Mr Midshipman Easy recounts the growth and experiences of young Jack Easy as a midshipman in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. He gradually abandons the idealistic suspicion of property indoctrinated by his father, and becomes a landed gentlemen.
The Napoleonic Code, formally the Code civil des Français, was established in 1804 and forms the basis of French law. It has also had strong influences on the legal systems of other countries, including Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal, and their former colonies.
Quebec is a civil law jurisdiction, but prior to 1866 it did not have a civil code. Instead, it relied on the coûtume de Paris, the customary civil law principles that had been used in Paris prior to the enactment of the Code Napoleon.
The French word coûtume contains a circumflex accent. This accent can be used on all vowels except y. The circumflex accent was introduced to French in the 17th century, although the French Academy did not adopt it in its dictionary until 1740. It generally denotes a letter ‘s’ that has disappeared from the pronunciation: pâte for earlier paste; fête for earlier feste; maître for earlier maistre; hôte for earlier hoste.
Richard John Bingham, commonly known as Lord Lucan, is/was a British peer suspected of murder, who disappeared without trace early on 8 November 1974, the day after the discovery of the body of his children’s nanny, Sandra Rivett, bludgeoned to death in the basement of the Lucan family home. Lady Lucan was also attacked and later identified Lucan as her assailant.
Rumours persist that he either killed himself or was smuggled out of the country by rich friends and has been living incognito in either Southern Africa or Greece ever since. If he were still alive he would just have celebrated his eightieth birthday.
The younger daughter of the fugitive, and possibly deceased, Earl of Lucan is Lady Camilla Bloch QC (née Bingham). She is a barrister who practises in commercial law.
Now there’s an apple that fell a long way from the tree.
The legend that Sir Isaac Newton’s theory of universal gravitation (which, like evolution, is only a theory) was inspired by seeing an apple fall from a tree is confirmed by multiple accounts left by his friends, although none claim an apple actually hit his head. A descendant of the original tree can be seen growing outside the main gate of Trinity College, Cambridge, below the room Newton lived in when he studied there. The National Fruit Collection at Brogdale can supply grafts from their tree, which appears identical to Flower of Kent, a coarse-fleshed cooking variety.
Prince Edward Island is named after Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, who was Queen Victoria’s father.
British Prime Minister David Cameron is a direct descendant of King William IV, Victoria’s uncle and direct predecessor as monarch, by his longtime mistress Dorothea Bland (aka Mrs. Jordan, though there was never actually a Mr. Jordan.
The portraits of all previous prime ministers are displayed on the staircase at 10 Downing Street, official residence of the British head of government: http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20100518&t=2&i=109257094&w=580&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=2010-05-18T175559Z_01_BTRE64H1DU600_RTROPTP_0_BRITAIN-CAMERON
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Al Downing served up the pitch that Henry Aaron hit for his 715th career home run in Atlanta, breaking Babe Ruth’s legendary record. Aaron’s 714th was pitched at Cincinnati by Reds pitcher Jack Billingham.
Frank and Tommie Aaron have hit more home runs than any other brother combination in major league baseball. Tommie had 13.
Sons of holy men straying from their father’s paths is a recurring theme in the old testament: the sons of the first high priest Aaron, of the prophet Samuel, and the High Priest Eli are all depicted as wicked and corrupt.
Surely you mean Hank Aaron.
Tommie Aaron, younger brother of Hank, died of leukemia at the age of 45. That’s my play.
Sir James Wilson, Premier of Tasmania from 1869 until 1872, was born on 29 February 1812 and died on 29 February 1880. He thus managed the rare feat of being born and dying on a leap day.
James Evan Wilson, House’s only true friend, appeared in 173 out of the 177 episodes of House, M.D., more than any other character and second only to Gregory House.
Sam Rayburn served as Speaker of the US House of Representatives for 17 years, through the administration of four presidents, three Democratic and one Republican. Rayburn was the first Texan to be depicted on a US poostage stamp.
Sam Rayburn was a Tennesseean - he was born in Tennessee in 1882. He became a Texan at age 5 when his family moved to Windom, TX. He eventually settled in Bonham, TX.
Sam McGee, immortalized in the Robert Service poem, “The Cremation of Sam McGee,” was from Tennessee, where the cotton blooms and blows.
The MD Anderon Cancer Center in Houston TX is named after Monroe Dunaway Anderson, who made a comfortable living in the “king cotton” industry. MD Anderson was also born in Tennessee.