System of medieval land management. A hide was a land-holding considered sufficient to support a family; a hundred consisted of a hundred hides; and a shire was originally a subdivision of a county.
Hides, hundreds, and shires
Fact of the Day
Thirty-two countries attended the Evian Conference, designed to tackle the Jewish refugee crisis, in 1938. Only one country - the Dominican Republic - agreed to accept more refugees.
Quote of the Day
"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.
"
~ Anne Frank
On This Day
1040 Duncan I of Scotland was killed by Macbeth (or Macbeth's men) near Elgin.
1941 The Atlantic Charter was signed by Churchill and Roosevelt, stating their post-war goals for a new world.
1947 Pakistan achieved independence from Britain.
1967 The Marine Broadcasting Offences Act became law, banning offshore 'pirate' radio stations from broadcasting.
1969 British troops arrived in Northern Ireland in what was planned to be a short-lived, 'limited operation'. They stayed there for the next thirty-eight years.