Historical
Never Leave, Raven, Never Leave
“If the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall and Britain with it”. Seven ravens are kept at the Tower of London all times — six of whom make up the number of ravens that (it is said) need to remain in order to protect the Crown (and one is a back-up, just in case!).
By Ruth Elizabeth Stiff5 years ago in FYI
The Unsolved Murder of Mary Cecilia Rogers
Mary Cecilia Rogers was known as a great beauty. She worked in a New York tobacco store where she turned the heads of many prominent men. When her body was found in the Hudson River on July 28, 1841, it was assumed that she had been the victim of gang violence. However, a witness claimed that she had been dumped there after a failed abortion attempt. A note written by her boyfriend before his suicide suggests that he might have been involved in her demise. After all of these years, her death continues to be unexplained.
By A.W. Naves5 years ago in FYI
LONDON’S FLEET PRISON
The notorious Fleet prison was built in 1197. It stood near the side of the Fleet River and was rebuilt frequently. It was used right until 1844 and was finally demolished in 1846. It was the largest and notorious of England’s medieval prisons. Known as the King’s own prison, anyone who held debts to the King would be sent there. During the 18th century, the Fleet Prison was mostly used for bankrupts and debtors.
By Paul Asling5 years ago in FYI
This is Why the Vatican Censored Michelangelo's David. Top Story - December 2021.
Have you been to Notre Dame? A medieval cathedral in Paris, completed mostly in the 13th century. At the front entrance to Notre Dame, there is a depiction of 'the fall of man'. The dramatic moment at the garden of Eden where Eve eats the forbidden fruit and shares the fruit with Adam. Ashamed of their nakedness, both are expelled from the Garden of Eden.
By Kamna Kirti5 years ago in FYI
The Man Who Died First
On December 10, 1826—195 years ago today—a young boy named John Torrington was baptized in Manchester. We don’t know his birthdate. He may have been born in 1826, along with his sister, Esther, who was baptized the same day as him. Or he may have been born in 1825, as some records suggest. He came from a working-class family, one where not everyone could read or write, and there are few records of him at all. His father was William, a coach man, and his mother was Sarah, whose maiden name, Shaw, became John’s middle name. He was an ordinary boy, one of many who were baptized that day. His name sits at the bottom of the page of the parish baptism registry, easily missed, easily forgotten.
By Lauren Triola5 years ago in FYI
MEDICAL CARE IN VICTORIAN LONDON
During the Victorian age, the UK became a world power. The industrial revolution had started, and a lot of tradesmen took a backseat to mass production in factories. This was a major change for most of the agricultural towns in England. These rapid changes brought new wealth to some a crushing poverty to others and leading to very high rates of child mortality in London and other parts of the UK.
By Paul Asling5 years ago in FYI
A Gift of General Ignorance
Christmas is coming and I've also just noticed this new category. One for fans of QI and similar such programmes. Or just fans of trivia in general. I enjoyed making quizzes during lockdown, and maybe this might inspire more, saying as many parts of the world are back in lockdown this winter, and many places seem to be heading in that direction. God forbid but we can never tell. I Just thought I'd give my Christmas present to this Vocal community by sharing the general ignorance I've stumbled across that I haven't seen on things like QI. A quick disclaimer is that they may have featured on QI and other such programmes, I just haven't noticed as I haven't consumed them all. Anyhow, there could be some content for your Christmas quizzes here. And UK readers will know all to well that they are allowed Christmas parties this year, so why not have a quiz? Let's just hope you do a better job of answering difficult questions than our ridiculous Prime Minister! I've tried to keep this trivia as festive-themed as possible, but there are limits to my knowledge of original general ignorance.
By Matty Long5 years ago in FYI
