Your weekly early modern articles:

What Was the Habsburg Chin? By Sarah Roller, Tuesday, May 30, 2023 2:32 PM The House of Habsburg was once one of the foremost royal houses in Europe: in 1273, Rudolf of Habsburg was elected as King of Germany, and in 1440, Frederik of Habsburg was elected Holy Roman Emperor – the first from the House of Habsburg. But the Habsburgs are also remembered for the genetic condition shared … Continued Read more »     The Bizarre Life of Cats in Shakespeare’s England By Cassidy Cash, Tuesday, May 30, 2023 2:22 PM “The cat will mew, and the dog will have his day” is a famous line from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Along with mewing for the Danish Prince, there are over 30 references to cats in Shakespeare’s plays, attesting to the popularity of our favourite feline in the life of Elizabethan England. Far from just being good mouse catchers, cats … Continued Read more »     How Did the Great Fire of London Start? By Harry Atkins, Tuesday, May 30, 2023 2:15 PM In the early hours of Sunday 2 September 1666, a fire broke out in a bakery on Pudding Lane in the City of London. The blaze spread rapidly through the capital and continued to rage for four days. By the time the last flames were extinguished the fire had laid waste to much of London. … Continued Read more »

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