In the First World War, battalions of friends and colleagues from the same towns who had signed up to the army together.
Pals battalions
Fact of the Day
In some London streets in the seventeenth century, one house in every three was a tavern.
Quote of the Day
"I see that you have made three spelling mistakes
"
~ Thomas de Mahy, Marquis de Favras's last words on being handed a copy of his order of execution, 1790
On This Day
1129 The Council of Troyes recognised and confirmed the Order of the Knights Templar under papal authority.
1691 George Fox, founder of the Quakers, died.
1842 East India Company's Dr William Brydon reached Jalalabad. The only one out of 16500 soldiers and civilians to reach safety after the massacre by Afghan tribes.
1898 Émile Zola's open letter J'accuse was published in the French newspaper L'Aurore, in defence of Alfred Dreyfus.
1929 Wyatt Earp, famous for the shootout in Tombstone, Arizona, died of chronic cystitis.
1935 Over 90% of voters opted to reunify with Germany in the Saar territorial status referendum.
1941 Irish novelist and poet James Joyce died, after undergoing surgery for a perforated ulcer.
1958 Serial killer Peter Manuel was arrested. He was tried for killing nine people, although he may have killed as many as 18.
2004 Dr Harold Shipman, who killed more than 200 of his patients, was found dead in his cell.