Showing results by author "Hourly History" in All Categories

Wyatt Earp was one of the most famous lawmen that the Wild West ever produced. He was also one of the longest-lived. Considering the fact that he lived all the way up until his 80s while many of his contemporaries never made it out of their 30s, this in itself was quite a feat. Wyatt Earp’s good friend and sidekick Doc Holliday, for example, perished at 36. But even though Earp lived a long life, he was no stranger to danger. He was shot at more times than he could count, and there were plenty of people out there who wanted him dead.

Albert Speer was the man in charge of designing Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich. Yet he was more than just an architect—he was one of Hitler’s closest confidants and a key player in the Nazi war machine. Born into a wealthy German family, Speer’s life was shaped by privilege and ambition. He rose quickly through the ranks of the Nazi Party after impressing Hitler with his grand architectural visions and sharp organizational skills. Before long, he found himself at the heart of the Third Reich, helping to fuel its war effort and shape its image.

From his humble beginnings as a farmhand working on tribal Iraqi land to becoming the president of Iraq for more than two decades, Saddam Hussein’s life story is nothing short of extraordinary. Transforming Iraq first into a prosperous nation then into a war-ravaged shell of its former self, Hussein is one of the key figures of the late 20th and early 21st century.

Genghis Khan: a man who managed to unify the warring nomadic Mongol clans, who orchestrated military victories from China all the way to Russia, who founded an empire that continued to expand across Asia and into Europe during the generations that followed his reign. Riding across the steppes, bow and arrows at his side, he was a man who believed himself to be on a divinely appointed mission and would stop at nothing to fulfill it. He valued loyalty above all else and destroyed kingdoms that got in his way.

William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066, permanently changing the landscape of the English countryside and the course of English history. No one debates his importance; whether the influence was good or bad is a much more involved conversation. To understand English history over time, it is important to understand the transition from Anglo-Saxon history of the country to the Anglo-Norman control that existed until approximately the 15th century.

This is the story of the people, places, and events associated with the dramatic growth and equally rapid decline of the Wild West. It’s also the story of how myth and legend have shaped our understanding of this time to create an idealized perception of the American frontier. This is the real story of the Wild West.

One of Hitler’s most notorious henchmen, Hermann Göring was the bulldog who obediently followed orders while destroying countless lives. In his early career as the leader of the SA, also known as the Brownshirts or Stormtroopers, Göring played a pivotal role in suppressing any and all opposition to the Nazi Party. He was also implicated in the Reichstag Fire of 1933, an event that resulted in the suspension of civil liberties in Germany and greatly aided in the consolidation of Nazi control.

Apartheid, a state-sponsored policy of discrimination and segregation, was introduced and brutally enforced in South Africa for more than 40 years. It led to thousands of deaths, mass arrests, torture of prisoners, and to the suspension of the most basic human rights for the majority of Black South Africans. How did this come to be, and how did a modern state come to enact and enforce a series of laws deliberately designed to ensure poverty and lack of opportunity for the majority of its population?

Patrick Swayze was more than just a beloved Hollywood star—he was a force of nature. Known for his magnetic presence and irresistible charm, Swayze captivated audiences worldwide with roles that showcased his unique blend of ruggedness and grace. But behind the scenes, few knew the true extent of the challenges he faced on his journey to stardom.

The Crusades are the prototype and epitome of the Holy War. The fight to take control of the city of Jerusalem, believed to be the most sacred Holy City to two distinct religions of Christianity and Islam, has lasted far longer than the two centuries of the Crusades, and its reach has extended far further than Europe and the Middle East.

Alan Rickman was one of Britain’s most beloved actors. His portrayal of the cunning Hans Gruber in the 1988 blockbuster Die Hard set a new standard for movie villains with his perfect blend of charm and menace. Rickman then became a household name playing Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series. His performance captured the layers of emotion and complexity that made Snape one of the most memorable and celebrated figures in the series.

The phrase "an heir and a spare" refers to the imperative for members of the royal family to provide both an heir to take on their title and a spare. In this equation King George VI was the spare - the second son of King George V and Mary, and never expected to sit on the throne. King George VI, or Albert as he was known prior to his kingship, had a career in the Royal Navy and served during the First World War before King Edward VIII’s decision to abdicate his throne.

James I of England and VI of Scotland was the first king to rule both countries. He was faced with division between his realms and caught between the religious wars of the Reformation. Spending most of his reign at odds with the religious and parliamentary powers around him, James did little to unite his people. Unable to take a firm stand on critical issues, he spent his life avoiding them.

The man that the world knows as Winston Churchill looms large on the stage of world history. Like some sort of colossus from antiquity, Churchill strides between two major epochs in the world, one foot planted in the glory days of the British Empire when the sun never set on history’s largest known conglomeration of imperial holdings, and the other planted firmly in the aftermath of World War Two, and a post-war order that saw that empire collapse, with Britain barely hanging on to its own sovereignty in the wake.

Beginning with the birth of the nation, slavery divided and caused conflict for the United States of America, worsening during the country's early decades as the practice became more economically vital. Finally, in 1861, the American Civil War erupted after the election of President Abraham Lincoln. Never acknowledging the South’s right to secede, Lincoln and the North fought the South through four long, bloody, destructive years; much longer than anyone thought the war would last.

Amelia Earhart was a legend - but perhaps an unlikely one at that. You see, Amelia Earhart was not always the dashing heroine that most of us associate with her name. She began life as a rather shy girl, who often found herself having to hide from her troubled upbringing. As her family life spiraled out of control, Amelia Earhart was forced to move from state to state, town to town, never getting the chance to put down roots. The high school she graduated from was one of many she attended, and a caption by her photo for that semester’s yearbook seems to have said it all.

Isaac Newton seemed to be a most unwanted child of the world. Ignored by his mother, scorned by contemporaries, seemingly at war with the world in which he lived, Newton turned his energies to things unseen. His laws of motion and law of universal gravitation would set the stage for a most extraordinary life. Follow along as you travel from a rugged stone farmhouse to Trinity College, Cambridge to the halls of London exhibitions where Newton found himself the celebrity of the age. Looking back on Aristotle, and inspired by all that Galileo had brought the world, Newton made his life work much of what is heralded as the modern age. He saw what no one else did, and his vision saw into the universe. See how he did it, and why.

The politics and recent history of the Middle East can seem baffling to outsiders. Nowhere was that more evident than during the Lebanon War that raged in 1982. Even contemporary reporting often made fundamental mistakes, and there was little general understanding of what was happening and why. This conflict involved a bewildering number of groups and influences from different parts of the world. The precipitating event was the attempted assassination of the Israeli ambassador in London, carried out by members of a Palestinian terrorist group.

In the 27 years that Kurt Cobain walked this earth, he crafted the songs and the narrative that would become the anthem of a generation. Yet, it was never anything that Cobain set to do deliberately; if anything, he could be called an accidental genius. Cobain’s approach to art as well as life was one flowing stream of consciousness. He never set out to change a generation when he wrote songs like “Smells Like Teen Spirit” or “Come as You Are".

Roy Orbison possessed a voice that commanded immediate attention. He may have appeared meek and mild-mannered on the surface, yet beneath this facade lay an inner world brimming with passion and fervor. Orbison’s style was innovative and avant-garde, almost as if he were an embodiment of alternative rock before the term even entered the lexicon. He represented the emotive, tender facet of rock and roll, a stark contrast to his contemporaries, who were often swathed in leather jackets and exuded the confidence of a typical rockstar.