Who Invented the Violin?

Who Invented the Violin?

ByFabien

Last year, I wrote about the invention of the Piano. Since then, I’m thinking of continuing my exploration of the subject as I thought it was quite interesting. But as time goes on, I wrote about a lot of things, but not much about music-related subjects (I wrote about what was the first rap song recently though). I’m listening to classical music lately when I’m working, and this brings the idea back to the forefront. So today, we are talking about:

Who Created the Violin?

The birth of the violin can be traced back to the Brescia area of Northern Italy in the early 16th century. It was around 1485 that the region became known for its skilled string players and renowned instrument makers, including creators of viols, violas, and other stringed instruments of the Renaissance.

Read More “Who Invented the Violin?”
What Was the First Haunted House?

What Was the First Haunted House?

ByFabien

Apparently, Disney put out a Haunted Mansion movie that nobody went to see… in the middle of July. If the Mouse doesn’t wait until October to sell its spooky mansion story, I can probably explore the subject too!

What Was the First documented Haunted House?

I don’t think it is possible to put a date on the exact moment humans started to believe in ghosts and other types of folkloric tales of the sort. It’s part of every culture. But we apparently can talk about the first documented tale of a haunted house!

Read More “What Was the First Haunted House?”
Who Invented The Dragon?

Who Invented The Dragon?

ByFabien

You probably have heard about the Komodo Dragon. It always bothered me that it was called a “dragon” as its appearance didn’t correspond with what I imagine a dragon looks like. It’s ridiculous to see things like that, but the human brain is strange. Anyway, I was looking into where the name came from, and that led me to read about what I think of when were are talking about “Dragons.”

Who Created The Dragon?

The word “dragon” is dating back to the 13th century when it first entered the English language. It was derived from two ancient languages: Latin and Greek. In Latin, the word “dracōnis” referred to a dragon, and in Greek, it was known as “drakōns.”

Read More “Who Invented The Dragon?”
Howard Carter and the Tomb of Tutankhamun

Howard Carter and the Tomb of Tutankhamun

ByFabien

The youngest son in an 11-child family, Howard Carter was born on May 9, 1874, in Brompton, Kensington, London. The Hamond family, the lords of the manor of Swaffham, employed his father, Samuel Carter, and his grandfather, Samuel Carter Senior, as gamekeepers on their estate. Howard developed an interest in sketching and painting because of his father and brother, William Carter, who were both artists.

As the weather in London didn’t suit him, Howard was transferred to live in Swaffham, a market town in Norfolk. Due to his ill health, he only had a meager formal education and was tutored at home privately. His father gave him drawing and painting lessons when he visited Swaffham frequently, laying the groundwork for his future careers as an artist and an archaeologist.

Read More “Howard Carter and the Tomb of Tutankhamun”
Who Invented the Can Opener?

Who Invented the Can Opener?

ByFabien

When I started this website, my motivation was learning about the inventors behind the great human inventions. I didn’t realize that, basically, everything had to be invented. Some things as innocuous as the can opener didn’t exist for the longest time! In fact, it was created way more recently than I would have expected.

Who Created the Can Opener?

The history of the can opener is connected to the one of canned food, but that’s a subject for another article. For now, we are looking at the history of the opening of those cans, but for context, let’s resume.

Read More “Who Invented the Can Opener?”
When Was the First UFO Sighting?

When Was the First UFO Sighting?

ByFabien

The Truth is Out There! Yes, I grew up watching The X-Files. Therefore, I’m kinda familiar with UFO conspiracies, in a way. I was surprised though to discover that there are people who are going in front of the American Senate to ask that all the dealings with the alien spaceship and all of that are made public. It just seems surrealist. But anyway, it hit me that all of this was not limited to the realm of science-fiction. So I went on a quick quest to discover:

What is a UFO?

Maybe we should begin with a definition of UFO. An unidentified flying object, or UFO, is also known as an unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP). It encompasses any perceived aerial occurrence that defies immediate identification or explanation. Following a thorough investigation, the majority of reported UFOs are eventually identified as known objects or atmospheric phenomena. Nonetheless, a small subset of these phenomena remains unexplained, leaving room for ongoing speculation and study.

Read More “When Was the First UFO Sighting?”
Who Wrote the First Detective Novel?

Who Wrote the First Detective Novel?

ByFabien

For a long time, I mostly read science-fiction stories, but I love film noir and Ed Brubaker’s comics, so I decided to embrace my interest in detective stories. Now, I’m a big Ross Macdonald fan. As I’m exploring the genre, I started to look into its history and, naturally, I wanted to go back to the beginning!

Who is the Author of the First Detective Novel?

There have always been detective stories, apparently. It’s certainly not my field of expertise, but it seems that the Old Testament story of Susanna and the Elders, located within the Apocrypha of the Protestant Bible, displayed aspects of investigation when Daniel cross-examined witnesses.

Read More “Who Wrote the First Detective Novel?”
Who Invented Parmesan Cheese?

Who Invented Parmesan Cheese?

ByFabien

Parmesan Cheese is my favorite cheese. I buy it in quantity from Italy because I eat a lot of it, and it’s weirdly cheaper for me than buying a small package at the supermarket here in France. Recently, as I was searching for recipes to find a way to add more Parmesan cheese to my diet, I went looking into its history.

Who Created Parmesan Cheese?

Parmigiano Reggiano (the original name of Parmesan cheese) first appeared in the area surrounding the Italian cities of Parma and Reggio Emilia, during the Middle Ages. To preserve the excess milk they were producing at the time, Benedictine monks who lived in this region invented the cheese.

Read More “Who Invented Parmesan Cheese?”
When Were the First Olympics in History?

When Were the First Olympics in History?

ByFabien

Living in France, it’s hard not to have heard of the 2024 Summer Olympics, as they’ll take place in Paris–and all around the city. It’s always an economic nightmare, the construction of equipment is shrouded in controversy, and the social element is particularly important this time here. Well, it’s complicated, it will pass, and someone will have to pay, but it’s another story. Today, I want to look into the history of the games, going back to when it all started!

When did the First Olympics in History Take Place?

Athletes from all around the world come together during the Olympic Games in an atmosphere of friendly competition. It’s not a modern event. In fact, the story started in ancient Greek.

Read More “When Were the First Olympics in History?”
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a Revolutionary Innovator

Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a Revolutionary Innovator

ByFabien

Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a pioneering 19th-century engineer, left an indelible mark on the world of engineering, transport, and construction. Born into an esteemed family of engineers, Brunel’s destiny seemed preordained, yet the magnitude of his impact on the world would exceed all expectations.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel, The Promising Engineer

Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s youth was marked by exposure to the world of engineering and a strong foundation in mathematics, which laid the groundwork for his illustrious career as an engineer.

Read More “Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a Revolutionary Innovator”
What is the First Rap Song?

What is the First Rap Song?

ByFabien

I’m not the bigger hip-hop fan out there, but I found the history of the genre fascinating, mostly because of how it tells a story of America. Being European, I learn a lot about the USA by exploring how its cultural movements emerged.

I recently heard that Hip-Hop is 50 years old and, out of curiosity, I asked myself:

What is considered to be the First Rap Song?

First, let’s begin by stating that the “50 years” comes from the fact that one event has been declared as the starting point of hip-hop culture. that cultural revolution was started in 1973 when DJ Kool Herc ran the turntables at the notorious “Back To School” jam–a party he organized with his sister Cindy.

Read More “What is the First Rap Song?”
Who Discovered The Northwest Passage?

Who Discovered The Northwest Passage?

ByFabien

I’ve been strangely fascinated by the story of the discovery of the Northwest Passage. Not so much by the discovery in fact, but by the fact that people just went towards their icy death with the conviction they’ll find it as it was something that was just speculated. At that time, climate change was not on their side.

Anyway, I don’t know if you know the story of the Terror (I read Dan Simmons’ book and watch the great TV adaptation), but that was what led me here, you know, for the real story–and finding who ended up making the discovery.

Read More “Who Discovered The Northwest Passage?”