Ten years ago today, I wrote the first post on The History Blog. It was a more innocent time then, a time when a crappy thumbnail picture was good enough for me, when a post could consist of little more than a link and a blockquote, sometimes two threadbare posts a day, more often with days-long gaps between them, when it hadn’t yet occurred to me that people might actually be interested in reading about the deep background stuff and the leaps and tangents that often sucked up entire weekends of my time. And so, after a grand total of 21 posts including the introduction, I meandered off somewhere and The History Blog fell fallow like so many blogs before and since.
I did have the decency to feel guilty about it, but that only served to keep me away longer because the more time passed, the worse I felt about abandoning the project and the worse I felt, the more I shrank from returning. A year and a half would pass before I finally got my act together and started posting again. This time I told myself I had to post daily, to make a real committment to produce content on a reliable schedule. If I still had readers after so long an absence, then by Odin I was going to give them something to read.
I’ve (almost) held to that committment ever since. There was a little three month radio silence relapse in the Spring of 2009, but other than that, the history nerddom has flowed like wine up in here. Over time I have developed several new obsessions y’all might recognize, most notably an insatiable greed for high resolution images, linking to any relevant source I can find, wandering around to barely related topics, and appreciating the more salacious or disgusting parts of any given story. Also poop. Poop is just the best. Note to self: it’s been way too long since I posted a poop story.
Thank you for bearing with my idiosyncracies all these years. Now onto the next decade!
I am so happy I found your blog! I enjoy reading it daily during my break here at work. My colleagues enjoy my passing on whatever tidbit I have learned (I think). Your work is very much appreciated.
Hey, as long as they don’t tell you to stop, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT’S HOLY, that means they enjoy it. :giggle: Thank you for finding me!
Congrats on your anniversary! I check your blog every day and you’ve been a solid bookmark for a long time now. The photos are amazing! My favorite topics discoveries from ancient times, coin/treasure hoards, anything Roman or British, and artifacts being found. Your blog always surprises me by the range of topics you write about! Thank you for all of your dedication and hard work; it’s very much appreciated. :yes:
Top wishes to see on this blog some day: new discoveries about the historical Jesus, Alexander’s tomb discovered, any real discoveries regarding Cleopatra & Mark Antony, more clothing/artifacts belonging to Queen Elizabeth I, and more treasure/coin/weapon hoards!
Thank you, CinTam. I love reading your comments and we clearly have similar taste in subject matter. Hoard lovers of the world, unite! :thanks:
Hail Cesira! I really enjoy this blog. I have learned much and enjoy being introduced to material and ideas beyond my usual thinking. You have expanded my boundaries. Thank you very much for that.
That is profound and beautiful. Thank you so much. :thanks:
I’m another who only occasionally comments but reads every one. Thank you! :love:
I love comments, but reading is fundamental, as the saying goes. Thank you right back!
Keep up the good work- I read and enjoy just about every one of your postings and never fail to learn something new. Thanks for your hard work.
Thank you, Hans. Wonderful comment threads like this one only confirm the work is all worth it. :thanks:
I check your blog almost every day. It’s a high point of my morning walk through the internet!
That’s great to hear. Thank you, Edie! :thanks:
Thanks for all your hard work, Livius! The History Blog brightens so many lives.
Have you considered setting up a Patreon that your readers might help you in turn?
This is the first time I’ve even heard of Patreon. That is a great idea. Thank you for being such a loyal reader and commenter, Cordate. :thanks:
I only joined your readers a couple of years ago and The History Blog is now often the highlight of my day. I work as a journalist and spend a lot of time surrounded by depressing current events and I love stopping here for some uplifting old news Thank you.
Yours is a tough, tough job. I can (and often do) avoid the news when it’s too depressing. I’m glad to give you something less burdensome to read. :thanks:
Your blog is a daily treat! Thank you so much 🙂
– Maria
Thank you for reading it every day. 🙂
:boogie:
I don’t comment very often, but yours is one blog I read every day – it covers fascinating topics and your research is impeccable. And you inject humor, passion, and – I don’t know how to describe it – kindness. Not sure if that makes sense, but I find that refreshing. Multos annos!!!
What a charming thing to say. Thank you so much, Shannon. :thanks:
By Golly, I read every one! And yes, some are of more personal interest to me than are others, but all are educational and enlightening. Thank you for all the work that goes into each blog!This is a huge project, and we appreciate it. :yes:
Thank you for reading every post, Cerelle. Your appreciation means a lot to me. :thanks:
As everyone else has written, thank you for all your hard work. Your writing style and eye for things which are worth reading mean that The History Blog is an everyday read no matter what the subject.
Thank you, The Jannie. It’s great to know you find value in all kinds of different posts. :yes:
I can’t remember how I found out about your blog but since then I have read every blog and gone beck and read the old ones.
You provide much more information than other blogs and I love your writing style.
Your blog has helped to overcome what has been called a major fault of current American education. It has made history boring.
I had great history teachers, thankfully, and both my parents are history buffs so I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t interested in the subject. It’s a sad statement that so many students are bored by history as it’s taught in schools. I think you really have to work damn hard to make history boring. It’s so juicy and funny and tragic and fascinating on its own.
Thank you for reading, John. :thanks:
Congratulations on your anniversary! I really hope there’ll be many more to come. Your stories always provide interesting background information and, in contrast with articles that I read in the history section of news websites where crappy reporters often tend to misinterpret the evidence, I totally don’t feel the need to fact-check your stories 😀 so thanks for your hard work, it’s much appreciated.
Thank you, Maaike. I try hard to provide full context and accurate details, and while I don’t always succeed, thankfully I have great readers to keep me on the straight and narrow. 🙂
Congratulations. Just passed 5 years on my own blog and yours has always been an inspiration for me. I admire your constancy and consistency!
Thank you! Congratulations to you on your own milestone. I just checked out your blog — it’s great, btw — and I’ve fallen hopelessly in love with the Knight-Short House. :love:
Thank you for writing whenever you do. I appreciate your posts so much.
Thank you from Italy for your always interesting blog!
I find myself coming here almost daily to read. thanks for posts!
Congratulations on the anniversary! My god you’ve been posting for quite a while! 😀
I found your blog last year and I fell in love right away (don’t tell my girlfriend I wrote that). I spent the rest of 2015 catching up to old posts and now I visit weekly to read your posts (and open the pictures and check them up close OBVIOUSLY), my phone screen is actually the Lod Mosaic after I saw it here.
Thank you for all your hard work!
From an argentinian nerd
I’m joining the (Greek?) chorus to say congratulations on your milestone. I can only imagine how much time and work goes into it. From one history nerd to another, thank you so much for all your work!
I’m an avid history buff and this is the ONLY history blog I follow. Thank you for your dedication and the fascinating information you pass along. You ROCK!
I’ve just realized I missed the anniversary post – long live history nerddom, long your live your idiosyncrasies, you bring joy into many people’s lives:) :love: :notworthy: :love: