Front page articles

Welcome folks, and happy “516th Anniversary of the unveiling of Michelangelo’s David” week! When it was unveiled in Florence in the Piazza della Signoria, some onlookers were overheard to remark, “It’s a bit small.” Michelangelo famously responded, “What are you talking about? He’s 17 feet high!” You may all celebrate by groaning.

Welcome folks, and happy “760th Anniversary of the Battle of Ayn Jalut” week! This battle marked the first time the Mongols were prevented from expanding through conquest. The Mamluks employed the Mongols’ own tactic of feigning retreat with horse archers to draw the enemy into a trap.

Welcome folks, and happy “1941st Anniversary of the eruption of Mt Vesuvius” week! You may all celebrate by musing on how such a tragedy, where thousands of people died, has become invaluable to the historical and archaeological understanding of that time.

Welcome folks, and happy “68th Anniversary of the first use of the word ‘fallout’ in the nuclear sense” week! The New York Times used it in 1952, and then a term coined in the 1950s went on to become the title of a beloved game series inspired by the sci-fi of the 1950s. You may all celebrate by dusting off and playing your old copy of "It Came from the Desert".