveillance and such), but there’s also a legend that the first kite was actually just a hat that kept blowing off the head of […]
TRIVIA TRAIL: THE IDES OF MARCH
Question: Was there any significance to the Ideas of March (the 15th of March) before Julius Caesar got himself assassinated on that date in 44 BCE? Answer: Yes. From 220 BCE to 153 BCE, the Idus Martias (basically, the middle of the month) was the day on which Rome’s two annually elected consuls took office […]
Time Travelling With Kids 