Tag: European history

The potato’s influence stretches out well beyond French fries and tater tots. In fact, there was a study in 2017 that said the potato helped keep the peace in Europe for centuries. 

According to a 2017 research paper, that running gag in “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” where the characters keep running around the countryside banging coconuts together... that could’ve happened.

Legend has it that today in 1529, two armies in Switzerland decided that instead of having a war, they would have some soup.

Today in 1520 the beginning of what may have been the biggest, most expensive party of all time, involving two kings, 18 days and $19 million. 

Protest through pigs!

There was a really interesting piece on J-STOR recently that washes away the widespread idea that the Middle Ages in Europe was just unbelievably filthy. Why is it that we think the Middle Ages WAS so dirty?