Folies Bergère stages first revue 1886

Once a much difference venue, today in 1886 the Folies Bergère introduced women in sensational (read: scandalous) costumes. The Place aux Jeunes debuted and the Folies Bergère became the premier nightspot in Paris because of it. Okay, because of their spectacular nude shows. Paris wanted strip shows, Paris got strip shows. Revues had as many [...]

Victorian Artist, Franz Xaver Winterhalter

Dubbed the Painter of Princes, the most sought after Victorian haute portrait artist was Franz Xaver Winterhalter, (b.1805-d.1873). He painted on commission and in duplicate. Europe’s courts and aristocratic homes were filled with his paintings. Much of Winterhalter’s work is on display in museums worldwide, including at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His iconic [...]

The Meiji Constitution 1890

Also known as The Constitution of the Empire of Japan or the Imperial Constitution.
Japan’s first Diet also convened today, since it was a cavet of the constitution. Put into effect after the Meiji Renewal, this constitution provided a constitutional monarchy based on the Prussian model. Basically, the Emperor of Japan was ruler and exerted considerable [...]

Hawaiian Independence Day 1843

The Kingdom of Hawaii is officially recognized by the United Kingdom and France as an independent nation. They would “consider the Sandwich Islands as an independent state, and never to take possession, neither directly nor under the title of protectorate, nor under any other form, of any part of the territory of which they are [...]

Alfred Nobel Creates Prizes 1895

At the Swedish-Norwegian Club in Paris, Nobel signed his last will and testament, and set aside the bulk of his estate to establish the Nobel Prizes. They were to be awarded annually and without distinction of nationality.
Rumor has it that an erroneous publication in 1888 of his obituary by a French newspaper, condemning his invention [...]

Victorian Medicine

The Victorian era was a period of astonishing advances. In the field of medicine, introductions were made of both antiseptics and anesthetics, and the average life span increased.

Scientific thinking during this time changed from the miasma theory that was based on odors causing illnesses to an understanding of the role of bacteria. The standard of [...]

Franklin Pierce featured in the news today

Franklin Pierce was a Victorian mover & shaker who stood for both winning and losing causes.

A Day of Thanksgiving and Praise

On November 28, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln declared all government offices closed for a day of Thanksgiving. Magazine editor Sarah Josepha Hale suggested that Lincoln make the day a nationwide observance. On October 3, 1863, Lincoln issued the following proclamation, setting apart the last Thursday of November as “a day of Thanksgiving and praise.”
By the [...]

Victorian Clipper Ship 1869

One of the last clipper ships to be built, in Dumbarton, Scotland, and the only one surviving to this day, the Cutty Sark stands now in drydock in Greenwich.
The Cutty Sark was destined for the China tea trade. However, she did not distinguish herself. In the most famous race, against Thermopylae in 1872, both ships [...]

1864 Hood enters Tennessee

Sherman’s March Through Georgia
In a desperate attempt to draw Sherman out of Georgia, General John Bell Hood invaded Tennessee. It was a huge mistake.
The sad saga of the Army of Tennessee in 1864: In the spring, the army, commanded by Joseph Johnston, blocked Sherman’s path to Atlanta from Chattanooga. During that summer, Sherman and Johnston [...]