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From New World Encyclopedia
Celsius
In 1742, Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius created a temperature scale which was the reverse of the modern Celsius scaleMonroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine has been ironically summarized in Latin America as "America for the Americans"Uncle Sam
Uncle Sam Wilson of Troy, New York, is recognized as the progenitor of America's National symbol of Uncle SamHarry S. Truman
Truman's middle initial "S" honors his grandfathers, Anderson Shipp Truman and Solomon YoungCole Porter
Unlike most successful Broadway composers, Cole Porter wrote both the lyrics and the music for his songsFirst Lady of the United States
The original First Lady of the United States, Martha Washington, was often referred to as "Lady Washington"Ivy League
The term "Ivy League" came from the ivy plants that cover many of these institutions' buildingsMother's Day
Mother's Day is celebrated on different days in almost every month throughout the world.Wahhabism
Wahhabism subscribes to the doctrine of oneness of God ("Tawhid"), rejecting aspects of contemporary Islam as polytheismMehndi
"Mehndi" is the application of henna as a temporary form of skin decorationTower of London
Legend says that if the six resident ravens ever leave the Tower of London, the Tower and the British kingdom will fallAeolian harp
The aeolian harp is a stringed musical instrument that is "played" by the windGrand Banks
John Cabot's discovery of the abundance of fish in the Grand Banks in 1497 led to the development of fishing and fish processing, culminating in overfishing and a serious decline of fish stocksChile
Chile is situated within the Pacific Ring of Fire and has many active volcanos and has suffered many severe earthquakesArchibald MacLeish
Archibald MacLeish was awarded three Pulitzer Prizes, two for poetry and one for dramaIndian Railways
Indian Railways constitutes one of the largest and busiest rail networks in the world, transporting transporting six billion passengers a yearSoul
Researchers tried to weigh the soul by weighing patients who were dyingBenjamin Rush
Despite having been a slave owner himself, Benjamin Rush became an ardent abolitionistJiang Qing
Jiang Qing, better known as Madame Mao, studied literature and drama and was a successful actress prior to marrying Chairman Mao ZedongImmunity (legal)
In the United States both federal and state levels of government can claim, or waive, sovereign immunity.Open University
The Open University has more disabled students than any other UK or European university.Guerrilla warfare
The term guerrillla, from the Spanish "small war," was first used to describe the resistance in Spain against NapoleonPygmy
The Spanish term "Negrito" (little black) refers to pygmy populations in AsiaPhoenix (mythology)
Diverse cultures include variations on the phoenix, a bird with the ability to be rebornJogging
Jogging is considered a means towards improved health and fitnessMarine engineering
Marine Engineers are the members of a ship's crew that operate and maintain the propulsion and other systems on board the vesselAcculturation
John Wesley Powell is credited with coining the word acculturationPan (mythology)
The pan flute is named from its association with the Greek god PanC. Lloyd Morgan
Lloyd Morgan's Canon is both the most quoted and the most misrepresented statement in the history of comparative psychologyBureaucracy
Max Weber saw the ideal of bureaucracy as a means for achieving maximum efficiencyAncient economic thought
Discussions of economics have existed since ancient times but it was not a separate discipline until the nineteenth centuryMauritania
The "Guelb er Richat" or Richat Structure, also known as the "Eye of the Sahara," is a prominent circular feature in the Sahara desert of west–central MauritaniaMiskito
The Miskitos are indigenous people of Central America living along the Mosquito Coast in Honduras and NicaraguaBlueprint
Blueprints were originally created using photosensitive blue coating on paperJohn Michael Wright
John Michael Wright was commissioned to paint several royal portraits and paintings of aristocracy, but did not receive the title "King's Painter" nor did he receive a knighthoodCherokee
Despite their cooperation with white settlers, which had earned them recognition as one of the Five Civilized Tribes, thousands of Cherokees were sent to their death on the Trail of Tears.Native Americans in the United States
The first Native American group encountered by Christopher Columbus in 1492, were the Island Arawaks (more properly called the Taino)Morean War
The Morean War against the Ottoman Empire was the Republic of Venice's last expansionist campaignHernán Cortés
It has been said that when Hernan Cortes reached Mexico the Aztecs thought he was their god QuetzalcoatlMethanol
Methanol is often called wood alcoholGrenada
Grenada is known as the "spice isle" because it is a leading producer of several different spicesDrawing and quartering
In Britain, the penalty of drawing and quartering was usually reserved for commoners, including knights. Noble traitors were merely beheaded