Adela
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John of Gaunt
John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, was born on March 6, 1340 to King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. He was called “John of Gaunt” because he was born in Ghent, then rendered in English as Gaunt. He was born a member of the House of Plantagenet. His older brother Edward, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince) was next in line to the throne until his death in 1376 following a ten year battle with recurrent amoebic dysentery. When Edward III died in 1377 and his ten-year-old grandson succeeded as Richard II of England, John’s influence strengthened. However, many people suspected him of wanting to seize…
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Archangel
Following on from our recent post regarding Lilith (who legend states married an archangel – Samael – after being expelled from the Garden of Eden) and questions we have received regarding the differences between Angels and Archangels we have put this little post together to guide you through the most common references you are likely to come across. An archangel (literally means chief angel) is an angel of high rank. Beings similar to archangels are found in a number of religious traditions; but the word “archangel” itself is usually associated with the Abrahamic religions. When thinking of Archangels Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael probably come to mind. They are venerated in…
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Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold was born on January 14, 1741 he was the second of six children to Benedict Arnold and Hannah Waterman King in Norwich, Connecticut. Like his father and grandfather, as well as an older brother who died in infancy, he was named after his great-grandfather Benedict Arnold, an early governor of the Colony of Rhode Island.Only Benedict and his sister Hannah survived to adulthood. Arnold’s father was a successful businessman, and the family moved in the upper levels of Norwich society. When he was ten, Arnold was enrolled in a private school in nearby Canterbury, with the expectation that he would eventually attend Yale. However, the deaths of his…
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Bugsy Siegel
Benjamin Hymen Siegelbaum was born February 28, 1906 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to Max and Jennie Siegelbaum in the Podolia Governorate of the Russian Empire, in modern Ukraine. They were a poor Jewish family. Siegel was known as one of the most “infamous and feared gangsters of his day”. He was also one of the driving forces behind the development of the Las Vegas Strip. He was not only influential within the Jewish mob, he also held significant influence within the Italian-American Mafia and the largely Italian-Jewish National Crime Syndicate. Siegel was one of the founders and leaders of Murder, Incorporated and became a bootlegger during Prohibition. After Prohibition was repealed…
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Death of Joanna Queen of Castile and Aragon
Joanna (spanish: Juana) also known as Joanna the Mad was queen of Castile and Aragon. She was born in the city of Toledo, capital of the Kingdom of Castile and was the third child and second daughter of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon of the Royal House of Trastámara. Joanna was known to be incredibly smart and also clever. Queen Isabella made sure that Joanna along with her three sisters Isabella, Maria, and Catherine received a fine education. She was educated and formally trained for a significant marriage that, as a royal family alliance, would extend the kingdoms’ power and security as well as its influence…
