Category: History

What do you know about the Great Sphinx and Mummies? Sphinx and Mummies are two ancient Egyptian mysteries; one a rock sculpture and other, a culture. Egyptians are highly religious people; though they believed in many gods and goddesses. The Egyptians also believed in an afterlife to which human souls journeyed after death. They built…
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In prehistoric times, using a stone to cut a patient’s skull was used to cure headaches, mental illness, or epilepsy. The first known surgical treatment was an operation called trephining. Trephining ‘trepanning’ involved using a stone instrument to cut a hole in a patient’s skull. In prehistoric times people believed that angry gods or evil…
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The amalgamation of the three areas that existed separately between 1861 and 1913 to form Nigeria was due to some reasons. INCREASED REVENUE IN THE SOUTH Between 1900 and 1913, there was a steady increase in the revenue of the southern protectorate while British treasury continued to give subsidy to the northern protectorate. The southern…
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Nigeria has applied many development policies in the past. They are truly pro-poor policies, but generally gender-neutral. This means that they give no thought to the fact that there are differences between poor men and women. These past development policies in Nigeria included: 1. Agricultural Development Projects (ADPs): To stimulate increased food production and enhance…
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Monuments and memorials are quite the same. Monuments are large architectural structures. Memorials are intended to help us remember people who have passed away. Bridges, parks, major roads and streets, learning institutions named after presidents memorialize their names. Four American presidents (Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and George Washington) have their face carved into…
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Clowns were first seen in the ancient Egyptian courts around the year 2270 BCE. The comic spirit of clowning exists in just about every known culture. It is as old as civilization and makes us laugh, whatever age we are. The western tradition of clowning can be traced to ancient Greece where strolling clowns were…
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The two main races inhabiting Africa in early times were the Berbers of the Mediterranean coastlands and the Negroes of equatorial Africa. The Berbers (and the ancient Egyptians) were of Hamitic stock – racially Caucasian, with “European” facial characteristics. The Negroes included the small-statured Pygmies. The pygmies, and a third race – the rather yellow…
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More than 5000 years ago Europeans were building spectacular stone monuments. Many of these are still standing today, as mysterious relics of a long gone society. These enormous stones are called megaliths, which literally means big stones. Some were set up on their own, others in groups or in circles. Some megaliths marked the burial…
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The Roman Army invented a method of warfare that persisted for 2000 years. It troops were rigorously trained and exercised and divided into small detachments under the control of officers. Roman soldiers wore effective armour, and develop tactics that allowed them to fight successfully against almost any enemy. They were particularly good at defence. They…
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The shape of a pyramid (polyhedron) is a three-dimensional figure with flat faces.

The ancient Greeks believed in many gods. The most important of these were a family of supernatural beings who lived on Mount Olympus and watched over humanity. Certain gods looked after the harvest; others cared for wild animals, the sea, and war and so on. The Romans took over many of these Greek gods and…
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The first magic was performed in ancient Egypt. The Egyptian magician Dedi, who lived about 2700 BCE, gave a performance in which he decapitated two birds and an ox and then restored their heads. Other Egyptian magicians were noted for their skill with the trick of cups and balls. In this trick small balls seem…
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The world’s first national park, Yellowstone National Park, was established in the states of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, USA, in 1872. A national park is an area set aside by a nation’s government to protect natural beauty, wildlife or other remarkable features. It is famous for its many natural wonders. The park has more geysers…
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The introduction of tie and dye to Lagos state cannot be credited to a single individual. Tie and dye production was an industry that started in different parts of Yorubaland almost at the same time due to the availability of dye. However, many believe the home or birth place of tie and dye is Osogbo, perhaps because of the large population of dyers and the historical records that are presentable.

  Rastafarianism is a religious and cultural movement that originated in Jamaica around 1930. The movement was named after Tafari Makonnen, which was the original name of Haile Selassie I, a prince who in 1930 was crowned emperor of Ethiopia. Ras means “Lord” in the Amharic language. Selassie’s other titles included King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and…
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The word ‘Utopia’ is used for an imaginary state of perfection. It means ‘a good place’. Utopia symbolizes people’s hopes and dreams. The origin of this word comes from Sir Thomas More’s book “Utopia”. This book was published in 1516, in which he talks about a fictional land which is ideal in every way. Some…
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MICRO HISTORY is a study or account of the history of a very specific subject; also a study of a very small cultural change.

MACRO HISTORY is a form of large scale history dealing with large groups of cultures over very long time period.

The oldest key-operated lock still in existence was found in the citadel of King Sargon II. The citadel was built in the Assyrian capital of Khorsabad in the late 8th century BCE. Similar locks are shown in Egyptian art dating from about 2000 BCE. These large wooden locks had bolts with pegs that served as…
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The 1860s was a time of uncertainty and political unrest in Japan. Finally, in 1868, the situation became so serious that Emperor Mutsuhito took control from the last Shogun (Military Dictator). Mutsuhito became known as the Meiji emperor, and this event is called the ‘Meiji Restoration’. Under the emperor’s authority, Japan embarked on a program…
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The bubonic plague (Black Death) was a disease which brought death to most parts of Asia, North Africa and Europe. The first outbreak was recorded in 1331 in China. The plague started as a bloody swelling  in the armpit or groin and quickly invaded the whole body. It was highly contagious and killed millions of…
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The Normans introduced the feudal system to England. According to this system, the king owned all the land and others could hold land in exchange for providing services to the king. William the Conqueror appointed barons who were provided with estates taken from the original English earls. In return, the barons paid him taxes and…
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The French Revolution was opposed by neighboring countries that feared that unrest would spread across Europe. A Committee of Public Safety was set up in France to defend the revolution, and they executed any person who might oppose the committee. In fact thousands of people who were thought to threaten this new regime were put…
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According to the legend, Rome was founded in 753BC by twin brothers called Romulus and Remus. The babies were raised by a she-wolf, having been abandoned by their uncle on the banks of the River Tiber. They were eventually rescued by a shepherd. By 509BC the original Etruscan inhabitants of Rome had been driven out,…
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The Silk Road was a group of ancient trade routes that connected China and Europe. The Silk Road flourished primarily from 100BCE to AD1500. The route stretched across about 8,050km of mountains and deserts in central Asia and the Middle East between eastern China and the Mediterranean Sea. The Silk Road got its name from…
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In 1930, Gandhi led hundreds of followers on a 386-km march across India to the sea, where they made salt from saltwater. This was a protest against the Salt Acts, which made it a crime to possess salt not bought from the government. Mohandas Gandhi (1869 – 1948), known as Mahatma Gandhi, as one of…
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The women’s movement had its roots in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Changes such as the American and French revolutions promoted ideas of equality and liberty, yet women were not permitted to vote, and most had limited access to education. In 1792, a British writer called Mary Wollstonecraft published A Vindication of the Rights…
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There is a legend about the first musical instrument, but it is pure fancy. According to a Greek myth, Pan invented the first musical instrument – the shepherd’s pipe. One day he sighed through the reeds on a river bank and heard his breath produce a mournful wail as it passed through them. He broke…
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The first and oldest medical hospital in Nigeria is located in Lantoro, Abeokuta. It was founded by Catholic Missionaries in 1895.

Scholars believe that the scrolls were concealed by members of a religious sect called the Essenes, who lived in the isolated community. They hid the scrolls to keep them safe during political unrest in the area, where they remained hidden for hundreds of years. The dead sea scrolls are religious writings that were first discovered…
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A summary of world war I Continual trouble in the Balkans led to the formation of several complicated military alliances throughout Europe. The continent was eventually split into two groups. Britain, France and later Russia joined to form the Entente Cordiale, while Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy formed the Triple Alliance. In 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand…
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