On This Day December 16 — The Boston Tea Party

On December 16 1773, the incident we now know as ‘The Boston Tea Party‘ occurred.

This was a protest against the East India Company’s recently legalised trade monopoly and the tax on tea. It was carried out by furious American patriots in Boston Harbor, who, dressing themselves as Mohawk Indians, stormed East India Company vessels and threw more than three hundred chests of tea into the freezing waters.

This famous incident followed the passing of the Tea Act in the British Parliament in London, earlier in 1773. This was designed to aid the supposedly struggling East India Company at the British colonies’ expense — an act which was to have severe and momentous consequences in the long term.

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The emergence of modern astronomy – a complex mosaic: Part LI — The Renaissance Mathematicus (Reblog)

By the middle of the nineteenth century there was no doubt that the Earth rotated on its own axis, but there was still no direct empirical evidence that it did so. There was the indirect evidence provided by the Newton-Huygens theory of the shape of the Earth that had been measured in the middle […]
The emergence of modern astronomy – a complex mosaic: Part LI — The Renaissance Mathematicus

December 11 1931 — The Statute of Westminster

In one of its more significant and, in fact, truly historic moves, the Westminster parliament in London approved the Statute of Westminster on this day, December 11 1931.

Whilst largely forgotten today, this act effectively began the major phase of reducing the power and reach of the British Empire, marking the beginning of the Commonwealth. The dominions of Canada, Newfoundland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland were granted equal status and full autonomy, whilst still adhering allegiance to the Crown of Great Britain.

A lot has changed since then; Newfoundland is now a province of Canada (Newfoundland and Labrador since March 31 1949), for example. The Republic of Ireland is truly independent, whilst within the bounds of the EU.

Even the integrity of Great Britain itself has come under threat with strong nationalist movements in Wales and particularly Scotland.

Time will tell if the United Kingdom breaks apart, or re-constitutes itself, once outside the of the EU.

Saint of the Day – 11 December – Saint Daniel the Stylite of Constantinople (c 409–493) — AnaStpaul (Reblog)

Saint of the Day – 11 December – Saint Daniel the Stylite of Constantinople (c 409–493) Priest, Monk, Abbot, Hermit, miracle-worker – born in c 409 at Maratha, Syria and died in 493 near Constantinople of natural causes. Daniel was born in Maratha, Syria in 409 and became a monk in nearby Samosata on the […]
Saint of the Day – 11 December – Saint Daniel the Stylite of Constantinople (c 409–493) — AnaStpaul

Illuminating medieval science — The Renaissance Mathematicus (Reblog)

There is a widespread popular vision of the Middle ages, as some sort of black hole of filth, disease, ignorance, brutality, witchcraft and blind devotion to religion. This fairly-tale version of history is actively propagated by authors of popular medieval novels, the film industry and television, it sells well. Within this fantasy the term […]
Illuminating medieval science — The Renaissance Mathematicus

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