British History

The actual first logo for the World Wide Web, created by the developer of its first web browser.

The World Wide Web Was Almost Known as “The Mesh”

The inventor of the World Wide Web had a few different name ideas

Even the name "Daniel Defoe" was a pseudonym of sorts—born Daniel Foe, Defoe added the first syllable to his last name to sound more aristocratic.

The Author of 'Robinson Crusoe' Used Almost 200 Pseudonyms

Daniel Defoe honed his pen on political writing before he came to the novel

This diorama shows a sailor receiving his "daily tot." It was even mixed according to custom: on a "scuttled butt" with an officer overseeing the mixing.

Reasons Why the Royal Navy Bribed Sailors With Booze

The rum ration existed until 1970

The United States's version of the Imperial system is based on an older British version.

America Has Been Struggling With the Metric System For More Than 200 Years

The United States is the one of the world's only holdouts at this point, but it could have been the first country outside of France to adopt the system

The fairground ride parallels a medieval training game for mounted fighters.

The Dizzy History of Carousels Begins With Knights

Practice makes perfect–but nobody said it couldn't be fun

Newly Released Documents Reveal Churchill’s Efforts to Suppress Details of Nazi Plot

The British leader did not want the public to know about a Nazi plan to kidnap Edward VIII

More than 300,000 Allied troops were rescued from the beaches of Dunkirk in 1940, with help from ships like the "Medway Queen."

The True Story of Dunkirk, As Told Through the Heroism of the “Medway Queen”

Retrofitted by the British Navy, the paddleboat saved 7,000 men over many dangerous trips across the Channel

The 1759 cannonball

Found: 200-Year-Old Cannonball From French and Indian War

Potentially still live, the incendiary device has been moved to a safe location to be neutralized

Taking a stroll to the Pump Room–the fashionable place to be seen in Bath during Austen's time.

Five Things to Know About Bath, Jane Austen’s Home and Inspiration

Two hundred years after her death, Bath hasn't forgotten about Jane Austen

The July 14, 1868 patent for a tape measure included these two drawings.

How Hoop Skirts Led to Tape Measures

Eighteenth-century ladies would recognize some things about the modern contractor’s tool

John Dee was an accomplished mathematician, but he also said he owned a stone (in his right hand) that was given to him by angels. In Elizabethan England, that wasn't all that odd.

John Dee’s Life Shows Science’s Magical Roots

His life shows a time when science and magic intersected–even for scientists

Josiah Wedgwood, of Wedgwood pottery fame, was also a staunch abolitionist and designed this medallion to further the cause.

This Anti-Slavery Jewelry Shows the Social Concerns (and the Technology) of Its Time

The 'Wedgwood Slave Medallion' was the first modern piece of protest jewelry

One of the tablets found at the fort

Cache of Roman Messages Found Near Hadrian's Wall

The 25 well-preserved wooden tablets include a soldier's request for time off

The women faced temperatures of almost -50 degrees Fahrenheit, blasting winds and ever-changing ice conditions.

The Amazing Story of the First All-Women North Pole Expedition

Answering an ad in a newspaper, 20 amateur explorers attempted to ski from Arctic Canada to the top of the world

The first page of 'Measure For Measure' in the First Folio of 1623. Set in Vienna and full of less-than-proper characters, this play proved the most challenging to bowdlerize.

The Bowdlers Wanted to Clean Up Shakespeare, Not Become a Byword for Censorship

Thomas and Henrietta Bowdler started out with relatively noble intentions

The White Horse at Uffington, Oxfordshire

Against All Odds, England's Massive Chalk Horse Has Survived 3,000 Years

Cleaning up the Uffington Horse is the neigh-borly thing to do

Protestors in London attack the coalition between the Conservative Party and the Democratic Unionist Party from Northern Ireland on June 17, 2017.

Why the New U.K. Political Coalition Could Undermine Peace in Ireland

Theresa May’s deal to control Parliament may endanger the 1998 Good Friday Agreement

Researchers used facial reconstruction software to paint a vivid portrait of one Dubliner that lived 500 years ago.

3-D Reconstruction Reveals Face of 500-Year-Old Irishman

The image offers a rare portrait of an ordinary Dubliner

Michael Bond, Creator of Paddington Bear, Dies at 91

The author's stories about a plucky, marmalade-loving bear sold more than 35 million copies worldwide

John Trumbull's painting, Declaration of Independence, depicting the five-man drafting committee of the Declaration of Independence presenting their work to the Congress.

At Its Core, the Declaration of Independence Was a Plea for Help From Britain’s Enemies

The intended audience for the document could be found in the royal houses of France and Spain

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