The First Family of Science: The Piccard Scientists

'The First Family of Science' was a sentence coined for the Piccard family which has produced an unbroken line of explorers and scientists over four generations. The latest scion is Bertrand Piccard, the man who surrounded the globe in a hot air balloon. And now we are all waiting for him to do the same with the first aircraft powered by solar power only: Solar Impulse.

St. George's Day: April 23

April 23rd is St. George’s Day; it’s the nearest England gets to a national celebration. Unbelievably, this national day is a cause for contention instead of a big party. The St. George’s cross has been the national emblem of England for so long, it should be part of everyone’s heritage. Instead, we have the unspeakable Union flag (what everybody used to call Union Jack, but seemingly some brain and nameless git decided this is not politically correct). 

Good Queen Berta in Switzerland

Queen Berta of Burgundy, formerly Princess of Swabia, Queen of Upper Burgundy, Queen of Italy, and Empress of Rome, was buried in Payerne, a small town in today's Republic and Canton of Jura, Switzerland. She was first revered as a saint there, but her story started to grow as time went by. Soon she was known as Good Queen Berta. Still later, she acquired the name Queen Berta the Spinner. Even later, she would become godmother to a newly established republican state. And her story lives on today.

Bulla Aurea: The Golden Bull

The Golden Bull of Rimini was a document issued by Emperor Frederick II of the Holy Roman Empire on behalf of the Teutonic Knights. It ceded land to them which didn't belong to Frederick's Empire in the first place in return for the conquest of the same land and the conversion of its pagan population to Christianity.

Did Louis XVII of France Have Children?

Louis XVII would have been King of France after the beheading of his father Louis XVI but for the fact that France was a republic at the time. He died while imprisoned in Paris; or maybe he didn't. The case is puzzling to this day, and conflicting evidence is offered from likely or unlikely sources.