Congratulations Wikipedia for your birthday on January 15th, and thank you for the 20 years of your existence! You have been part of my life for years, and these days on a daily level. And even though I personally have not collaborated much on making or improving your pages, I truly appreciate each and every one that do so. This blog Journeys of Life would not exist without you! Please go ahead and read about the making, sustaining and improving of Wikipedia thanks to the countless of people around the world who make it if not The Page but certainly one of the best pages or sites you can click online! Continue reading

In the year 1669, Samuel Pepys stops writing his diary (May 31), after 400 years of operation, the Hanseatic League holds its last official meeting in Lübeck (Jul), famine in Bengal kills 3 million people, phosphorus is discovered, Antonio Stradivari makes his first violin in Cremona - and all these fine people were born: 1669-xxxx Henrik Brenner* Finnish orientalist/Royal librarian - Kronoby, Ostrobothnia, Sweden-Finland (1732/c.63) 1669-0120 Susanna Wesley* known as mother of Methodism/25th of 25 children - London, England (1742/73) Continue reading

Another piece in our series First Names First! Pick one of the names that you see below. Then follow the Wikipedia link to read about that person, and to see what if anything he could contribute your life with. Inspiration, passion, enlightenment, encouragement, empathy, etc. Give a couple of minutes to this for lives lived have all something worthwhile to tell us. This time it is all about Erik! (Eric will have its own post) Continue reading

Charles XII of Sweden (reign 1697-1718) In the year 1708, Charles XII of Sweden invades Russia by crossing the frozen Vistula river (Jan 1), Menorca is captured by British forces (Aug 18), Peter the Great of Russia defeats the forces of the Swedish Empire in Lesnaya (in today’s Belarus) (Oct 9), fearful of a Swedish attack, the Russians blow up the city of Tartu, the Great Northern War (1700-1721) goes on - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

The New Town Hall in Prague, the site of the First Defenestration of Prague In the year 1419, Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England, which brings Normandy under the control of England (Jan 19), the first Defenestration of Prague occurs in Bohemia, leading later to the Hussite Wars (Jul 30), Madeira Islands are discovered by the Portuguese, the University of Rostock is established - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

The flag of New York in 1664 In the year 1664, Robert Hooke discovers Jupiter’s Great Red Spot (May 9), the world’s oldest private newspaper still published - Gazzetta di Mantova - is first published in Mantua, Italy (Jun), Kronenbourg Brewery is founded in Strasbourg (Jun 9), Director-General Peter Stuyvesant surrenders New Amsterdam to the British, who rename the city New York (Aug 27) - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Salzburger Emigrants, picture from c. 1732 In the year 1734, Salzburgers - Lutherans expelled by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Salzburg - set sail for the British Colony of Georgia, in America (Jan 8), French and Swiss troops suppress the slave insurrection in the Danish West Indies after six months and restore control of the plantations to the Danish owners (May 27), Jamaica’s Governor John Ayscough declares martial law to fight the slave rebellion that began the previous year (Oct 23) - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Cuauhtémoc, the last Aztec Emperor In the year 1525, the last Aztec Emperor, Cuauhtémoc, is killed by the Spanish Conquistador Hernán Cortés (Feb 28), the first human rights related document written in Europe, the pamphlet The Twelve Articles, is published in the German town of Memmingen (Mar 20), Martin Luther marries ex-nun Katharina von Bora (Jun 13), European-brought diseases sweep through the Andes, killing thousands, including the Inca, the Navarre witch trials begin - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Happy New Year! Let’s start this year with a massive piece! One that we hope will give you readers massive enjoyment. And which will definitely be one of the cornerstones of Journeys of Life. An admittedly entirely subjective article on people throughout history whose lives have impressed if not their contemporaries then certainly posthumously. We give here one person for each month of the year. This page is of course being updated on a continual basis as the site grows. Continue reading

Harlech Castle, built between 1282 and 1289 onto a rocky knoll by the Irish Sea in northern Wales In the year 1409, the Welsh surrender Harlech Castle to the English (Jan 1), the controversial ecumenical council of the Catholic Church, the Council of Pisa, opens (Mar 25) and deposes popes (Jun 5), the University of Leipzig opens (Dec 2), the University of Aix-Marseille is founded as University of Province (Dec 9), admiral of the Ming empire fleet from China deposes the king of Sri Lanka - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

A polyglot myself, I luckily stumbled the other day upon a great new acquaintance as far as language sites go. An Italian polyglot by the name of Stefano whose knowledge and interest in my mother tongue Finnish truely impressed me. He has a YouTube site called linguaEpassione with lots of quality content, and more coming of course. Stefano’s thoughts about studying Finnish and the response from Finns to his avid interest in their small language reminded me of the response I got from my Greek teacher in Stockholm University. Continue reading

[caption id=“attachment_1544” align=“alignright” width=“358”]Fort Matanzas today, with the flag of Florida[/caption] In the year 1740, Jews are expelled from Little Russia, part of present day Ukraine (Jul 11), the song Rule, Britannia! is first performed in England (Aug 1), troops of the Dutch East Indian Company start the massacre of thousands of Chinese Indonesians in Batavia, present day Jakarta (Oct 9), Spain begins construction on Fort Matanzas on the Florida’s Atlantic coast to safeguard the strategic inlet of Matanzas, the southernmost access for boat travel between St. Continue reading

Mumbai Harbor in 1731, four years before the shipbuilding begins there ©Heritage Images/Leemage In the year 1735, the Russian Empire and Persia sign the Treaty of Ganja, and form a defensive alliance against the Ottoman Empire (Mar 10), the Kingdom of France approves the issue of “card money” to serve as currency in its Louisiana territory in America (Sep 14), the first successful appendectomy is performed in London (Dec 6), shipbuilding industry begins in Mumbai, Carl Linnaeus publishes his Systema Naturae - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

[caption id=“attachment_4294” align=“alignleft” width=“364”]Westminster Palace (1016, rebuilt 1834-1840), Westminster Bridge (1750) and Big Ben (1859)[/caption] In the year 1750, the Treaty of Madrid between Spain and Portugal authorizes a larger Brazil (Jan 13), riots break out in Paris fueled by rumors of police abducting children (May), Westminster Bridge is officially opened in London (Nov 18), Istanbul is devastated by several fires, Britain produces c. 2% of the world’s output of industrial goods, and thus begins the Industrial Revolution - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

This time in our series First Names First it is all about Dorothy! Here below is a chronological list of some of the women born with that name. Pick one and then follow the Wikipedia link to read about these women, and see what if anything they could contribute your life with. Give a couple of minutes of your life to this. Lives lived all have something to tell us – let them! Continue reading

The Bulgarian Empire 681–1018 and 1185–1396/1422. Picture credit CC BY-SA 3.0, Link In the year 1422, the ninth month old Henry VI becomes King of England (Aug 31), Treaty of Melno establishes the Prussian–Lithuanian border and it remains unchanged until World War I (Sep 27), Henry VI is proclaimed King of France (Oct 21), Ottoman forces overrun the last domains of Constantine II of Bulgaria, thus ending the Bulgarian Empire - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Time to have a city from South America here in Streets and Squares. Let’s have a look at Buenos Aires, the capital and the largest city of Argentina. As always, clicking on the addresses will open Google Maps for you, and clicking on the names will (usually) lead to the person’s Wikipedia page. AVENIDA JUAN B. JUSTO - Juan B. Justo (1865-1928) was a physician, journalist and socialist politician from Buenos Aires. Continue reading

In the year 1439, Władysław III’s army defeats the Hussite movement in Poland (May 4), Eric of Pomerania, King of Sweden, Denmark and Norway, is declared deposed in Sweden where Karl Knutsson Bonde continues to serve as Regent (Sep 29-Oct 1), Plymouth becomes the first town incorporated by the English Parliament (Nov 12), Johannes Gutenberg invents the printing press, Strasbourg Cathedral is completed - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

In the year 1755, Moscow University is founded (Jan 23), France dispatches 3,600 troops to protect its Canadian colonies in Quebec from a British invasion, unaware that Britain’s warships had sailed toward Canada a few days before (May 3), France completes the construction of Fort Duquesne, later renamed Fort Pitt by the British, and three years later giving name to the city of Pittsburgh (May 24), the British clothes manufacturer Wolsey is established - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Richard Chancellor’s voyage from England to Arkhangelsk in 1553. Picture courtesy Timewisetraveller In the year 1553, Lady Jane Grey is proclaimed Queen of England (Jul 10), but abdicates when Mary I is proclaimed the rightful Queen (Jul 19), English explorer Richard Chancellor reaches Arkhangelsk, whereby trade between England and Russia is opened (Aug), Anglican bishops in England are arrested, and Roman Catholic bishops restored (Sep) - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading