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From New World Encyclopedia


Luanda

Luanda is one of several cities that has been called the "Paris of Africa"

Turbine

The term "turbine" comes from the Latin "turbo" which means vortex

Abnormal psychology

Many early societies attributed abnormal behavior to the influence of evil spirits.

Supreme Court of the United States

The US Supreme Court convened for the first time on February 2, 1790.

Australian Aborigine

Before the arrival of the British there were at least 300,000, and possibly 1 million, Indigenous Australians living in Australia

Recorder (music)

The recorder, originally popular in Medieval music, was revived in the twentieth century

May Day

In Europe, May Day originated as a pagan holiday celebrating the beginning of summer

Astronomy

Astronomy is one of the few sciences where amateurs can still play an active role

Cave painting

Cave paintings probably had a religious or informational purpose rather than being purely decorative

Posidonius

The Greek polymath Posidonius attempted to create a unified worldview, showing the interconnectedness of the world and how all forces have an effect on each other and on human life

Moai

Scientists have come up with several theories to explain how the Moai of Easter Island "walked" from the quarry to their stone platforms

Lewis and Clark Expedition

The Lewis and Clark expedition trekked 4,000 miles across America and only one man died, from appendicitis

George Washington

Because of his central role in the founding of the United States, George Washington is often called the “Father of the Nationâ€

Yakshagana

Yakshagana is a traditional dance drama popular in Karnataka, India; it combines dance, music, dialogue, elaborate costumes, make-up, and stage techniques

New Yorker Hotel

When the New Yorker Hotel opened, guests had direct access to Penn Station by means of a private tunnel

Abrahamic religions

The term "Abrahamic religions" refers to three monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) that claim Abraham as their common forefather.

Kibbutz

Kibbutz members took pleasure in bringing the land back to life by planting trees, draining swamps, and countless other activities to make the land more fertile.

A. S. Neill

Scottish educator A. S. Neill founded Summerhill School as an experiment in free learning

Chemosh

Chemosh was the supreme Moabite deity who was believed to bring victory to his people when they honored him properly, but allowed their enemies to prevail when they fell into sin

Albrecht Durer

Albrecht Dürer was, in effect, the first non-Italian artist to associate the humanistic disciplines with the esthetic pursuits of art.

Bering Strait

Plans to build a bridge or tunnel across the Bering Strait were proposed as far back as the nineteenth century

Parachute

An early parachute design was called "Homo Volans" (Flying Man)

Donald O. Hebb

Donald O. Hebb's work laid the foundation for neuropsychology as he sought to understand how neurons in the brain contributed to [[psychology

Sir Thomas Browne

The seventeenth century English author Sir Thomas Browne merged the new method of scientific inquiry with his Christian faith

Grantland Rice

In 1922 Grantland Rice became the first play-by-play announcer carried live on radio for the World Series game.

Marlene Dietrich

Prior to World War II Marlene Dietrich rejected an offer by representatives of the Nazi Party, asking her to return to Germany to star in German films, and instead became an American citizen

Lev Vygotsky

Lev Vygotsky has been called the "Mozart of Psychology"

Kim Il-sung

After his death Kim Il-sung was proclaimed "Eternal President" of North Korea

Prisoner of war

To be entitled to prisoner of war status, the captured service member must have conducted operations according to the laws of war

Space exploration

The first human being in space was Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in 1961 and the first person to set foot on the moon was American astronaut Neil Armstrong in 1969

Easter Island

Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, is famous for its massive stone sculptures known as "moai"

Francisco Goya

Spanish painter Francisco Goya is both the last of the Old Masters and the first of the modern artists

Vedic Period

The Vedic Period refers to the time when the Vedas, the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism, were being composed

Romanticism

Romanticism, popular from the late eighteenth century through the nineteenth century, emphasized emotion and imagination in contrast to reason that was the focus of the Enlightenment

Social psychology

Social psychology developed as a field separate from the behavioral and psychoanalytic schools that were dominant at the time

Nation-state

A nation-state is a political entity (sovereign state) that governs a cultural entity (nation) by successfully serving all its citizens

Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove

Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, third century Chinese Taoist scholars, inspired generations of poets and painters

Military-industrial complex

The term "military-industrial complex" was first used publicly by Dwight D. Eisenhower in his farewell address on January 17, 1961

Yupik

Yupiit believe in benign and evil spirits, and their mediators (shamans) can communicate with both

Tariff

Tariffs may be classified into three groups: transit duties, export duties, and import duties.

Treaty of Nanking

The Treaty of Nanking ended the First Opium War between the United Kingdom and China

Code 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 stele

Family

The UN declared the family the fundamental unit of society and entitled to protection by the State

Rudolf Laban

Rudolf Laban was a pioneer of modern dance in Europe