The part of English law that is derived from custom and judicial precedent rather than statutes; or when referring to a marriage, one unrecognised by the church or civil authorities.
Common law
Fact of the Day
One in ten fatal accidents in sixteenth-century England involved animals
Quote of the Day
"The enemy should have to carve his way over heaps of corpses.
"
~ General von Below's orders to the German army on the Somme, 1916
On This Day
1586 American colonists arrived in Plymouth with large quantities of tobacco. Smoking caught on quickly, though it was also used in tea.
1694 The Bank of England was founded by an act of parliament as a way to finance government debt by private subscription.
1943 The concentrated Allied bombing of Hamburg led to a three hour firestorm that killed approx 30,000 civilians.