In Britain in the mid 1800’s the average person went to the pawn shop 30 times a year. The song ‘Pop goes the weasel’ is about pawning in a pawn shop. The term ‘pop’ means pawning.

(The Great Courses – Victorian Britain)

The ENIAC computer was the first general use computer, meaning it could be used for many different tasks and it was in use from 1947 to 1955. However it did not use ‘software’ as that had not been invented yet.

(The Great Courses – Introduction to Nanotechnology: The New Science of Small)

Before the first successful test of creating a chain reaction with uranium Edward Teller and a few other physicists had already conceived of a way to take a still theoretical atomic bomb and use it to trigger a new weapon they called a ‘Super’ which would fuse light weight atoms into a heavier stable atom which would release even more energy than an atomic bomb. In 1942 the idea for the hydrogen bomb was already being worked on.

(Book – The Making of the Atomic Bomb – Richard Rhodes)

In the early 19th century the changes in population made the representation in England’s Parliament very unrepresentative. ‘Rotten boroughs’ were areas where there was no longer much populations but the area was still represented by 2 MP’s (members of parliament). ‘Pocket boroughs’ were areas where large land owners got to appoint their own representatives. Some large populations like in London were VERY underrepresented. There was also no secret ballot and only about 5 percent of the population got to vote for MP’s. In 1832 the Reform Act was introduced and several reforms were implemented over some VERY heavy opposition. Women and most of the working classes were still not allowed to vote but it did begin the reform process. One of the fears that some government officials had was some form of revolution from the lower classes similar to that in France and which had resulted in the killing of royalty and aristocracy.

(The Great Courses – Victorian Britain)