Ancient

On the Ides of March 44 BCE, one of the most famous men in history was assassinated. Julius Caesar, general and politician of the people, had risen too far. It was rumoured he wanted to be king and his very existence could ruin the Republic.

Roman

John Deare's Relief of Caesar's Invasion

Julius Caesar's Invasion of Britain

What could possibly have encouraged the Romans to invade a land on the edge of the known world, whose 'sky is obscured by continual rain and cloud'? Surely the Romans had enough to be doing: in western Europe, they were still occupied with…

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Fact of the Day

Since 1558, England has had a female head of state for 41 per cent of the time.

Quote of the Day

"A business that makes nothing but money is a poor kind of business. "

~ Henry Ford

On This Day

1509 Pope Julius II, in his attempt to increase the power of the Church and to reduce Venice to a fishing village in the process, excommunicated the entire state.

1521 Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese explorer who organised the Spanish expedition to the East Indies, was killed by local tribesmen in the Philippines.

1667 A blind and impoverished (thanks to the restoration of the monarchy) John Milton sold the rights to his magnum opus for £10. As soon as it was published, it was hailed as a masterpiece.

1828 London Zoo opened its doors to the public for the first time.

1865 The American steam boat Sultana exploded and sank on the Mississippi, killing between 1,500 and 1,800 people. It remains one of the worst maritime events in US history.

1941 Athens fell to the German army, after a Blitzkrieg invasion of Greece that had lasted for less than a month.

1945 Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini and his mistress Claretta Petacci were caught trying to escape to Switzerland. They were summarily executed the following day.

1968 The Abortion Act, which allowed women abortions on certain medical grounds, came into effect.