Historical

I'll Go When I'm Good And Ready
General George McClellan was outnumbered. At age thirty-four, he was an internationally-respected military thinker and strategist (except where the cavalry was concerned; he only wanted them for guards and advance patrols. However, his invention—the McClellan saddle--was in continuous use from 1859 until the horse cavalry was disbanded in World War II. The Confederate cavalry made widespread use of it after 1863. Thanks, George).
By Stacey Roberts5 years ago in FYI
Why Civilization is the cause of discontent?
At an early stage of development, the actions of an infant are controlled by its instinct. Try snatching a rattle from its hand, and it will come at you with force to take it back. A one-year-old toddler does not think twice to latch at its mother's breast when hungry. It cannot differentiate between the self and the outer world as it is driven by pure ego and wants. Freud defines this phenomenon as infantile narcissism.
By Vaibhav Bhosle5 years ago in FYI
How The Work, and Thus The Legacy, of Kathleen Collins Resurfaced
One afternoon in 2013, Dennis Doros received a call. The call was from a young woman wanting to pitch a movie of her mother’s to Milestone Films. Dennis, along with Amy Heller, co-founded the distribution company in 1990 and became world-renowned for their efforts. At first, the call didn’t particularly excite Dennis. However, as the woman explained what the film was, he realized they had just found the cinematic equivalent of gold.
By Jamie Lammers5 years ago in FYI
The Historical Diaspora & Identity of Afro-Iranians
Slavery was abolished by the Pahlavi royal family as recently as 1929. There isn’t much attention given to the black history in Iran and the rest of the Middle East, with Persian ethnocentrism playing a part in marginalizing the history of minorities in Iran. In Asia by Africa, a magazine dedicated to Asian and African stories quotes that ‘the historiography of every nation serves ulterior purposes, and the omission of slavery in Iran, in turn, serves narratives that the Muslim world did not engage in the slave trade. Specifically, the image of the slave trade as a purely Western abomination serves the historical narrative which Tehran and other Middle Eastern regimes seek to cultivate.’ Millions of Africans were exported by Arab slavers from the east coast of Africa to the Middle East and Indian between 1500 and 1900.
By Sana Zia5 years ago in FYI
5 Inventions From Ancient Egypt We Still Use Today
The ancient Egyptian civilization thrived for nearly 4,000 years along the Nile. During that time, the Egyptians produced many valuable items that we still use today.
By Nikole Lynn5 years ago in FYI
The Truth About King Richard and His Devoted Minstrel
King Richard I, also known as Richard the Lionheart, was one of England’s most popular monarchs, so it’s not surprising that much of what people write about him is absolute nonsense. He may or may not have been gay. The body of his father Henry II most assuredly did not begin to bleed when he approached it (indicating that Richard was his murderer). He was not best buddies with Robin Hood since Robin Hood probably never existed in the first place.
By Denise Shelton5 years ago in FYI
Achilles and his heel
The name Achilles is remembered today mainly because everyone has two Achilles tendons, which connect the calf muscle to the heel, and many people have suffered considerable pain, discomfort and inconvenience when one of these has been strained or torn.
By John Welford5 years ago in FYI
Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and his fall from favour
On 29th November 1530 Cardinal Thomas Wolsey died at Leicester Abbey during a journey south that would almost certainly have ended with his execution at the Tower of London.
By John Welford5 years ago in FYI
Charles Edward Stuart: "Bonnie Prince Charlie"
31st December 1720 was the date of birth of Charles Edward Stuart, known to history as “Bonnie Prince Charlie”, a man who spent his entire life regretting that things had not turned out differently.
By John Welford5 years ago in FYI
The imprisonment and ransoming of King Richard I
On 21st December 1192 King Richard I of England was captured by Duke Leopold of Austria, after which he was held prisoner for 14 months.
By John Welford5 years ago in FYI
The assassination of Archbishop Thomas Becket, 1170
On 29th December 1170 Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, was hacked to death in his cathedral, apparently on the orders of King Henry II.
By John Welford5 years ago in FYI
4 Remarkable Lessons from a Legendary General
Once I heard an interesting question from a European colleague, regarding South-American languages: Why the 200 million Spanish speakers of the continent live in nine different countries, while the 220 million Portuguese speakers concentrate in one single country?
By Borba de Souza5 years ago in FYI