… in 1835, the first installment of Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales was published in Copenhagen, Denmark. This was the first of three installments published between May 1835 and April 1837, and marked Andersen’s first venture into the fairy tale genre. Notably, this first collection contained The Princess and the Pea.
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On This Day…
On This Day…
…in 1914, the first trenches were dug on the Western Front. As it became ever more apparent that the war would not be ‘over by Christmas’, both Allied and German forces began digging trenches. In total, if these trench systems were laid out in one long row, they would stretch for 25,000 miles. 12,000 of those miles belonged to the Allies; 13,000 to the Central Powers.

Allied Trench, The Somme 1916
On This Day…

…in 1940 the Blitz began. The night of September 7th was the first of fifty-seven consecutive nights of bombing across London and the UK by German bombers.In all, the ‘lightening war’ lasted for eight months, and was ultimately a strategic failure … Continue reading
On This Day…
… in 1916, the Battle of the Somme began. Lasting until 18th November 1916, it was the largest battle of the First World War on the Western Front and saw more than a million men wounded or killed. It remains one of the bloodiest battles in human history.
On This Day…
…in 1914, the RMS Titanic left Queenstown and set sail across the Atlantic to New York. Below is the very last photo ever taken of her, by Mr John Morrogh at Red Bay, Crosshaven.
On This Day…
… in 1886, Siegfried Sassoon was born. Sassoon was a British author and poet famous for his anti-war writing post World War One.
On This Day…
…in 1666, the Great Fire of London began. It originated at Thomas Farriner’s bakery in Pudding Lane in the early hours of the morning. It raged for four days and devastated the city.
On This Day…
… in 1939, Hitler’s armies invaded Poland, officially starting the Second World War.
On This Day…
…in 1920, the 19th Amendment to the American Constitution was officially ratified, giving women the right to vote.