In the year 1785, the first issue of the Daily Universal Register, later known as The Times, is published in London (Jan 1), the English Channel is crossed by air for the first time (Jan 7), a hot air balloon crashing in Ireland becomes the world’s first aviation disaster (May 10), the dollar is chosen as the money unit for the United States (Jul 6), the Treaty of Hopewell is signed between the United States of America and the Cherokee Nation (Nov 28) - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Inside the Trinity College, Dublin In the year 1592, Trinity College, Ireland’s oldest university, is founded (Mar 3), the Japanese invasions of Korea begin (Apr 13), the 1592–1593 London plague breaks out in England (Aug), English explorer John Davis probably discovers the Falkland Islands (Aug 9), Sigismund becomes the King of Sweden (Nov 17) - and all these fine people were born: 1592-xxxx Jooseppi Matinpoika Seppälä** father of Mikki Joosepinpoika Kokko (b Seppälä) - Sweden-Finland (after 1654) Continue reading

Bogdana Monastery in Moldavia In the year 1364, Albrekt of Mecklenburg becomes King of Sweden (Feb 15), Charles V becomes King of France (Apr 8), the Jagiellonian University is founded in Kraków (May 12), Bogdana Monastery is built in Moldavia - and all these fine people were born: 1364-0520 Henry “Hotspur” Percy* knight/fought in campaigns against the Scots and in the Hundred Years' War - Warkworth, Northumberland, England (1403/39) 1364-0911 Christine de Pizan* poet/author/political thinker - Venice, Republic of Venice (c. Continue reading

The colorful city of Nuuk, Greenland in 2018 - 290 years after it was founded In the year 1728, Peter II becomes the Tsar of the Russian Empire (Jan 9), Vitus Bering embarks on his first Kamchatka Expedition (Jul 14), confirming the presence of a strait - now known as Bering Strait (Aug 16), the City of Nuuk is founded in Greenland, as Fort Godt-Haab (Aug 29), English astronomer James Bradley uses stellar aberration to calculate the speed of light, and observes nutation of the Earth’s axis - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Kevin Kivi - Oct 2, 2020Love your website. I noticed this page is missing Armand Assante. He is an actor. Most memorable for me is his role in Judge Dredd (1995) as Rico. He has also been in Gotti (1996) as John Gotti and American Gangster (2007) as Dominic Cattano. Oh, no Assante! Thank you for noticing that, I’ll be sure to add him in Armand Who? Please can I link this piece from you? Continue reading

This time in First Names First we will concentrate on the name Armand which is the French form of Herman. So mainly in use in the French-speaking world. Also Armando, the Italian form of the name. Only the year of birth given here. 1585-0909 Cardinal Richelieu* (b Armand Jean du Plessis) clergyman/ statesman - Paris, Kingdom of France (1642/57) Armand de Kersaint* sailor/politician - Paris, France (1742) Armand de Gramont* Count of Guiche/adventurer/one of the greatest playboys of the 17th century – France (1637) Continue reading

Lately there has been an abundance of year files being published here in Journeys of Life. And evidently there are a number of years yet to be published for our ambitious intention is to have an individual post for every year between the year 1000 and the current year. That’s a tall order, but one that we constantly aspire towards. So at times these year files take a major role in the publication schedule. Continue reading

The Great Music Hal in Fishamble Street, Dublin, where Messiah was first performed In the year 1742, Handel’s oratorio The Messiah is first performed in Dublin, Ireland in aid of local charities (Apr 13), mathematician Christian Goldbach first describes his conjecture “Every even number is the sum of two primes” - one of the oldest unsolved problems in mathematics (Jun 7), author Jonathan Swift is confined to home treatment for the remainder of his life (Aug 17), Swedish troops surrender to Russians in Helsinki (Aug 20) resulting in all of Finland falling for a while under Russian occupation (Sep), Spain completes the construction of Fort Matanzas to the south of St. Continue reading

Nuva Hiva of the Marquesas Islands, Polynesia In the year 1595, the first printed catalog of an institutional library appears in Leiden University Library (May 24), a Spanish expedition makes the first European landing in Polynesia, on the Marquesas Islands (Jul 21), the Spanish raid Cornwall, England (Jul 23), William Shakespeare’s Richard II is performed in London, probably for the first time (Dec 9), Sir Walter Raleigh travels up the Orinoco River in South America, in search of the fabled city of El Dorado - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Duncannon Fort in Ireland, built in 1588 in expectation of an attack by the Spanish Armada. Picture courtesy by Paul O’Farrell In the year 1588, the Spanish Armada consisting of 130 ships begins to set sail towards the English Channel in order to invade England (May 28), much of the fleet is destroyed by storms (Aug 12), and the armada is finally defeated upon the coast of Ireland (Sep), the first biography of Nicolaus Copernicus is completed (Oct 7), three golden crowns, the national symbol of Sweden, are added to the 13th century Stockholm Castle, after which it is known by the name Tre Kronor - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Replica of the figurehead of HMS Bounty In the year 1787, William Herschel discovers Titania and Oberon, two moons of Uranus (Jan 11), Captain Arthur Phillip leaves England with 11 ships carrying around 700 convicts plus crew and guards to establish a penal colony in Australia (May 13), the United States Constitution is signed in Philadelphia (Sep 17), Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni premieres in Prague (Oct 29), Delaware becomes the first U. Continue reading

The Tower of Babel by an anonymous artist, the Hendrick van Cleve construction The most beautiful language in the world. And the ugliest of them all. Which languages are we talking about here would you say? A hint: the emphasis is on the word you. For whether we find a language pleasing to the ear or not is an entirely subjective matter. A lot of it has to do with what your first language is and what other, perhaps foreign, sounds you were exposed to as a child. Continue reading

Due to the numerous tortoises presiding there, the Galápagos Islands were initially called Insulae de los Galopegos - Islands of the Tortoises In the year 1535, Ciudad de los Reyes, i.e.future Lima & the future capital of Peru, is founded (Jan 18), the Galápagos Islands are accidentally discovered (Mar 10), Sir Thomas More, author of Utopia and one time Lord Chancellor of England, is executed for treason (Jul 6), the first complete English-language Bible is printed in Antwerp (Oct 4) - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Sámi with reindeer in the 1890’s In the year 1751, the Governor of French Louisiana issues the first police regulations for New Orleans in an attempt to combat crime in that city (Feb 18), cricket is first played in the American colonies in Greenwich Village (Apr 29), fire destroys 1000 houses in Stockholm, Sweden (Jul 31), 19-year old George Washington becomes seriously ill with smallpox in Barbados (Nov 17), the Cherokee nation signs a treaty with British colonial authorities (Nov 29), the Lapp Codicil of 1751 - still considered of importance - secures the right of the Sami to continue their nomadic lifestyle between borders - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Margaret at age 13 This is a series of articles titled “First Names First” and it is all for pure entertainment! Below you can see the list of first names. Your task is to pick one (with a link). Then follow the Wikipedia link to read about that person, and then see what if anything she could contribute your life with. Inspiration, passion, enlightenment, encouragement, empathy, etc. Or just thoughts for the day. Continue reading

A page from The Mentelin Bible In the year 1466, Karl Knutsson is asked to be the King of Sweden, again (Nov 1), the Kingdom of Georgia collapses into anarchy, the first printed German language Bible is produced, Louis XI of France introduces silk weaving to Lyon, the first known shop specialising in eyeglasses opens in Strasbourg - and all these fine people were born: 1466-xxxx Moctezuma II* a.k.a. Montezuma, 9th and the most famous ruler of the Aztec Empire/son of Axayacatl - (1520/c. Continue reading

Chatham Street in Dublin This time Streets & Squares goes to Dublin, the capital and the largest city of Ireland. Situated at the river Liffley, it was founded as Dyflin (“black pool”) by the Norwegian Vikings in the year 841. Like always, clicking on an address will open Google Maps for you, and clicking on the names will (usually) lead to the person’s Wikipedia page. S in the list means south and N north of River Liffey. Continue reading

In the year 1746, the three Scottish leaders of the Jacobite uprising are imprisoned for treason in the Tower of London (May 27), the wearing of the kilt is banned in Scotland as a means to bring the warrior clans under the British government control (Aug 1), the College of New Jersey - future Princeton - is founded in Princetown, New Jersey (Oct 22), Eva Ekeblad reports her discovery of making flour and alcohol from potatoes to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences - and all these fine people were born: 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 or she 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 Marcus/Markus! Continue reading

Are you into athletics? As a spectator? Whether you are interested in the sprints or any other kind of running events, you may be like most of us sports fans and welcome the other events between races as well. Such as shot put. Here you have a list of the most famous shot putters - some of them Olympic gold medalists or world champions, some with lesser medals. But all with the passion to push that very heavy spherical object - men’s weighs 7. Continue reading