The AnswerBank Articles

Who wrote the American Declaration of Independence

A. Principally Thomas Jefferson - one of the great American heroes. He is regarded as a great inspiration in the States today. Bill Clinton's middle name is Jefferson and even Homer Simpson looks up00:00 Mon 04th Jun 2001

What's this about the kinky kaiser

A. Yes. All true. It seems that Kaiser Wilhelm II liked a bit of bondage and was blackmailed by a high-class prostitute. Q. This is the bad guy of the First World War A. Indeed. One biography00:00 Mon 04th Jun 2001

The name Ozymandias keeps coming into my thoughts. What was he

Statue of Ramses II at Abu Simbel, EgyptA. You are probably thinking of Percy Bysshe Shelley's 1818 poem Ozymandias, which contains the splendid lines: And on the pedestal these words appear:00:00 Mon 04th Jun 2001

Is Soho in New York named after Soho in London

A. No. But they both have interesting origins to their names. Q. And I expect you want me to ask you what they are A. Yes please. Q. Oh all right then. What are the interesting origins A. I'm00:00 Mon 28th May 2001

When was the last armed rising on British soil

A. If you discount football hooliganism and anarchists' May Day riots, the answer is 1838 at Bossenden Wood, near Faversham, Kent. Q. Go on. A. It all surrounded a self-styled Messiah called John00:00 Mon 28th May 2001

Has there ever been a female pope

A. Legend says there was one called Popess Joan. History says it's just a legend. There are lots of versions of it. I expect you want to hear 'em Q. Too right. A. Here goes. In the 11th Century,00:00 Mon 28th May 2001

What's a Luddite I often hear it used as an insult to some of the older people in our office.

A. They were workers incensed by the use of more machinery and fewer skilled tradesmen. So they set about breaking the machinery. The name has stuck to anyone who opposes new technology. Q. Why00:00 Mon 21st May 2001

Why did the General Strike happen

A. Aah, a topical question. It's 75 years since it ended. Put in a nutshell, it was a national strike by workers in Britain's major industries, lasting from 3 to 12 May, 1926. It began when the00:00 Mon 21st May 2001

Who was the last Prime Minister to be assassinated

A. The unfortunate premier was Spencer Perceval, a Tory. Q. What happened A. Perceval was shot as he passed through the lobby of the House of Commons by John Bellingham on 11 May, 1812. He was00:00 Mon 21st May 2001

When was the last public execution

A. Gory question there from mehy0823. Answer: 26 May, 1868, at Newgate, London. The hangman's victim was Michael Barrett, the Fenian convicted of bombing Clerkenwell Prison, central London. Q. 00:00 Mon 14th May 2001

Who were the Templars, and why were they tried for heresy

A. This is a sad story of religion, power and politics. I shall try to unravel it for the questioner, Tangle. First, two definitions. A Templar, sometimes called a Knight Templar, was a member of a00:00 Mon 14th May 2001

Why is it unlucky to put shoes on the table

A. Tricky one there from Tangle. There are many superstitions about shoes. Never put them on the table; never put them on the bed - both mean there will be a death in the family. Don't leave shoes00:00 Mon 14th May 2001

When did weather records begin

A. I see what you're getting at. This has been Britain's wettest spring since records began and the phrase since records began is being bandied about a bit. Short answer: 1766 or thereabouts. Q. 00:00 Mon 07th May 2001

I hear some new Nazi secret weapons have been discovered. What are they

A. Not strictly true - but some bizarre Nazi flying ideas have just been revealed in a book. It's called Luftwaffe Secret Projects - Strategic Bombers 1935-1945.* Q. Such as A. There's a00:00 Mon 07th May 2001

What was The Bedchamber Crisis

A. Put simply, a spat between the young Queen Victoria and her Prime Minister, Robert Peel, over the politics of her staff. Q. More please. A. From her accession in 1837 until 1839 Lord00:00 Mon 07th May 2001

Why is the Korean War the 'Forgotten War'

A. This controversial question was posed by modge. jbeputnam thought thre war was often forgotten because it wasn't really relevant to most of the world. Catman says: 'The role of British troops as00:00 Mon 30th Apr 2001

What was the Beltane Fire

A. An intriguing question there from jayne b-t, answered by modge: 'Beltane is a Celtic festival, celebrated on the last day of April. It marked the end of winter and the beginning of summer. All00:00 Mon 30th Apr 2001

Where does the Maypole come from and what does it signify

A. Thanks to jayne b-t for this question. Maypole dancing takes places on and around May Day. May Day is the only major festival of pre-Christian Europe not adapted by the Christian church for its00:00 Mon 30th Apr 2001

Why didn't Hitler invade Britain

A. Peter.griff wanted to know why Hitler pulled back from invading Britain after he conquered France during the early days of the Second World War. He also asked: Would he have been able to conquer00:00 Tue 24th Apr 2001

Which two Roman emperors are back in the limelight

A. You must mean Trajan and his successor Hadrian. Their faces have emerged from the past with startling clarity after the restoration of a magnificent arch in southern Italy. Q. What and where 00:00 Mon 23rd Apr 2001