The AnswerBank Articles

Tell me about Joseph Stalin

A. Joseph Stalin, the dictator who led Russia, probably killed more than Hitler. He was born Joseph Vissarionovich Djugashvili in Gori, Georgia, in 1879. Q. Early life A. He initially started00:00 Mon 23rd Jul 2001

Why was the Battle of Naseby so important

Battle of Naseby by Sir John Gilbert A. It was the moment that the King of England lost his kingdom - and the commoners took over. Q. You'd better give me the full details A. It was May, 1645,00:00 Mon 23rd Jul 2001

Has anybody ever stolen the crown jewels

A. Yes - Colonel Thomas Blood (1618-1680), although he didn't get away with it. Q. Tell all. A. All right. Actually, in a way, he did get away with it. He was charged with high treason, but kept00:00 Mon 16th Jul 2001

Who was Richard Scrope, hero of Yorkshire

A. An unfortunate cleric. Richard Scrope (1350-1405), Archbishop of York, was the first prelate to be executed. Q. Tough call. A. Yes. He became a martyr: not only a symbol of courageous00:00 Mon 16th Jul 2001

Who was the Young Pretender

The Young PretenderA. Charles Edward Stuart, son of the Old Pretender, James Stuart. (Click here for a feature about him). He was also known as Bonnie Prince Charlie. Q. So what was his claim to00:00 Mon 16th Jul 2001

Who was the Old Pretender

The Old PretenderA. James Francis Edward Stuart (1688-1766), born in St James's Palace, London, the son of King James II (1633-1701). Q. So the pretender bit comes in ... where A. James II was00:00 Mon 09th Jul 2001

What is the Magna Carta

A. The Great Charter, the list of English liberties granted by King John in 1215 under threat of civil war and reissued with alterations in 1216, 1217, and 1225. John agreed to the demands of his00:00 Mon 09th Jul 2001

How important was Florence Nightingale

A. Quick answer is: Very. Nightingale improved nursing conditions in the Crimean War (1851-1854) and won sentimental acclaim for her saintly work. Yet after the war, using unsentimental statistics,00:00 Mon 09th Jul 2001

What's the background to the marching season in Northern Ireland

King James IIA. July is a time of hate and anger between many Protestants and Catholics in the province. It's a time of stand-offs and threats in a beautiful, thriving and fascinating part of the00:00 Mon 02nd Jul 2001

Where can I get a war-time photo of east London taken by the Luftwaffe

A. CaptCrummond adds: 'I understand a court case about a boundary dispute was cleared up by a photograph showing how the land was in the Second World War.' Quite right, Captain: pictures taken by the00:00 Mon 02nd Jul 2001

What are the origins of gambling

A. It was one of the Gods' pastimes. Zeus, Hades and Poseidon are said to have divided the universe by sharing heaven, hell and sea with the throw of dices. Does that answer your question, AOK27 00:00 Mon 02nd Jul 2001

Are vampires real

A. Brrrr... spooky question there from mrjaneiro. Of course they are. Vampirism is defined as the act of drawing blood from someone for sexual pleasure. This and blood-drinking is a feature of00:00 Mon 25th Jun 2001

Who were the Levellers

John LilburneA. Best description I recall was from my old history teacher. He called them Christian communists. They were members of a political movement during the English Civil War in the 1640s,00:00 Mon 25th Jun 2001

Why are magpies bad luck

A. Good question there from Nooti - and one that opens a real can of worms. This startling black and white bird is subject of many superstitions and rhymes. Q. Such as A. The 'one for sorrow'00:00 Mon 25th Jun 2001

Are urban legends really a myth or were they just invented in the actual film Urban Legend

A. Tricky one there, daniela. Quickest answer is that most are myths. Some are not. Believe nothing. The film Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000) follows the story of a student who struggles to complete00:00 Mon 18th Jun 2001

What was the Rye House Plot

A. A dastardly plot hatched in 1683 to assassinate King Charles II and his brother and heir, the Duke of York (later James II), as they passed by Rye House in Hertfordshire on their way back from00:00 Mon 18th Jun 2001

What happened to Michael Hollard, the man who saved London

A. Excellent question there from CaptCrummond. Michel Hollard was the French secret agent who ran the Reseau Agir and whose espionage and sabotage forced Germany to abandon plans to unleash 5,00000:00 Mon 18th Jun 2001

Why did Carlyle refer to Robespierre as the sea-green incorruptible

A. Good question from Potent. Thomas Carlyle, the essayist said in his 1837 book on the French Revolution: 'The song is a short one, and may perhaps serve to qualify our judgement of the sea-green00:00 Wed 11th Apr 2001

I hear Churchill s war bunker is for sale

A. Well you heard wrong. Papers about the Cabinet War Rooms are on the market, though. Q. Pardon me. What's all that about then A. This extraordinary collection of papers, detailing the00:00 Wed 11th Apr 2001

Is Italy to get its monarchy back

A. No. But Prince Victor Emmanuel of Savoy, exiled heir to the Italian throne, hopes to return soon - after being banished for more than half a century. Q. Why was he banned A. When Italians voted00:00 Mon 11th Jun 2001