History Fun Facts September 20th

HISTORY FUN FACTS - SEPTEMBER 20th

On This Day in history in 1486 Arthur Tudor was born.

 

Arthur Tudor was the Prince of Wales and also the eldest son of King Henry VII of England. As the eldest son of the King, he was also the heir apparent.

 

Plans for Arthur's marriage started at the age of three, because any self-respecting three-year-old needs a wife. It wasn't until he was eleven-years-old that he was formally betrothed. Although they waited until he was 15-years-old before he actually married.

 

And the lucky lady was Catherine of Aragon.

 

Wait a minute, that name sounds familiar. Wasn't she the wife of King Henry VIII?

 

Something icky is coming.

 

Which is what Arthur said to his new wife on their wedding night.

 

Soon after they were married, they moved into Ludlow Castle in Shropshire. Life was good for Arthur Tudor. Newly married, madly in love, and heir to the throne of England. Soon he would be King of the greatest nation on ...

 

He died six months later.

 

Bummer.

 

Apparently Arthur didn't, as that was why Henry VIII was given permission to marry Catherine of Aragon. They had never consummated their marriage.

 

Henry became heir apparent after his brother, Arthur, died.

 

And along with the title of Prince of Wales, Henry inherited the wife.

 

Most wouldn't want to stir their brother's yoghurt, but 16th century England was a different time. Marriages bred alliances, and England needed a strong alliance. Marriages also bred heirs, and England needed a male heir to continue the royal line.

 

Catherine would give the dashing Henry a male heir. For sure. Almost certainly.

 

Unfortunately, the first born was a girl. And an ugly one at that. They named her Mary. Because that's the name you give to ugly children. But a male would follow. Definitely. Probably. Oh, this isn't going to end well, is it?

 

Upon the death of his father, Henry became King of England as Henry-Of-The-Many-Numbers.

 

After years of trying, mostly in the doggy position, but occasionally mid-cartwheel, Catherine of Aragon couldn't pop out a boy child. They obviously didn't eat enough garlic.

 

The ever increasing waistline of Henry VIII got annoyed with the lack of a boy, and the serious lack of cake, and sought comfort with a bit of rough. That bit of rough and tumble was Anne Boleyn, who wouldn't tumble with the increasingly rough of Henry-Ate-All-The-Pies, unless they were married.

 

Clever girl.

 

So, in 1536, Henry VIII petitioned to divorce his ex-brother's ex-wife, Catherine of Aragon, on the grounds that Arthur did indeed do the diddly-squat with his wife.

 

Bummer.

 

Which is probably the reason they didn't produce a male heir.

 

On This Day in history in 1881. Chester A. Arthur was sworn in as President of the United States, the morning after James A. Garfield's death.

 

Not many presidents go into office being hated and come out being respected and liked, but Arthur did.

 

On This Day in 2001 George of the Jungle, the lesser Bush, addressed a joint session of Congress, after smoking a joint, declaring a war on Yorkshire Terriers.

 

After a quick poke from the magical unicorn that escorted him everywhere, he quickly amended his statement and declared a "War on Terror."

 

On This Day In History in 2011, history is made, when the United States military ends the policy of "Don't ask, don't tell."

 

It meant that gay men and women were allowed to serve openly for the first time.

 

Don't forget to like and share. More History Fun Facts tomorrow.