Meaning to reduce by a tenth, decimation was a punishment where 10 men drew lots, with the loser beaten to death by the winners
Category: History
The Iron Maiden
Supposedly a medieval torture device, the history of the notorious iron maiden is not what most think
Letters of Last Resort
Written in secret by the Prime Minister, the letters of last resort detail the UK’s nuclear response in the event the Government falls
Blackpool’s Ship Graveyard
Blackpool’s golden sands have claimed many ships over the years, from a modern cargo ferry to a former Royal Navy flagship
The Sacred Band of Thebes
The elite of the Theban army that repeatedly demonstrated their superiority to the famous Spartans, the Sacred Band was made up of 150 gay couples
The Devil’s Footprints
What was responsible for strange, cloven footprints in snow that appeared overnight over many miles?
The execution of Jean Calas
Two years after his brutal torture and execution for the murder of his son, a French merchant was found to be innocent
The Black Dinner
The murder of two young Scottish nobles served as the inspiration for Game of Throne’s ‘Red Wedding’
Alferd Packer – The Colorado Cannibal
How one failed mountain guide and prospector achieved enduring infamy on the 19th century American frontier
The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis
After a ship on a secret mission was sank, leaving 900 men in the water, they were attacked for almost four days by sharks