Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 156 i All About History

In man’s quest to take to the skies, the Wright brothers were pioneers whose aerial inventions and innovations led the way for the powered aircraft of today. Wilbur and Orville Wright had been bicycle mechanics by trade before they turned their attention to aviation. Inspired by a toy helicopter they’d been given as children and news stories about Otto Lilienthal, a German glider inventor and pilot who died in a glider crash in 1896, they busied themselves learning all they could about aviation design. Their first experiment with a biplane kite took place in 1899 and saw them test their ‘wing warping’ theory. When the experiment was successful, the brothers started to design their first plane. Four years later, the Wright Flyer was ready. A 6.43m biplane, it was constructed…

What is aviation archaeology? Aviation archaeology entails researching, documenting and investigating the material culture remains of aircraft on the landscape. Much of the work being done around the world by other archaeologists is underwater but my work tends to be terrestrial – I end up in a lot of bogs and forests. Aircraft crashes can differ significantly, with high-energy impacts scattering debris over large areas, to controlled landings where the aircraft is virtually intact. They can also be impacted by the environment and preservation levels of the wreckage, and by recovery efforts soon after the incident or years later. Each of these aircraft have a story to tell about the flights, the crews and the aftermath of the crash. What first attracted you to the field of aviation archaeology? After…

In the 19th century, the young nation of America was growing fast and was well on its way to becoming the world power we know today. The acquisition of vast swathes of land in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 effectively doubled the size of the US, and included territory that now comprises 15 states, among them Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma and Wyoming. By the late 1860s, the end of the civil war and the growth of the railways led settlers to venture further into the new world than ever before. These rugged new territories (and later the period itself) came to be known as the Wild West. This was a time of bandits, cattle rustlers and gunslingers. But if folklore is to be believed it was also a…

THE ORDER Director: Justin Kurzel Starring: Jude Law, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan Country: USA Year: 2024 Does this tense thriller accurately portray the rise of a terrorist threat? VERDICT: A fictional story that helps to connect a sequence of real and terrifying events. 01 Jude Law’s FBI agent Terry Husk is a fictional character, however he is based on real people. Husk is an amalgamation of the agents who worked in bringing The Order to justice. But all of his personality traits, family and background issues are fictional. 02 Bob Mathews (Hoult) is a real figure and was the leader of The Order. As in the film, he died during a standoff with FBI agents at his compound on Whidbey Island, Washington. It was burned down around him as he…

16 May 1975 FIRST WOMAN TO SUMMIT EVEREST Japanese mountaineer Junko Tabei became the first woman to stand atop Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, after climbing the Himalayan mountain as part of an all-female expedition. Their ascent was fraught with danger: 12 days before reaching the summit Tabei and four of her fellow climbers were buried in an avalanche. Tabei’s feat earned her international fame and in 1992 she became the first woman to climb each of the Seven Summits – the highest mountains on each continent. 21 May 1972 MICHELANGELO’S PIETÀ ATTACKED One of Italian sculptor Michelangelo’s most famous works, the Pietà is a marble statue depicting the Madonna and Christ. Considered to be one of the most important artworks of the Renaissance, the sculpture is housed in…

It wasn’t long after the Wright brothers achieved their first powered flight in 1903 that others wanted to take to the sky as well and, like driving, training and licensing came into force. While comprehensive administrative apparatus took many years to come into being, aero clubs stepped in to fill the gap. It’s believed that the first aero club, an organisation for hobbyists and enthusiasts, was started in 1898 with the Aero Club de France. This obviously predates the first powered aircraft, but they were also interested in the use of balloons and generally promoting innovation in aerial travel. With the advent of aeroplanes, these civilian organisations stepped in to offer people training and the opportunity to fly for themselves. These organisations quickly built up expertise that would prove to…

1 BROOKLANDS MUSEUM WEYBRIDGE, UK First opening in 1907, Brooklands was a famous British motor racing circuit. The site soon expanded to include an aerodrome and later an aircraft factory. During the First World War it became the largest producer of aircraft in Britain and is now considered the birthplace of the British aviation industry. Now, while the racecourse and factory have long since been abandoned, a museum is based on the site. Visitors can enjoy the ‘factory experience’, which recreates the environment of the factory floor. The highlight of the Brooklands Museum is undoubtedly the Concorde: the museum operates the ‘Concorde Experience’, where for an additional fee visitors are provided with a boarding pass and can experience a ‘virtual’ flight inside a real Concorde. Due to Brooklands history with…

These tasty delicacies were primarily enjoyed by the wealthy upper-class citizens of Rome. A recipe for stuffed dates is among those compiled by Marcus Gavius Apicius in De re coquinaria that dates from the 5th century CE, perhaps the best source for ancient Roman recipes. Stuffed dates remain a popular sweet treat across the globe and can be found in markets in the Middle East and North Africa in particular. The version here is a more simplistic, contemporary take on Apicius’ recipe, but optional instructions have been included if you want to follow his directions more closely. Ingredients • 15 large dates• ½ cup chopped walnuts• ½ cup pine nuts (optional)• 1 cup honey (optional)• ⅓ cup sugar METHOD 01 Cut a long incision lengthways across each of the dates…

1783 FIRST SUCCESSFUL HOT AIR BALLOON FLIGHT The Montgolfier brothers test their hot air balloon in front of a large crowd in Annonay, France, with a crew of three. The balloon rises to a height of 1,585m to 2,000m and travels about 1.5km. 1903 WRIGHT BROTHERS FLIGHT Wilbur and Orville Wright successfully launch the first sustained flight by a powered aircraft, with the Wright Flyer. The flight, which takes place near Kitty Hawk in North Carolina, is the result of four years of research and development. 1937 HINDENBURG DISASTER German airship the Hindenburg bursts into flames while attempting to moor at Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, New Jersey. Of the 97 passengers and crew on board, 36 are killed. c.475 BCE INVENTION OF THE KITE The kite is thought to have…

ALBERTO SANTOS-DUMONT BRAZILIAN, 1873 – 1932 Alberto Santos-Dumont was the heir to a successful coffee business and used his wealth to fund his passion for aviation, studying engineering in France. He developed a number of designs for balloons and winged aircraft. His first balloon, called Brazil after his homeland, flew in 1898, and he then moved into dirigible design. After hearing about the Wright brothers’ success he focussed on powered winged flight and conducted the first public demonstration in Europe in 1906, winning several prizes before returning to Brazil in 1928. BESSIE COLEMAN AMERICAN, 1892 – 1926 Inspired by stories of women flying planes in France during the First World War, Coleman attempted to earn a licence in America but was turned down by the schools she applied to. Undeterred,…

On 9 June 68 CE, Emperor Nero cowered in a villa outside Rome watching his companions build his pyre and prepared to take his own life. Observing them bustle about with wood and water, he wept and sighed: “What a great artist dies with me!” With Nero died not just an artist but also an emperor and his entire dynasty, and he left behind a reputation as the very worst of a bad bunch of rulers. He had all the hallmarks of a terrible emperor: he killed indiscriminately, he lived extravagantly, he was profligate with money and sex, and refused to engage in any proper Roman activities. But his worst crime, as far as the Romans were concerned, was to get on stage and sing. In this, he insulted their…

On a cold night in January 1917, German infantry launched a raid at Main de Massiges, east of Reims, and came across enemy plans to attack the Aisne River. General Erich Ludendorff declared it a “capital piece of information”. The Germans’ alarm grew after another raid in March 1917 led to the discovery of French General Robert Nivelle’s “Instructions Concerning the Aim and Conditions of a General Offensive”, revealing the planned operation’s incredible scale. Despite these disastrous leaks, Nivelle continued widely circulating operational plans. The dam of his secrecy ultimately burst open with the capture of a sergeant carrying a document detailing the movements of specific units. That is not to say that Nivelle ever seriously tried to protect intelligence on the offensive. While lobbying for support, he showed the…

WONDERLAND: SCIENCE FICTION IN THE ATOMIC AGE A weaving of the evolution of sci-fi and the history that helped to shape it Director: Adrian Munsey Length: Four episodes Streaming: Sky Released: Out now Have you ever noticed how sometimes two movies can land with very similar ideas behind them? Dante’s Peak and Volcano. Deep Impact and Armageddon. The Truman Show and EDtv. They’re apparently called ‘twin films’ and it happens quite a lot. The underlying theory of why tends to look at social circumstances; that events in the world have inspired creative minds to think along similar lines. Adrian Munsey’s four-part documentary looking at the history of science fiction spends much of its time connecting those threads. From the first written science fiction to multi-million dollar film franchises, this documentary series…