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MetJam @metjam.co.uk · 27/05/2026

Oxford, the longest running continuous weather station in UK history, with temperature observations stretching back to 1815, has preliminarily broken its maximum temperature record for May yesterday by OVER 3ºC with a temperature of 33.7ºC. Unprecedented in its 211-year history.

Spaghetti chart showing Oxford Radcliffe Observatory daily maximum temperatures for every day of the year from 1815 to 2026. 211 years of historical data are shown as very faint grey lines tracing a seasonal cycle from around 5°C in winter to a summer peak of roughly 25–30°C in July and August. A blue smoothed 30-day mean line highlights the average annual temperature cycle. The 2026 line is shown in bold red, running from January through to late May before spiking sharply upward to reach 33.7°C on 26 May, well above the entire historical grey envelope for that time of year. A single dashed red reference line marks the previous May record of 30.6°C set on 29 May 1944. The 2026 reading exceeds this by 3.1°C and, in statistical terms, is the 6th most anomalous maximum temperature in Oxford's 211-year record, ranking as the most anomalous May maximum ever observed and coming within 0.6°C of the all-time June record of 34.3°C set in 1976.

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History Guy @history-guy.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

110 years ago today: Large-scale British and French offensive(s) across Champagne, Artois and Loos. First British use of poison gas. The [first] Big Push....

An anxious night – wondering what the wind would be in the morning. The greatest battle in the world’s history begins today – some 800,000 French and British troops will actually attack today.
General Sir Douglas Haig
Commander, BEF First Army
Diary Entry – 25 September 1915

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Dan Snow @thehistoryguy.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

Our grandparents knew titanic warfare, genocide, economic dislocation, smashed cities & hideous disease. They clung to the ideals of liberal democracy as if their lives depended on it These people have known only peace, prosperity, safety and it has blown their minds. They hunger for dislocation.

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Dan Snow @thehistoryguy.bsky.social · 07/06/2025

Today in 1916 Vaux fortress fell to the Germans outside Verdun. I don’t think I've never studied a grimmer battle. Men fought in pitch darkness in 5 foot tunnels. Dead & wounded trampled underfoot. Flame throwers incinerated enemies & operators alike. Water ran out. Nearly 3000 Germans were killed.

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Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

Tom Friedman on point here, though he understated the case. Either Trump is the worse negotiator in all the universes of truth and fiction, or he is beginning an alliance with Russia with a joint attempt to subjugate Ukraine (and then much else). www.nytimes.com/2025/03/04/o...

nytimes.com

Opinion | Trump Is Hiding Something on Ukraine

When you don’t call things by their real name, there is usually a reason.

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Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

Russia’s leaders have said nothing about peace. They have made a list of demands on the US, the fulfillment of which allows them to broaden the war against Ukraine. And the US simply fulfills all of these Russian demands without question. That is only a peace process in the Orwellian sense.

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Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

Here I react to the shameful encounter between American leaders and media and the Ukrainian president. No doubt there were more, but I saw five failures on our side: of hospitality, decency, democracy, strategy, and independence. Please watch and share. snyder.substack.com/p/five-failu...

snyder.substack.com

Five Failures in the Oval Office (video)

America hurt itself badly today.

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Peter Jukes @peterjukes.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

There is no movie for this. All through my life American culture has conjured up images of its own demise. But no Dr Strangelove, Fatal Impact, Manchurian Candidate et al imagined a portion of the US electorate gleefully welcoming oblivion in the arms of its enemy. There is no movie for this

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Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

If Trump wants to see elections in Ukraine, all he has to do is use the power he keeps talking about to get the Russian invaders off Ukrainian soil. Then martial law in Ukraine ends, and elections will follow.

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History Guy @history-guy.bsky.social · 11/11/2024

A reminder. Democracy-to-demagoguery-to-tyranny. A warning from Plato (as related by BBC, 2017): youtu.be/cnzo9qXLFUo?...

youtu.be

Viewpoint: What can Plato teach us about Donald Trump? - BBC Newsnight

YouTube video by BBC Newsnight

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Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

Of course it’s a coup. Miss the obvious, lose your republic. open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p...

open.substack.com

Of course it’s a coup

Miss the obvious, lose your republic

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History Guy @history-guy.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

Lieutenant Colonel V. F. Eberle (RE) on a Western Front Christmas, near Bazentin, 1916: "For a short period the foulness and desolation that surrounded us were forgotten." 'With a Royal Engineers Field Company in France and Italy', Pen & Sword, 2020 #Christmas #WW1

V. F. Eberle (Lieutenant Colonel, Royal Engineers; 48th Division) on Xmas 1916: Primitive as they were, our Christmas-Day celebrations brought many appreciative comments in the letters sent home. For a short period the foulness and desolation that surrounded us were forgotten.

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Ukraine Advocate 🇺🇦 @eugenemcparland.eurosky.social · 23/12/2024

Ukrainian cultural diplomacy is when a global star performs a world-famous hit accompanied by a Ukrainian military bandura player. Sting sings with bandura player Taras Stolyar "Shape of My Heart" culturalforces.military / Instagram

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History Guy @history-guy.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

A good thread highlighting just a few of the ways REALITY (that of cross-border commerce) itself is what "betrays" Brexit (i.e. undermines the absurd claims made for the structuralised degradation of one's OWN trading environment), and why UK politics STILL goes round in unicorn-seeking circles...

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Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

Consequences for Russia of loss in Syria: 1. Reminder that Russia often loses wars; 2. Difficulty in maintaining colonial extraction in Africa; 3. Possibility of new pipelines to Europe; 4. Doctrine of supporting dictators fails.

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Cambridge University Library @theul.bsky.social · 20/12/2024

Beware the terrifying Christmas pudding! Giving you nightmares since 1895. An illustration from an 1895 annual published by the British satirical magazine ‘Judy.’ From the collections of Cambridge University Library (CUL 1895.9.91) @theulspeccoll.bsky.social

Comical drawing of a giant Christmas pudding surprising a man in bed!

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Helene von Bismarck @helenebismarck.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

I have only just come across this. It is also circulating on X. Raises some questions about this place. Worth a read.

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Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

Each of Trump's proposed appointments is a surprise. It is comforting to think that he is simply a vengeful old man, lashing out. This is unlikely. He and Musk and Putin have been talking for years. And the whole idea was that this time he had a plan. snyder.substack.com/p/decapitati...

snyder.substack.com

Decapitation Strike

Preserving America from Trump's Appointments

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History Guy @history-guy.bsky.social · 11/11/2024

Guardian – 12/11/1918: This is the great day – the great day of Peace... www.theguardian.com/world/from-t...

The Great Day

This is the great day – the great day of Peace, hoped for, longed for, at times appearing remote, almost unattainable, yet never despaired of, resolutely pursued, at last conquered. Now it is ours, and not ours only: it is the world’s, it is for our enemies no less than for ourselves. It is like the rain from Heaven, it is a gift to all.

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History Guy @history-guy.bsky.social · 11/11/2024

A reminder. Democracy-to-demagoguery-to-tyranny. A warning from Plato (as related by BBC, 2017): youtu.be/cnzo9qXLFUo?...

youtu.be

Viewpoint: What can Plato teach us about Donald Trump? - BBC Newsnight

YouTube video by BBC Newsnight

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