Showing posts with the label France

Étienne Léopold Trouvelot: Ecological Villain And Astronomy Artist

Mar 1, 2025

Étienne Léopold Trouvelot left behind two legacies. One deserves admiration and respect, while the other earns him contempt and criticism. ...

Le Pétomane: The Man Who Could Fart Melodies

Oct 1, 2024

In the vibrant world of Parisian cabaret, where extravagant performances captivated audiences every night, few acts were as peculiar or as u...

Ernest Duchesne: The Forgotten Discoverer of Penicillin

Sep 19, 2024

In 1897, a young French medical student named Ernest Duchesne submitted a ground-breaking doctoral thesis titled Contribution to the Study o...

Paris Gun: World War One’s Greatest Weapon

Sep 11, 2024

At quarter past seven on the morning of March 23, 1918, the people of Paris were jolted by a powerful explosion near the Quai de la Seine. F...

José Meiffret’s 200km/h Bike Ride

Sep 6, 2024

This strange looking bike with an enormous chain wheel was designed for speed, and speed it did achieve. On July 19, 1962, French cyclist ...

Narcisse Pelletier: The French Boy Who Lived 17 Years With The Aboriginals

Jul 9, 2024

On April 11, 1875, a pearling schooner named John Bell anchored off the coast of Queensland, Australia. The captain, Joseph Frazer, sent so...

Robert Cocking’s Fatal Parachute Jump

Jun 28, 2024

On October 22, 1797, a sizeable crowd gathered at Parc Monceau in Paris to witness a daring spectacle. Frenchman André-Jacques Garnerin was...

5 Times Weather Played Foul For An Invading Army

Apr 1, 2024

Throughout history, weather has played a significant role in military campaigns, sometimes altering its course and reshaping the destiny of ...

Claude Ruggieri: Master of Pyrotechnic Brilliance

Mar 27, 2024

Fireworks have accompanied celebrations and festivities for at least a thousand years. They were first used in China during the Song dynasty...

Horizontal Collaboration: Sleeping With The Enemy

Mar 7, 2024

The historic D-Day landing by Allied forces on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944, marked the beginning of a crucial phase in World War...