The guillotine came to symbolize the brutal Reign of Terror in France in the late 18th century. It is not something that was just used in distant history. The guillotine continued to […]
Losing Your Head Over France’s Not-Too-Distant Past
Napoleon Was French — Just Barely
Napoleon Bonaparte has achieved immortality as one of France’s greatest citizens. Had he been born just a wee bit sooner, he wouldn’t have been French at all. Napoleon was born on in […]
The King Who Thought He Was Made of Glass
There is no shortage of leaders who have wondered if they might break under the pressure of their responsibilities. King Charles VI of France (1368-1422) wasn’t being rhetorical when expressing this concern, […]
The brutal execution of Robert-François Damiens.
Originally posted on History of Sorts:
Regicide is the deliberate killing of a monarch, or the person responsible for the killing of a person of royalty. Through the ages there have been a…
The Month a Whole Town Danced Until They Dropped
Dancing is typically associated with happiness and celebration. If you see someone dancing, you are safe to assume that person is having a good time. You would have been wrong in your […]
When the French Have a Problem, it’s REALLY a Problem
When Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell said the famous line, “Houston, we have a problem,” the words triggered alarm throughout NASA and around the world. If Apollo 13 had been manned by […]
Think Napoleon was Short? Think Again
Whenever the name Napoleon Bonaparte is mentioned, it inevitably brings up images of a short man, laboring under the psychological burden of his diminished physical stature. There’s only one problem with this […]
Which Nation Has the Most Time Zones? The Answer May Surprise You!
Do you think you know which nation has the most time zones? Think again, because the answer may surprise you.
Ben Franklin Needed a Sarcasm Sign
Benjamin Franklin is credited with some of the greatest ideas of all time. Not only was he the inventor of bifocal glasses, the Franklin stove, and lightning rod, but as one of […]
Something Old and Something Neuf
The oldest bridge in Paris, France is Pont Neuf. The name means “New Bridge.”
1890: Not a Good Year to Be Born in France
Half of all male babies born in France in 1890 were killed or maimed during World War I. source
Some Light Reading
The world record for the longest novel ever published goes to A la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel Proust. It was published in 13 volumes beginning in 1912. With an estimated […]
I’ll Take My Winnings By Check, Mate
The longest tournament chess game, in terms of moves, ever to be played was Ivan Nikolic vs. Goran Arsovic in Belgrade, Serbia in 1989 The game lasted for 269 moves and took […]
Next Time, Please Show Your Work
Pierre de Fermat (1605-1665) wrote in the margin of a book, “I have discovered a truly remarkable proof of this theorem which this margin is too small to contain.” He then died. It […]
How Do You Say ‘Sarcasm’ in French?
A French lady to an American who was trying to converse in French: “How wise of you not to attempt the French accent!” source
