This week's update features the true identity of Jack the Ripper, homing pigeons of the First World War and exploring the hidden history of an Argentinian ghost town.
* Has Jack the Ripper's true identity been revealed? Amateur sleuth Russell Edwards and forensic expert Dr Jari Louhelainen believe that they have conclusive proof that Aaron Kosminski was the Ripper but what do you think of their findings?
* On 11 September 1914, ANZAC forces occupied German New Guinea. The ABC have claimed that Australian troops took part in a 'mass execution' of German troops following the battle of Bita Paka in New Guinea. The broadcaster’s Radio National Breakfast programme has obtained a tape recording of a witness to the alleged slaughter, which 'appears to confirm the rumours' of prisoner executions.
* A short video to remember the homing pigeons of the First World War.
* Fifteen myths about the Middle Ages.
* A time traveller’s guide to medieval fourteenth-century shopping.
* Leo Schneiderman was born in 1921 in Lodz, Poland. After Nazi Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939, Leo, his father and his brother set out for Warsaw to help defend the country. He remembers the beginning of the Second World War here.
![An over the shoulder view of JFK’s “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech. [1963]](http://www.distractify.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads//2014/08/505-934x.jpg "An over the shoulder view of JFK’s “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech. [1963]")
* Forty-eight alternative views of iconic moments in history.
* It was a capacity crowd for a ghostly gathering in Kirkcaldy last week ...
* The most iconic lipstick moments in movie history, from Breakfast at Tiffany’s to The Breakfast Club ...
* A Victorian view of what school would look like in the year 2000; they aren't far wrong!
* The most interesting things found between the pages of books ...
* One of the first Range Rovers ever built has been sold for £115,000 at auction.
* Exploring the Argentinian ghost town of Villa Epecuén.
* Stonehenge secrets revealed by underground map.
* Thirty-year-old tube map uncovered at Embankment station.
* The history of London's sewer system.
* The top twelve authors' beards ...
* The reading course list for Rupert Giles, Master of Library Sciences Candidate, Michaelmas Term 1982. Some of these may come in handy as Halloween approaches!
* Cheltenham Literature Festival: how to see more for less.
* Amazon to treble London workforce in new office move.
Which history and publishing stories have you enjoyed reading this week?