Forget the telly and the cinema - you can't beat live theatre. Today in 1603, Will Shaxsper was putting on his Henry V at the Globe Theatre and when the king came on, a real cannon was fired using real gunpowder. So far, so dramatic but unfortunately the place caught fire and burned down. Interviewed by The Stage the playwright said, 'These things happen. You can't write Hamlet without breaking a few eggs.'
In other news ...
What possessed this great country of ours to wait until today in 1801 to carry out the first census? Wouldn't 1800 have been neater? Or 1810? Incidentally, for the record, in 1801 there were 26,816 Jedi knights in the country. Where are they now?
Showing posts with label Henry V. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Henry V. Show all posts
Friday, 29 June 2012
Thursday, 14 June 2012
14th June
Legend has it that after his victory at Marengo today in 1800, Napoleon asked his chef to cook something to commemorate the victory. It has come to be known as Chicken Marengo and ranks alongside other great culinary victories as
In other news ...
Actor and President Ronald Reagan became Sir Ronald today in 1989 when he was dubbed by Her Majesty. Other America recipients include George Dub You Bush and James Earl Jones. Count Basie doesn't count.
- Haddock Grammicus (Alexander the Great
- Escargots Alesia (Julius Caesar)
- Eggs Agincourt (Henry V
- Mushrooms Cape St Vincent (Nelson)
- Onions Chickamanga (Ulysses Grant)
- Bananas Mersch Matruh (Erwin Rommel)
In other news ...
Actor and President Ronald Reagan became Sir Ronald today in 1989 when he was dubbed by Her Majesty. Other America recipients include George Dub You Bush and James Earl Jones. Count Basie doesn't count.
Monday, 21 May 2012
21st May
The 'perfect' murder was committed today in 1924 when Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold killed 14 year old Bobby Franks just for the hell of it. Fascinated by the Nietzschean concept of superman, Leopold and Loeb believed they were just that, except that one of them dropped his glasses at the crime scene (ah - always the one little mistake!). The case gave lawyer Clarence Darrow his finest hour and put the cause of antisemitism in the USA back fifty years.
In other news ...
Poor old Henry VI died today in 1471. Since he was under arrest in the Tower of London and his opponent, Edward IV, was king, it is likely the sad old bloke was murdered on the king's orders. Henry was a poet and saintly to the point of imbecility. He was the son of Henry V, the victor of Agincourt and all-round tough nut. Isn't it funny how often the great general's kids fall short of expectations? For example, Napoleon's son, the Emperor of Rome, caught a chill reviewing some troops and died.
Talk about chips and old blocks.
In other news ...
Poor old Henry VI died today in 1471. Since he was under arrest in the Tower of London and his opponent, Edward IV, was king, it is likely the sad old bloke was murdered on the king's orders. Henry was a poet and saintly to the point of imbecility. He was the son of Henry V, the victor of Agincourt and all-round tough nut. Isn't it funny how often the great general's kids fall short of expectations? For example, Napoleon's son, the Emperor of Rome, caught a chill reviewing some troops and died.
Talk about chips and old blocks.
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