On this day: “God’s Banker” found dead, suicide or murder? June 18, 2026 On 18th June 1982, Roberto Calvi, a banker with close ties to both the Vatican and the Mafia was found hanged under Blackfriars Bridge. Eliot Wilson asks what happened The temperature was climbing by 7.30am on Friday 18 June 1982 and had reached 14°C, but London remained cloudy and wet. A postal clerk was walking [...]
On this day: Britain’s first banking crisis June 8, 2026 On 8 June 1772 Alexander Fordyce, a partner at Neale, James, Fordyce and Down absconded to France to escape crippling debts caused by a sharp rise in shares in the East India Company, writes Eliot Wilson As 1772 opened, Alexander Fordyce seemed like a wealthy and successful man. He was 42 years old, a partner [...]
On this day: The death of Ronald Reagan June 5, 2026 On this day, 5 June 2004, Ronald Reagan died of pneumonia at his home in Bel-Air aged 93, writes Eliot Wilson.
On This Day: Happy birthday Andrew Neil May 21, 2026 Today in 1949, Andrew Neil was born. He remains one of the most compelling figures in the British media landscape, writes Eliot Wilson In a media landscape of interchangeable and forgettable talking heads, Andrew Neil remains an unmistakable and forceful presence. Readers who can recall a time when he was not a well-kent face in [...]
On this day: Tony Blair’s New Labour landslide May 1, 2026 A new dawn broke on this day in 1997, ushering in an era of Cool Britannia, writes Eliot Wilson Do you remember where you were on Thursday 1 May 1997? It was 20°C in London that afternoon: Michael Jackson headed the singles chart for the seventh time with “Blood on the Dance Floor”, while the [...]
On this day: The Suez Canal reopens April 24, 2026 Today 69 years ago, on 24 April 1957, the Suez Canal reopened after six months of closure. What can history teach us about the current predicament in the Middle East, asks Eliot Wilson A strategically vital global waterway was re-opened to maritime traffic after conflict between a Middle Eastern state and Western powers had seen [...]
On this day in 1660: The birth of Sir Hans Sloane, father of the Sloane Ranger April 16, 2026 On this day, 16 April, in 1660, Sir Hans Sloane, whose name would later be lent to London socialite class the Sloane Rangers, was born.
On This Day in 1980: America severs diplomatic relations with Iran April 7, 2026 The United States severed diplomatic relations with Iran on April 7, 1980, after the Ayatollah Khomeini refused to order the release of the American hostages who had been held at the US Embassy since the previous November, writes Eliot Wilson If you remember good relations between the United States and Iran, you are at least facing [...]
On this day: The death of JP Morgan March 31, 2026 Today in 1913, John Pierpoint Morgan died in Rome having saved the United States from financial catastrophe not once but twice, writes Eliot Wilson Today in 1913, in Rome’s Grand Plaza Hotel, a 75-year-old American died in his sleep. He was a big man, 6’2” and heavyset, with sharp, unsettling eyes and a purple, swollen [...]
On This Day: Adam Smith publishes The Wealth of Nations March 9, 2026 Today in 1776, 250 years ago, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations was published, discovering rather than inventing the principle that free trade and efficient division of labour create general prosperity making the world richer, writes Eliot Wilson Adam Smith was 52 and had spent most of the preceding [...]