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From New World Encyclopedia


Alfred L. Kroeber

Science fiction author Ursula K. Le Guin's father is anthropologist Alfred L. Kroeber who studied "Ishi," the last of the Yahi tribe

Adolph Ochs

Adolph Ochs coined the New York Times' slogan "All the news that's fit to print" and made it a trustworthy newspaper

Forced labor

Slave trading, often referred to as "human trafficking," remains a major problem in the modern world.

Elizabeth I of England

Elizabeth I, whose reign is called the Elizabethan era or the Golden Age, ruled England during a period of political and religious turmoil and set her nation's course to become the leading Protestant world power for the next three centuries

T. E. Lawrence

T. E. Lawrence became internationally famous as "Lawrence of Arabia" after his liaison role during the Arab Revolt of 1916-1918

Bhumibol Adulyadej

Bhumibol Adulyadej, king for 70 years, had the longest reign in [[Thailand

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 electricity

Aristotle

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-sufficient

Waseda University

The Waseda University academic cap is square and was specially designed to be unique, immediately identifying its wearer as a Waseda student

Hel

In Norse Mythology "Hel" refers both to the cold realm inhabited by the dead who died not in battle and the cold deity who rules it

Medicine wheel

The term "medicine wheel" was first applied to the Big Horn medicine wheel in Wyoming

Reserve Officers' Training Corps

ROTC in the United States began in 1916 with the passage of the National Defense Act that was intended to increase "preparedness" prior to the American entry into World War I.

Uganda

Winston Churchill called Uganda "the pearl of Africa"

Greta Garbo

Greta Garbo was one of the few actors or actresses of the silent film era to make a successful transition to the "talkies"

Crucifixion

The goal of Roman crucifixion was not just death, but also dishonor

Yellow River

The Yellow River is known as the "Mother River of China" and "the Cradle of Chinese Civilization"

Dolmen

"Dolmen," a type of megalithic tomb, means "stone table"

Nobel Prize

Mahatma Gandhi never received the Nobel Peace Prize, though he was nominated for it five times

Baba Yaga

Baba Yaga's "cabin on chicken legs" may be based on real buildings.

Thanksgiving

As a liturgical festival, Thanksgiving corresponds to the English and continental European Harvest festival.

Grameen Bank

Grameen Bank and Muhammad Yunus were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for the initiation of microcredit

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi

During Mohammad Reza Shah's reign, Iran celebrated 2,500 years of continuous monarchy since the founding of the Persian Empire by Cyrus the Great

Grenada

Grenada is known as the "spice isle" because it is a leading producer of several different spices

Zanzibar

The archipelago of Zanzibar was a separate state which united with Tanganyika to form Tanzania and still enjoys a high degree of autonomy within the union

Excalibur

King Arthur's sword Excalibur comes from another realm, and when Arthur dies it must be returned there

Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from space

Ahilyabai Holkar

Ahilyabai Holkar was one of India's great women rulers

A. S. Neill

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

Edith Stein

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross was born Edith Stein, a Jew, and died in the Auschwitz concentration camp

Naturalization

The term naturalization originates in the concept of "natural born" citizens

Electron microscope

The first electron microscope prototype was built in 1931 by German engineers Ernst Ruska and Max Knoll

Pueblo Indians

The Pueblo Indians successfully revolted against Spanish colonization in the seventeenth century. Although this success lasted only 12 years it deterred the Spanish from attempts to eradicate their culture and religion.

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa was canonized as a saint by Pope Francis on September 4, 2016

Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism is basically the theory that the right course of action is the one that maximizes happiness and reduces suffering

Omar Khayyam

Omar Khayyam is famous not only for his scientific work but also his poetry, having written one thousand four-line verses

Darjeeling

Tourism and the tea industry constitute the two most significant contributors to Darjeeling's economy

May Day

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

Incense

All of the major religions incorporate the burning of incense in their rites

Eucharist

The Eucharist, also known as Holy Communion, is a sacramental reenactment of the Last Supper between Jesus and his disciples, in which Christians partake in the "body" and "blood" of Christ

Hawaii

Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States in 1959

Zambezi River

The Zambezi River's most spectacular feature is Victoria Falls, which divide the upper and middle sections of the river.

Geisha

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 clients

Easter Island

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

Kitty Wells

Kitty Wells' 1952 recording of "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" led to the introduction of female stars in the male-dominated country music genre