England
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The Solway Spaceman
While out with his family in 1964 local historian, fireman, and photographer Jim Templeton took three photographs of his five-year-old daughter while at Burgh Marsh overlooking the Solway Firth in Cumbria, England. Templeton claimed the photograph shows a background figure wearing a space suit and insisted that he did not see anyone present when the photograph was taken. The image was reproduced widely in contemporary newspapers and gained the attention of UFO specialists and fans. Templeton said the only other people on the marshes that day were a couple of old women sitting in a car at the far end of the marsh. In a letter to the Daily Mail…
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The St. Scholastica Day Riot
Beginning as a “bar brawl” the riot began on February 10, 1355 as a dispute between two students and the taverner. Lasting two days and resulting in several deaths among local citizens and students. The riot began at the Swindlestock Tavern in Oxford. This is now the site of the Santander Bank on Carfax, on the corner of St Aldate’s and Queen Street. The riot started when two students of the University of Oxford, Walter Spryngeheuse and Roger de Chesterfield, and the taverner, John Croidon began an argument. The students complained about the quality of their drinks. The taverner responded with what was described as “stubborn and saucie language”. Anyone…
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Mary Anning
She was an English fossil collector, dealer, and paleontologist who became known around the world for important finds she made in Jurassic marine fossil beds in the cliffs where she lived. Her findings would contribute to some of the most important changes to scientific thinking about prehistoric life and the history of the Earth. Mary was born on May 21,1799 in Lyme Regis in Dorset, England to Richard Anning and Mary (Molly) Moore Anning. Her father was a cabinet maker who supplemented his income by mining the coastal cliff-side fossil beds near the town, and selling his finds to tourists. She would search for fossils in the area’s Blue Lias…
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The Loves of John Smith
As we discussed in our previous post on Pocahontas (http://www.historynaked.com/pocahontas/), explorer John Smith had his life saved by the Native American princess. Some historians have cast doubt on this story as the only source we have is a letter Smith wrote to Queen Anne describing the event in 1616 when Pocahontas journeyed to England. Smith’s only journals from that time make no mention of the event and describe the Powhatan people as nothing but friendly. What is known is Smith had a thing for princesses as another one made a significant impact on his life. Before his journeys to the New World, John Smith was a bonafide pirate. As a…
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The Green Bicycle Murder
It was July 5th 1919 and Annie Bella Wright, the eldest of seven children born to an illiterate farm labourer and his wife, lived in a small cottage in the village of Stoughton, just outside of Leicester. Annie was aged 21 at the time, and worked in a factory – Bates’ rubber mill, five miles away from home. Her transport was a bicycle. Bella, as she was known, was like many other young ladies of the time. Earning her own money, contributing to the family and enjoying a level of freedom previously frowned upon until the recently ended Great War had changed the role of women in society. Filling in…
