History Fun Facts November 23

HISTORICAL FUN: HISTORY FUN FACTS for NOVEMBER 23rd

 

On This Day In History in 1499, Perkin Warbeck was hanged after attempting to escape from the Tower of London.

 

Perkin Warbeck was a pretender to the English throne. He invaded England with an army, more like a couple of friends on a Stag weekend, claiming to be the long lost son of King Edward IV of England.

 

Perkin Warbeck claimed he was Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York.

 

You might not even recognise that name right away.

 

Richard, Duke of York, was the younger son of King Edward IV of England. And also the younger brother of King Edward V of England.

 

Together, King Edward V of England and Richard, Duke of York, made up the duo known as The Princes in the Tower.

 

The Princes in the Tower were later murdered by King Richard III of England. their evil uncle.

 

Warbeck was captured in 1497 and interrogated under close scrutiny of King Henry VII, of the Tudor clan, who did not want another claimant to the English throne that could undermine his reign as King.

 

He wasn't the first or last to claim he was one of the Prince's in the Tower.

 

After the initial torture, which was quite severe, and involved pokey things that were red hot, and holes that were not made for hot pokey things, Warbeck withdrew his claim.

 

After that, King Henry treated him well. Even gave him some cream, and a bucket of ice water for bottom dipping.

 

Warbeck was released from the Tower of London and given a room at Henry's court. Henry even allowed him to attend royal banquets.

 

However, he was kept under guard for the entire time, and wasn't even allowed to sleep with his wife. Hookers, yes. Wife no. Not that his wife complained. She hated him.

 

Not content with the banquets and hookers, and the lavish lifestyle the king allowed him, Warbeck attempted to escape.

 

The moron was captured and placed in solitary confinement. No more hookers for him.

 

Inside the solitary confinement, which was not entirely solitary, he met Edward, Earl of Warwick, also in solitary confinement. Not sure they understood what the word "solitary" meant back in the day.

 

The two cell mates tried to escape, again.

 

And again, Warbeck was captured.

 

If only he'd read the Shawshank Redemption.

 

Perkin Warbeck was then drawn on a hurdle from the Tower of London to Tyburn Gallows and forced to read out a confession before he was hanged. TO DEATH.

 

Also in the news

 

On This Day In History in 1890, King William III of the Netherlands died without a male heir. This led to a special law which passed allowing his daughter, Princess Wilhelmina to succeed to the throne.

 

On This Day In History in 1910, Johan Alfred Ander became the last person to be executed in Sweden.

 

On This Day in History in 1963, An Unearthly Child was broadcast by the BBC.

 

An Unearthly Child was the first ever episode of the world's longest running Sci-Fi show, Doctor Who, starring William Hartnell.

History Facts October 2nd

HISTORY FUN FACTS October 2nd 

 

On This Day In History in 1452, Richard III of England was born. As a complete and utter nephew-murdering bastard.

 

Richard III became King of England in 1483, because he really, really wanted it. And nothing is going to stand in his way.

 

Except, maybe the kid. And the other kid. But those can be dealt with easily enough.

 

Richard's brother was King Edward IV, and when he died, Richard was named Lord Protector for Edward's twelve-year-old son, Edward V. A position Richard took seriously. Very seriously. Very, very seriously, Mwahahahaha.

 

As the young Edward V travelled to London to take his place as the new King of England, Richard, ever the loving uncle, and totally serious about that Lord Protector title, met him halfway and escorted him into the capital city ... and then right into the Tower of London.

 

One down, one to go.

 

A few days later, Edward's nine-year old brother was kidnapped and imprisoned in the Tower as well.

 

Gotcha both. Now no one can stand in my way, Mwahahaha.

 

Richard III killed the Princes in the Tower.

 

Yep, he killed his 12-year-old nephew, Edward V, and Edward's nine-year-old younger brother, Richard, Duke of York.

 

Well, there is no actual evidence that he did, but let's say he did. Mainly because he probably did. But also because he actually did.

 

In June 1483, Richard declared that Edward V was not the rightful king as he was the illegitimate son of Edward IV. As was his younger brother.

 

This cleared the way for Richard to take the throne for himself.

 

Richard-The-Turd was crowned in July 1483.

 

But, Richard knew the two kids, or their supporters, could dispute Richard's new kingly position and mount an uprising against him.

 

This could be a problem. Hmm, what to do?

 

In August, the two young princes disappeared, never to be seen again. It's a mystery that has never been solved. But, obviously, Richard is innocent of the crimes and certainly didn't bury them beneath the stairs. He had no motive.

More Fun History Facts for October 2nd

On This Day in 1535 Jacques Cartier, a French explorer who loved to watch, discovered the area where Montreal is now located.

 

Back then it was called Hochelaga and had a thriving population of locals, and over a thousand people came to greet him when he arrived.

 

So, when we say he discovered the area where Montreal is now located, we obviously don't count, for some reason, everyone who lived there already.

 

This Day In History in 1919, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, had a massive stroke, which upset his wife, as he did it to a passing prostitute. She beat the living crap out of him and it left him partially paralysed.

 

On This Day In History in 1925, John Logie Baird demonstrated the first test of a working television, where he spent two hours flicking through seven hundred channels and deciding there was nothing worth watching.

 

On October 2nd, 1952, Britain's first atomic bomb kaboomed on the MonteBello Islands, West Australia. Because someone saw a spider. And the only safe way to deal with a spider is to nuke the evil son of a b....