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Join for content related to world history, archaeology, and historiography. Run by @its_just_b - feedback and messages welcome.
Pelé, Edson Arantes do Nascimento (1940-2022) during the World Cup in London.
He was considered one of, if not the, greatest footballers of all time and won the World Cup with Brazil a record three times.
(Photgrapher: Art Rickerby)
It is also often mentioned that Christmas is (according to who you speak to) 'borrowed,' 'stolen' or 'appropriated' from pagan festivals. This is not accurate. The reality is much more complex. Some elements of Christmas were certainly taken from pagan cultures, but nobody has fully explained why the date is on the 25th. As C. P. E. Nothaft puts it:
"one of the most encouraging trends in recent research on Christmas's history is its critical stance towards sweeping narratives and a readiness to consider explanations that are more multi-faceted and to accept a more diverse range of factors than has previously been the case."
James Barry, born Margaret Ann Bulkley, a surgeon in the British army.
A compassionate and skilled medic, he served in the Crimean War alongside Florence Nightingale. He also performed the first successful caesarean section by a European in Africa. The family were so grateful that the newborn was named partly after Barry, and the name was passed down the generations to famous South African Prime Minister J. B. M. Hertzog.
He was only found to be a biological woman after his death when, against his wishes, he was autopsied. That someone, who had gained the position of Inspector General, could have fooled the British army for years when women were prohibited from serving is quite extraordinary. Many simply thought he was effeminate.
As with many historical figures, it's quite difficult to tell if they were transgender as we would understand it today. However, Barry lived his private life as a man too, and it doesn't seem that he was intersex (despite recent controversies).
Soviet policewoman directing traffic in Berlin, 1945. The Reichstag is in the background.
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The opening of the Suez Canal in Egypt, November 1869. After many failed attempts, it was built under the direction of France with an international team.
Much of the earlier labour used on it was forced, leading to disputes and strikes. It was built in just under ten years, four years behind schedule.
The small size meant it had to be made larger in 1876.
A new study published by the Royal Society reveals that, as whaling began to become widespread in the 19th century, whales in the Pacific communicated amongst themselves to avoid whaling ships. This conclusion is a result of examining data derived from newly digitised whaling ship logbooks.
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Moses Shapira's apparent discovery of the 'Shapira Scroll', which apeared to have ancient Hebrew texts, led to widespread accusations of foregery and one of the greatest scandals of archaeology. The shame was so great Shapira committed suicide. But claims that the scroll could be genuine have never disappeared.
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Vasilisa at the Hut of Baba Yaga (Ivan Bilibin, 1899).
At this stage in the Russian folk-tale, Vasilisa is thrown out of Baba Yaga's hut and given a skull to light her way home
March 20 is the Vernal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere.
A time of hope and renewal, but pity the poor peasant who must work extra hard digging, planting, and here, pruning trees.
Trin MS B.11.31
An odd painting, described as 'disturbing' by one art critic for its crude use of perspective (see the table). It contains many strange details and symbols, such as mouse traps (an allegory for Jesus Christ's sacrifice).
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Today is the feast day of St Patrick, a Romano-British saint who brought Christianity to Ireland. It is derived from the supposed date of his death, 17 March, probably in 461 AD.
He was captured by Irish pirates as a teenager. Eventually escaping, he was able to return to his family where he had a vision imploring him to spread Christianity to Ireland.
Much of what we know about Patrick, however, is from himself. He may well have been accused of some financial impropriety, which is in part what his Confessio was written in defence of.
Above is the oldest known depiction of him (right), in a book by Jacobus de Voragine.
Source
Other discoveries included arrowheads, coins, and a basket that could be the oldest in the world.
The archaeologists were praised for their bravery, as they had to abseil down barely-known cliffs in parts of the cave.
'The Assassination and Funeral of Julius Caesar', Apollonio di Giovanni and Marco del Buono Giamberti (1455-1460).
Depicting the assassination of Julius Caesar.
Here is his full essay. Avoid simple conclusions! And merry Christmas!
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https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/dr-james-barry-the-importance-of-archival-discoveries/
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'I believe that my land, India, will soon have its October [Revolution] too' (USSR, 1930).
The phrase appears to be in the voice of the elephant rather than the rider(!).
There's nothing massively useful in this discovery, it's just interesting and rare.
https://www.trinhall.cam.ac.uk/news/rare-preserved-butterfly-discovered-nestled-in-a-copy-of-the-earliest-insect-book-published-in-england/
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2021.0030
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This recounts some of the latest attempts to solve the mystery.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/10/arts/bible-deuteronomy-discovery.html
The evacuation of Japanese-Americans from Los Angeles, via Santa Fe railway station, to Manzanar internment camp (Russell Lee, 1942).
The internment of Japanese-Americans by the American government was very controversial. A formal apology and reparations were offered in 1988.
Source
March 22 1622: The Jamestown massacre takes place. Relations between Powhatan Native Americans and English colonists had gradually broken down, especially after Chief Powhatan realised that the English were not settling to trade, but rather take over the land. 347 settlers were killed, although many were saved by a Powhatan boy who told an Englishman of the plan shortly beforehand.
This massacre commenced the First Powhatan War.
Mérode Altarpiece (Annunciation Triptych), Robert Campin and apprentice, c.1427-1432.
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https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/16/world/middleeast/dead-sea-scrolls-israel.html
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An exciting announcement: more fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls have been discovered. These are the first for sixty years; the initial collection was discovered in the 1940s by a shepherd.
These scrolls were stored here during the Bar Kochba Revolt, a Jewish uprising against the Romans between 132 and 136 AD. The cave they were discovered in is called 'Horror Cave', because of the number of dead bodies within; it is believed they starved to death after being trapped by Roman soldiers.
The scrolls contain parts of the Hebrew Bible and help us understand the people of the Levant at that time.
15 March 44 BC: Fearing Julius Caesar's growing power, senators plot to assassinate him. Despite several warnings, a reluctant Caesar is eventually convinced to meet them. They surround him under the pretense of discussing a petition. Once he can not escape, he is stabbed 23 times. Only one stab is actually a fatal blow.
Suetonius reports that he said nothing, but contemporaries speculate that Caesar spoke a Greek phrase: "Kai su, teknon?"
"You too, child?"
Fake history is very, very prevalent. But you can educate yourself on how to spot it circulating online.
https://www.historyextra.com/period/21st-century/fake-false-historical-images-how-to-spot-pictures/
Lou Ottens has died; he was the man who led the team that invented the cassette tape. The compact design allowed easy recording of and listening to music, quickly surpassing the bulky reel-to-reel tape, and rivalling large vinyl records.
The cassette had many consequences. It democratised audio recording. Small bands and artists could distribute their music cheaply. Music could also be easily duplicated and passed to a friend, causing much panic within the music industry (though alarmist campaigns warning of the death of the industry were not heeded). Politically, messages could quickly and discretely be distributed, such as in the case of Ayatollah Khomeini after the Iranian revolution, or Soviet dissidents.
Most nostalgically, sharing personal mixtapes was often a part of friendship and courtship.
The cassette was eventually superceded by the CD.