Vlad the Impaler
Wednesday October 29, 2003
Bram Stoker's vampire count was inspired by a real-life prince of
Wallachia. Although he had a fondness for impaling his enemies and a
bloodthirsty reputation, he wasn't really a vampire. No,
really. There's ... Read More
The First King of All England
Sunday October 26, 2003
Egbert the Saxon helped make Wessex such a powerful kingdom that
England was eventually unified around it. Because he was accepted as
king in Essex, Kent, Surrey and Sussex and for a ... Read More
Miracle at Agincourt
Thursday October 23, 2003
On October 25, 1415, King
Henry V of England scored an astonishing victory against the
French in the Battle of Agincourt, defeating a force more than three
times as large as their own. ... Read More
The Original Vandal
Sunday October 19, 2003
He defeated both Eastern and Western Roman forces; he controlled
significant territory in Africa, Byzacena, and Numidia; he captured
Carthage and sacked Rome. He was Gaiseric, King of the Vandals!
Henry the Fowler
Thursday October 16, 2003
The founder of the Saxon dynasty of German kings, Henry viewed
Germany not as a single nation but as a confederation of duchies, and
implemented a plan to unite them under his ... Read More
Conquest!
Tuesday October 14, 2003
On October 14, 1066, William
the Conqueror successfully invaded England with supporters from
his duchy of Normandy, and the Norman Conquest was under way. What
were the events that led up to this ... Read More
Medieval and Renaissance Portrait Gallery
Saturday October 11, 2003
Ever wonder what Alfred
the Great might have looked like? How about Heloise
or Vlad
Dracula? Stop by our new Portrait
Gallery to check out some 19th- and early 20th-century creations
based on contemporary descriptions, ... Read More
Leif Gets His Day
Thursday October 9, 2003
Around the year 1000 C.E., Leif
Ericsson made an important journey to America. Although his
adventures had been recorded in Icelandic sagas, for years scholars
dismissed the idea that the "Vinland" his expedition ... Read More
Eagles of the Balkans
Tuesday October 7, 2003
The Albanian people have a rich and varied past. This brief
introduction by your guide offers a general overview of Albanian
history through the Middle Ages and some maps of shifting Balkan ... Read More
The Hammer
Saturday October 4, 2003
After succeeding in an intense power struggle to take control of
Austrasia, reuniting the Frankish kingdom and acquiring Aquitaine and
Burgundy, Charles Martel won a victory at Tours that, while not
notably significant ... Read More
Happy Birthday Richard Plantagenet
Thursday October 2, 2003
For centuries, Richard
III was painted as the "wicked uncle" of legend, murdering his
precious young nephews in order to take the English crown. But not
all scholars agree that he is responsible ... Read More