On May 31, 1859, the iconic clock tower now known as Big Ben began to keep time for the first time. Located at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, the tower has since become one of the most recognizable symbols…
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It began not with a battle cry, but with a refusal. On May 30, 1381, villagers in Brentwood, Essex, stood their ground against royal tax collectors—and in so doing, ignited one of the most explosive popular uprisings in English history. The Peasants’ Revolt, also…
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The Spanish Armada, a formidable naval force assembled by King Philip II of Spain, embarked on its fateful expedition beginning on May 28, 1588. Comprising 130 ships and approximately 30,000 men, including sailors, soldiers, and support personnel, the Armada’s mission was to overthrow Queen…
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On May 23, 1430, amid the brutal and grinding wars that had ravaged France for nearly a century, the woman who had once turned the tide of battle at Orléans found herself surrounded, outnumbered, and—most damning of all—abandoned. Joan of Arc, the teenage peasant-turned-warrior…
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On May 15, 1536, Anne Boleyn—Queen of England, second wife of Henry VIII, and mother of the future Elizabeth I—stood trial at the Tower of London. The charges were staggering: adultery, incest, and high treason. The outcome was foreordained. Condemned by a hand-picked jury…
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On the morning of May 9, 1671, the Tower of London played host to one of the most improbable crimes in British history—a heist so brazen, so theatrical, it defied the line between treason and performance. Colonel Thomas Blood, an Irishman of Protestant birth…
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The passage of the Tea Act by the British Parliament on May 9, 1773, served as a pivotal moment in American history, providing a catalyst for the American Revolution. The Tea Act was essentially designed to bail out the struggling British East India Company by granting it a monopoly…
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Joan of Arc’s pivotal role in lifting the Siege of Orléans during the Hundred Years’ War marked a turning point in the conflict and solidified her as a legendary figure in French history. Born into a peasant family in Domrémy in 1412, Joan experienced divine…
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The morning of April 26, 1607, broke clear and bright over the Atlantic. After 144 days at sea, the weary passengers of the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery caught sight of the low, sandy shore of what would become Virginia. With cautious excitement, they…
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On March 29, 1867, Queen Victoria gave Royal Assent to the British North America Act, a defining moment that paved the way for the birth of Canada as a self-governing dominion within the British Empire. The Act—formally titled An Act for the Union of…
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