A Second World War bomb has exploded in central Germany, killing three people.
Category: Other
31st May 1910 (100 years ago today) Elizabeth Blackwell, pioneer for women’s rights, died
Elizabeth Blackwell (3 February 1821 – 31 May 1910) was the first female doctor in the United States. She was the first openly identified woman to graduate from medical school, a pioneer in educating women in medicine in the United States, and was prominent in the emerging women’s rights movement. (from Wikipedia entry).
30th May 1960 (50 years ago today) Boris Pasternak died
Boris Leonidovich Pasternak (Russian: ?????? ??????????? ??????????) (10 February 1890 – 30 May 1960) was a Nobel Prize-winning Russian and Soviet poet, novelist and translator of Goethe and Shakespeare. In Russia, Pasternak is most celebrated as a poet. My Sister Life, written in 1917, is arguably the most influential collection of poetry published in the…
27th May 1910 (100 years ago today) Death of Robert Koch
Heinrich Herman Robert Koch (11 December 1843 – 27 May 1910) was a German physician. He became famous for isolating Bacillus anthracis (1877), the Tuberculosis bacillus (1882) and the Vibrio cholerae (1883) and for his development of Koch’s postulates. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his tuberculosis findings in 1905….
Stalin blocked two attempts to kill Hitler, Russian general says
Stalin blocked two attempts to kill Hitler, Russian general says
Hitler Fashion Ad Causes Controversy In Sicily
HITLER FASHION AD Causes Controversy In Sicily
17th May 1510 (500 years ago today) Botticelli, Renaissance Artist died
For some of Botticelli’s most famous paintings, take a look at this page. Wikipedia also has a good entry.
15th May 1960 (50 years ago today) Sputnik 4 is launched into Earth orbit
This was a major event in the Cold War as it suggested that the USSR were getting the upper hand in the Space Race. The USA became increasingly paranoid about the threat posed by the Soviet Union.
14th May 1610 (400 years ago today) Henry IV of France was assassinated
Henry was nicknamed Henry the Great (Henri le Grand), and in France is also called le bon roi Henri (“the good king Henry”) or le Vert galant (“the Green gallant”), a reference to both his dashing character and his attractiveness to women. In English he is most often referred to as Henry of Navarre. He…
12th May 1860 (150 years ago today) Charles Barry, architect of the Houses of Parliament in London, died
Other works by Barry include: Manchester City Art Gallery The Treasury Building, Whitehall, London The Royal College of Surgeons, London Bowood, Wiltshire Cliveden, Buckinghamshire Drumlanrig Castle, Dumfries and Galloway Duncombe Park, North Yorkshire Dunrobin Castle, Highland Edgbaston Hall, West Midlands Eynsham Hall, Oxfordshire Gawthorpe Hall, Lancashire Harewood House, West Yorkshire Highclere Park, Hampshire Hinton Manor,…
11th May 1960 (50 years ago today) In Buenos Aires, 4 Mossad agents abduct fugitive Nazi Adolf Eichmann
Eichmann was the most notorious surviving Nazi at this point and one of the architects of the Holocaust during World War Two. He was later put on trial in Israel and then executed.
“History in the Headlines” – New RSS address
If you currently follow History in the headlines as an RSS feed, you need to resubscribe to the new and improved version at:
http://feeds.delicious.com/v2/rss/russeltarr/bundle:History_News?count=50
FTSE falls for 4th day on Greek contagion fears | Reuters
FTSE falls for 4th day on Greek contagion fears
6th May 1910 (100 years ago today) King Edward VII of England died
King Edward gave his name to the “Edwardian Era” which represents the high-point of British confidence (complacency?) before World War One. He is also the reason why we don’t button up the final button on our waistcoats (if you know your fashion sense…) – because he was too fat to do so, everyone else turned…
6th May 1960 (50 years ago today) President Dwight Eisenhower signs the Civil Rights Act of 1960 into law.
For more on this legislation, have a read of this page.
2nd May 1860 (150 years ago today) Theodore Herzl was born
Herzl was the founder of the Zionist Movement, which campaigned for an independent Jewish State. He is historically important in the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
1st May 1960 (50 years ago today): U2 Spy Plane Incident
A Soviet missile shoots down an American Lockheed U2 spy plane; the pilot Francis Gary Powers is captured.
April 21st 1910 (100 years ago today) Mark Twain, American author, died
For an Edison film of Twain in 1909, click here.
Classtools.net Countdown Timer: Now with new tunes!
The popular countdown timer at www.classtools.net has now been developed with several more tunes – check them out here!
Historical Anniversary: The Sharpeville massacre in South Africa results in more than 69 dead, 300 injured – 21st March 1960 (50 years ago today)
The Sharpeville Massacre, also known as the Sharpeville shootings, occurred on 21 March 1960, when South African police opened fire on a crowd of black protesters, killing 69 people. The confrontation occurred in the township of Sharpeville, in what is now Gauteng province. [Wikipedia Link]
Historical Anniversary: The United States announces that 3,500 American soldiers will be sent to Vietnam: 6th March 1960 (50 years ago today)
This began the military intervention that escalated into the Vietnam War, which lasted until 1973.
John Babcock, Last Canadian World War I Veteran, Dies at 109
John Babcock, Last Canadian World War I Veteran, Dies at 109
Albert Göring, Hermann’s anti-Nazi brother
Albert Göring, Hermann's anti-Nazi brother
Titanic star Leonardo DiCaprio wants to play role of Joseph Stalin
Titanic star Leonardo DiCaprio wants to play role of Joseph Stalin
Chopin was born: 22nd Feb.1810 (200 years ago today)
Wikipedia Link
100 Years Ago Today: Douglas Bader, WW2 Fighter Ace, is born
Born 21st Feb. 1910. In 1928, Bader joined the RAF, but, on 14 December 1931 at Woodley airfield near Reading, lost both of his legs in an aircraft crash attempting a slow roll at very low level following jibes about his not wanting to perform aerobatics that day. Bader recovered, undertook refresher training, passed his…
100 Years Ago Today: Old Trafford hosted its first football match
Old Trafford, Manchester United football ground, opened (100 years ago today). The stadium hosted its inaugural game on 19 February 1910, with United playing host to Liverpool. However, the home side were unable to provide their fans with a win to mark the occasion, as Liverpool won 4–3. A journalist at the game reported the…
300 Years Ago Today: Louis XV, King of France, was born
Louis XV, the penultimate King of France, was born: 15th Feb. 1710 (300 years ago today) “Popular legend holds that Louis said, “After me, the flood” (“Après moi, le déluge”). In fact this quotation is more precisely attributed to Madame de Pompadour, although it is not certain that even she ever said it. The remark…
100 Years Ago Today: Winston Churchill becomes Home Secretary
Winston Churchill becomes Home Secretary in Asquith’s Liberal Government: 14th Feb. 1910 (100 years ago today). In this role he notoriously used troops to put down striking miners in South Wales and to assist police during a house siege in Sidney Street in East London in January 1911.
50 Years Ago Today: France tests its first atomic bomb in the Sahara
France tests its first atomic bomb in the Sahara: 13th Feb. 1960 (50 years ago today) Wikipedia Link
100 Years Ago Today: The Dreadnought Hoax
100 Years Ago Today: Prince Makalin of Abyssinia and five other members of royalty were welcomed aboard the British battleship HMS Dreadnought. The prince turned out to be prankster Horace de Vere Cole, and the group included Virginia Woolf: 10th Feb 1910. Wikipedia Link
Last U.S. veteran of World War I turns 109
Last U.S. veteran of World War I turns 109
Historical Anniversary – 100 Years ago today…
Thomas Crapper, English inventor of the modern toilet, died: 27th Jan. 1910.
Historical Anniversary – 100 Years ago today…
Django Reinhardt, jazz guitarist, was was born: 23rd Jan. 1910.
Historiography
I’ve produced this Historiographical Terms Handout for my IB students, just to give them some useful points of reference. Feel free to use it in class – and if you think there’s something obvious I could add / amend / correct please let me know! It covers such themes as intentionalism, structuralism, annales school and…
Key Terminology for Historians
Classroom Posters: 24 Key Terms for Historians Two dozen defined terms, designed to be laminated and placed around the classroom for older students.
Historical Anniversary – 100 Years ago today…
The United Kingdom “Peers v. People” General Election: 15th Jan. 1910.
Historical Anniversary – 75 Years ago today…
The Saar Plebiscite: The Saar, which had been given to France for 15 years by the Treaty of Versailles after World War One, voted overwhelmingly to return to Germany. One of Hitler’s earliest foreign policy successes, this event returned territory to Germany whose raw materials were immensely important for Hitler’s re-armament plans.
Historical Anniversary – 200 Years ago today…
The marriage of Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine was annulled: 10th Jan. 1810.
Historical Anniversary – 400 Years ago today…
Galileo Galilei discovered the moons of Jupiter: 7th Jan. 1610.
Historical Anniversary – 50 Years ago today…
Albert Camus, author of “The Plague”, died (4th Jan. 1960).
For those of you who use Twitter
I’ve just created this page which provides a list of the various Twitter accounts I use to share information about Activehistory, Classtools, History in the Headlines and Education Technology in the classroom. If you’re a Twitter user, feel free to follow any or all of them!
ActiveHistory on Facebook
I’ve just set up this Facebook page for ActiveHistory.co.uk to provide its users with another way of keeping on top of what’s being added to the site. At the moment it’s just pulling in updates from the site blog, but I’m interested to see if the ability to comment on posts / start discussions turns…
The Trial of King Louis XVI: Roleplay Exercise
Classroom Roleplay: The Trial of King Louis XVI A one-hour lesson. The class is organised into prosecution, defence and judges and each one has a specific task to prepare for the trial. The roleplay itself is a lively activity which forces the students to think on their feet and critically evaluate the evidence prior to…
Top 10 History Films in my school library, 2009
At the International School of Toulouse, we’ve got a library of 150 or so feature films related to historical themes. The most frequently borrowed by students this year were as follows: Most Frequently Borrowed A Knight’s Tale (Medieval Warfare, Chivalry) Marie-Antoinette (French Revolution) Land and Freedom (Spanish Civil War) Cinderella Man (The Great Depression) The…
Anniversaries for January 2010
• Here are the major events to commemorate in lessons, assemblies and extension tasks in January 2010. • To receive each month’s anniversaries a couple of weeks in advance, follow the ActiveHistory Anniversaries RSS feed. • To add to this list for this or other months, please contact me with your suggestion or send a…
Anniversaries
I’m just setting up a new facility on the site whereby every month you will be presented with a list of important anniversaries that could be commemorated in 2010. • It can be used by teachers preparing assemblies, extension tasks and one-off lessons. • I am limiting the list to multiples of 50 years (1960…
Origin of Surnames Worksheet
An updated version of the Year 7 History Worksheet; now included is a template map of the UK (for students to plot names relating to places) and a diamond9 diagram for students to plot profession-based surnames in rank order of status.
History Essay Planning Tool
History Essay Planner This tool from ActiveHistory helps you to plan History essays! Simply COPY and PASTE your essay questions into this box and press “submit” (if you submit more than one, each should start on a new line). The computer will then provide you with an essay plan for each question! Lesson idea: BEFORE…
Educational Games and Quizzes – Database
Classtools.net now has an archive of user-submitted quizzes and games that can be searched by subject or by template type!
Songs for the History Classroom: British Empire, Slavery and Civil Rights
I’m just having a play with Grooveshark.com to see if I can create some playlists for use in the classroom…!
History Essay Marker
This tool from ActiveHistory helps to mark your history essays! Simply COPY and PASTE your essay question and your essay into the boxes below. The computer will then provide you with detailed feedback about your essay!