November, 2013 | The British Newspaper Archive Blog - Part 2

Blog

Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan Sign the Anti-Comintern Pact – 25 November 1936

In Berlin on 25 November 1936, Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan signed the Anti-Comintern Pact. The alliance, which was renewed on 25 November 1941 (just two weeks before the attack on Pearl Harbor), was designed to protect both countries againt an attack by the Soviet Union. Here is a newspaper story – published on 25 November 1936 – that reports on the signing of the pact. Gloucester Citizen – Wednesday 25 November 1936 Image © Local World Limited.

Continue Reading

Tags

Grace Darling, Born on 24 November 1815 – a Newspaper Report from 1838 on the Rescue of Passengers from ‘The Forfarshire’

Grace Darling was born in Bamburgh on 24 November 1815. Grace and her father, William, the lighthouse keeper at the Longstone Lighthouse, became national heroes in 1838 when they rowed through stormy seas to rescue passengers from the stricken vessel, ‘The Forfarshire’. To celebrate the birthday of this national heroine, here is a dramatic newspaper story (published in September 1838) that reports on the rescue. Dundee Courier – Friday 23 September 1892 Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS

Continue Reading

Tags

The Death of Merle Oberon – 23 November 1979

Merle Oberon, the Anglo-Indian actress who played Cathy in the 1939 version of ‘Wuthering Heights’, died in Malibu on 23 November 1979 – she was 68. Here is a newspaper profile of Merle Oberson from 1949 (it looks like she had a fascinating family tree), and also a review of ‘Wuthering Heights’ from 1939. Gloucester Journal – Saturday 08 January 1949 Image © Local World Limited. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000532/19490108/029/0015 Exeter and Plymouth Gazette –

Continue Reading

Tags

The Death of Jack London – 22 November 1916

Jack London (aka John Griffith Chaney), author of Call of the Wild and White Fang, died at Glen Ellen in California on 22 November 1916 – he was 40. To mark the day, here is a detailed newspaper tribute to Jack London that was published the day after he died. The Liverpool Echo – 23 November 1916 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000271/19161123/025/0005

Tags

The Bicentenary of Voltaire’s Birth – Celebrated in Victorian Newspapers on 21 November 1894

Francois-Marie Arouet (aka Voltaire) was born in Paris on 21 November 1694. To celebrate the day, included below is a Victorian newspaper article written to mark the bicentenary of Voltaire’s birth in 1894. You can also read our blog post entitled ‘The Death of Voltaire’, from a newspaper published in 1778. Pall Mall Gazette – Monday 26 November 1894 Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000098/18941126/027/0007

Tags

The Start of the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials – 20 November 1945

The Nuremberg War Crimes Trials started on 20 November 1945. Here are some historical newspaper reports that were published on the day that the trial started. Evening Telegraph – Tuesday 20 November 1945 Image © D.C.Thomson & Co. Ltd. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000563/19451120/001/0001

Tags

The German POW in World War One Who Planned to Escape from the UK in a Packing Case

We were absolutely fascinated by this amazing story about a German POW in World War One who attemped to escape from England by hiding inside a packing case. The Western Daily Press – Monday 14 December 1914 Image © Northcliffe Media Limited. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000264/19141214/019/0005

Tags

‘An Awkward Change of Name’ – the Assassin Brothers Decide to Change Their Surname…

Given the BNA Team’s interest in family history, we’re always very intersted in reading historical newspaper stories about surnames. Here’s a fascinating story from 1895 about the move by the Assassin brothers to change their surname to the seemingly unoffensive ‘Berge’ – and their melancholic discovery that this might not have been the best of moves… Exeter and Plymouth Gazette – Friday 18 October 1895 Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000510/18951018/060/0008

Tags

The Death of Auguste Rodin – 17 November 1917

‘Born of poor parents in Paris in 1840, he had finished schooling when he was about 17…’ The brilliant French sculptor, Auguste Rodin, died on 17 November 1917 – he was 77. To commemorate the life of the man who gave us such famous sculptures as ‘Le Penseur’ and ‘Le Kiss’, here is a newspaper tribute to Rodin. Aberdeen Journal – Monday 19 November 1917 Image © D.C.Thomson & Co. Ltd. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000576/19171119/053/0005

Continue Reading

Tags

The Obscenity Trial of Miss Radclyffe Hall’s novel, ‘The Well of Loneliness’ – 16 November 1928

‘Give us also the right to our existence’ At Bow Street in London on 16 November 1928, Miss Radclyffe Hall’s novel, ‘The Well of Loneliness’, found itself in the dock on a charge of obscenity. The powers-that-be had decided that they did not like the novel’s ‘unnatural offences’ – hence the decision to prosecute. The magistrate eventually decided that the book was obscene and ordered that it be destroyed. Here is a newspaper story that reports on this famous literary

Continue Reading

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,