Photo by Elliott B on Unsplash With Christmas a mere six days hence, wouldn’t it be entertaining to explore a few Regency Christmas trivia and traditions? I’m glad you agree with me! Here we go, in no special order: 1. Christmas Trees Were Not Yet Common The Christmas tree we know and love was not popular in the Regency era. It did not come to England until Queen Victoria’s reign, due to the fact that her husband, Prince Albert, brought the tradition with…
Image by TAI-Design from Pixabay Here are some fascinating trivia tidbits about the Regency Era in England (1811–1820), a period known for its distinctive social, cultural, and artistic developments: 1. Prince Regent’s Extravagance The period is named after George IV, who served as the Prince Regent due to his father George III’s mental illness. The Prince Regent was known for his lavish lifestyle and love of extravagant parties, often plunging the royal family into debt. His indulgent lifestyle made him both popular and…
Above image by Ryan KLAUS from Pixabay Welcome to Trivia Thursday. Today, we’re diving into some iconic travel destinations, each known for its unique golden glow—whether it’s a sunset, landmark, or natural wonder. Can you guess them based on a single golden clue? Test your knowledge, and don’t forget to check the answers at the end. Clue #1: “A Sea of Golden Sands, Larger Than Some Countries” Hint: This desert is home to some of the most expansive dunes in the world,…
Aah, the Olympics, the spectacle held every four years so countries can brag about their athletes’ prowess and look down on competitors’ countries. What a display! Forgive my cynicism but for me, the games lost their appeal years ago. From doping to propaganda to other, more reprehensible actions, my sense of wonder and appreciation for these contests went out the window. Nevertheless, I thought it would be fun to present a few bits of trivia regarding this athletic spectacle: Revival…
Photo by Phardon Media on Unsplash Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey, is the only city in the world that sits astride two continents, Europe and Asia. Its population is fifteen million, or nineteen percent of its country, Turkey! It is also the world’s fifteenth largest city. At its founding in the 7th BC, it was known as Byzantium. In AD 330, the Roman emperor Constantin changed its name to Constantinople (I wonder why?). That name lasted until 1930, when it was changed…
Image by Claudio Henrique Claudio from Pixabay In a previous Trivia Thursday, I talked about lesser known firsts. Today I want to discuss popular inventions that might be attributed to the wrong person. Have we given credit to the wrong person? I’ll let you be the judge: First Automobile: While Karl Benz is often credited with inventing the first automobile with his Benz Patent-Motorwagen in 1886, some argue that the honor should go to earlier inventors such as Siegfried Marcus. According to Wikipedia,…
Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay I want to apologize for my tardiness in posting this a day late; I completely forgot about it until this afternoon. But never fear, in honor of a belated Trivia Thursday, I present some lesser known firsts, in no particular order: First Computer Programmer: Ada Lovelace, often credited as the world’s first computer programmer, wrote an algorithm for Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine in the mid-19th century. First Female Film Director: Alice Guy-Blaché, a French filmmaker, is believed…
As today is auspiciously February 29th, I thought I would do a post on Leap Years and how they reconcile our reckoning of time. Simply put, Leap Days are usually added once every four years, extending the month of February to 29 days. The reason for this addition is that the length of a year, defined as the amount of time it takes for the earth to revolve around the sun, is slightly more than 365 days–365.2425 days to be…
Featured image found at http://www.regencyhistory.net/2012/09/when-is-regency-era.html As I get back to my writing, I thought it might be fun to do a bit of trivia searching about the Regency era. To that end, here are five surprising facts about life in late eighteenth and early nineteenth century England. The majority of this information, plus a whole lot more, can be found at https://www.thevintagenews.com/2022/06/30/regency-era-facts/. When I write about Darcy, or Mr. Bennet, or any of my story participants traveling overnight, I have…
Those who know me know that I have long been a huge fan of fantasy fiction. While I cannot remember the first fantasy I read, the first I actually recall was the Narnia series. From there I branched out into Tolkien, Eddings, Donaldson, Brooks, and many others besides. I was so into fantasy that I once read the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy in a single weekend! Robert Jordan came later, as he did not publish the first book…