
Troy – was it a trade war ?
On this day in 1184 BC according to legend, the ancient city of Troy was sacked. The ancient story of Helen, wife of Menelaus, king... Read More

Alexander the Great – was he an alcoholic ?
On this day in BC323 Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia, Persia and Asia and Pharaoh of Egypt, died aged 32. Historians are divided as... Read More

Charles Dickens, father of the serialised story
On this day in 1870 the English writer Charles Dickens died. The man who wrote the best-selling novel of all time, (A Tale of Two... Read More

Robert Schumann’s fight with mental illness
On this day in 1810 the German composer Robert Schumann was born. During his forty six years he composed a body of musical work that... Read More

Paul Gauguin, stockbroker extraordinaire
On this day in 1848 the French painter Paul Gauguin was born in Paris. Gauguin’s family moved to Peru a year later and he did... Read More

Alexander Pushkin, Russia’s duelling poet
On this day in 1799 Russian poet Alexander Pushkin was born. Pushkin was a member of the Russian nobility. By all accounts he was sensitive... Read More

Federico Garcia Lorca – was he ‘An Andalusian Dog’?
On this day in 1898 the Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca was born near Granada, Andalusia. As a student he became friends with Salvador Dali... Read More