August 22

King Charles I was an able monarch, though I suspect that a small measure of nepotism might have been involved in his securing the position of king. Or perhaps not, maybe he just decided to go into the family business like a respectful kid. His legacy to England and the world at large was certainly not the delicate art of diplomacy. He did, however, leave a lasting mark on British history by the remarkable achievement of being the shortest of all British monarchs (Now would be a good time to throw in a couple of short jokes, but I’ll try to resist that impulse.). On the 22nd in 1642, while addressing Parliament, Charles called the members of parliament traitors. This did not sit well with those in attendance and Charles’s bringing the issue before them marked the beginning of the English Civil War, thus proving, at least in part, the truth of Charles’s statement. Charles was brought to trial by a court created by an Act of Parliament for the sole purpose of trying him. Charles refused to recognize the court and also refused to plead either guilty or not guilty. Under the prevailing law his refusal to plead was considered an admission of guilt. The ACLU would probably love to get their hands on that one. He was sentenced to death on January 29, 1649 and ended his days on earth the next day with the able assistance of the Royal executioner.