15 July 1799: discovery of the Rosetta Stone

The discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799, and its subsequent decryption, revealed the secrets of the pharaohs hidden in the hieroglyphic script.

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The Rosetta Stone laid bare the secrets of the pharaohs

Hieroglyphics sacred writing' was the ancient script used to adorn the tombs of Egypt's pharaohs.

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Ben Judge

Ben studied modern languages at London University's Queen Mary College. After dabbling unhappily in local government finance for a while, he went to work for The Scotsman newspaper in Edinburgh. The launch of the paper's website, scotsman.com, in the early years of the dotcom craze, saw Ben move online to manage the Business and Motors channels before becoming deputy editor with responsibility for all aspects of online production for The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday and the Edinburgh Evening News websites, along with the papers' Edinburgh Festivals website.

Ben joined MoneyWeek as website editor in 2008, just as the Great Financial Crisis was brewing. He has written extensively for the website and magazine, with a particular emphasis on alternative finance and fintech, including blockchain and bitcoin. 

As an early adopter of bitcoin, Ben bought when the price was under $200, but went on to spend it all on foolish fripperies.