First Names First has mostly been about first names that are in promiment use either in the English-speaking countries, or internationally. But we will more and more take on names from other countries. Last time it was Tarmo, a male name in use mostly in Finland and Estonia. Today’s name is the female name Tarja. A common name in Finland a few decades ago, but not so much these days. Next month’s names will be German. Continue reading

In the year 1219, Danish crusaders conquer Tallinn, and what is to become **the flag of Denmark **(Dannebrog) allegedly falls from the sky during that battle (Jun 15), Damietta in Egypt falls to the crusaders during the Fifth crusade (Nov 5), the Egyptian city of Al Mansurah is founded, Genghis Khan summons Qiu Chuji to visit him, to advise him on the medicine of immortality (the Philosopher’s Stone) - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

The premises of the first coffee house in England on High Street, Oxford, England - now The Grand Cafe In the year 1651, Charles II is crowned King of Scots (Jan 1), Spanish ship San José, loaded with silver, wrecks in the coast of Chile, the surviving crew killed by indigenous Cuncos (Mar 26), laws are passed in Massachusetts forbidding poor people from adopting excessive styles of dress (Oct 13), defeated Charles II escapes from England to France (Oct 15), the first coffee house in England is opened, in Oxford - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

In the year 1499, Polydore Vergil completes De inventoribus rerum, the first modern history of inventions (Aug), Vasco da Gama returns to Lisboa after his first voyage (to India) (Sep 18), the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I is forced to grant the Swiss de facto independence in the Treaty of Basel (Sep 22), the Rebellion of the Alpujarras begins in the Kingdom of Granada, incited by the forced conversions to Catholicism of the Muslims living there (Dec 18) - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

We head in Streets & Squares this time to Wellington, Te Whanganui-a-Tara in Maori language. The capital city of New Zealand, located at the south-western tip of the North Island, which is the more populous one of the two large islands of New Zealand. On January 22nd in 1840, British colonists reached New Zealand, officially founding Wellington. As always in Streets & Squares, clicking on the address links leads you to Google Maps, and clicking on the names to the person’s Wikipedia page. Continue reading

Novgorod Republic (1136–1478) with Ladoga in the west In the year 1240, Russian prince Alexander Nevsky defeats the Swedes on the Neva river, securing Novgorod the all-important access from Lake Ladoga to the Baltic Sea (Jul 15), the Mongol ruler Batu Khan and his troops sack the Ruthenian city of Kiev (Dec 6), the civil war era in Norway ends - and all these fine people were born: 1240-xxxx Magnus III of Sweden* King of Sweden/son of Birger Jarl - (1290/c. Continue reading

In the year 1688, the Glorious Revolution begins as William of Orange from Netherlands lands at Torbay, England with a multinational force of 15000 mercenaries (Nov 15), William of Orange enters London (Dec 18), the earliest known mention of the balalaika is made, Edward Lloyd opens the coffee house in London (a popular meeting place of the business-minded) that later develops into Lloyd’s of London - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Uppsala Castle, the site of the Sture Murders In the year 1567, Portuguese forces drive the French out of Rio de Janeiro (Jan 20), a Spanish mercenary army surprises and kills a band of rebels in Oosterweel in the Habsburg Netherlands, beginning the Eighty Years' War (Mar 13), the infamous Sture Murders take place at Uppsala Castle in Sweden (May 24), Mary, Queen of Scots, is forced to abdicate and is replaced by her one-year-old son (Jul 24) - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

When is a pretty new article series here in Journeys of Life that we attempt to develop into something much bigger. The stories here can entail most anything, and is really about creative writing – as opposed to some other article series here. The When can be a beginning of a question sentence, or a story that follows. These stories will typically be short ones, but can be long-reads as well. Continue reading

Reproduction of a Galilean telescope from circa 1620 In the year 1609, the Bank of Amsterdam is established (Jan 31), King Philip III of Spain signs an edict to expel all Moriscos from his country (Apr 4), Galileo Galilei demonstrates his first telescope to Venetian officials (Aug 25, Johannes Kepler publishes his first two laws of planetary motion, Cornelis Drebbel invents the thermostat - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Take part in our very first poll - one of many - and tell us which city You would like to read about in the April edition of Streets & Squares! You have time to answer till the 1st of April. Streets & Squares is always published on the 20th, but this time you have a chance to influence which city it will be out of the three alternatives presented here. Continue reading

From left to right E.G.Marshall, John Fiedler, Henry Fonda, Ed Begley and Robert Webber The courtroom drama film directed by Sidney Lumet, 12 Angry Men, released in April 1957, is considered by many to be one of the best movies of the 20th century. This brilliant film has certainly earned a spot in the bucket list of any movie enthusiast. There have been remakes of the film, but the original seems in this case to be the best. Continue reading

When you go to a museum, how awesome is it not to see all those old works of art painted or sculptured perhaps hundreds of years ago! As photography hadn’t been invented yet, the only way to immortalize or give shape to something was of course to paint or sculp it. There is a very suitable Latin phrase for this: “Ars longa, vita brevis”. Dissected this would be: ars (art) longa (long), vita (life) brevis (short). Continue reading

This time is First Names First we have a much less common name, as it seems to be in use only in Finland and Estonia. We are talking about the male name Tarmo. Pick one name, then follow the Wikipedia link to read about the person, and to see what if anything he could contribute your life with. Why not give a couple of minutes of your life to this for lives lived have something worthwhile to tell us – let them! Continue reading

In the year 1659, Jan van Riebeeck produces the first South African wine, at the Cape of Good Hope (Feb 2), Swedish forces attack Copenhagen, but suffer heavy losses (Feb 11), the first known cheque in existence is written, in London (Feb 16), Christiaan Huygens’s important work on astronomy, Systema Saturnium, is published (Jul), Maria Theresa brings cocoa to Paris - and all these fine peope were born: 1659-xxxx Lawrence Washington* plantation owner/grandfather of George Washington - Bridges Creek, Westmoreland County, Colony of Virginia, British America (1698/c. Continue reading

Checkmate in a game of chess. Photo credit to Steve Buissine/Pixabay It is International Women’s Day today, so today’s article has appropriately a female angle to it. Have a good one, all you women out there! Chess has always been a popular game, but now more than ever after The Queen’s Gambit starting running in Netflix. After just four weeks it had become Netflix’s most-watched scripted miniseries. In many a home, the chess board has now become the center-piece on the living-room table instead of gathering dust in the attic. Continue reading

Rijksdaalder silver coins from the Batavia wreck In the year 1629, Massachusetts Bay Colony is granted a Royal Charter, and the county is the first to be created in British America (Mar 4), the Dutch East India Company ship Batavia is wrecked on a reef near Beacon Island, and following mutiny among the survivors, two exiled murderers become the first Europeans to settle in Australia (Jun 4), actresses are banned in Japan - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Olavinlinna Castle in Savonlinna, Finland In the year 1475, Krim becomes a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire (Jun 1) , Edward IV of England lands in Calais to support the Duchy of Burgundy against France (Jul 4), George of Bavaria marries the Polish princess Hedwig Jagiellon, thus creating a strong alliance against the Ottoman Empire (Nov 14), building of the Olavinlinna Castle in eastern Finland near the Russian border begins - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

the word taxi comes from the Greek word taxithi (ταξίδι) which means travel? And taxi being the means of travel. And that when you call a cab, you are calling a cabriolet? A term which originated from a carriage cabriolet, i.e. a light, two-wheeled, one-horse carriage with a folding top, capable of seating two persons. Taxi is a very universal word with only slight variations so it is easily recognizable wherever you are in the world. Continue reading

Malpas Tunnel in today’s France In the year 1679, there is a devastating fire in Boston (Nov 27), Černín Palace in Prague is completed, Europe’s first navigable canal tunnel, the Malpas Tunnel in France, is excavated, French explorer Daniel Greysolon, Sieur (Sir) du Lhut, becomes the first know European to explore what becomes Duluth, Minnesota - and all these fine people were born: 1679-xxxx John Deane* Royal Navy captain - Nottingham, England (1761/c. Continue reading