The invention of the light bulb was a process that took the scientific community the best part of the 19th century to complete and perfect. It was on 27 January 1880 that Thomas Edison, a relative newcomer to the field of research, was able to patent his light bulb design and make it ready for […]
The Great Fire of London (1666), which began on Pudding Lane, recently became the focus of an ITV drama. The city of London, made predominantly fromtimber buildings, burned for 3 days, leaving 70,000 of 80,000 inhabitants of London homeless.This series dramatizes some of the events that took place while London burned, however it becomes over-embellished […]
William Wilberforce was born in 1759 to a wealthy merchant family in the north eastern city of Hull, England. He became a Member of Parliament for Hull at the age of 21. This made him the youngest member of the House of Commons. Following this, he became the MP for the whole of Yorkshire. Wilberforce […]
We Must Remember to Remember! In cultural history the buzz word of the moment seems to be ‘memory’ and how different social groups, ranging from local communities to nations, remember the past. As I am sure you will agree this does sound a fascinating topic. However, the subject has now become bogged down in a […]
To an outside onlooker, it seems simple. The clever logo above clearly says that the University of Manchester was (Est)ablished in 1824, right? Wrong. Well, kind of. It is well known (or at least I think it is), that in 2004 the Victoria University of Manchester and UMIST merged together to become one conventional university, […]
Imogen Clark writes a potted history of the first two years of the American Civil War leading up to the pinnacle moment of the Gettysburg Address. Kathryn White explores how afternoon tea became a British institution. The future of cooking lies in the past according to Heston Blumenthal. Xan Atkins reviews Heston’s Feasts in light […]
James Green looks at how bagels and other Jewish baking became staples in the West. In light of the rise and then fall of the police’s popularity surrounding the “Plebgate” scandal, Caroline Bishop investigates the police’s history as public heroes and villains. The annual price hike from energy companies has just been announced to widespread […]
The period of Barbarian Migration which marked the decline and fall of the Roman Empire covers quite a large period of history, ranging from the 4th century right up to the 9th. It is extremely hard to pinpoint exactly where each Barbarian tribe was at what time during the Migrations, as the written sources are […]
Our generation can learn a lot from the greatest public servant of the Greatest Generation. George H.W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States, passed away Nov. 30, 2018, at the age of 94. He served as president from 1989 to 1993, and was a World War II hero and a former Congressman, U.N. […]
Laura Currer reviews her summer read, The Constant Princess. Having recently completed his MA, Wesley Davidson reflects on his specialism, Northern Soul. James Eatwell, History Society President, introduces this year’s Society. James Pidliswyj reviews Brian Cox’s new series on British discoveries and inventions, Science Britannia. Peer Mentoring Student Coordinator Sophie Praill gives some advice on […]
Michael Gove has recently suggested that the revisionist critiques of the First World War amount to no more than ‘undergraduate cynicism’. Vivienne Delliou-Daly defends the study of history and explains why the inconvenient truths of history cannot be ignored. Sarah King reviews the Second World War television series, Band of Brothers. The Mongol Empire was […]
The Jewish community in the UK went from numbering approximately 60,000 to roughly 350,000 from 1880 to the Second World War, the majority of which settled in Britain’s industrial hubs. Manchester became home to the largest community of Jews in the country, outside of London. The community developed in the northern districts of the city […]
The harsh conditions and horrific nature of World War One are well documented, from having to live in trenches and deal with hazardous weather conditions to killing an enemy soldier and paying the ultimate price. What is often overlooked is perhaps the biggest hurdle British soldiers had to face, the mental challenge. It is hard […]
When a controversial bill is passed through Parliament in England, the streets surrounding Westminster may suddenly turn red or blue, either in support or opposition. Sometimes the streets turn into a rainbow. Yet in Argentina, the streets near the Palace of the Argentine National Congress have turned green for over two decades. Anyone who has […]