Tag Archives: 18th Century

1661: Elizabeth Russell

Posted on April 13, 2018 by

[———–] Russell, always known under the guise or habit of a woman, and answered to the name of Elizabeth, as registered in Streatham parish, Nov. 21, 1661, but at death proved to be a man. He was buried April 14th, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

1780: The Dark Day

Posted on March 10, 2018 by

The 19th of May, 1780, was distinguished by the phenomenon of a remarkable darkness over all the northern States, and is still called the Dark day. The darkness commenced between the hours of 10 and 11 A. M., and continued … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

1939: The History of Spitting

Posted on March 3, 2018 by

The pioneering sociologist Norbert Elias published The Civilizing Process in 1939 with the aim of tracing how Europeans came to imagine what it meant to be “civilized.” In the book, he argues that increasing interdependence in society—in which difference social … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

1371: The Strangest Duel

Posted on February 18, 2018 by

The strangest duel I ever met with, was one fought Between a dog and a man in the year 1371, in the presence of King Charles V of France… A Gentleman of the Court was supposed to have murdered another, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

1797: Reading a Book

Posted on February 11, 2018 by

Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson: Benoît Agnès Trioson Reading a Book (1797) Born Anne-Louis Girodet de Roucy in 1767, Girodet suffered the death of his father in 1784 and his mother in 1787. A close friend of his parents, Dr. Benoît-François … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

1759: Rocky Bay

Posted on January 21, 2018 by

Alexander Cozens: Rocky Bay Scene (c.1759–65)

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

1732: The Morals of Chess

Posted on November 22, 2017 by

Although Benjamin Franklin likely composed his essay “The Morals of Chess” as early as 1732, it was first published in 1786, during the height of interest surrounding Wolfgang von Kempelen’s mechanical chess-playing Turk; Franklin himself had lost to the machine … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment