New Jersey – How & When did it Get It’s Name?
Jun17

New Jersey – How & When did it Get It’s Name?

New Jersey – What’s in a Name?

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The “Other” Guernsey – Guernsey County : Guernsey Pioneers in The New World
Apr29

The “Other” Guernsey – Guernsey County : Guernsey Pioneers in The New World

Most people will be familiar with our sister island’s namesake in the US – New Jersey, but less well known is that there’s also a Guernsey in the US , or to be precise a Guernsey County in Ohio. Guernsey County is almost as old as the United States itself. It was formed on the 10th March 1810 when the US was only 24 years old. The County is located in the State of Ohio and rests in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

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The End of World War One : The 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month
Nov09

The End of World War One : The 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month

1918 – At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month an armistice, signed 6 hours before in French marshal Ferdinand Foch’s railway carriage at Compiegne, France, took effect between the Allies and the Central Powers, bringing the First World War to a close after 4 years, 3 months and 9 days of fighting.

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Old Glory – The Evolution of the American Flag
Jul03

Old Glory – The Evolution of the American Flag

The Flag of the United States, affectionately referred to as ‘Old Glory’ by the Americans, must be one of the most well known and recognised flags on the planet. But its didn’t always exist in its current form, and its history is every bit as interesting as the story behind the formation of the “United States”.

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How and When did the American Accent evolve?
Apr20

How and When did the American Accent evolve?

How and When did the American Accent evolve? : The answer to this question is somewhat surprising … It’s not so much that their accent evolved as that ours did.

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A Naval Historical First – The Battle of the Ironclads
Mar09

A Naval Historical First – The Battle of the Ironclads

When we picture Naval vessels in a historical context we often see them in some very fixed regonisable form we rarely think about them in their interim ‘ugly duckling’ phases. Such was the state of affairs when the naval first of the ‘The Battle of the Iron Clads’ occurred.

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How the US States Got Their Names
Jul04

How the US States Got Their Names

How did the 50 US States get their names … ?

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Why did Europe Colonise the New World and not the other way around ?
Sep02

Why did Europe Colonise the New World and not the other way around ?

Why did Europe Colonise the New World and not the other way around ? – according to a bold theory put forward by anthropologist Jared Diamond – The answer may be linked to the shape of the continents which meant that Europeans had more advanced technology and worse diseases than Native Americans.

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Origins of Some English Eponyms : Juggernaut, Lynching, Malapropism, Maverick & Tantalise
Jun21

Origins of Some English Eponyms : Juggernaut, Lynching, Malapropism, Maverick & Tantalise

Eponyms are one of the most fascinating examples of how the English language gains new words. In this article we take a colourful look at the phenomenon some eponyms like : Juggernaut, Lynching, Malapropism, Maverick & Tantalise.

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Origins of Some English Eponyms : Chauvinist , Draconoian, Hooligan, John Hancock & Mentor
Nov27

Origins of Some English Eponyms : Chauvinist , Draconoian, Hooligan, John Hancock & Mentor

Eponyms are one of the most fascinating examples of how the English language gains new words. In this article we take a colourful look at the phenomenon some eponyms like : Chauvinist , Draconoian, Hooligan, John Hancock & Mentor.

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America goes dry – When Prohibition became law in the United States
Jan16

America goes dry – When Prohibition became law in the United States

On Friday 16th January 1920 America officially ‘went dry’. For it was on this day that prohibition became law in the United States. But how did this strange state of affairs come about ?

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Mayans, Incas & Aztecs – The South American ‘Classical Age’
Dec03

Mayans, Incas & Aztecs – The South American ‘Classical Age’

The people of medieval Europe were aware that there were other magnificent cultures and powerful rulers apart from their own in the near and far east. However they had no idea that west across the Atlantic, beyond the setting sun, there lay a vast continent where there flourished civilizations of unimagined wealth and brilliance, comparable with Europe’s own classical age of Greece and Rome.

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The Mayan Apocalypse that never was
Jan11

The Mayan Apocalypse that never was

The Mayan Apocalypse “predicted” for 21st December 2012 clearly never happened. However people everywhere were in a frenzy over a claims that the world would end on Friday 21st December 2012. But who were the Mayans and where did this apocalyptic vision come from? and more importantly how did the hype get so big ?

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How Does the US Presidential Electoral System Work ?
Nov06

How Does the US Presidential Electoral System Work ?

Hanging Chads, Electoral Collages, Primaries … the US electoral system can seem a bit confusing to Europeans. In this article we look at how the U.S. Presidential electoral system works.

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Jazz – A Short History
Sep14

Jazz – A Short History

Did you know that jazz was born in the US? Did you know that the drum set was invented by jazz musicians? Did you know that the word “cool” and “hip” were originally jazz terms?

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