A king’s lasting impression

1 Britain

He’s Henry the VIII, he is, he is -- and these days he’s everywhere you look in Britain.

The Tudor king of portly proportions, military mien and consecutive conjugality ascended to the throne 500 years ago last month, and the present-day subjects of his domain are marking the event throughout the spring and summer.

From academic lectures to jousting tournaments, choral concerts to wedding reenactments, natives and visitors alike can learn more about the 16th century monarch, whose reign lasted 38 years and whose martial and marital exploits have been talked about ever since.

“He just has this astonishing story attached to him. It’s something that you couldn’t make up,” said Kent Rawlinson, a curator at Hampton Court Palace, Henry’s imposing residence in southwestern London.

When he became king at 17, Henry was a dashing, lissome lad whose vigor made him quite a catch -- more like the sexy figure cut by actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who plays Henry in the bodice-ripping series “The Tudors” on HBO, than Holbein’s beast of a man.

The Tower of London’s exhibit, “Henry VIII: Dressed to Kill,” uses the king’s armor, as well as interactive displays and video projections, to illustrate not just the expansion of the royal girth but also his reputation as a warrior, sportsman and hunter.

For a look at Henry’s passion for women, which helped lead to England’s break with the church in Rome, the place to go is Hampton Court.

“Divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived” is the ditty British schoolchildren still use to remember the fates of Henry’s six wives. On temporary display at Hampton Court is a collection of portraits of all six women, plus some of their mementos.

For information on the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace, visit the Historic Royal Palaces website, www.hrp.org.uk. For a listing of other Henry VIII-related events, see londonist.com/2009/ 04/event_listings_every_damn _henry_vii.php.

-- Henry Chu

2 Mexico

A strong earthquake, with a magnitude of 5.6, struck central Mexico on April 27, swaying tall buildings in the capital and destroying several structures in and around Acapulco. Neither injuries nor major damage was reported in Mexico City.

-- ASSOCIATED PRESS

3 Belarus

Workers began tearing down the former synagogue in Luban where renowned Rabbi Moshe Feinstein served before fleeing the Soviet Union for New York in 1936. Officials plan to build a supermarket at the site.

-- ASSOCIATED PRESS

4 India

Wild elephants killed five villagers in a predawn attack in Bangsali, about 170 miles west of Guwahati in Assam state, an official said. The attack came less than three weeks after an elephant trampled to death a 60-year-old Dutch tourist on a bird and monkey safari in Kaziranga National Park in Assam.

-- ASSOCIATED PRESS

5 Thailand

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on April 24 lifted a state of emergency that had been imposed 12 days earlier in Bangkok after rioting by antigovernment protesters killed two people and injured more than 100. The demonstrations were part of Thailand’s long-running political turmoil, which revolves around former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s ouster in a 2006 military coup.

-- ASSOCIATED PRESS

Caution spots

The U.S. State Department recently issued warnings or alerts for these areas:

Mexico, because of an outbreak of H1N1 swine flu.

Yemen, because of terrorist activities.