In the year 1834, York in Upper Canada is incorporated as Toronto (Mar 6), Cyrus McCormick is granted a patent for his mechanical reaper (Jun 21), the Spanish Inquisition, which began in the 15th century, is suppressed by royal degree (Jul 15), slavery is abolished in the British Empire (Aug 1), Athens becomes the capital of Greece, Thomas Davenport creates one of the first electric cars by installing his DC electrical motor in a small model car - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

[caption id=“attachment_2282” align=“alignright” width=“387”]The British Museum in the 21st Century[/caption] In the year 1759, the first American life insurance company is incorporated in Philadelphia (Jan 11), the British Museum opens at Montagu House in London, after 6 years of development (Jan 15), a big fire breaks out at Södermalm in Stockholm, Sweden (Jul 19), a brewery is leased by Arthur Guinness in St. James’s Gate in Dublin, for the brewing of Guinness (Dec 31) - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

This is one in the series of articles titled First Names First and it is all for pure entertainment! We present an alphabetical list of persons with their first names here, and your task is to pick one. 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. Spend a couple of minutes of your life with this. Continue reading

[caption id=“attachment_2081” align=“alignright” width=“409”]Birth certificate of Marilyn Monroe[/caption] 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 - male and female. Your task is to pick one (with a link). Then choose one of the persons with that first name, follow the Wikipedia link to read about that person, and then see what if anything he or she could contribute your life with. Continue reading

In the year 1694, the French navy defeats Spain during the Battle of Torroella in Catalonia (May 27), the Bank of England is founded partly in order to raise money for the war effort against France (Jul 27), British American colonial forces fail to seize Quebec, the capital of New France, from the French (Oct 23), the Parliament of England passes a law requiring general elections every three years (Dec 3), the slave ship Hannibal arrives from Benin on the west coast of Africa to the New World with only half of its “load” alive - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland comes about, and Ceres is discovered (Jan 1), Thomas Jefferson is the new U.S. President (Mar 4), the first census is held in Great Britain (Mar 10), the First Barbary War where the United States and Sweden fight against four North African States, begins (May 1), Tsar Alexander I of Russia confirms the privileges of the Baltic provinces (Sep 9), the first edition of New York Evening Post is printed (Nov 16), ultraviolet radiation is discovered, the French Revolutionary Wars go on - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

[caption id=“attachment_1798” align=“alignright” width=“413”]The windy city in the year 1833[/caption] In the year 1833, U.S. President Andrew Jackson is attacked in Alexandria, Virginia (May 6), Dubai gains independence from the United Kingdom (Jun 9), a mob destroys the Mormon printing office in Jackson County, Missouri (Jul 20), the city of Chicago is established by 350 settlers (Aug 12), the British Parliament limits child labor with the Factory Acts (Aug 29), the American Anti-Slavery Society is founded - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

There are several artists listed here in Journeys of Life, one of them being the French sculptor Auguste Rodin, born November 12th, 1840. Check here for other people born that same year and decade, and check also this Artsy link that shows some of Rodin’s work and where you could see them. There is also an interesting app that you could download called DailyArt that gives you a new piece of art to see and read about on a daily basis, even when sitting in a crowded bus. Continue reading

[caption id=“attachment_2203” align=“alignleft” width=“287”]Positive made out of the first ever negative, of a latticed window at Lacock Abbey in England[/caption] In the year 1835, the United States public debt contracts to zero, for the only time in history (Jan 8), Ferdinand becomes Emperor of Austria (Mar 2), the first railway in the continental Europe is opened, between Brussels and Mechelen (May 5), the world’s first photographic negatives are exposed in England (Aug), European settlers, landing at Yarra River in southeastern Australia, found the city of Melbourne (Aug 30), the pencil manufacturer Staedler is founded (Oct 3), settlers in Mexican Texas launch the Texas Revolution (Oct), James Pratt and John Smith are the last to suffer capital punishment for homosexual acts in England (Nov 27), the Second Seminole War led by Osceola breaks out (Dec 28), English becomes the official language in India - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

In the year 2001, Wikipedia is launched (Jan 15), George W. Bush is sworn in as the 43rd U.S. President (Jan 20), first spacecraft landing on an asteroid takes place (Feb 12), space station Mir is deorbited having served in space since 1986 (Mar 23), Dennis Tito becomes the first space tourist (Apr 28), the Disclosure Project presents testimonies on extraterrestrial life at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. (May 9), with $2. Continue reading

So, the century we all are living in! Not that much data here as of yet, naturally. Still, here we go. And as always, you can have your own additions here by a simple request. Keep in mind that you need to have the permission of any living person being added here. 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 - 2006 - 2007 - 2008 - 2009 - 2010 - 2011 - 2012 - 2013 - 2014 - 2015 - 2016 - 2017 - 2018 - 2019 - 2020 - 2021 - 2022- 2023 - 2024 Continue reading

Many of us have trouble remembering which two letters stand for which U.S. states - which is a pity for it is a neat way of expressing them in writing. So here is a list of them for the readers of this site anyways - and you can copy them freely. The date after each state indicates when it became one - and more info of course to be found in the corresponding Wikipedia page. Continue reading

In the year 1824, Simón Bolivar is proclaimed dictator of Peru (Feb 10), the United States War Department creates the Bureau of Indian Affairs (Mar 11), the first permanent settlers arrive to construct the new city of Tallahassee, Florida’s new state capital (Apr 9), Beethoven’s 9th Symphony premieres in Vienna (May 7), Joseph Aspdin patents Portland cement (Oct 21), Peruvian forces defeat the Spanish who by and by lose all of South America (Dec 9) - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

[caption id=“attachment_2043” align=“alignleft” width=“297”]Le Quai Saint Michel et Notre Dame by Maximilien Luce (painted 1901)[/caption] In the year 1831, the French Foreign Legion is founded (Mar 10), Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is published (Mar 16), the North Magnetic Pole is located by James Clark Ross (Jun 1), Leopold I is inaugurated as the King of the Belgians (Jul 21), Russian troops enter the Polish capital Warsaw and crush all resistance (Sep 6), slave trading is forbidden in Brazil (Nov 7), Charles Darwin embarks on his historic voyage aboard HMS Beagle from Plymouth, England (Dec 27) - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

[caption id=“attachment_2009” align=“alignleft” width=“347”]Colosseum in Rome, Italy in the year 1870[/caption] In the year 1870, John D. Rockefeller incorporates Standard Oil (Jan 10), The YWCA is founded in New York City (Feb 10), Hiram Rhodes Revels becomes the first African American to sit in the U.S. Congress (Feb 25), the blacks are given the right to vote in the U.S. (Mar 30), France declares war on Prussia (Jul 19), emperor Napoleon III of France is deposed and the Third Republic is declared (Sep 4), Rome becomes the capital of unified Italy (Oct 6), Japanese Yen replaces the Tokugawa coinage, Seitsemän veljestä by Aleksis Kivi is published - and all these fine people were born: 1870-xxxx Arthur MacPherson* stock exhange dealer/“Father of Russian football”/of Scottish heritage - St. Continue reading

In the year 1869, The American Museum of Natural History is founded in New York (Apr 6), the First Transcontinental Railroad in North America is completed (May 10), Sainsbury’s first store opens in London (May 22), celluloid is patented (Jun 15), the first Estonian Song Festival takes place (Jun 30), the Suez Canal is inaugurated (Nov 17), Tolstoy’s War and Peace is published (Dec), Jesse James commits his first confirmed bank robbery in Gallatin, Missouri (Dec7), DNA is discovered, Japan is on its way to a fully centralized government, the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge begins - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Did you know that Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were born on the very same day - on February 12th, 1809? Two great men who left their mark in the history books. Coincidence? Perhaps not. But wouldn’t it be interesting to find yet another match?! In someone’s family tree perhaps? This site is for purposes like that as much as it is for an overall interest in historical data. So go ahead and find out whether there’s a match in your bloodline! Continue reading

Travel is a big part of our lives at any age or time. Many of us would like to travel a lot more than we get to do, and a lot of it has to do with money of course. Where can you afford to go? Where do you live? Just planning the next journey can be so much fun, and these days sites like Google Earth and Google Maps with its street view can provide us with some additional inspiration. Continue reading

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is published (Jan 5), Karl Benz patents the first successful gasoline-driven automobile (Jan 29), Coca-Cola is invented (May 8), Arturo Toscanini makes his conducting debut (Jun 25), after almost 30 years of fighting, Apache leader Geronimo surrenders in Arizona (Sep 4), Spain abolishes slavery in Cuba (Oct 7), the Statue of Liberty is dedicated on Liberty Island (Oct 28) - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

The Battle of the Alamo begins between Texans and Mexicans (Feb 23), Samuel Colt receives a patent for the Colt revolver (Feb 25), the Republic of Texas is declared, independent from Mexico (Mar 2), Arkansas is the 25th state to be admitted into the U.S.A. (Jun 15), Charles Darwin returns home from his journey around the world, using then the material acquired to develop his theory of evolution (Oct 2), Sam Houston is inaugurated as the first president of the Republic of Texas (Oct 22), Spain recognizes the independence of Mexico (Dec 28) - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading