Happy Valentine’s Day — A Great Day for Jarvis & Nelson, A Bad Day for Cook

Happy Valentine’s Day! The day is named for one of several martyrs named Valentine.  Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni both have feast days on February 14th. The day is also associated with an old Roman fertility festival Lupercalia.  February … Continue reading

Today in History – Herman Melville, Sailor’s Snug Harbor & Nelson at Aboukir Bay

Today is the birthday of Herman Melville, one of the greatest American writers. He was born in 1819 on Pearl Street in downtown Manhattan, almost directly across the Hudson from where I am now writing this post. He will always … Continue reading

Horatio Nelson ‘was French football captain’, say children

Horatio Nelson ‘was French football captain’, say children Research carried out to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar shows many schoolchildren believe that Horatio Nelson was captain of the French national football team in the 1990s. Almost one-in-four … Continue reading