The ancient area of land that at its peak stretched from parts of North Africa to parts of India, ruled by the Achaemenid (550-330 BCE), the Parthian (247 BCE - 224 CE), and the Sasanian (224-651 CE) dynasties.
Persia
Fact of the Day
A jester at the court of Henry II, known as Roland the Farter, was famous for being able to jump in the air, whistle and fart at the same time.
Quote of the Day
"It shall make a delightful summer capital when we invade Britain.
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~ Joseph Goebbels on Edinburgh
On This Day
1092 Lincoln Cathedral, for 249 years supposedly the tallest building in the world, was consecrated. The diocese was the largest in England, stretching from the Thames to the Humber.
1215 King John, in an attempt to win Londoners to his side during his dispute with the barons, granted Londoners the right to elect their own mayor. It didn't do him any good: they opened the gates to the barons shortly afterwards.
1386 The Treaty of Windsor between England and Portugal was signed, ratifying the oldest European alliance still in force.
1662 The first recorded Punch and Judy show was performed in Covent Garden, London.
1671 Anglo-Irish officer and 'noted bravo and desperado', Thomas Blood, attempted to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London. He was caught but was pardoned by Charles I and given land in Ireland worth £500 a year.
1926 Americans Richard Byrd and Floyd Bennett announced they'd flown over North Pole, and became national heroes. However, this has since been called into question, thanks to testimony of friends and the discovery of Byrd's diary.
1941 British captured the German sub U-101 and thus the enigma machine with current codes. US film U-571 claimed it as a US victory.
1945 The Channel Islands were liberated after five years of Nazi occupation.
1955 West Germany joined NATO.
1994 Nelson Mandela was chosen by the African National Congress party to become South Africa's first black president after the end of apartheid.