William Shakespeare – A Man of Many Talents On this day (April 23rd) in 1564, William Shakespeare was born. Fifty-two years later in 1616 he apparently died on the same date. The Bard He was the most renowned playwright of all time who incredibly is still studied in schools and universities over 460 years later. […]
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Victoria’s Long Naval Connections The Royal Navy’s Colonial connection to British Columbia’s capital city, Victoria, goes back to the settlement days of the Puget Sound farming families in the 1850s. The Skinner Family Families such as the Langfords, the Skinners, and the McKenzies who had arrived in the colony to manage farms for the Puget
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Thomas Harris – Victoria’s First Mayor British Columbia’s capital City had one of the most colorful and controversial figures serving as the first Mayor. His name was Thomas Harris, and he served three terms in office between 1862 and 1865. A butcher by trade, he referred to himself as “just an ‘umble tradesman” who owned
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An Important Day in History Two of the most important events in ancient and modern history happened on this date—September 28 — although neither are celebrated worldwide today or even thought about much. The first was the birth of Confucius, one of the most important people in ancient China, born on this date in 551
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Traditions of Victoria Day Every year the traditional “May 24th” holiday, the anniversary of Queen Victoria’s birthday, occurs on a different date. This year it is early – on Monday, 20th May. The holiday weekend consists of celebrations ranging from a parade, boating, festivals and even, on one memorable occasion in 1896, a tragedy. According
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A Charming Appendage As the author of many historical books, both non-fiction and fiction set in British Columbia, plus hundreds of articles all of which have resulted in a great deal of research, it was obvious to me that it was the men folk who invariably made a name for themselves. Their wives, often only
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Rudyard Kipling’s World Travels Most of us are familiar with the many works of Rudyard Kipling such as The Jungle Book, Captain Courageous and Soldier Tales, but here are a few more things you might not know about him, including his world travels. Kipling was born in Bombay in 1865 where his father was a
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Black History in Canada In honour of Black History month, here are a few stories about the black men and women who made a difference in Canada. The theme for Black History month this February is “Black Excellence: A Heritage to Celebrate; a Future to Build. This theme symbolizes the significant past and present contributions
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Today I Welcome a Visiting Author to My Blog: Judith Arnopp, How to Dress Like a Tudor PROLIFIC HISTORICAL FICTION WRITER FROM THE UK, JUDITH ARNOTT, HAS STOPPED BY TO TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT ONE OF HER LATEST BOOKS – “HOW TO DRESS LIKE A TUDOR.” I don’t always dress like a Tudor lady, but
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When a Princess Came to Town Although Queen Victoria herself never visited British Columbia’s capital city named for her, one of her four daughters, Princess Louise, (her sixth child,) came to Victoria in September 1882, with her husband, the Marquis of Lorne. She loved the city so much that she urged her husband to prolong
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