Gaul

An ancient region covering much of western Europe, including France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany and northern Italy.

Fact of the Day

Cecil Rhodes was so rich he bought a mountain for his garden.

Quote of the Day

"By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show. "

~ Samuel Johnson

On This Day

1266 The siege of Kenilworth Castle, one of the longest and largest sieges ever to occur in England, ended when the garrison inside the castle surrendered.

1545 The first meeting of the Catholic Council of Trent was held in response to the Protestant Reformation.

1577 Drake set sail to circumnavigate the globe, again. His first attempt had run into bad weather.

1784 Samuel Johnson, giant of the English language, died. Among many other works, he spent just over eight years writing a 40,000-word dictionary.

1916 Avalanches killed 10,000 men on World War One's most extreme battlefield in the Dolomites.

1939 The first naval battle of World War Two, the Battle of the River Plate, happened

1973 Prime Minister Edward Heath announced plans to introduce the Three Day Week in response to the oil crisis and strike action.