Most people don’t realise that the Korean War, which began on the 25th of June 1950 with the invasion of South Korea by Communist North Korea, did not end with the signing of an armistice on the 27th July 1953. The armistice only allowed for a ceasefire, the creation of a Demilitarised Zone, and the return of prisoners of war. So technically North and South Korea have never signed a peace treaty, and are still at war.
The 15th century BC Battle of Megiddo between Thutmose III and a coalition of Canaanite vassal states. There is debate about the exact year of this battle with 3 common suggestions being 1457, 1479 and 1482 BC. This battle is particularly important as it is considered the first battle to have been recorded with any acceptable level of detail.
Tensions between the US and North Korea are not new. In fact a drunk president Nixon almost launched a tactical nuclear strike against the North Koreans in April 1969.
On this day April 6 46 BC the Republican forces of the Optimates led by Metellus Scipio fought against the forces of Julius Caesar outside the African city of Thapsus (modern day Tunisia). Continue reading “46 BC Caesar defeats Scipio and Cato to win the battle of Thapsus”
On This Day – 31 January 1606
Guy Fawkes (born 13 April 1570) was executed for his involvement in the 1605 Catholic plot against the Anglican King James I of England and VI of Scotland.
Continue reading “1606 – Guy Fawkes executed for involvement in the Gunpowder Plot”
On This Day – 23 January 1870
Colonel Eugene Baker ordered his troops to attack a camp of sleeping Blackfeet Indians along the Marias River.
Continue reading “1870 – The Marias Massacre of Blackfeet Indians”
Online Greek Coinage is an international project with the goal of creating a place for the presentation of ancient Greek coinage on the web, drawing on a number of open data resources. The site provides a reference database and it will in time provide a classical typology of all Greek coin types online.
A team of scientists working with the Tauros Programme are trying to bring the extinct Aurochs back to Europe. The Aurochs was an ancient bovine breed that stood about 7 feet tall at the shoulder, 2 feet taller than their modern descendants, and were last seen in Europe in the 17th Century.
A 56 year-old male employee of the Orleans Museum of Natural History located South of Paris has been handed a 3 month suspended sentence after pleading guilty to the theft of 666 stones and fossils dating back to the Neolithic era.
Continue reading “Hundreds of Stolen Artefacts sold on Ebay”
To celebrate the start of the Ancient Roman Saturnalia festival we have changed our header image to a ‘slice’ taken from Antoine Callet’s oil painting Saturnales. Callet was a French painter who lived 1741 – 1823. He became the official portraitist for Louis XVI, as well as creating allegorical works such as this one.
On This Day – 17 December
The Ancient Romans celebrated the beginning of the Saturnalia with a festival in honour of Saturnus, the god of seed and sowing.
On This Day – 16 December 1944
The Germans launched their last major offensive of World War II, known to most as the Battle of the Bulge the Germans originally called it Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein (operation watch on the Rhine). This battle which lasted until the 25th of January 1944 became the bloodiest battle of World War II for the Americans, The Department of the Army recording US losses at more than 108,000.
Originally published by the Egypt Exploration Society the 6 volumes that make up the Amarna Reports were published between 1984 and 1995.
Archaeologists believe that they have found the original shrine of the Viking king turned Saint, Olaf Haraldsson. This unlikely Saint spent his early years as a Viking raider before being baptized into the Roman Catholic church in 1013.
Continue reading “Viking Raider Saint’s Lost Shrine Rediscovered”
