We are used to engaging with figures from history on Twitter. Some are true extracts from life: tweets from Samuel Pepys are particularly good (you can also read his diary in blog form), along with the occasional thought from Queen Catherine Braganza. But what if historical personages could be brought back to life on Twitter? That is the goal of reOrbit, where writers and filmakers inhabit characters from both real life and fiction, including Arthur Miller and the Emperor Norton. [more inside]
posted by Bora Horza Gobuchul on Mar 8, 2011 - 10 comments

Why you shouldn't text while driving (NSFW, dramatic reenactment of a car accident) [more inside]
posted by flatluigi on Aug 17, 2009 - 117 comments

Regia Anglorum, an English re-enactment society, maintains a wealth of information about life in medieval England using the virtual village of Wichamstow and its surroundings. They have in-depth articles on many of the crafts and trades that the villagers would have undertaken, and about the places they would live and work. (A full listing is here.) They are perhaps unique, however, in building a medieval village and estate with which to demonstrate medieval craftsmanship.
posted by Upton O'Good on May 27, 2008 - 6 comments

A few examples of high-quality re-creations of medieval armor. Much of this is created using historical techniques (youtube,) by men (slightly NSFW) who can only be called masters. But it ain't cheap. [more inside]
posted by agentofselection on Dec 7, 2007 - 11 comments

12:30 p.m., November 22nd, 1963. The weather is fine. You have a rifle.
posted by emelenjr on Nov 21, 2004 - 53 comments

Not everyone's happy about this Lewis and Clark anniversary thing...
posted by gimonca on Sep 20, 2004 - 16 comments

"We came down here for wind and sand, and we have got them."

Today is aviation's 100th birthday. At 10:35am Eastern, the Experimental Aircraft Association will attempt to re-enact the first flight of the Wright Brothers' "marginal" aircraft. (It's apparently very difficult to fly -- for one thing, the pilot must keep the airspeed between 27 and 32 mph, using an engine without a throttle.) Wish I could be there in NC at the Wright Brothers National Memorial. It's utterly astounding that only 66 years -- less than a lifetime -- elapsed between Orville Wright's twelve-second, 120-foot flight and the Apollo 11 moon landing.
posted by Vidiot on Dec 16, 2003 - 16 comments

Not all the pioneers who pushed west across the U.S. could afford a covered wagon. Between 1846 and 1869, some 300,000 people - mostly Mormons - pulled their belongings in handcarts over 1,000 miles over the Mormon Trail from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City (and not everyone made it). Reenacting the trek has become popular – very popular.
posted by gottabefunky on Feb 12, 2003 - 9 comments

Hardcore vs. Farb So, you want to be a Civil War Reenactor. Here's a few sources to get you started so you can learn the lingo and shop for authentic shoes, hats, and hardtack. (more inside)
posted by Secret Life of Gravy on Oct 4, 2002 - 24 comments