Did you know
From New World Encyclopedia
Namib Desert
The Namib Desert, stretching 1,000 miles along the Atlantic coast of Southern Africa, is believed to be the world's oldest desert having been arid for at least 55 million yearsNeolithic Age
The term "Neolithic" was invented by John Lubbock in 1865 as a refinement of the three-age system of stone, bronze, and iron agesMichael Faraday
Although Michael Faraday received little formal education he became one of the most influential scientists and one of the best experimentalists in the history of scienceCain and Abel
The story of Cain and Abel in Genesis tells of the first human murder when Cain killed his brother AbelLjubljana
The symbol of the city of Ljubljana is the dragon, which is found in the coat of arms, on top of the tower of the Ljubljana Castle, and on the Dragon BridgeBali
The Balinese people are descendants of a prehistoric race who migrated through mainland Asia to the Indonesian archipelagoPersonality assessment
Greek philosopher Hippocrates recorded the first known personality model basing his four "types" on the amount of body fluids, or "humors," an individual possessed.Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius VanderbiltDavid Glasgow Farragut
David Glasgow Farragut was the first full admiral in the United States NavyMorean War
The Morean War against the Ottoman Empire was the Republic of Venice's last expansionist campaignLuanda
Luanda is one of several cities that has been called the "Paris of Africa"Emanuel Swedenborg
Swedenborg was a successful scientist and inventor before his spiritual awakeningSymphony
The form that we now recognize as the symphony took shape in the early eighteenth centuryDiwali
Diwali, or the "Festival of Lights," is a Hindu celebration signifying the triumph of good over evilAbyssinian (cat)
Abyssinian cats, or Abys, are often called the "Clowns of the Cat Kingdom"War
In accord with Just War theory, wars between nations should be declared by the legitimate government authorityJoshua Nkomo
Joshua Nkomo was declared a national hero in recognition of his leading role in the struggle to establish Zimbabwe's independenceBhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej, king for 70 years, had the longest reign in [[ThailandOperetta
English language operettas by Gilbert and Sullivan were originally known as "comic operas" to distinguish them from French and German operettasNapoleon Bonaparte
Contrary to popular belief, Napoleon was actually slightly taller than an average Frenchman of the nineteenth centuryEspionage
The use of espionage dates back well into ancient history.Gas chamber
The gas chamber was originally introduced to provide a more humane method of execution than hanging.Talmud
The Talmud contains the opinions of hundreds of rabbis, often including strong disagreements on many subjects. Like the Bible itself, it can be used to support varying positions on many subjects.Joseph Haydn
Haydn has been called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet"Bogota, Colombia
The city of Bogota, Colombia has been called the "Athens of South America"Igloo
The igloo, if correctly built, will support the weight of a person standing on the roofHawaii
Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States in 1959Tibet
The Tibetan Plateau is the highest region on earthKiowa
Kiowa ledger art originated in the captive Kiowa artists' use of the white man's record keeping books (ledgers) to preserve their history using traditional pictographic representationsCode of Hammurabi
The term "written in stone" comes from the Code of Hammurabi, first King of the Babylonian Empire, who had the laws inscribed on a large stone steleAristotle
Aristotle believed that human nature is inherently political since individuals cannot achieve happiness without forming states (political bodies) because the individual in isolation is not self-sufficientRobert Joffrey
Robert Joffrey started his career in dance with tap dancing but was quickly guided to balletFrancisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro founded the city of Lima, which he named la Ciudad de los Reyes (the City of Kings), to serve as the capital of Peru on January 18, 1535Arthashastra
The "Arthashastra" has been compared to Machiavelli's "The Prince" because of its brutal methods and unscrupulous ethicsGustav Klimt
Gustav Klimt's paintings have brought some of the highest prices recorded for individual works of artCharles Loring Brace
Charles Loring Brace is considered a father of the modern foster care movement and was most renowned for starting the Orphan Train movement.Magnetism
The phenomenon of magnetism was known in ancient times but it was not until the nineteenth century that the connection was made between magnetism and electricityLake Baikal
Lake Baikal in Southern Siberia, Russia is the deepest lake in the worldBattle of Karbala
The Battle of Karbala was a defining moment in the separation of Sunni and Shi'a IslamChile
Chile is situated within the Pacific Ring of Fire and has many active volcanos and has suffered many severe earthquakesGeisha
Geisha are traditional Japanese female entertainers who act as hostesses, performing Japanese music, dance, tea ceremony, and poetry; they are not prostitutes and do not engage in paid sex with clientsPotawatomi
Potawatomi were forced to walk a "Trail of Death" from their homelands in Indiana to an Indian Reservation in Kansas
