New York-born Hélène de Pourtalès (1868-1945) of Geneva won gold at the 1900 Olympic Games. Largely unknown today, this pioneering yachtswoman paved the way for other women to compete at the Olympics.

In the Swabian War of 1499, the Old Swiss Confederation fought against Habsburg Austria and the Swabian League. The cruel and devastating victory of the Swiss underscored their independence within the Holy Roman Empire.

Bhumibol, the King of Thailand, lived in the canton of Vaud for 17 years. In his adopted home he experienced two strokes of fate which strongly impacted on his subsequent reign as a long-lived head of state.

Ill-matched adversaries from the same corner of the country. In 1386, erstwhile ‘neighbours’ faced each other on the battlefield at Sempach. The age of knights and castles was coming to an end. The future belonged to the burgeoning cities and towns.

Seeing and being seen is an important social aspect of sport. At one time, this was a particularly notable feature of tennis.

At the beginning of the 1930s, Geneva was deeply divided between right and left. These were ideal conditions for the formation of a local branch of the NSDAP.

On a hot June day in 1930, two National Councillors had a difference of opinion. After a heated exchange of words, the politicians turned violent.

How the Swiss Othmar H. Ammann (1879–1965) built the most important bridges in New York, but remained unsuccessful in his home country.