African nations boycotted the Montreal Olympic Games in 1976, as a protest against a recent tour of South Africa by a rugby team from which country?

Montreal 1976 Summer Olympics - results & video highlights Official Reports arrow African boycott The 1976 Montreal Games were marred by an African boycott involving 22 countries. The boycott was organised by Tanzania to protest the fact that the New Zealand rugby team had toured apartheid South Africa and that New Zealand was scheduled to compete in the Olympic Games. Debuts and firsts Women’s events in basketball, rowing and team handball all made their Olympic debut. Hockey was played on an artificial pitch for the first time, and boxer Clarence Hill of Bermuda earned a bronze medal to give Bermuda the honour of being the least populous nation (53,500) ever to have one of its athletes win a medal at the Summer Games. Memorable champions Alberto Juantorena of Cuba completed the first 400m and 800m double victory. The Japanese women’s volleyball team proved untouchable, winning all their matches in straight sets, and Miklos Németh of Hungary won the javelin to become the first son of an athletics gold medalist to win a gold of his own. Perfect Nadia Fourteen-year-old gymnast Nadia Comaneci of Romania was the undoubted star of the Games. She shot to fame when, for her performance on the uneven bars, she was awarded the first-ever perfect score of 10.0. She went on to earn seven maximum marks in total. NOCs: 92 Athletes: 6,084 (1,260 women, 4.824 men) Events: 198 Media: n/a  An Innovation in the transport of the flame For the Athens to Ottawa stage of the torch relay the Olympic flame travelled by air, but not by plane. Instead, a sensor used to detect ionized particles of the Flame turned them into coded impulses. The impulses were transmitted by satellite to Ottawa where they activated a laser beam which recreated the Olympic flame in its original shape. The African Boycott Despite there being no African athletes present (they participated in a boycott organised by Tanzania, in which 22 countries came together to protest against a tour of South Africa by the New Zealand national rugby team), the standard of the competitions at the 1976 Olympic Games was very high. The Medal for the least populated country With its 53,500 inhabitants, Bermuda became the most sparsely-populated country to win a medal at the Summer Games, thanks to Clarence Hill who won the bronze medal in boxing in the heavyweight category. An Artificial pitch Hockey was played on an artificial pitch for the first time. Events open to women Women's events appeared in basketball, handball and rowing. Ceremonies Montreal 17 July 1976. Flags of the nations during the Olympic oath. Official opening of the Games by: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Lighting the Olympic Flame by: Stéphane Préfontaine and Sandra Henderson (two athletes aged 16 and 15). Olympic Oath by: Official Oath by: Maurice Forget (athletics) It is made up of the Olympic rings mounted on an Olympic podium, which is also the graphic interpretation of the letter M, the initial of Montreal. In the centre, the athletics track, the focal point of the Games. This emblem invokes the universal fraternity offered by the Olympic Ideal, as well as the glory of the winners, the gallant spirit of their battles and the accession of Montreal to the rank of Olympic city. On the obverse, the design of Guiseppe Cassioli, created for the Amsterdam Games in 1928. The principal symbols are Victory, Fraternity and Universality. The reverse was designed as intentionally bare. It comprises a stylized laurel crown, symbol of victory since the Games of Antiquity, and the emblem of the Montreal Games.   Number of torchbearers: 500 in Greece and 261 in Canada Total distance: 775 km including 514 in Greece Countries crossed: Greece, Canada More info The Games Organising Committee made two main series of posters. The first illustrated eight key themes: - the emblem of the International Olympic Committee (here) : entitled “The Invitation” and representing the five rings reflected symbolically by successive waves, thus inviting the athletes from all the continents to the 1976 Olympic Games. - the emblem of the Organising Com


What are Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg collectively known as?

Why are Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg known as the Low Countries? - Quora Quora Written Jun 15, 2016 I wasn’t aware that Belgium and Luxembourg are still referred to as the lower countries but I will give you my best guess. Luxembourg and big parts of Belgium have been part of the Netherlands in the past (the Dutch King was head of state of Luxembourg till 1890 and set up his brother there to keep an eye on things). So why Low Country(ies), the western part of the Netherlands (Holland) is well below sea level, hence the name Nether (low in position) lands (countries). 612 Views · View Upvotes · Answer requested by Written May 3, 2016 The Benelux is often also referred to as the Low Countries for geographical reasons. If you open a map of the three countries, you'll see that there are no mountains, and hardly any hills. the highest point in the Low Countries is Signal de Botrange at 694 metres. Most parts are much lower, with significant portions laying below sea level (mainly in the Netherlands) The name historically originated to describe roughly the area comprising the mouths and estuaries of the rivers Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt. These were the low laying areas compared to the higher laying areas more inland in Europe. The Low Countries area usually includes present day Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, but sometimes gets extended to include parts of Northern France or contracted to only include Belgium and the Netherlands, depending on which source  you ask.


Freckles, brownish yellow spots usually found mostly on the face, neck and hands are also known as . ?

Moles, Freckles, Skin Tags: Types, Causes, Treatments There are several skin lesions that are very common and benign (non-cancerous). These conditions include moles, freckles, skin tags , benign lentigines, and seborrheic keratoses. Moles and Your Skin Moles are growths on the skin that are usually brown or black. Moles can appear anywhere on the skin, alone or in groups. Most moles appear in early childhood and during the first 25 years of a person's life. It is normal to have between 10-40 moles by adulthood. As the years pass, moles usually change slowly, becoming raised and/or changing color. Sometimes, hairs develop in the mole. Some moles may not change at all, while others may slowly disappear over time. What Causes a Mole? Moles occur when cells in the skin grow in a cluster instead of being spread throughout the skin. These cells are called melanocytes, and they make the pigment that gives skin its natural color. Moles may darken after exposure to the sun, during the teen years, and during pregnancy . Types of Moles Congenital nevi are moles that are present at birth. Congenital nevi occur in about one in 100 people. These moles are slightly more likely to develop into melanoma ( cancer ) than are moles that appear after birth. A mole or freckle should be checked if it has a diameter of more than a pencil eraser or any characteristics of the ABCDEs of melanoma (see below). Dysplastic nevi are moles that are generally larger than average (larger than a pencil eraser) and irregular in shape. They tend to have uneven color with dark brown centers and lighter, uneven edges. These nevi are somewhat more likely to become melanoma. In fact, people who have 10 or more dysplastic nevi have a 12 times higher chance of developing melanoma, a serious form of skin cancer . Any changes in a mole should be checked by a dermatologist to evaluate for skin cancer . How Do I Know if a Mole Is Cancer? The vast majority of moles are not dangerous. Moles that are more likely to be cancer are those that look different than other existing moles or those that first appear after age 25. If you notice changes in a mole's color, height, size, or shape, you should have a dermatologist (skin doctor) evaluate it. You also should have moles checked if they bleed, ooze, itch, or become tender or painful. Continued Examine your skin with a mirror or ask someone to help you. Pay special attention to areas of the skin that are often exposed to the sun, such as the hands, arms, chest, neck, face, ears, legs, and back. If a mole does not change over time, there is little reason for concern. If you see any signs of change in an existing mole, if you have a new mole, or if you want a mole to be removed for cosmetic reasons, talk to your dermatologist. The following ABCDEs are important characteristics to consider when examining moles. If a mole displays any of the signs listed below, have it checked immediately by a dermatologist. It could be cancerous. Asymmetry. One half of the mole does not match the other half. Border. The border or edges of the mole are ragged, blurred, or irregular. Color. The color of the mole is not the same throughout or has shades of tan, brown, black, blue, white, or red. Diameter. The diameter of a mole is larger than the eraser of a pencil. Evolution. The mole is changing in size, shape, or color. Melanoma is a form of skin cancer. The most common location for melanoma in men is the chest and back and in women, it is the lower leg. Melanoma is the most common cancer in young women. How Are Moles Treated? If a dermatologist believes a mole needs to be evaluated further, he or she will do a biopsy by shaving or cutting out the entire spot so that it can be evaluated under the microscope. This is a simple procedure. (If the dermatologist thinks the mole might be cancerous, cutting through the mole will not cause the cancer to spread.) If the mole is found to be cancerous, the dermatologist will cut out the entire mole or scar from the biopsy site by cutting out the entire area and a rim of normal skin around it, and stitchin


Where was the battle fought between the Royalist forces under Prince Rupert and Oliver Cromwell's men in June 1645 that was the key to the final downfall of Royalist forces a year later?

BBC - History : British History Timeline August 1604 James I ends the war with Spain One of James I's first acts of foreign policy was to end the long war with Spain, which had continued intermittently for 20 years. The resulting Treaty of London was largely favourable to Spain, but was also an acknowledgement by the Spanish that their hopes of bringing England under Spanish control were over. The end of the war greatly eased the English government's near bankrupt financial state. England and Spain were at peace for the next 50 years. 5 November 1605 Gunpowder Plot to assassinate James I is discovered In 1604, a group of English Catholics, angered by James I's failure to relax the penal laws against their co-religionists, hatched a plot to blow up the king and parliament by igniting gunpowder barrels concealed in a vault beneath the building. The plot was discovered before it could be carried out. The conspirators, including Guy Fawkes after whom the plot is often known, were either killed resisting arrest, or captured and then executed by being hanged, drawn and quartered. September 1607 Irish Earls flee to the continent fearing arrest Following their defeat in the Nine Years' War, Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone and Rory O’Donnell, Earl of Tyrconnell were treated leniently by the victorious English government of Ireland and allowed to retain their lands and titles. But in 1605, the new lord deputy, Arthur Chichester, began to restrict their authority. Fearing arrest, the two fled to the continent with 90 family members and followers - the 'Flight of the Earls'. This marked the end of the power of Ireland’s Gaelic aristocracy. 1609 Plantation of Ulster sees Protestants moving onto confiscated Irish land In the wake of the Nine Years' War, James I determined to secure Ulster for the Crown through a systematic settlement programme. Protestants from England and Scotland were encouraged to move to Ulster, cultivate the land and establish towns. These 'planters' moved onto land confiscated from its Gaelic Catholic inhabitants. The plantation was often organised through guilds and corporations. The London companies were granted the city of Derry, thereafter known as Londonderry.   1611 'King James Bible' is published By the end of the 16th century, there were several different English bibles in circulation and the church authorities felt a definitive version was needed. The 'Authorised Version of the Bible' (also known as the 'King James Bible') was commissioned in 1604. It became the most famous English translation of the scriptures and had a profound impact on the English language. 14 February 1613 James I's daughter Elizabeth marries Frederick V, Elector Palatine The eldest daughter of James I and Anne of Denmark, Princess Elizabeth, was widely admired for her beauty, spirit and charm. She married Frederick V, Elector of the Rhine Palatinate, at the age of 16 and travelled with him to Heidelberg. Six years later, Frederick was elected king of Bohemia, but he and Elizabeth were driven out of the country by Catholic forces soon afterwards. It was through Elizabeth's descendants that the House of Hanover came to inherit the English throne. 23 April 1616 William Shakespeare dies William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, popular in his time but subsequently regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. He wrote numerous sonnets and poems as well as more than 30 plays, including 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', 'The Merchant of Venice', 'Henry V', 'Richard III', 'Romeo and Juliet, 'Macbeth', 'Hamlet' and 'King Lear'. 1619 First record of Africans in British North American colonies The first Africans who arrived in Jamestown, Virginia were not slaves but indentured servants. However, over the course of the 17th century their status gradually shifted so that more and more became slaves. Race-based slavery soon became central to the economy of the British colonies in North America. August 1620 'Pilgrim Fathers' sail for America in the 'Mayflower' A group attempting to escape religious persecution in England sail


Who received a replacement gold medal at the 1996 Olympics for the one he allegedly threw away after being refused service in a whites-only restaurant in his home town?

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (1942-  ) Background and Early Years Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. was born in Louisville, Ky., on January 17 , 1942 . His father, Cassius Sr. painted billboards and signs, while his mother, Odessa Grady , was a housewife. Although Cassius was a Methodist , he allowed Odessa to bring up both Ali and his brother, Rudy Clay, as Baptist . Ali barely graduated from Louisville Central High School, though he was a local basketball power.  By this time, he had already taken up boxing and was excelling at it; he often traveled to fight on weekends. Ali was first directed toward boxing by a Louisville police officer Joe E. Martin , who first met 12-year-old Ali fuming over his stolen bicycle. However, without Martin knowing, Ali had already begun training with Fred Stoner at another gym. In this way, Ali continued making $4 a week on Tomorrow's Champions, a TV show that Martin hosted. He benefitted from the coaching of the more-experienced Stoner, who continued working with Ali throughout his amateur career. Ali trained in Tae kwon do under Grand Master Jhoon Rhee , the Father of American Taekwondo. At the end of his amateur career, Ali’s record was 100 wins and five losses. His last amateur loss was to Kent Green of Chicago, who could say he was the last person to defeat the champion until Ali lost to Joe Frazier in 1971 as a professional boxer. Under Stoner's guidance, Ali went on to win six Kentucky Golden Gloves titles, two national Golden Gloves titles, an Amateur Athletic Union National Title and the Light Heavyweight gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome . After his Olympic triumph, Ali came back to the States to begin his professional career. There, on October 29 , 1960 , he won his first professional fight, a six-round decision over Tunney Hunsaker , who was the police chief of Fayetteville, W.Va .   A popular urban legend about him states that after being refused service at a “Whites only” restaurant and fighting with a White gang, Ali threw his Olympic gold medal into the Ohio River . Whether this is true is still debated, although he was given a replacement medal decades later at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, where he lit the torch to start the games. Ali has been married four times and has seven daughters and two sons. Ali met his first wife, waitress Sonji Roi, approximately one month before they married on August 14 , 1964 . Roi's objections to certain Muslim customs in regard to dress for women contributed to the breakup of their marriage. They divorced in January of 1966 . On August 17 , 1967 , Ali married 17-year-old Belinda Boyd . After the wedding, she converted to Islam and changed her name to Khalilah . They had four children together: daughters, Maryum, Jamillah and Liban and a son, Muhammad Jr. Later, Ali had an affair with a young woman named Veronica Porsche around 1975 . By the summer of 1977 , Ali's second marriage was over and he had married Veronica. At the time of their marriage, they had a baby girl, Hana, and Veronica was pregnant with their second child. Their second daughter, Laila , was born in December of 1977 . By 1986 , Ali and Veronica were divorced. On November 19 , 1986 , Ali married Yolanda “Lonnie.” They had been friends since 1964 back in Louisville . Their mothers were close friends. They have one adopted son, Asaad. Ali has two other daughters, Miya and Khaliah, from extramarital relationships. Ali currently lives in Scottsdale, Ariz ., with his fourth wife, Lonnie. Boxing Anomaly Standing tall, at 6 feet, 3 inches, Ali had a highly unorthodox style for a heavyweight boxer. Rather than the normal method of carrying the hands high to defend the face, he instead relied on foot speed and quickness to avoid punches and carried his hands low. From 1960 to 1963, the young fighter already amassed a record of 19-0, with 15 knockouts. He defeated boxers such as Tony Esperti, Jim Robinson, Donnie Fleeman, Alonzo Johnson, George Logan, Willi Besmanoff, Doug Jones , Henry Cooper and Lamar Clark, who had won his previous 40 bouts by knockout. Ali built up a


"Who created the sculptures Single Form, in memory of Dag Hammarskjld, at the United Nations building in New York City, and ""Construction (Crucifixion): Homage to Mondrian"" in the grounds of Winchester Cathedral?"

Barbara Hepworth at Tate St. Ives * My favourite Hepworths… | Flickr Jordanhill School D&T Dept By: Jordanhill School D&T Dept Barbara Hepworth at Tate St. Ives * My favourite Hepworths Hepworth was born in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, attended Wakefield Girls High School, and won a scholarship and studied at the Leeds School of Art from 1920 (where she met Moore). She then won a County scholarship to the Royal College of Art and studied there from 1921 until she awarded the diploma of the Royal College of Art in 1924. She later studied for a period in Italy.   Barbara Hepworth is one of the most significant sculptors and artists of the 20th century. Her work exemplifies Modernism and along with her contemporaries in England such as Ivon Hitchens, Henry Moore, Ben Nicholson, Naum Gabo and others she helped to develop modern art (sculpture in particular) immeasurably.   One of her most prestigious works is Single Form, in memory of her friend and collector of her works Dag Hammarskjöld, at the United Nations building in New York City. It was commissioned in 1961 by the Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation following Hammarskjöld's death in a plane crash.   Hepworth's first marriage was to the sculptor John Skeaping, with whom she had a son, Paul, in 1929. Her second marriage was to the painter Ben Nicholson. They married on 17 November 1938 at Hampstead Register Office. The couple had triplets in 1934, Simon, Rachel and Sarah; Simon also became an artist. The couple divorced in 1951. Her eldest son, Paul, was killed on 13 February 1953 in a plane crash while serving with the Royal Air Force in Thailand; Hepworth created a memorial to him, entitled Madonna and Child, in the church in St Ives.   She was made a Dame in 1965, ten years before her death during a fire in her St Ives studio in Cornwall, aged seventy-two. The studio and her home now form the Barbara Hepworth Museum.   As well as at the Barbara Hepworth Museum, more of Hepworth's work will be on display at The Hepworth Wakefield a museum currently under construction in Wakefield. An opening in 2010 is anticipated.   Her work may also be seen at St. Catherine's College, Oxford, the School of Music at Cardiff University, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in West Bretton, West Yorkshire; Clare College, Churchill College and Murray Edwards College (formerly New Hall), Cambridge; Snape Maltings, Snape, Suffolk; and on view in or attached to the John Lewis department store, part of the John Lewis Partnership, in Oxford Street (see picture); and Kenwood House, both in London. Her 1966 work "Construction (Crucifixion): Homage to Mondrian" can be seen in the grounds of Winchester Cathedral next to the The Pilgrims' School: Hieroglyph can be seen at Leeds Art Gallery. The Tate Gallery owns many of her works. In The Netherlands, the Kroller-Mueller museum also owns several of her sculptures. "Curved Form (Trevalgan)" (1956) which stood in Margaret Gardiner's rear garden in Hampstead is now at the Pier Art Gallery in Stromness together with 67 other works donated by Gardiner. Trevalgan was Hepworth's first entire bronze form. Done


What is the name given to the hypotheses, now superseded, that the movement of continents and the appearance of new crustal material at mid-ocean ridges is because the Earth's volume is increasing?

Ep. 142: Plate Tectonics | Astronomy Cast Ep. 142: Plate Tectonics By admin on July 5, 2009 in Planetary Science Plate Tectonics The surface of the Earth feels solid under your feet, but you’re actually standing on a plate of the Earth’s crust. And that plate is slowly shifting across the surface of the Earth. Over geologic timescales, plate tectonics has totally resurfaced our planet, bringing continents together, and tearing them apart. We know we have plate tectonics here on Earth, but what about other worlds? Ep. 110 — Search for Extraterrestrial life and the  Drake Equation (planet habitability might depend on plate tectonics) Plate Tectonics on Venus? Rising temps on a planet like Venus could shut them down — Universe Today Fraser Cain: Hey Pamela, are you enjoying your summer so far? Dr. Pamela Gay: I’m traveling my little luggage back off right now. [Laughter] Fraser: Right so whatever you see from the inside of an airplane that is your summer. Pamela: You know the inside of an airplane can let you see some pretty cool things. Fraser: That’s true. I know you’re going to be in Seattle, the UK, in China. Pamela: [Laughter] Then I am going to South America – 3 continents, one of them twice, in addition to our own so that makes 4 continents in one summer. Fraser: Good. Alright the surface of the Earth feels solid under your feet but you’re actually standing on a plate of the Earth’s crust. The plate is slowly shifting around across the mantle of the Earth. Over geologic time scales plate tectonics has totally resurfaced our planet bringing continents together and tearing them apart. We know we have plate tectonics here on Earth but what about other worlds in the solar system? Plate tectonics is one of the coolest stories. It is the lone scientist railing against the establishment proving the theory, bringing the evidence and turning everyone’s minds to the new theory. Pamela: And it is a theory that is younger than you and I. Fraser: So tell it! Tell the story! [Laughter] Pamela: There is a lone scientist as you quite elegantly put it whose name was Alfred Lothar Wegener. He like a lot of other people looked at a globe and went hmm you really can just sort of take South America and fit it very nicely into Africa. In fact if you have a globe you really hate and you need to do this with a 3-dimensional globe not with a map that has a Mercator projection. Find yourself a really old globe – one that has all the nations of Eastern Europe and Africa completely wrong so you don’t feel bad about destroying it. Fraser: Right, something with Yugoslavia on it. [Laughter] Pamela: Right, Czechoslovakia. Take a razor blade to the globe and cut out the land. You can actually rearrange the land masses to more or less form one large mega-continent. This had been noticed by Magellan. Pretty much as long as we’ve been able to get all the way around the planet in one piece we’ve known that the continent is fit together in a kind of weird way. People looked at fossils in South America and Africa and discovered that on the eastern coast of South America and on the western coast of Africa, two places separated by a whole lot of ocean, we have the exact same fossils. It wasn’t like it is easy for a hedgehog to hop in the ocean and swim across the Atlantic Ocean. Somehow we were able to get fossils on the same side of both continents or at least on facing sides of the two continents even though the continents were far apart. Coincidentally the continents when cut out of the globe fit together like puzzle pieces. Fraser: There are mineral deposits that start on one continent and then continue on the other continent. Yeah, it is amazing. Pamela: Alfred put forward the idea of continental drift that once upon a time, long, long, long ago, like order of 225-250 million years ago back in the Permian Period maybe all the continents formed one giant continent called Pangaea. Maybe for reasons that he wasn’t completely sure how to explain he said continental drift but there weren’t any forces driving this drift at that period. Something ca


What is the longest and widest single nerve in the human body?

Sciatic Nerve - Anatomy Pictures and Information Home > Nervous System > Nerves of the Leg and Foot > Sciatic Nerve Sciatic Nerve The sciatic nerve is the largest and longest spinal nerve in the human body. Extending from the lumbar and sacral plexuses in the lower back, the sciatic nerve runs through the buttocks and into the thighs. It delivers nerve signals to and from the muscles and skin of the thighs, lower legs and feet. The sciatic nerve forms from the merger of the fourth and fifth lumbar nerves with the first, second, and third sacral nerves.... Move up/down/left/right: Click compass arrows Rotate image: Click and drag in any direction, anywhere in the frame Identify objects: Click on them in the image 2D Interactive 3D Rotate & Zoom Change Anatomical System Change View Angle Full Sciatic Nerve Description [Continued from above] . . . From the lower back, the sciatic nerve runs inferiorly into the gluteal region and into the posterior of the femoral region of the leg. Smaller individual nerves branch off from the sciatic nerve to innervate our thigh muscles and skin. At the inferior end of the femoral region, the sciatic nerve branches off into the tibial and common fibular nerves, which continue carrying nerve signals into the lower legs and feet. Histology Like all spinal nerves, our sciatic nerve contains many individual neurons that run along the length of the nerve like strands of thread in a thick yarn. Each neuron is wrapped in a thin layer of connective tissue called the endoneurium. The neurons are bundled together into groups called fascicles, which are further wrapped by connective tissue called the perineurium. Many fascicles are bundled together to form the entire sciatic nerve, which is further wrapped by a sheet of connective tissue known as the epineurium. Blood vessels run between the fascicles to provide oxygen and nutrients to support the nerve cells and remove waste products. Physiology The sciatic nerve innervates many of the posterior muscles of the thighs directly and innervates the muscles of the lower legs and feet indirectly through its branches. Sensory neurons carrying signals from the skin of the hip and thigh also run through the sciatic nerve toward the spinal cord. Prepared by Tim Taylor, Anatomy and Physiology Instructor


Alex Turner, Jamie Cook, Matt Helders and Nick OMalley are collectively known as what?

nick o'malley | Tumblr nick o'malley part one of motorcyclist!nick au >:3c alex: i wanna be yours woman: sorry, i already have a vacuum cleaner Loading... Show more notes Reblog ARCTIC MONKEYS ARE WORKING ON THEIR NEW ALBUM AND IT’S FUCKING O F F I C I A L I’M DYING OK THIS IS THE BEST PRESENT I HAVE EVER RECIEVED AND THIS ACTUALLY MAKES UP FOR EVERYTHING THAT HAPPEND IN 2016


Which tennis tournament runs for 14 days from late June to early July, ending with the men's singles final on a Sunday?

The History Of The Championships, Wimbledon, Wimbledon History   How did it all begin? The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club was founded in 1868 and is responsible for the world's leading tennis tournament.  Lawn tennis, originally known as ‘Sphairistike, was invented by Major Walter Clopton Wingfield and was introduced at the Club in 1875.  Two years later, the Club was renamed “The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club” and the first ever Lawn Tennis Championship took place.  A new code of laws was drawn up and most of these laws still stand today. During this first Championship, only one event took place; the Men’s Singles, which was won by Spencer Gore.  Around 200 spectators paid one shilling each to watch the final. Just five years later, in 1882, the Club’s main activity became lawn tennis and so in 1884, the All England Club (by this point the word “croquet” had been dropped from their name) decided to add two further events; the Ladies' Singles and Gentlemen's Doubles (Ladies' Doubles and Mixed Doubles were added in 1913). By the early 1900s the Club had outgrown its home in Worple Road , Wimbledon , where it had been since its formation. A lot had changed since the first ever Lawn Tennis Championship in 1877 (in which the final attracted 200 spectators) and the old grounds were no longer able to cope with the huge crowds who flocked to the event each year. And so, in 1920, the decision to move was taken. A site was chosen just a mile or so from the Worple Road site – and the major undertaking of designing and constructing the new Centre Court began.  Well known architect Captain Stanley Peach was commissioned to design the new Centre Court .  To convince the Club’s Committee, he built a huge scale model of Centre Court .  His original blueprints for the Centre Court still exist (discovered recently in a basement storage area of the offices of Stanley Peach & Co). A driving force throughout the project was Commander George Hillyard, secretary of the Club since 1907 and once a men’s doubles finalist. Hillyard collaborated with Peach on the ambitious design and his mission for the Club was clear: ‘‘Let us look to it that we construct and equip our ground that it will immediately be recognised as the finest, not only in England Wimbledon is acknowledged to be the World’s premier tennis tournament and a Long Term Plan was unveiled in 1993 by the All England Lawn Tennis Club, which will improve the quality of the event for spectators, players, officials and neighbours in years to come. The first stage of the Plan was completed in time for the 1997 Championships and involved building the new No. 1 Court, a Broadcast Centre, two extra grass courts, and a tunnel under the hill to link Church Road Somerset Road . The second stage involved the removal of the old No. 1 Court complex in order to make way for the new Millennium Building to provide extensive facilities for the players, press, officials and Members, and also the extension of the West Stand of Centre Court, creating a further 728 seats. The third stage is currently under way with the recent redevelopment of the turnstile area, the construction of the new Museum Building at Gate 3, a permanent 2,600 sq ft Wimbledon Shop, Club offices and Ticket Office, an increase in Centre Court capacity from 13800 to 15000, and a new restaurant and bars.  Rain has frequently interrupted play at The Championships and so this year, for the first time, a new retractable roof will be in use on Centre Court .  During The Championships, this roof is to be kept primarily closed in an attempt to protect play from inclement.  2009 also sees an increase in the court’s capacity to 15,000 and the installation of new, wider padded seating for the comfort of the spectators.  Wimbledon Over the years, Wimbledon has developed many unique traditions, including: strawberries and cream , royal patronage, a strict dress code for competitors, and ball boys and girls. However, one not so popular tradition of the rain stopping play should hopefully be avoided in 2009, with the installation


What ship, less than a month after her maiden voyage in 1907, had the record for crossing the Atlantic eastbound, and in 1909 had a record time for the westbound crossing that stood for 20 years?

MAURETANIA ocean liner ship model, Cunard Line, 1907 Collect all Cunard ship models from Scherbak Mauretania models with black hull and white hull RMS MAURETANIA, 1907. We have only one second              hand, model as new condition (1 of              only 40 models made back in 2007) - please email for details Most              celebrated ocean liner. Blue Riband holder. Atlantic legend and Cunard's pride. Must have              for collectors, maritime historians and ship lovers. Model represents the ship in her after WW1 appearance, with added life boats. Some              models are finished in ship's white cruising livery of 1930s. Our model is carefully designed to exact hull lines and architecture. Made of cold cast resin, hand assembled, hand painted, with recessed  and shadowed windows and portholes, life boats, deck gear,              etc.  Comes in display case with wooden base on protective pads, solid brass mountings, name/data plaque and              clear high grade acrylic cover.  Scale 1:900. Size: Model 10.5"              (26.8 cm) long, case 13 3/8" ( 34 cm) long.   Take advantage of our Layaway Plans . HMS Mauretania ship model encased History of              ocean liner HMS MAURETANIA The ocean liner RMS Mauretania was built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Wallsend, Tyne and Wear for the British              Cunard Line, and launched on 20 September 1906. At the time, she was the largest and fastest ship in the world. Mauretania became a favorite among the passengers after capturing the Blue Riband for fastest transatlantic              crossing during her 1907 inaugural season. Mauretania held the speed record for twenty-two              years. The ship's name was taken from an ancient Roman province on the northwest African coast. In 1897 the German liner SS Kaiser              Wilhelm der Grosse became the largest and fastest ship in the world. With a speed of 22 knots (41 km/h) she captured              the Blue Riband from Cunard Line liners Campania and Lucania.              At around the same time American financier J. P. Morgan’s International Mercantile Marine Co. was attempting to monopolize              the shipping trade, and had already acquired Britain's other major transatlantic line White Star In the face of these threats              the Cunard Line was determined to regain the prestige of ocean travel back not only to the company, but also to Great Britain.              In 1903 Cunard Line and the British government reached an agreement to build two superliners, the Lusitania and Mauretania              with a guaranteed service speed of no less than 24 knots, the British government were to loan ï¿½2,600,000 for the construction              of Lusitania and Mauretania at an interest rate of 2.75% to be paid back over twenty years with a stipulation that the ships              could be converted to Armed Merchant Cruisers if needed. Also to fund these ships further the admiralty arranged for Cunard              to be paid an additional ï¿½150,000 per year to their mail subsidy. Design and construction: The Mauretania was designed by Cunard naval architect Leonard Peskett with Swan Hunter working from the plans for an ocean greyhound with              a stipulated service speed of twenty four knots in moderate weather for her mail subsidy contract. Peskett's original configuration              for the ships in 1903 was a three-funnel design when reciprocating engines were destined to be the powerplant. A giant model              of the ships in this configuration appeared in Shipbuilder's magazine. Cunard in 1904 decided to change powerplants to Parson's              new turbine technology and Peskett then implement


Babe Ruth played for which Major League Baseball team between 1919 and 1935?

Babe Ruth Biography - ESPN Babe Ruth Biography Personal Babe Ruth is a former Major League Baseball player, widely considered to be the greatest baseball player of all-time, starting his career as a pitcher with the Boston Red Sox. In a controversial deal with the New York Yankees, Ruth was sold for $100,00 in a trade that would later be known as "The Curse of the Bambino." With the Yankees, Ruth moved to the outfield and transformed into one of the greatest hitters of all time. He was the first player to hit 60 home runs in a season. Ruth ended his career with a .342 batting average and 714 home runs, which was a record until Hank Aaron surpassed him in 1974. Ruth was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. Early Years George Herman Ruth Jr. was born on Feb. 6, 1895 in Baltimore, Md., to Kate Schamberger-Ruth and George Herman Ruth, Sr. Only two of their eight children survived past infancy: Ruth, and his sister, Mamie. At age seven, Ruth was sent to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, a reformatory and orphanage. Ruth spent 12 years at the school, rarely seeing his family. It was at St. Mary's that Ruth started playing baseball. He played a variety of positions but played catcher mostly until the age of 15. Ruth started pitching and switched between pitcher and catcher on the St. Mary's varsity baseball team. Professional Career Minor league career During a game in 1913 between St. Mary's and Mount St. Mary's University, Ruth's pitching skills caught the attention of Washington Senators pitcher Joe Engel. Engel told Jack Dunn, owner of the then-minor league Baltimore Orioles, about the prospect, and Dunn signed Ruth to a contract on Feb. 14, 1914. Ruth earned the nickname of "Babe" after teammates referred to him as Jack Dunn's newest babe. The nickname stuck with Ruth for the rest of his career. On July 7, 1914, Ruth was nearly sold to the Philadelphia Athletics along with Ernie Shore and Ben Egan for $10,000. Athletics owner and manager Connie Mack refused to spend $10,000 on the trio. Ruth was eventually sold to the Boston Red Sox. Boston Red Sox (1914-19) Babe Ruth made his major league debut on July 11, 1914, for the Boston Red Sox. Ruth appeared in five games during the 1914 season, pitching in four of them. On the mound, Ruth went 2-1 with a 3.91 ERA, and he went just 2-for-10 with two RBI at the plate. Ruth spent a majority of the season with the Providence Grays in the minor leagues. Ruth landed a spot in the Red Sox pitching rotation during the 1915 season. In his first full season as a starter, Ruth went 18-18 with a 2.44 ERA in 28 starts. Ruth showed his first glimpse of power at the plate, slugging four home runs and driving in 21 runs. Ruth made his postseason debut in the 1915 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, grounding out in his only at-bat. In 1916, Ruth led the American League in earned run average (1.75), games started (41) and shutouts (9). He went 23-12, including four victories over Washington Senators great Walter Johnson. The Red Sox won their second-straight World Series championship in 1916. Ruth pitched a 14-inning complete game in Game 2 against the Brooklyn Robins. Ruth had his best season as a pitcher in 1917, going 24-13 with a 2.01 ERA and 35 complete games. On June 23, 1917, against the Senators, Ruth threw a punch at an umpire after walking the leadoff hitter. He received a 10-game suspension for his actions. In 1918, Ruth started to shift his playing time from the mound to the outfield. At the plate, Ruth led the league in home runs with 11 and batted .300 with 66 RBI. On the mound, Ruth started Game 1 of the 1918 World Series, throwing a 1-0 shutout over the Chicago Cubs. In Game 4, Ruth pitched eight innings, allowing just two earned runs and striking out six in a 3-2 victory. The Red Sox won the World Series in six games. Ruth hit .322 with 29 home runs and 114 RBI in 1919, which turned out to be his final season with the Red Sox. The 29 home runs was a single-season record at the time. In his last season as a starting pitcher, Ruth went 9-5 with a 2.97 E


Who was the president of the Confederate States of America following its formation in 1861?

Confederate States of America - American Civil War - HISTORY.com Confederate States of America A+E Networks Introduction During the American Civil War, the Confederate States of America consisted of the governments of 11 Southern states that seceded from the Union in 1860-61, carrying on all the affairs of a separate government and conducting a major war until defeated in the spring of 1865. Convinced that their way of life, based on slavery, was irretrievably threatened by the election of President Abraham Lincoln (November 1860), the seven states of the Deep South (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas) seceded from the Union during the following months. When the war began with the firing on Fort Sumter (April 12, 1861), they were joined by four states of the upper South (Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia). Google Formed in February 1861, the Confederate States of America was a republic composed of eleven Southern states that seceded from the Union in order to preserve slavery, states’ rights, and political liberty for whites. Its conservative government, with Mississippian Jefferson Davis as president, sought a peaceful separation, but the United States refused to acquiesce in the secession. The war that ensued started at Fort Sumter , South Carolina , on April 12, 1861, and lasted four years. It cost the South nearly 500,000 men killed or wounded out of a population of 9 million (including 3 million slaves) and $5 billion in treasure. Did You Know? On July 15, 1870, Georgia became the last former Confederate state to be restored to the Union, more than five years after the Civil War's end. The Confederacy’s eastern military fortunes went well for the first two years, with major victories at First Manassas (Bull Run), ‘Stonewall’ Jackson’s Valley Campaign, and the Seven Days’ Battles, where Gen. Robert E. Lee took command of the main eastern army in June 1862 and cleared Virginia of federal troops by September. His invasion of Maryland was checked at Sharpsburg (Antietam) in mid-September, and he returned to Virginia, where he badly defeated federal forces at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. The main western Confederate forces-commanded by Generals Albert Sidney Johnston , P. G. T. Beauregard, and Braxton Bragg-suffered defeats at Forts Henry and Donelson and Shiloh in Tennessee , and at Corinth, Mississippi , but they held that flank through 1862. Davis formed his government at the first Confederate capital in Montgomery, Alabama . The Confederacy’s Permanent Constitution provided for presidential item veto, debating seats for cabinet members, and six-year terms for the president and vice president (the president was ineligible for successive terms); it prohibited the foreign slave trade and forbade Congress from levying a protective tariff, giving bounties, or making appropriations for internal improvements. After initial problems, Davis’s government grew stronger as he learned to use executive power to consolidate control of the armed forces and manpower distribution. But some Southern governors resisted Davis’s centralization and tried to keep their men and resources at home. Although Davis used authority effectively, the insistence on preserving states’ rights plagued him constantly. Vice President Alexander H. Stephens , an early dissident, for example, sulked in his native Georgia and finally urged its secession from the Confederacy. But nothing gave the government more trouble than its poverty. There was only $27 million worth of specie in the Confederacy, and money remained scarce. A federal blockade gradually shrank Southern foreign trade and drained financial reserves. Christopher G. Memminger, treasury secretary, followed conservative policies. A campaign to raise funds through a domestic loan in February 1861 lagged; a $50 million loan drive launched in May did little better. Finally Congress resorted to a ‘produce loan,’ which allowed planters to pledge produce as security for bonds. Although initially popular, this expedient also failed. The next


plant disease | plant pathology | Britannica.com plant pathology Plant disease, an impairment of the normal state of a plant that interrupts or modifies its vital functions. Potato leaf infected with a fungal blight. Fk All species of plants, wild and cultivated alike, are subject to disease . Although each species is susceptible to characteristic diseases, these are, in each case, relatively few in number. The occurrence and prevalence of plant diseases vary from season to season, depending on the presence of the pathogen, environmental conditions, and the crops and varieties grown. Some plant varieties are particularly subject to outbreaks of diseases; others are more resistant to them. General considerations Nature and importance of plant diseases Plant diseases are known from times preceding the earliest writings. Fossil evidence indicates that plants were affected by disease 250 million years ago. The Bible and other early writings mention diseases, such as rusts, mildews, blights , and blast, that have caused famine and other drastic changes in the economy of nations since the dawn of recorded history. Other plant disease outbreaks with similar far-reaching effects in more recent times include late blight of potato in Ireland (1845–60); powdery and downy mildews of grape in France (1851 and 1878); coffee rust in Ceylon (starting in the 1870s); Fusarium wilts of cotton and flax; southern bacterial wilt of tobacco (early 1900s); Sigatoka leaf spot and Panama disease of banana in Central America (1900–65); black stem rust of wheat (1916, 1935, 1953–54); and southern corn leaf blight (1970) in the United States. Loss of crops from plant diseases may result in hunger and starvation, especially in less developed countries where access to disease-control methods is limited and annual losses of 30 to 50 percent are common for major crops. In some years, losses are much greater, producing catastrophic results for those who depend on the crop for food. Major disease outbreaks among food crops have led to famines and mass migrations throughout history. The devastating outbreak of late blight of potato ( Phytophthora infestans ) that began in Europe in 1845 and brought about the Irish famine caused starvation, death, and mass migration of the Irish population. Of a population of eight million, approximately one million (about 12.5 percent) died of starvation and 1.5 million (almost 19 percent) emigrated, mostly to the United States, as refugees from the destructive blight. This fungus thus had a tremendous influence on the economic, political, and cultural development in Europe and the United States. During World War I , late blight damage to the potato crop in Germany may have helped end the war. Similar Topics hog cholera Losses from plant diseases also can have a significant economic impact, causing a reduction in income for crop producers and distributors and higher prices for consumers. In 1993 the United States lost more than one million acres (405,000 hectares) of crops to disease. More than 800,000 acres of wheat succumbed to disease, exacting a monetary loss in the millions of dollars. Diseases—a normal part of nature Plant diseases are a normal part of nature and one of many ecological factors that help keep the hundreds of thousands of living plants and animals in balance with one another. Plant cells contain special signaling pathways that enhance their defenses against insects, animals, and pathogens. One such example involves a plant hormone called jasmonate (jasmonic acid). In the absence of harmful stimuli, jasmonate binds to special proteins, called JAZ proteins, to regulate plant growth, pollen production, and other processes. In the presence of harmful stimuli, however, jasmonate switches its signaling pathways, shifting instead to directing processes involved in boosting plant defense. Genes that produce jasmonate and JAZ proteins represent potential targets for genetic engineering to produce plant varieties with increased resistance to disease. The study of plant diseases is called plant pathology . Pathol


In what word game do two to four players score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a grid, the words formed across and down in crossword fashion?

What is Scrabble ? | Local Scrabble Club Website Local Scrabble Club Website What is Scrabble ? What is Scrabble ? Scrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15-by-15 grid. The words are formed across and down in crossword fashion and must appear in a standard dictionary. Official reference works (e.g. The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary) provide a list of permissible words. The Collins Scrabble checker can also be used to check if a word is allowed. The name Scrabble is a trademark of Hasbro, Inc. in the United States and Canada. Elsewhere, Scrabble is trademarked by Mattel. The game is sold in 121 countries; there are 29 different language versions. One hundred and fifty million sets have been sold worldwide, and sets are found in roughly one-third of American homes. Basic Scrabble Board


Who was the first Prime Minister of Ceylon when it became independent on 14 October 1947?

D. S. Senanayake | prime minister of Ceylon | Britannica.com prime minister of Ceylon Alternative Title: Don Stephen Senanayake D. S. Senanayake Mahinda Rajapakse D. S. Senanayake, (born Oct. 20, 1884, Colombo , Ceylon [now Sri Lanka]—died March 22, 1952, Colombo), first prime minister of Ceylon (1947–52) when the country became independent of Great Britain. Brought up as a devout Buddhist, Senanayake remained in that faith but was educated at the Anglican St. Thomas College in Colombo. After a brief period as a clerk in the surveyor general’s office, he turned to rubber planting on his father’s estate. Senanayake entered the Legislative Council in 1922 and in 1931 was elected to the State Council and appointed minister for agriculture and lands, a post he was to hold for 15 years. Within two years he had put through the Land Development Ordinance, which brought barren lands into cultivation through irrigation schemes. During World War II , faced with reduced foreign rice supplies, Senanayake opened new trade with Egypt and Brazil and increased imports of less scarce wheat flour tenfold. Having founded Ceylon’s cooperative-society movement in 1923, he emphasized the development of cooperatives and attempted agricultural modernization. He refused a knighthood in 1946 but expressed gratitude for British goodwill and cooperation. As prime minister (from 1947) he gained respect from Ceylon’s Sinhalese , Tamil, and European communities and was able to maintain the morale of the civil service during the transition period, despite its loss of British personnel. His Gal Oya multipurpose scheme to colonize uninhabited areas resettled 250,000 people. In a country without coal, oil, or gas deposits, he encouraged hydroelectric-power development. Already heading the ministries of defense and external affairs, he also assumed the ministry of health and local government in 1951. An avid horseman, Senanayake died from injuries received when his horse threw him. Learn More in these related articles:


Which ex-European colony in China is at the mouth of the Canton River?

Page:Twentieth Century Impressions of Hongkong, Shanghai, and other Treaty Ports of China.djvu/196 - Wikisource, the free online library Page:Twentieth Century Impressions of Hongkong, Shanghai, and other Treaty Ports of China.djvu/196 From Wikisource This page has been validated .   By Commander Basil Taylor, R.N., Harbour Master.   ONGKONG Harbour, now recognised as one of the finest in the world, and actually accommodating more shipping than any other, was, prior to the British occupation, of no account, and but little used except by Chinese fishermen (and pirates) and an occasional war junk. Its capabilities as a desirable anchorage do not appear to have received practical recognition until 1834, when Lord Napier, appreciating its strategical and commercial possibilities, recommended its acquisition by the British Government. At that time a considerable amount of trade was carried on in British vessels with Canton and Whampoa, and a certain number of British merchants were resident in the former city. Circumstances, into which it is not necessary here to enter, caused the British community in Canton to lose the goodwill of the Chinese authorities, with the result that they were expelled from the city and British shipping from the river. The former, with the Chief Commissioner of British Trade in China—Captain Elliot, R.N.—took refuge at Macao , then, as now, a Portuguese settlement, while the shipping anchored in Hongkong Harbour. This occurred in 1839. Captain Elliot appears to have held but a poor opinion of the value of Hongkong as a dependency of the British Crown, or of the safety of the harbour, for he recommended the purchase from Portugal of Macao in preference to it. However, nothing came of his proposals, fortunately for British trade in the Far East, for Macao could not accommodate a fraction of the shipping now using Hongkong Harbour, even were there water enough to allow a modern ocean vessel to enter; Macao Harbour is small, and no vessel drawing more than 14 feet can enter at any state of the tide. In August, 1839, the Canton authorities, emboldened no doubt by the successful issue of their anti-British action in March, threatened to carry the matter still further, and to make an attack in force upon Macao, with a view to the expulsion thence of the British. As it was felt that, being virtually undefended, Macao was in no condition to repulse such an attack, and that Portugal, not being a party to the quarrel, it was not right or politic to involve her, the British community headed by Captain Elliot and his staff, left Macao for Hongkong, leaving behind only a few sick. On arrival it was found that no food was obtainable, a boycott being maintained by three war junks anchored off the Kowloon Peninsula; and it was reported that all sources of water supply were poisoned. The natives, however, being perfectly willing, even anxious, to furnish supplies, the war junks were attacked and driven away, and the boycott put a stop to. As there were no buildings of any kind on the north shores of the island, residence on shore was at first out of the question, and the shipping in the harbour afforded an asylum for the whole community. A few buildings shortly appeared, principally of the matshed type, but nothing of a permanent character was attempted, in view of the great uncertainty prevailing as to the future of the island. Shortly after this, the activity on the part of the Chinese having abated, the Commissioner and staff, together with many of the merchants with their families returned to Macao, whence Captain Elliot continued his opposition to the harbour of Hongkong, and in October, 1839, in spite of vigorous protests from eighty-six British vessels then anchored there, and the representatives of twenty mercantile firms, eleven insurance companies, and Lloyds agent, he ordered all the shipping to leave and to repair to Tongku, an island off the entrance to Deep Bay, in the mouth of the Canton River. And Hongkong was evacuated. The following year, 1840, an expeditionary force arrived from home and Hongkong w


"Who were the USA fighting a war against in 1812 when the successful American defence of Fort McHenry in September 1814 inspired the lyrics of the U.S. national anthem, ""The Star-Spangled Banner""?"

Encyclopedia Smithsonian: Star-Spangled Banner and the War of 1812 Home  › Encyclopedia       Smithsonian  ›  History and Culture Star-Spangled    Banner and the War of 1812 The original Star-Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired Francis Scott     Key to write the song that would become our national anthem, is among     the most treasured artifacts in the collections of the Smithsonians     National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. Quick     Facts about the Star-Spangled Banner Flag Made in Baltimore, Maryland,      in July-August 1813 by flagmaker Mary Pickersgill Commissioned by Major George      Armistead, commander of Fort McHenry Original size: 30 feet by 42      feet Current      size: 30 feet by 34 feet Fifteen stars and fifteen      stripes (one star has been cut out) Raised over Fort McHenry      on the morning of September 14, 1814, to signal American victory over      the British in the Battle of Baltimore; the sight inspired Francis Scott      Key to write The Star-Spangled Banner Preserved by the Armistead      family as a memento of the battle First loaned to the Smithsonian      Institution in 1907; converted to permanent gift in 1912 On exhibit at the National      Museum of American History since 1964 Major, multi-year conservation      effort launched in 1998 Plans for new permanent exhibition      gallery now underway Making the Star-Spangled Banner In June 1813, Major George Armistead arrived in Baltimore, Maryland,     to take command of Fort McHenry, built to guard the water entrance to     the city.  Armistead commissioned Mary Pickersgill, a Baltimore flag     maker, to sew two flags for the fort: a smaller storm flag (17 by 25 ft)     and a larger garrison flag (30 by 42 ft).  She was hired under a     government contract and was assisted by her daughter, two nieces, and     an indentured African-American girl. The larger of these two flags would become known     as the Star-Spangled Banner. Pickersgill stitched it from     a combination of dyed English wool bunting (red and white stripes and     blue union) and white cotton (stars).  Each star is about two feet     in diameter, each stripe about 24 inches wide.  The Star-Spangled     Banners impressive scale (about one-fourth the size of a modern     basketball court) reflects its purpose as a garrison flag. It was intended     to fly from a flagpole about ninety feet high and be visible from great     distances. At its original dimensions of 30 by 42 feet, it was larger     than the modern garrison flags used today by the United States Army, which     have a standard size of 20 by 38 feet. The first Flag Act, adopted on June 14, 1777,     created the original United States flag of thirteen stars and thirteen     stripes. The Star-Spangled Banner has fifteen stars and fifteen stripes     as provided for in the second Flag Act approved by Congress on January     13, 1794.  The additional stars and stripes represent Vermont (1791) and Kentucky (1792) joining the Union.  (The third Flag Act, passed     on April 4, 1818, reduced the number of stripes back to thirteen to honor     the original thirteen colonies and provided for one star for each state  a new star to be added to the flag on the Fourth of July following     the admission of each new state.)  Pickersgill spent between six     and eight weeks making the flags, and they were delivered to Fort McHenry     on August 19, 1813.  The government paid $405.90 for the garrison     flag and $168.54 for the storm flag.  The garrison flag would soon     after be raised at Fort McHenry and ultimately find a permanent home at     the Smithsonian Institutions National Museum of American History.  The whereabouts of the storm flag are not known. The War of 1812 and the Burning     of Washington Although its events inspired one of


Who, in 1919, achieved the first nuclear disintegrations by bombarding nitrogen with alpha particles?

Rutherford | Definition of Rutherford by Merriam-Webster , Ernest (Baron Rutherford of Nelson) (1871–1937), British physicist. Rutherford is ranked with Isaac Newton and Michael Faraday for his fundamental contributions to physics and his lasting influence on scientific thought. He developed the basis for nuclear physics by investigating radioactivity, discovering the alpha particle, and developing the concept of the nuclear atom. In 1902 with Frederick Soddy he developed the theory of radioactive decay. A year later he demonstrated that alpha particles can be deflected by electric and magnetic fields, the direction of the deflection proving that the rays are particles of positive charge. In 1904 he identified the alpha particle as a helium atom. He produced in 1919 the first nuclear reaction by bombarding atoms of nitrogen with alpha particles, thus demonstrating that the atom is not the ultimate building block of the physical universe. His research opened up the whole new field of nuclear energy. In 1908 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Learn More about rutherford


What fate made Spencer Perceval unique among British Prime Ministers?

Jim Werbaneth - 1812.html  A Paper presented to the New York Military Affairs Symposium on 31 March 2012 |as part of a 3-day War of 1812 in New York and Beyond conference supported in part by a grant from the  New York Council for the Humanities.                           Britain, at least as much as the United States, entered into the War of 1812 reluctantly.  After all, Britain was absorbed since 1793 with a much more important struggle, that against France. [1]   Indeed, Napoleon was the central concern of Robert Banks Jenkinson, the Earl of Liverpool, when he formed his government on 8 June 1812, with the new war in America as nothing more than a distraction. [2]     On the American side, there was no enthusiastic rush to war either, and it was, ironically, concentrated in areas removed from both aggrieved parties and the ensuing zone of conflict around New York and New England.  A disproportionate share of the support for the war came from the West and South, with the Northeast, particularly New York, New Jersey, and New England especially opposed. [3]   Further, opposition to the war was centered on the Federalist Party, but also included some more traditional members of James Madisonï¿½s own Democratic-Republican Party. [4]   Samuel Eliot Morrison described the polarization of American thought on the war by writing that:   [New England] wanted no part of the war and agitated against it to the brink of treason; whilst back-country congressmen who had never smelt salt water (unless in the Potomac)  and whose constituents would as soon have thought of flying to the moon as enlisting in the United States Navy, screamed for ï¿½Free Trade and Sailorsï¿½ Rights.ï¿½ [5]               British strategy in this war, unwanted by their own government and by much of the American electorate and political elite, faced both challenges and opportunities.  The main challenge was obvious; Britain was already involved in a massive war against Napoleon, on the eve of his own invasion of Russia.  Less obvious, Canada was subject to a constant influx of immigrants, from the United States.  While many were favored for their perceived superior skills at frontier living, compared to more urban-oriented immigrants from the British Isles, Canada experienced anti-American sentiment that impeded the ability of Americans to purchase land there.  With this general anti-Americanism expanding with the start of the war, [6] British strategists had to consider the presence of a large, alienated American population within Canada.  This was concentrated in Upper Canada, the future Ontario, especially; there about one-third of the population of 100,000 was American, either by birth or descent. [7]   Further, Canada was not especially well garrisoned, and what militia there was might well rally to the Americans.  Governor David Tomkins of New York expected that one half of the militia in both Upper and Lower Canada would switch sides. [8]               At the same time, Britain faced opportunities.  The polarization of the American body politic over the War of 1812 ended up seriously undermining the American war effort, especially in New England, and as Morrison describes verged on treason.  Further, American merchants, again primarily in New England but not limited to it, desired to maintain trade with the British, even though they were now the enemy.  After all, three-quarters of American ships originated in New England, and an even greater proportion of the sailors, [9] and it was their livelihoods that were most endangered by interdictions on trade with Britain.               Due to its own lack of commitment to hostilities with the United States, Britain was not aggressive in its strategy toward New York and New England, at least until Napoleon abdicated in April 1814.  Military strategy in Canada tended to be defensive in nature, even passive.  Economically, Britain took advantage of the desire of American shippers and merchants to maintain trade, and yet did little or nothing to undermine the United States politically; Americaï¿½s own political se


Where were the FIBA (Basketball) World Championships held in 2006?

2006 FIBA World Championship - powered by www.fiba.com SAITAMA (FIBA World Championship) – Spain played their hearts out for injured hero Pau Gasol and captured their first world title with a 70-47 mauling more � 03/09/2006 - Latest News SAITAMA (FIBA World Championship) – No pain, no gain. That sums it up for Pau Gasol, who led Spain into the final of the FIBA World Championship final more � 03/09/2006 - Latest News SAITAMA (FIBA World Championship) - Despite not playing in Spain's historical victory over Greece in the final of the FIBA World Championship, Pau more � 03/09/2006 - Press Releases SAITAMA (FIBA World Championship) - After the FIBA World Championship 2006 in Japan, FIBA has announced its new world ranking for men's national more � 02/09/2006 - Press Releases TOKYO (FIBA World Championship 2010) - Turkish fans are looking forward to hosting the world's most prestigious basketball event in 2010, after their more � 29/08/2006 - Press Releases TOKYO (FIBA World Congress) - Bob Elphinston has been elected new FIBA President for the 2006 - 2010 term of office, the International Basketball more � 04/09/2006 - Event news only SAITAMA (FIBA World Championship) - Carlos Jimenez held the Nasmith Cup with pride after Spain claimed their first FIBA World Championship title. more � 03/09/2006 - Event news only SAITAMA (FIBA World Championship) - Lithuania finished their campaign in the FIBA World Championship with a 77-62 win over Germany to clinch seventh more � 03/09/2006 - Event news only


In Greek legend, a woodland deity, half man, half goat, is called a ?

Satyr definition by Babylon’s free dictionary n 1. man with strong sexual desires [syn: lecher] 2. one of a class of woodland deities; attendant on bacchus; identified with roman fauns [syn: forest god] satyr hairy one. mentioned in greek mythology as a creature composed of a man and a goat, supposed to inhabit wild and desolate regions. the hebrew word is rendered also "goat" (lev. 4:24) and "devil", i.e., an idol in the form of a goat (17:7; 2 chr. 11:15). when it is said (isa. 13:21; comp. 34:14) "the satyrs shall dance there," the meaning is that the place referred to shall become a desolate waste. some render the hebrew word "baboon," a species of which is found in babylonia. for Vocabulary Exams of KPDS, YDS,UDS (in Turkey); and SAT in America A very lascivious person Wikipedia Dictionaries English Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia In Greek mythology, a satyr (, ; satyros, ) is one of a troop of ithyphallic male companions of Dionysus with horse-like (equine) features, including a horse-tail, horse-like ears, and sometimes a horse-like phallus because of permanent erection. Early artistic representations sometimes include horse-like legs, but in 6th-century BC black-figure pottery human legs are the most common. In Roman Mythology there is a concept similar to satyrs, with goat-like features: the faun, being half-man, half-goat. Greek-speaking Romans often used the Greek term saturos when referring to the Latin faunus, and eventually syncretized the two. The female "Satyresses" were a late invention of poets — that roamed the woods and mountains. In myths they are often associated with pipe-playing. See more at Wikipedia.org... Bible Dictionaries Easton's Bible Dictionary hairy one. Mentioned in Greek mythology as a creature composed of a man and a goat, supposed to inhabit wild and desolate regions. The Hebrew word is rendered also "goat" (Lev. 4:24) and "devil", i.e., an idol in the form of a goat (17:7; 2 Chr. 11:15). When it is said (Isa. 13:21; comp. 34:14) "the satyrs shall dance there," the meaning is that the place referred to shall become a desolate waste. Some render the Hebrew word "baboon," a species of which is found in Babylonia. Smith's Bible Dictionary (sa'tyr or sat'yr), a sylvan deity or demigod of Greek mythology, represented as a monster, part man and part goat. (Isaiah 13:21; 34:14) The Hebrew word signifies "hairy" or "rough," and is frequently applied to "he-goats." In the passages cited it probably refers to demons of woods and desert places. Comp. (Leviticus 17:7; 2 Chronicles 11:15)


"What was the subtitle of ""Star Wars - Episode 1"", released in 1999?"

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace YIFY subtitles source Too many "Yes Men" around George Lucas7/10 Of course this movie had a ton of hype and what movie can live up to all of that....yada yada yada. Even allowing for that, this movie is somewhat of a dissapointment. This movie proves that it wasn't just special FX that made "Star Wars" fun to watch. It was as if George Lucas was so thrilled with what he could do with CGI effects, he forgot what made the original trilogy so great, which is writing and characters. It's not a bad film but the problems are many. -Many people have forgiven this movie for being lackluster as they say "It is only the first in another trilogy and it is just setting up everything to follow". WRONG WRONG WRONG, this film needed to be it's own movie first and foremost as the other three films were. It needed to have good characters and a somewhat interesting story....it didn't. -The conflict in this story revolves around a trade dispute and the fate of the planet Naboo. Was anybody really caring about this? The details of the dispute are somewhat vague and what is revealed doesn't real generate enough interest for us to root for a particular side. The important conflict regarding Darth Sideous and his rise is kept far far in the background. We don't even know why Darth Maul hates the Jedi's so much....he just does. Possibly Lucas wanted Darth Maul to be somewhat like Boba Fett (silent and mysterious). It worked with Boba Fett because he was only a supporting character, not a main villian. This film really has no clear villian. I wish somebody would have had the courage and just told Lucas that his basic story was lousy. -Nobody looks particularly happy in this film. Qui-gon is really the only character that can be related to and even he is rather distant. The queen acts like a mannequin in much of her scenes (and looks like one to). Obi-wan Kenobi wanders through the entire movie to no avail and never says anything interesting. The characters never seem to talk about anything besides the plot (unlike in the first film). C3PO and R2-D2 were pretty pointless. The Jedi council comes across as extremely cold and buracratic. And I will never understand WHY they wrote Annakin as a grade school kid in this film. He should have been a teenager. His scenes with the queen were awkward. We're not even going to discuss Jar Jar. Various other things... -The "midochlorians" thing seems to have just been tacked on. The humor falls flat unless you are an extremely small child. Annakin destroys the trade ship at the end and safves everyone, basically BY MISTAKE!!! ILM and George Lucas seem to be so happy with their new CGI toys that they spent 95% of their time perfecting them. Quite frankly I thought the FX in "Return of the Jedi" were sharper, more dimensional and less cartoonish. Nothing all that memorable seems to happen here. This movie may never have been as good as the hype, but it could have easily been much better than this. I waited so long for this film, yet the first time I saw this movie I was actually bored in the middle of it. There are good moments. The pod race was fun, as was the light sabre battle at the end. There are some very nice special effects throughout. Hopefully Lucas just had writers block when he wrote this one. Maybe he will remember what made the other films so good in time for "Episode II". Though he seems to have botched the title of it already. source A perspective after all the hype has died down5/10 Lucas may have problems as a director and writer, but I've always thought that those flaws are balanced by his great storytelling ability. The problem with "The Phantom Menace" is that he simply has no story to tell. The film merely adds an introductory chapter to a story that has already been told, and stretches it out into a two-hour movie. It is no accident that prequels of this kind are rare. They are very difficult to make properly. And apparently he's just not a sophisticated enough filmmaker to pull it off. For one thing, this project is limited by the fact that anyon


Mahatma Gandhi led Indians in protesting the British-imposed salt tax with what 400 km (249 mile) journey in 1930?

mahatma gandhi - www.shaikhshabaz.com www.shaikhshabaz.com   listen ) ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the preeminent leader of  Indian nationalism  in  British-ruled India . Employing  non-violent   civil disobedience , Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. The  honorific  Mahatma ( Sanskrit : "high-souled," "venerable" [2] )—applied to him first in 1914 in South Africa, [3] —is now used worldwide. He is also called Bapu ( Gujarati : endearment for "father," [4]  "papa." [4] [5] ) in India. Born and raised in a Hindu,  merchant caste , family in coastal  Gujarat ,  western India , and trained in law at the  Inner Temple , London, Gandhi first employed non-violent civil disobedience as an expatriate lawyer in South Africa, in the resident Indian community's struggle for civil rights. After his return to India in 1915, he set about organising peasants, farmers, and urban labourers to protest against excessive land-tax and discrimination. Assuming leadership of the  Indian National Congress  in 1921, Gandhi led nationwide campaigns for easing poverty, expanding women's rights, building religious and ethnic amity, ending  untouchability , but above all for achieving  Swaraj  or self-rule. Gandhi famously led Indians in challenging the British-imposed salt tax with the 400 km (250 mi)  Dandi Salt March  in 1930, and later in calling for the British to  Quit India  in 1942. He was imprisoned for many years, upon many occasions, in both South Africa and India. Gandhi attempted to practice non-violence and truth in all situations, and advocated that others do the same. He lived modestly in a  self-sufficient residential community  and wore the traditional Indian  dhoti  and shawl, woven with yarn hand spun on a  charkha . He ate simple vegetarian food, and also undertook long  fasts  as means of both self-    Mahatma Gandhi 2 October 1869                  purification and social protest. Gandhi's vision of a free India based on religious pluralism, however, was challenged in the early 1940s by a new Muslim nationalism which was demanding a separate Muslim homeland carved out of India. [6]  Eventually, in August 1947, Britain granted independence, but the  British Indian Empire [6]  was  partitioned  into two  dominions , a smaller Hindu-majority  India  and Muslim Pakistan . [6]  As many displaced Hindus, Muslims, and  Sikhs  made their way to their new lands, religious violence broke out, especially in the  Punjab  and  Bengal . Eschewing the  official celebration of independence  in Delhi, Gandhi visited the affected areas, attempting to provide solace. In the months following, he undertook several  fasts unto death  to promote religious harmony. The last of these, undertaken on 12 January 1948 at age 78, [7]  also had the indirect goal of pressuring India to pay out some cash assets owed to Pakistan. [7]  Some Indians thought Gandhi was too accommodating. [8] [7]  Among them was  Nathuram Godse , a  Hindu nationalist , who assassinated Gandhi on 30 January 1948 by firing three bullets into his chest at point-blank range. [8] Gandhi is commonly, though not officially, [9]  considered the  Father of the Nation [10]  in India. His birthday, 2 October, is commemorated there as  Gandhi Jayanti , a  national holiday , and world-wide as the  International Day of Non-Violence .                                                                             Early life and background Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in his earliest known photo, aged 7,  c.  1876 Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi [11]  was born on 2 October 1869 [1]  in  Porbandar , a coastal town on the  Kathiawar Peninsula  and then part of the small  princely state  of Porbandar in the  Kathiawar Agency  of the  British Indian Empire . His father, Karamchand Gandhi (1822–1885), served as the  diwan  (chief minister) of  Porbander state . His mother, Putlibai, who was from a  Pranami   Vaishnava family, [12] [13]  was Karamchand's fourth wife, the first three wives having apparently died in childbirth. [14] [15]


The Three Gorges Dam is in which country?

Three Gorges Dam | International Rivers Three Gorges Dam Nears Completion Seth Rosenblatt The Three Gorges Dam is the world’s largest hydropower project and most notorious dam. The massive project sets records for number of people displaced (more than 1.2 million), number of cities and towns flooded (13 cities, 140 towns, 1,350 villages), and length of reservoir (more than 600 kilometers). The project has been plagued by corruption, spiraling costs, environmental impacts, human rights violations and resettlement difficulties. The Three Gorges Dam is a model for disaster, yet Chinese companies are replicating this model both domestically and internationally. Within China, huge hydropower cascades have been proposed and are being constructed in some of China’s most pristine and biologically and culturally diverse river basins - the Lancang (Upper Mekong) River, Nu (Salween) River and upstream of Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River and tributaries.The environmental impacts of the project are profound, and are likely to get worse as time goes on. The submergence of hundreds of factories, mines and waste dumps, and the presence of massive industrial centers upstream are creating a festering bog of effluent, silt, industrial pollutants and rubbish in the reservoir. Erosion of the reservoir and downstream riverbanks is causing landslides, and threatening one of the world’s biggest fisheries in the East China Sea. The weight of the reservoir's water has many scientists concerned over reservoir-induced seismicity . Critics have also argued that the project may have exacerbated recent droughts by withholding critical water supply to downstream users and ecoystems, and through the creation of a microclimate by its giant reservoir. In 2011, China's highest government body for the first time officially acknowledged the " urgent problems " of the Three Gorges Dam. Pollution in the Three Gorges Reservoir International Rivers Through the Three Gorges Project, China has acquired the know-how to build large hydropower schemes, and has begun exporting similar projects around the world . Now that the project's problems have been acknowledged, it is important to draw lessons from the experience so that the problems of the Yangtze dam are not repeated. While Three Gorges is the world’s biggest hydro project, the problems at Three Gorges are not unique. Around the world, large dams are causing social and environmental devastation while better alternatives are being ignored. International Rivers protects rivers and defends the rights of the communities which depend on them. We monitor the social and environmental problems of the Three Gorges Dam, and work to ensure that the right lessons are drawn for energy and water projects in China and around the world. Learn more about the problems with large dams and the global movement to protect rivers and rights. More information:


What is the next in the series: Calgary, Canada; Albertville, France; Lillehammer, Norway; Nagano, Japan?

Olympic Games: Years and Location Olympic Games: Years and Location 1896 Lake Placid, United States (W) 1932 Los Angeles, United States (S) 1936 Squaw Valley, United States (W) 1960 Lake Placid, United States (W) 1980 Los Angeles, United States (S) 1988 Salt Lake City, United States (W) 2004 2010 Vancouver, Canada (W) (W)—Site of Winter Games. (S)—Site of Summer Games. The nine cities bidding for the 2012 Olympic Summer Games are: Paris, London, Moscow, Madrid, New York, Istanbul, Leipzig, Rio de Janeiro and Havana. The IOC will select the host city for the 2012 games on July 6, 2005.


What is the next number in the series 1, 8, 27, 64, 125?

IQ Tests : Number Sequences I - Worksheet / Test Paper Worksheet / Test Paper Hide all answers Hide all answers   View all answers View all answers   Print   Try the Quiz What number comes in the blank in each sequence below? 1. 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, _______ Answer: Answer: 128 Each number is multiplied by 2 to get the next number. 2. 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, _______ Answer: Answer: 23 These are the prime numbers (i.e., numbers whose only factors are one and the number itself). 3. 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, _______ Answer: Answer: 21 3 - 1 = 2; 6 - 3 = 3; 10 - 6 = 4; 15 - 10 = 5; The differences between two consecutive numbers are 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, ... So, 21 - 15 = 6. Alternatively, 1 + 2 = 3; 1 + 2 + 3 = 6; 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10; 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 = 15; 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 = 21; The nth term in the sequence is given by n (n + 1)/2. The numbers are often referred to as triangular numbers. 4. 500, 475, 425, 350, 250, _______ Answer: Answer: 125 500 - 475 = 25; 475 - 425 = 50; 425 - 350 = 75; 350 - 250 = 100; The differences between two consecutive numbers are 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, ... So, 250 - 125 = 125. 5. 200, 196, 180, 116, _______ Answer: Answer: -140 200 - 196 = 4; 196 - 180 = 16; 180 - 116 = 64; The differences between two consecutive numbers are 4, 16, 64, ... (each number starting with 4 is multiplied by 4 to get the next number). So, 116 - 4(64) = 116 - 256 = -140. 6. 987, 878, _______, 660, 551, 442 Answer: Answer: 769 987 - 109 = 878; 878 - 109 = 769; 769 - 109 = 660; 660 - 109 = 551; 551 - 109 = 442; The difference between two consecutive numbers is 109. 7. 213, 426, _______, 852, 1065, 1278 Answer: Answer: 639 213 + 213 = 426; 426 + 213 = 639; 639 + 213 = 852; 852 + 213 = 1065; 1065 + 213 = 1278; The numbers simply increase by 213. 8. 144, 121, 100, _______, 64, 49 Answer: Answer: 81 The terms are merely the squares of integers starting with 12 in descending order. Thus, 122 = 12 x 12 = 144; 112 = 11 x 11 = 121; 102 = 10 x 10 = 100; 92 = 9 x 9 = 81; 82 = 8 x 8 = 64; 72 = 7 x 7 = 49; Alternatively, the differences between consecutive terms form the following simple sequence: 23, 21, 19, 17, 15. 9. 8, 27, 64, _______, 216, 343 Answer: Answer: 125 The terms are merely the cubes of integers starting with 2. Thus, 23 = 2 x 2 x 2 = 8; 33 = 3 x 3 x 3 = 27; 43 = 4 x 4 x 4 = 64; 53 = 5 x 5 x 5 = 125; 63 = 6 x 6 x 6 = 216; 73 = 7 x 7 x 7 = 343; 10. 2, 3, 4, 12, 6, 23, 8, 36, 10, _______ Answer: Answer: 51 11. 3, 10, 20, 27, _______, 44 Answer: Answer: 37 The odd terms continually increase by 17, i.e., 3, 20, 37, ... The even terms also continually increase by 17, i.e., 10, 27, 44, ... Alternatively, add 7 and 10 alternately starting with 3. 12. 2, 7, 11, 16, _______, 25 Answer: Answer: 20 The odd terms continually increase by 9, i.e., 2, 11, 20, ... The even terms also continually increase by 9, i.e., 7, 16, 25, ... Alternatively, add 5 and 4 alternately starting with 2. 13. _______, 0.99, 9.9, 99, 990, 9900 Answer: Answer: 0.099 Each number is one-tenth the number following it. Thus, (1/10) x 0.99 = 0.099 14. 2.5, 3.75, _______, 8.4375, 12.65625 Answer: Answer: 5.625 Each number is 1.5 times the number preceding it. Thus, 1.5 x 3.75 = 5.625 15. 243, 162, 108, 72, _______, 32 Answer: Answer: 48 Each number is two-thirds the number preceding it. Thus, 72 x 2/3 = 48 16. 1/24, _______, 7/18, 10/15, 13/12, 16/9 Answer: Answer: 4/21 The numerators (starting with 1) increase continually by 3, and the denominators (starting with 24) decrease continually by 3. The numerators are 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, ... The denominators are 24, 21, 18, 15, 12, 9, ... 17. 2, 6, 14, _______, 62, 126 Answer: Answer: 30 6 - 2 = 4; 14 - 6 = 8; 30 - 14 = 16; 62 - 30 = 32; 126 - 62 = 64 The differences between two consecutive numbers are 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, ... (a sequence where each number is multiplied by 2 to get the next number starting with 4).


Which building was attacked at the start of the French Revolution on 14 July 1789 because it was symbolic of injustice?

Storming of the Bastille Storming of the Bastille Share Intro On 14 July 1789, a state prison on the east side of Paris, known as the Bastille, was attacked by an angry and aggressive mob. The prison had become a symbol of the monarchy’s dictatorial rule, and the event became one of the defining moments in the Revolution that followed. This article reporting the events of 14 July was published in an English newspaper called The World, a few days after the event took place.   A medieval fortress, the Bastille’s eight 30-metre-high towers, dominated the Parisian skyline. When the prison was attacked it actually held only seven prisoners, but the mob had not gathered for them: it had come to demand the huge ammunition stores held within the prison walls. When the prison governor refused to comply, the mob charged and, after a violent battle, eventually took hold of the building. The governor was seized and killed, his head carried round the streets on a spike. The storming of the Bastille symbolically marked the beginning of the French Revolution, in which the monarchy was overthrown and a republic set up based on the ideas of ‘Liberté, égalité, fraternité’ (the French for liberty, equality and brotherhood). In France, the ‘storming of the Bastille’ is still celebrated each year by a national holiday.


"Who was the Anglo-Irish scientist who, in the 17th century, discovered that ""the volume of a given mass of gas at a given temperature is inversely proportional to its pressure""?"

Intro to Boyle's Law Intro to Boyle's Law Pressure Volume Relationships We are used to living at 1 ATM of pressure, so we rarely even take notice of it. We normally don't feel the pressure on us because the human body is primarily made up of liquid, and liquids are basically non compressible. At times, however, we do notice changes of pressure, primarily in our ears. You may have noticed your ears "popping" when flying, driving in the mountains, or even going up and down in elevators. This is because our ears have an air space in them, and air, like all other gases, is compressible. A gas will compress proportionately to the amount of pressure exerted on it. For example, if you have a 1 cubic foot balloon and double the pressure on it, it will be compressed to 1/2 cubic foot. Increase the pressure by 4, and the volume will drop to 1/4 the size etc. This theory was discovered by Sir Robert Boyle, a 17th century scientist. The theory known as Boyle's Law states: If the temperature remains constant, the volume of a given mass of gas is inversely proportional to the absolute pressure. Let's follow an example... Suppose you had a balloon measuring one cubic foot at the surface of the water. This balloon is under 1 ATM (14.7 psi) of pressure. If we push the balloon underwater, and take it to a depth of 33 feet, it is now under 2 ATM of pressure (29.4 lbs) - 1 ATM of pressure from the air, 1 ATM of pressure from the water.  Boyle's Law then tells us that since we have twice the absolute pressure, the volume of the balloon will be decreased to one half. It follows then, that taking the balloon to 66 feet, the pressure would compress the balloon to one third its original size, 99 feet would make it 1/4 etc. If we bring the balloon in the previous example back up to the surface, it would increase in size due to the lessening pressure until it reached the surface and returned to its one cubic foot size. This is because the air in the balloon is compressed from the pressure when submerged, but returns to its normal size and pressure when it returns to the surface. We will achieve the same result with an open container, such as an inverted bottle, as we do with a balloon. By inverting a bottle at the surface and descending with it, the pressure from the surrounding water will compress the air and the bottle will start to fill with water. Even with no air escaping, the container will be half full of water at a depth of 33 feet due to the pressure compressing the air to half its original volume. Along with the volume of air in the balloon or container, the surrounding pressure will affect the density of the air as well. Density, simply stated, is how close the air molecules are packed together. The air in the balloon or container at the surface is at its standard density, but when we descend to the 33-foot level where its volume is reduced to one half, the density has doubled. At 66 feet, the density has tripled.  This is because the pressure has pushed the air molecules closer together. Let's continue with this line of thinking and try an additional experiment. If we take our balloon and our open container down to 99 feet, we know that the density of air is four times what is was on the surface and the volume of air has been reduced to 1/4. Now at this depth, suppose we used a scuba tank and added air to the balloon until it returned to its original size. We will also blow air into the inverted container until it is completely full of air. We know the air at this depth is 4 times denser than at the surface. This means when we ascend with our balloon and container, the lessening pressure will make the air expand. This will have two different effects. The balloon will increase in size. It will attempt to grow to a size of 4 cubic feet by the time it hits the surface. If this is beyond the capability of the balloon, it will pop. The inverted container, however, will simply "bleed off" the expanding air that will harmlessly float away as bubbles. The main purpose of the proceeding material was to give you the t


"Who collaborated with Andrew Lloyd Webber to create the musical ""The Beautiful Game""?"

Andrew Lloyd Webber | Biography and Filmography | 1948 Produced the London revival of the stage musical, "The Sound of Music" 2004 Produced the film adaptation of "The Phantom of the Opera"; film earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture (Musical or Comedy) and Webber received Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for Best Original Song "Learn to be Lonely" 2002 Produced the stage musical "Bombay Dreams" with Indian composer A. R. Rahman; opened on Broadway in 2004 2000 Collaborated with Ben Elton on the stage musical, "The Beautiful Game," which opened in London's West End 2000 Revival of "Jesus Christ Superstar" opened on Broadway 1996 Re-teamed with Tim Rice for the song "You Must Love Me" for the feature film, "Evita"; directed by Alan Parker and starred Madonna 1993 Wrote a musical based on Billy Wilder's critically acclaimed movie, "Sunset Boulevard"; had an extensive run in London's West End and opened on Broadway in 1995 1993 Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame 1992 With Don Black, wrote the song "Amigos Para Siempre — Friends for Life" for the Barcelona Olympics; performed by ex-wife Sarah Brightman 1989 Wrote the musical, "Aspects of Love," with lyrics by Don Black and Charles Hart; original production was directed by Trevor Nunn (had a limited run on Broadway) 1986 Premiered the musical, "The Phantom of the Opera" in London; wrote the part of Christine for his then wife, Sarah Brightman; Lyrics by Charles Hart 1984 Began an 18-year run of "Starlight Express" in London's West End (opened on Broadway in 1987, but had a limited run) 1984 Wrote the poorly received "Requiem," which was first performed at St. Thomas Church in New York 1981 Collaborated with poet T. S. Eliot for "Cats," which opened in London's West End (opened on Broadway in 1982) 1978 Collaborated with his cellist brother Julian on the album, Variations, based on the 24th Caprice by Paganini; main theme is still used as the theme tune for ITV1's long-running "South Bank Show" 1976 Collaborated with Rice once again for "Evita" (transferred to Broadway in 1979) 1975 Had rare failure with musical "Jeeves"; written in collaboration with Alan Ayckbourn; show later re-tooled and produced under the title "By Jeeves" 1973 Norman Jewison directed a film adaptation of Webber's "Jesus Christ Superstar" 1972 First West End production, "Jesus Christ Superstar" 1970 First Broadway production, "Jesus Christ Superstar"; lyrics by Tim Rice 1970 First film as composer, "Gumshoe"; directed by Stephen Frears 1968 Commissioned by RCA to write opera based on single, "Jesus Christ Superstar"; enjoyed great success as double album in 1970 1968 Wrote first full-scale musical, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"; lyrics by Tim Rice 1965 First major collaboration with lyricist Tim Rice, "The Likes of Us," a musical based on the true story of Thomas John Barnardo; was not performed until as recently as 2005 1959


What is the name of the process by which plants obtain carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water?

Plants make their own food thru the process of photosynthesis   Photosynthesis, Respiration, Transpiration Plants are self-sufficient. They make their own food thru the       process of photosynthesis using       light energy to make sugars from       carbon dioxide (C02)       and water (H20). The three major functions that       are basic to plant growth and       development are: � Photosynthesis � the process       of capturing light energy and       converting it to sugar energy,       in the presence of chlorophyll       using CO2 and H2O, � Respiration � the process of       metabolizing (burning) sugars to       yield energy for growth,       reproduction and other life       processes, and � Transpiration � the loss of       water vapor through the stomata       of leaves. Photosynthesis A primary difference between       plants and animals is the plant�s       ability to manufacture its own food.       In photosynthesis carbon dioxide from the air and       water from the soil react with the       sun�s energy to form carbohydrates       (sugars and starches).       Photosynthesis literally means to put together with light. The photosynthetic process occurs       only in the chloroplasts,       tiny subcellular structures       contained in the cells of leaves and       green stems. In photosynthesis, the       sun�s energy combines hydrogen from       water (H20)       with carbon dioxide (CO2)       turning them into carbohydrates.       Oxygen (O2)       is given off as a by-product of       photosynthesis. The chemical       equation for the process of       photosynthesis is: 6CO2 + 6H20       + light C6H12O6 + 6O2 This process is directly       dependent on the supply of water,       light and carbon dioxide. Any one of the factors       on the left side of the equation       (carbon dioxide, water, or light)       can limit photosynthesis regardless       of the availability of the other       factors. If any one of these factors       is limiting, then the whole process       slows down or stops. An implication       of drought or severe restrictions on       landscape irrigation is a reduction       in photosynthesis and thus a       decrease in plant vigor. In a tightly closed greenhouse       there can be very little fresh air       infiltration and CO2 levels can become limiting. This in       turn limits plant growth because the       production of sugars needed to do       the work involved with growing is       limited. Many greenhouses provide       supplemental CO2 to stimulate plant growth. The rate of photosynthesis is       somewhat temperature dependent. For       example, with tomatoes, when       temperatures rise above 96 degrees       Fahrenheit the rate of food used by       respiration rises above the rate       that food is manufactured by       photosynthesis. Plant growth comes       to a stop and produce loses its       sweetness. Respiration In respiration, plants       (and animals) convert the sugars       back into energy for growth and to       energize life processes (metabolic       processes). The chemical equation       for respiration shows that the       sugars from photosynthesis are       combined with oxygen. Notice that       the equation for respiration is the       opposite of photosynthesis. C6H12O6 + 6O2 6CO2 + 6H20       + energy Chemically speaking, the process       is similar to the oxidation that occurs as wood is burned,       producing heat. When compounds       combine with oxygen, the process is       often referred to as burning.       For example, athlete�s burn en