Samuel Pepys begins his diary
The diarist began his work on January 1st 1660.
Months Past
The House of Lords Rejects the 1909 People’s Budget
The budget proposed by the Liberal government was 'a social and political revolution of the first magnitude'. After passing the Commons, it was voted down by the House of Lords on 30 November 1909.
Blondin’s first tightrope-walk across Niagara Falls
Richard Cavendish remembers how the daredevil Jean-François Gravelet stunned the world on 30 June 1859.
The German battle fleet scuttled at Scapa Flow
Richard Cavendish records how Germany sank its own navy in the aftermath of the First World War, on 21 June 1919.
Richard Cromwell Resigns as Lord Protector
The Lord Protector stood down on May 25th, 1659.
Venice Excommunicated
On April 27th, 1509, the Pope attempted to restrict the power of Venice.
The Amritsar Massacre
Troops under the command of Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer killed hundreds of unarmed demonstrators on 13 April 1919.
The Opening of Selfridge’s Department Store
The famous London store opened to the public on March 15th, 1909.
The Birth of Nikolai Gogol
The most influential of 19th-century Russian wits was born on 31 March 1809.
The St Valentine’s Day Massacre in Chicago
An infamous mafia massacre occurred on 14 February 1929.