History – Page 2 – Postcards

The Great Pyramid Looked Really Great

November 22, 2019November 22, 2019 No Comments

Back in the day it probably looked absolutely amazing in it’s polished limestone facing: ” The current outer surface of the Great Pyramid at Giza is made of rough limestone blocks, colored a dark sandy brown from hundreds of years of pollution and weathering. But when it was first built, there was a smooth layer of fine […]

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Crime History

True Crime: “The Girl in the Box”

September 25, 2019 No Comments

Not knowing is a hard thing to deal with. Fascinating unsolved crime long read in the Guardian: On 15 September 1981, 10-year-old Ursula Herrmann headed home by bike from her cousin’s house. She never arrived. So began one of Germany’s most notorious postwar criminal cases, which remains contentious to this day.

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Computer Science History Space Technology

Margaret Hamilton: Pioneer Software Engineer

July 15, 2019July 22, 2019 No Comments

Enjoyable, if brief, interview with Margaret Hamilton, who lead the software team for the Apollo moonshots. I can’t help but notice how few men are ever asked how their lives as parents ever collides with their work. Q: Did your life as a software engineer and a mother ever collide? A: Often in the evening or […]

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Government History Human Rights Religious Organisations Society

Catholic Adoption

July 5, 2018 No Comments

In the news, more adoption issues in a case that further illustrates the attitudes and social mores of catholic Ireland as detailed in The God Squad. The fudged adoption papers, un-vetted placement, obfuscation and misdirection of the supposed Sisters of Charity is sadly unsurprising yet still awful to read: His client became pregnant shortly before her […]

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Germany History Internets Politics Wonderful World

A Reminder from History

November 7, 2016 No Comments

A German man living in California shared this message with the American people #beentheredonethat pic.twitter.com/Rtq9OqBWmn — Dr. Yasmin (@DoctorYasmin) November 6, 2016 Never vote for fascists. It never works out.

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Europe History Politics UK

The week that contained years

July 5, 2016July 5, 2016 No Comments

Lenin once said that “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.” This has been one of those weeks. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such a sense of compressed events; news breaking like waves. The fallout from this week will last years. Politically, most of the action, or perhaps […]

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History

Equality Forgotten

March 21, 2016 No Comments

Fascinating op-ed in the NYT: On a speaking tour in 1917, Ireland’s foremost suffragist, Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, told audiences that “it is the only instance I know of in history when men fighting for freedom voluntarily included women.” The progressive leanings of the Rising’s leaders were evident in the language of the Proclamation of an […]

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History Humour

Slight doubt on the Obersalzberg

November 27, 2015November 27, 2015 No Comments

Source: Obersalzberg

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Films History Military

‘Jadotville’

October 8, 2015 No Comments

Netflix have picked this up exclusively, so I hear. http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/film-siege-of-jadotville-to-reveal-heroism-of-irish-troops-1.1891868 It’s a fascinating story, I’d consider getting Netflix for this.

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Bits & Bobs History Housing

Charmingly Quaint

October 6, 2015 No Comments

This old country home has remained largely unchanged since the 1940’s. It reminds me of my childhood – sitting by the fire in my old house and in grandparents and the homes of older farmers in the area. Lovely memories. We had those tiles in our kitchen, kept them well polished which made for a […]

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Who?

Murf

The Great Pyramid Looked Really Great

True Crime: “The Girl in the Box”

Margaret Hamilton: Pioneer Software Engineer

Catholic Adoption

A Reminder from History

The week that contained years

Equality Forgotten

Slight doubt on the Obersalzberg

‘Jadotville’

Charmingly Quaint

Category: History