Countdown's Queen: Rachel Riley on Numbers and Nonsense

Rachel Riley has become a household name thanks to her stint on Countdown. The brainy beauty isn't simply known for her dazzling style, though. Her sharp brainpower and skill in solving those tricky numerical puzzles have earned her a legion of fans. From tackling this infamous Conundrums to unveiling her knack for spotting patterns, Rachel has est

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Britain's Bold Leap: The Great Calendar Change of 1752

In the year 1751, a most unusual event shook the very foundations of time itself in Britain. A bold leap forward, a radical alteration to the way they measured days and years - this was no ordinary change. The Gregorian Calendar, adopted by many European nations before, finally took hold on these shores. This shift was not merely a matter of conven

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A Macabre Waltz: The Strasbourg Plague of 1518

In the heart amidst Strasbourg in the year marked by 1518, something most peculiar began to unfold. {A{ a woman, Frau Troffea, was seized with an unquenchable urge to move. Days turned into stretches of time, and her relentless gyrations became a phenomenon that could not be ignored. Soon, others began to succumb to this strange affliction. Men, w

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