An ancient region covering much of western Europe, including France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany and northern Italy.
Gaul
Fact of the Day
The Tudor Privy Council would sometimes punish those who fell out of its favour by making them wait to be seen by the Star Chamber for days, weeks, or months in London, during which time they would run up huge lodging bills. Wolsey made De Carteret of Guernsey wait for over four years.
Quote of the Day
"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
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~ John F. Kennedy
On This Day
1265 England's first Parliament met at Westminster Hall in London, convened by the Earl of Leicester, Simon de Montfort.
1356 Edward Balliol, King of Scotland, surrendered his claim to the throne to Edward III in exchange for an English pension.
1649 Charles I went on trial for treason against England. He refused to enter a plea, not recognising the authority of the court.
1783 Britain signed preliminary peace treaties with France and Spain, ending hostilities in the American Revolutionary War.
1841 British forces occupied Hong Kong, after the Qing authorities refused to support British opium imports.
1936 George V, the last British monarch to have been murdered (technically), died of a lethal injection of cocaine and morphine.
1936 Edward VIII succeeded his father, George V, to the British throne. Something of a PR disaster, he abdicated the same year.
1942 Nazi officials met to discuss the 'final solution' of the 'Jewish question' at the Wannsee Conference.
1981 The Iranian Hostage Crisis ended. More than 60 people had been held hostage in the American Embassy in Tehran for 444 days.
1987 Terry Waite was kidnapped in Beirut whilst attempting to win freedom for hostages. He was held for 1,763 days.