Literally, 'nobles of the sword'. Noblemen of the oldest class of nobility in France dating from the Middle Ages and the Early Modern periods.
Noblesse d'épée
Fact of the Day
The first people to use umbrellas in eighteenth-century Britain were laughed at and called 'mincing Frenchmen'.
Quote of the Day
"Who has appointed the Germans the judges of nations?
"
~ John of Salisbury
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.