16th Century
Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes was born in Alcala de Henares on the 29th September 1547, the second son of Rodrigo de Cervantes and Leonor de Cortinas. His father led a precarious and unsettled life as an [more…]
16th Century
16th Century
The History of the Pencil
Before the pencil Pens and ink have been in existence for a very long time, being used by the ancient Egyptians for writing and drawing on papyrus, a papery substance made by beating reeds flat. [more…]
16th Century
A View From The Greenhouse;Thoughts On Life (And Death)
Why a Puffin you may (or may not) be asking yourselves, but there’s no great mystery or even significance behind the header picture of my latest ramblings being of our “Spirit” bird. I’ve made the [more…]
15th Century
The Amazing Life (And Death) of Xpoual (Es-po-al) De Colon
There is no definitive date for the birth of Xpoual de Colon. It is believed he was born between August 26th and October 31st in 1451 in Genoa, although there are also claims that he [more…]
16th Century
The Troubled History of the Potato
The potato is a native of the high Andes, a low-growing plant (Solanum tuberosum) with pretty purple flowers and round black fruits. To survive in its harsh environment it has evolved the habit of growing [more…]
15th Century
Disintermediation
My first job was as a graduate trainee for a merchant bank in the City in the late 1980s and among the many buzzwords that the Slick Willies of that profession used to bandy about [more…]
16th Century
The Grand Siege of Malta 1565 – Part 4
Senglea and Birgu On the day St Elmo fell La Valette received news that a relief force had landed in the north of the island. Under pressure from the Order, the Viceroy had sent two [more…]
16th Century
The Grand Siege of Malta 1565 – Part 3
The Attack on Fort St Elmo The Grand Master assumed that the Turks would continue to attack the forts of St Angelo and St Michael, but two Christian renegades who had become Muslims to save [more…]
16th Century
The Grand Siege of Malta 1565 – Part 2
The Opposing Forces – The Muslims The army of Suliman the Magnificent was an impressive force that was both hated and feared throughout Europe. Unusually for the time the infantry were the elite, the Janissaries [more…]