The position or period of office of a Protector, especially that of Oliver and Richard Cromwell in England.
Protectorate
Fact of the Day
Both England and Russia imposed a tax on beards in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, making having a beard a status symbol.
Quote of the Day
"They are well named, for they have the countenance of angels, and as such should be coheirs with the angels in heaven.
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~ Pope Gregory I on the Angles, recorded by Bede
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.