Great Impression

Today in 1841 the artist Pierre Auguste Renoir. He was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style. The painting on the right is Lise with a Parasol.

Also a big thanks to all the kids that made it to school today and stuck it out to the end. Especially those that were so well behaved during our visit today. I think the snow will clear tomorrow so we will all have the joy learning more about our world.

Red letter day

Today in 1848 The Communist Manifesto was published. It was written by communist theorists Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. No matter what your political position (if you have one) there is no denying that this particular piece of work was the spark that ignited a new way to think about society.

Scouts Honour!

Today was the birthday of Robert Baden-Powell founder of the Scout. He was born in 1857 and On his return from Africa(where he had served in the British Army) in 1903, Baden-Powell found that his military training manual, Aids to Scouting, had become a best-seller, and was being used by teachers and youth organisations. Later he went on to start the Scouts.

I was a Cub Scout, Scout and Venture Scout and think that there should be a lot more organisations for young children outside of school which make the most of this wonderful countryside we have in this country.

King Monkey

Today is the birthday of one Ian Brown, former lead singer of one of my al l time favourite bands The Stone Roses. Of course Ian has had a very successful solo career since then and I have seen him in concert a few times and I even met him once while watching Public Enemy in a field in Ayrshire (no joke).

Off to watch some footie today, lets hope its fun.

Art

Today in 1564 the artist Michelanglelo died in Rome. He was was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer.

Interesting theory!

Today in 1766 Thomas Malthus was born. Malthus' most well known work 'An Essay on the Principle of Population' was published in 1798. Malthus was a British scholar, influential in political economy and demography.

He argued that increases in population would mean that people would become unable to feed ithemselves and based this conclusion on the thesis that populations expand in such a way as to overtake the development of sufficient land for crops. This idea has went in and out of favour over the years but often people write about ideas being 'Malthusian' and this is where that term comes from.

Colo Colo

Today in 1541 The city of Santiago, Chile was founded.This is home to a few friends of mine and my favourite team in Chile Colo Colo.

Well we have a long weekend and I for one will try to make the most of it. I'm off to see Hot Chip tonight.

Have fun!!!

Free Nelson Mandela!

Today in 1990 Nelson Mandela was freed after 27 years in captivity. A great man and a great moment for South Africa. His story is so interesting that I wouldn't do it justice by trying to tell you it on this small blog spot but I encourage you all to at least google his name to find out more.

No Reds for Joe!

Today in 1950 United States Senator Joe McCarthy accused more than 200 staff in the State Department of being members of the Communist Party.

Two days after this initial outburst, Senator Joe McCarthy wrote to President Harry Truman saying he had been able to compile a list of 57 Communists. His Communist witch-hunt did win him popular support. At its height, 25 states passed legislation outlawing communist organisations. All this from a country that prides itself on free speech, but it is worth noting that this was during the fledgling years of the Cold War and paranoia was rife.

Off with her head!

Today in 1567 Mary Queen of Scots was executed for Treason. Her relationship with her cousin Queen Elizabeth the First is one of the most interesting relationships. There is lots on the Internet about this and there is even a podcast you can download for free from the good people at howstuffworks.com. The podcast is called 'stuff I missed in history class' and there is something for everyone there. They are great if you have a spare 15 mins and want to find out some interesting stuff about history.

Happy Birthday Charlie

Today in 1812 Charles Dickens was born. He was without doubt the most popular writer of the Victorian era and his work is at times an illuminating insight into that period. His work has never went out of print proving that his popularity has not decreased over time.

Just watching the rugby and it is not looking to good for Scotland. On that note I also noticed the draw for the European Championships for (a real sport) football. Oh dear we might have to wait a little longer to go to another major finals but you never know. Come on Scotland!!!!!!!!!

Yalta

Today in 1945 During World War II, U.S. President Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin (see the picture taken at the conference) began a conference at Yalta to outline plans for Germany's defeat.

These talks were in the middle of three sets of talks that took place amongst the 'big three' and were in part responsible for shaping Europe for some time. It has been argued by some historians that these talks can be seen as the beginning of the Cold War.

Spell-binding

Today in 1884 the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was published. My spelling at times is something I have always had to work on and this handy little book has been a great help over the years.

On a non-history related topic is transfer deadline day not one of the most exciting things to happen to football?