Speciale Superquark

December 18, 1998

In this episode we will explore the world of the Sun King as if it were a distant planet where everything was different: medicine, technology, education, hygiene and daily life. Even nature was different: Europe at that time was still full of forests where deer, wild boars and wolves roamed. Hunting was a typical pastime of the king, Louis XIV set out every day on horseback with his squires to go and capture some game. He was a good eater at the table, but devouring all that game eventually gave him a deadly gout, which at a certain point degenerated into gangrene that led to his death.

February 19, 1999

Waterloo was Napoleon's last battle, marking his final disappearance from the scene and his exile on Saint Helena until his death. The Battle of Waterloo was one of the bloodiest events of the 19th century: it is estimated that the dead, missing and wounded were a total of 48,000, all of which took place in the space of a few hours, on a relatively small terrain and with a violence rarely seen.