Deven Kane

A death of a middle aged woman in St. Petersburg changed history.  In 1762 towards the end of the Seven Years War, Prussia was on the verge of collapse.  Having lost his last Baltic port and with his army almost annihilated, Frederick the Great at times seriously contemplated suicide.  The consequences for Prussia were dire.  Starting with the Great …

This day in history – January 5, 1762 – The Miracle of the House of Brandenburg Read More »

It was one of the few heartwarming events to occur in the bloody quagmire of the trenches of the Western Front.  Word War I was originally supposed to be a war that would be over by Christmas.  By Christmas it was clear that the fighting was not going to end any time soon.   On …

This day in history – December 25, 1914 – Christmas Truces across the Western Front Read More »

The Norman Conquest is considered an epochal moment in English history – with good reason.  Until the conquest England was firmly a part of the Scandinavian cultural sphere – four English Kings in the eleventh century had been Danish.  The Normans may have started out as Viking marauders but by 1066 had been absorbed into …

This day in History – December 25, 1066 – William the Bastard is crowned King of England Read More »

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918 the guns finally fell silent across the battlefields of Europe.  It had been termed the “War to end all Wars” and until the onset of the next round of bloodletting a generation later would be referred to as “The Great War.” …

This Day in History – November 11, 1918 – All Quiet on the Western Front Read More »

Today is Hangul Day in Korea.  In commemorating their alphabet, Koreans acknowledge the remarkable script designed exclusively to fit the language. Like many countries in East Asia, Korea was heavily influenced by Chinese culture.  However, the Chinese characters were cumbersome when applied to Korean.  As a result only in elites were literate. To solve this …

This day in History – October 9, 1446 – The Hangul alphabet is published in Korea Read More »

Stumbled across the clip below charting the evolution of the map of Europe after 1000 AD.  While the Treaty of Verdun in 843 AD set the framework for the eventual borders of France, Germany and the lands in the middle they squabbled over for the next 1000 years, there was a lot of movement along …

The Evolution of the Map of Europe Read More »

In its approximately 1000 years of history the Byzantine Empire had suffered a number of military disasters.  It survived the loss of Egypt, Syria and North Africa to the Arabs.  It fended off multiple sieges of Constantinople by the Persians, Arabs, Bulgars and other tribes.  The Empire survived the Slavic migration into the Balkans in …

This day in History – August 26, 1071 – Battle of Manzikert Read More »

Hawaii was an unusual candidate for American statehood.  The Kingdom of Hawaii had long been under American influence (though it tried to play the Americans off against the British).  However, its economy was eventually dominated by the emigre Americans and Europeans.  In 1887 they forced King Kalākaua to accept the Bayonet Constitution – the monarchy’s …

This day in History – August 21, 1959 – the American Flag gets its 50th Star Read More »

India’s long struggle for freedom came to its bittersweet conclusion on August 15, 1947.  The day itself was chosen by the last Viceroy to coincide with V-J Day that concluded World War II.  India’s struggle for independence was unique at the time in being largely non-violent – though the rising surge of unrest in the …

This Day in History – August 15, 1947 – “At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom” Read More »

I never thought I would see the Andes before the Alps or the Himalayas (not counting Simla at the age of 6).  But recently finished a trip to Peru and the one day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.  Many firsts on this trip – first trip south of the Equator, first trip south of the …

A trip to Machu Picchu – Part I – an ode to phone cameras. Read More »