What name is given to a section of the Alps located mostly in the province of Belluno, and extending into the provinces of Bolzano-Bozen and Trento?

Read Microsoft Word - Guide book A4.doc Veneto Introduction Veneto or Venetia (Vèneto), is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 4.8 million, and its capital is Venice. Once the cradle of the renowned Venetian Republic, then a land of mass emigration, Veneto is today among the wealthiest and most industrialized regions of Italy. It is also the most visited region of Italy, with about 60 million tourists every year (2007). Besides Italian, most Venetian people speak Venetian. Geography Veneto is the eighth largest region in Italy, with a total area of 18,364 km2. It is rough a polygonal of around 210 km in length (from the Austrian border to the mouth of the Po) and a breadth of around 195 km (from the Eastern shore of Lake Garda to the mouth of the river Tagliamento. Veneto is one of the most varied regions of Italy in its morphology, roughly divisible into four areas: the northern Alpine zone, the hill zone, the lower plain and the coastal territory. 29% of its surface is mountainous (the Carnic Alps, eastern Dolomites and Venetian Prealps), whilst 57% is covered by a vast plain reaching unto the sea, broken only by the hill regions of Colli Berici, Colli Euganei, Colli Asolani and Montello, which constitute the remaining 14% of the territory. Several of the most important rivers in Italy cross through the region (the Po, Adige, Brenta, Bacchiglione, Livenza, Piave, and Tagliamento), and it possesses the eastern shore of the largest lake in the country (Lake Garda). The Adriatic Sea bathes over 200km of its coastline, of which 100km are beaches. Population The region has about 4.8 million inhabitants, ra ning Veneto as the fifth most populated region in Italy. Veneto has one of the highest population densities amongst the Italian regions (265 inhabitants per km2 in 2008). This is particularly true in the provinces of Padua, Venice and Treviso, where the inhabitants per km2 are above 300. Belluno is the less densely populated province, with 57 inhabitants per km2. Like the other regions of Northern Italy and Central Italy, The Tetrarchs were the four co-rulers who though with a certain time lag, Veneto has been experiencing governed the Roman Empire as long as a phase of very slow population growth caused by the Diocletian's reform lasted. Here they are dramatic fall in fertility. The overall population has so far been portrayed embracing, in a posture of increasing - though only slightly - due to the net immigration harmony, in a porphyry sculpture dating started at the end of the 1960s, after more than 20 years of from the 4th century, produced in Asia Minor, located today on a corner of St massive exodus from the poorer areas of the region. Mark's Basilica in Venice. Nearly 3 Millions of Venetians were forced to leave their 168  Veneto country between 1861 and 1961 to escape poverty. Many emigrated to South America, especially Brazil, after World War II they moved to other European countries. Due to the impressive economic growth of the last two decades, Veneto has turned into a land of immigration and has been attracting more and more immigrants since the 1990s. In 2008 the Italian national institute of statistics ISTAT estimated that 403,985 foreign-born immigrants live in Veneto, equal to 8.3 % of the total regional population. Administrative Divisions Veneto is divided into seven provinces : Belluno, Padua, Rovigo, Treviso, Venezia, Verona, Vicenza Economy Traditionally Veneto had been a poor agricoltural region as well as a land of mass emigration. Since the 1970s Veneto has seen an impressive development, thanks to the so called Veneto development model - characterised by a wide export-oriented entrepreneurship in traditional sectors and a strong social cohesion - making it actually the third richest region in terms of total GDP (139 billion) after Lombardy and Lazio Geography and historical events have determined the present social and economic structure of the region, centred on a broad belt running east to west. The plain and the Alpine foothills are the most developed areas in contrast to


Where is the world's longest toughest horse race of over 1000 km in the footsteps of Genghis Khan?

World's Toughest Horse Race Retraces Genghis Khan's Postal Route World's Toughest Horse Race Retraces Genghis Khan's Postal Route Riders attempt to stay atop half-wild Mongol horses for over 600 miles (1,000 kilometers). View Images Competitors gallop toward the finish of 2010's Mongol Derby. Fewer than half of the riders in this year’s race are expected to make it across the finish line. Photograph by Charles van Wyk, The Adventurists Before most of the world woke up this morning, 47 riders from around the globe had saddled half-wild horses and set out on what the Guinness Book of World Records has called the longest equestrian race on Earth. Related Content Florida by Water: Go Surf and Sand Horseback Riding The goal—beyond not getting seriously injured—is to ride a 621-mile circuit (1,000 kilometers) of Mongolian steppe in less than ten days. Fewer than half of the riders are expected to make it across the finish line. The rest will either quit or be carried off the course by the medical team. Broken bones and torn ligaments are common, frustration and bruised egos the norm. Every rider will fall off multiple times during the course of the race, says Katy Willings, the race chief and a former Mongol Derby competitor. The race route is modeled on the horse relay postal system created under Genghis Khan in 1224, which was instrumental in the expansion of the Mongolian Empire. Guided by a local escort, specially appointed postal riders would gallop more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) to a morin urtuu, or horse relay station, where another escort would be waiting with a fresh horse. At the postal route's zenith, a letter could cross from Kharkhorin in the east to the Caspian Sea on the far western edge of the empire, a distance of some 4,225 miles (6,800 kilometers), in two weeks (an average of about 300 miles, or 480 kilometers, a day). Postal riders continued to deliver the mail until 1949, when the Soviet Union—which then controlled Mongolia—shut down the system in an attempt to erase the history of Genghis Khan from the country. "The horse stations were not permanent but rather a responsibility that rotated so that each family provided the compulsory service for a month each year or two," explains Dandar Gongor, 86, a former escort. From the age of 12 to 15, he carried the riders' mailbags while navigating them to the next horse station. "You would meet all sorts of people," he says, referring to the postal riders. "Some were kind and would tell you folk stories while you rode. Others were arrogant and mean. We would let the next urtuu supervisor know what kind of people they were, and this would help him decide if [the postal rider] would be given a well-behaved or difficult horse." View Images Derby riders stop to water their horses as a storm rolls in. The competitors are completely exposed to the elements for the duration of the Derby and over 10 days will likely face extremes of temperature, storms, high winds, and blistering sun. Photograph by Anya Campbell, The Adventurists Race Logistics According to the Adventurists , the United Kingdom-based company that created the race in 2009, the course changes about 25 percent from year to year. One of the main concerns is ensuring there are enough reliable water sources along the route. Would-be competitors submit a written application and are interviewed by phone. There is a $13,122 (U.S.) race fee, which covers the cost of the horses, medical and veterinary support, GPS and tracking devices for each rider, interpreters, vehicles, and pre-race training. Aside from selecting the riders, the Adventurists also take care in choosing each individual horse for the race. The Mongol herders have introduced the horses to the feel of a bridle and saddle, but the animals are far from broken and are quick to buck or bolt. View Images When not racing, the horses are cared for by the local herding families who staff much of the Mongol Derby course. The horses are also monitored by a team of veterinarians during the event. Photograph by Quentin Moreau, The Adventurists This year mo


k. d. lang is best known in what occupation?

k.d. lang biography | birthday, trivia | Canadian Singer | Who2 k.d. lang Biography   Name at birth: Kathryn Dawn Lang Kathryn Dawn Lang, going by the stage name k. d. lang, began playing with her band, The Reclines, in the early 1980s. She left her native Canada and began recording in New York, releasing her first album in 1984. Throughout the ’80s Lang showcased her voice (and payed tribute to Patsy Cline ) in country music with a rock/pop flavor. In 1988 and 1989 she won Grammy awards for country vocals, but by 1992 she was a winner in the category of pop vocals. With a solid fan base and a reputation as one of Canada’s greatest crooners, Lang continues to record and tour.


"What is the name of the dot on a lower case ""i"" and ""j""?"

Word Fact: What’s the Name for the Dot Over the i and j? | Dictionary.com Blog Home  »  Symbols and Punctuation  »  Word Facts  » Word Fact: What’s the Name for the Dot Over the i and j? Word Fact: What’s the Name for the Dot Over the i and j? January 5, 2015 by:  Dictionary.com 110 Comments While many languages, such as Arabic and Hebrew, add specific accents to the letters or characters throughout their alphabet, the English alphabet has only two letters that include a diacritic dot. This mark is added to a letter to signal a change in either the sound or meaning of a character. What is the additional name of this curious dot that hovers over the ninth and tenth lowercase letters of the English alphabet, and how did it get there? The small distinguishing mark you see over a lowercase i and a lowercase j is called a tittle – an interesting name that seems like a portmanteau (combination) of “tiny” and “little,” and refers to a small point or stroke in writing and printing. Generally, a diacritic dot such as a tittle is also referred to as a glyph . However, in regards to i and j, the removal of the mark is still likely to be read as I or J; as such, these are not examples of a glyph. Derived from the Latin word titulus, meaning “inscription, heading,” the tittle initially appeared in Latin manuscripts beginning in the 11th century as a way of individualizing the neighboring letters i and j in the thicket of handwriting. With the introduction of the Roman-style typeface in the late 1400′s, the original large mark was reduced to the small dot we use today. Many alphabets use a tittle specifically in the case of the letter i. For example, the absence or presence of a tittle over the i in the modern Turkish alphabet, also Latin-based, helps to differentiate two unique letters that represent distinct phonemes . The phrase “To a T” is believed to be derived from the word tittle and the following passage from Edward Hall’s Chronicles circa 1548: “I then… began to dispute with my selfe, little considerynge that thus my earnest was turned euen to a tittyl not so good as, estamen.” Now that you’ve satisfied your desire to know the source of that little dot, consider this: Why does the letter Q almost never appear without a U right next to it? Find your answer, here . What other mysteries of the alphabet would like us to explore? Let us know.


The Australian Open Tennis Championship is held in which city?

Australian Open - Tennis Topics - ESPN Australian Open Past Winners The Australian Open is the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year, held each January in Melbourne. It has been in operation since 1905 as the premier Asian tennis tournament. The event is currently held on hard courts, but was on grass courts every year until 1988. The event has championships for men's and women's singles, as well as men's, women's and mixed doubles. It also hosts juniors, exhibition and legend competitions. In the 2012 event, Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka claimed the singles titles. The 2013 event takes place from Jan. 14-27. The first major tennis tournament in Australia was held in 1880, but the Australian Open as we know it came to be in the early 1900s. In 1904, seven state associations in Australia and New Zealand combined to form the Lawn Tennis Association of Australasia. That body hosted its first championship the next year, the Australasian men's tournament held in Melbourne. And so, in 1905, with only 17 competitors, the Pacific Grand Slam was formed. New Zealand hosted the tournament the following year, and again in 1912, but decided to split from the Australasian association in 1922. Since then, it has been known as Australia's tournament. The women's championship was held for the first time in 1922, and with that addition, the tournament was named a major by the International Lawn Tennis Federation in 1924. The tournament changed its name three years later, becoming known as the Australian Championships. It was only in 1969 that the tournament was called the Australian Open -- the first year both professionals and amateurs could participate. Shortly after the Open was born, it gained its permanent home. The tournament, which had been held around Australia for the previous 70 years, was held in Melbourne every year after 1971. It gained a permanent home in the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club in 1982, ushering in several other key moments in Open history in the 1980s. In 1986, the association became known as Tennis Australia. That year, no Open was held, as it had just sealed its place as the first Grand Slam of the annual year and would be held each January from then on. Starting in 1988, the Open was no longer held on a grass court -- with a move to Flinders (now Melbourne) Park, the tournament moved to hard courts. The change of venue brought a huge increase in attendance that year -- almost 90 percent -- and that would continue to grow. Melbourne Park is a sports venue that can be used for tennis, basketball, ice skating and numerous other sports and entertainment events. It is primarily known for hosting the Australian Open each January. The Park was built in 1988 as a home for the Open, which had previously been held in Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club. Kooyong had become too small for the ever-growing event, so the Australian government decided to build a new venue. Originally known as the National Tennis Center, the park was renamed in 1996 when the government chose to promote Melbourne in its name. The park's center court is Rod Laver Arena, named after the Australian tennis great. It seats almost 15,000 spectators and, significantly, was one of the first tennis courts to feature a retractable roof. The second court, Hisense Arena, was opened in 2000 to provide a second top-class court at the facility. It also has a retractable roof and holds about 10,500. Melbourne Park was renovated in a $25 million process in the mid-90s, also when construction began for its second top court. The Australian government approved more renovations -- expected to cost more than 363 million Australian dollars -- in 2009. Year-by-Year Australian Open Singles Champions Year


The painter Pablo Picasso was born in which country?

Pablo Picasso born - Oct 25, 1881 - HISTORY.com Pablo Picasso born Publisher A+E Networks Pablo Picasso, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century, is born in Malaga, Spain. Picasso’s father was a professor of drawing, and he bred his son for a career in academic art. Picasso had his first exhibit at age 13 and later quit art school so he could experiment full-time with modern art styles. He went to Paris for the first time in 1900, and in 1901 was given an exhibition at a gallery on Paris’ rue Lafitte, a street known for its prestigious art galleries. The precocious 19-year-old Spaniard was at the time a relative unknown outside Barcelona, but he had already produced hundreds of paintings. Winning favorable reviews, he stayed in Paris for the rest of the year and later returned to the city to settle permanently. The work of Picasso, which comprises more than 50,000 paintings, drawings, engravings, sculptures, and ceramics produced over 80 years, is described in a series of overlapping periods. His first notable period–the “blue period”—began shortly after his first Paris exhibit. In works such as The Old Guitarist (1903), Picasso painted in blue tones to evoke the melancholy world of the poor. The blue period was followed by the “rose period,” in which he often depicted circus scenes, and then by Picasso’s early work in sculpture. In 1907, Picasso painted the groundbreaking work Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, which, with its fragmented and distorted representation of the human form, broke from previous European art. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon demonstrated the influence on Picasso of both African mask art and Paul Cezanne and is seen as a forerunner of the Cubist movement, founded by Picasso and the French painter Georges Braque in 1909. In Cubism, which is divided into two phases, analytical and synthetic, Picasso and Braque established the modern principle that artwork need not represent reality to have artistic value. Major Cubist works by Picasso included his costumes and sets for Sergey Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes (1917) and The Three Musicians (1921). Picasso and Braque’s Cubist experiments also resulted in the invention of several new artistic techniques, including collage. After Cubism, Picasso explored classical and Mediterranean themes, and images of violence and anguish increasingly appeared in his work. In 1937, this trend culminated in the masterpiece Guernica, a monumental work that evoked the horror and suffering endured by the Basque town of Guernica when it was destroyed by German war planes during the Spanish Civil War. Picasso remained in Paris during the Nazi occupation but was fervently opposed to fascism and after the war joined the French Communist Party. Picasso’s work after World War II is less studied than his earlier creations, but he continued to work feverishly and enjoyed commercial and critical success. He produced fantastical works, experimented with ceramics, and painted variations on the works of other masters in the history of art. Known for his intense gaze and domineering personality, he had a series of intense and overlapping love affairs in his lifetime. He continued to produce art with undiminished force until his death in 1973 at the age of 91. Related Videos


Miscellaneous Units of Measure Math > Measurement Miscellaneous Units of Measure Below is information about units of measure, including acre, bolt, gross, hertz, knot, light-year, parsec, pi, ream, sound, square, stone, and more. 93,000,000 miles, the average distance of the earth from the sun. Used for astronomy. bale A large bundle of goods. In the U.S., the approximate weight of a bale of cotton is 500 pounds. The weight varies in other countries. board foot (fbm) 144 cubic inches (12 in. × 12 in. × 1 in.). Used for lumber. bolt British thermal unit. Amount of heat needed to increase the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit (252 calories). carat (c) 200 milligrams or 3.086 grains troy. Originally the weight of a seed of the carob tree in the Mediterranean region. Used for weighing precious stones. chain (ch) A chain 66 feet or one-tenth of a furlong in length, divided into 100 parts called links. One mile is equal to 80 chains. Used in surveying and sometimes called Gunter's or Surveyor's chain. cubit Unit of relative loudness. One decibel is the smallest amount of change detectable by the human ear. ell, English 11/4 yards or 1/32 bolt. Used for measuring cloth. freight, ton (also called measurement ton) 40 cubic feet of merchandise. Used for cargo freight. great gross 12 dozen or 144. hand 4 inches or 10.16 cm. Derived from the width of the hand. Used for measuring the height of horses at withers. Modern unit for measurement of electromagnetic wave frequencies (equivalent to “cycles per second”). hogshead (hhd) The power needed to lift 33,000 pounds a distance of one foot in one minute (about 11/2 times the power an average horse can exert). Used for measuring power of steam engines, etc. karat (kt) A measure of the purity of gold, indicating how many parts out of 24 are pure. For example: 18-karat gold is 3/4 pure. Sometimes spelled carat. knot Not a distance, but the rate of speed of one nautical mile per hour. Used for measuring speed of ships. league light-year 5,880,000,000,000 miles, the distance light travels in a vacuum in a year at the rate of 186,281.7 miles (299,792 kilometers) per second. (If an astronomical unit were represented by one inch, a light-year would be represented by about one mile.) Used for measurements in interstellar space. magnum parsec Approximately 3.26 light-years or 3.08 × 1013 km (1.92 × 1013 mi). Term is combination of first syllables of parallax and second, and distance is that of imaginary star when lines drawn from it to both Earth and the Sun form a maximum angle or parallax of one second (1/3600 degree). Used for measuring interstellar distances. pi (π) 3.14159265+. The ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. For practical purposes, the value is used to four decimal places: 3.1416. pica 1/6 inch or 12 points. Used in printing for measuring column width, etc. pipe 2 hogsheads. Used for measuring wine and other liquids. point .013837 (approximately 1/72) inch or 1/12 pica. Used in printing for measuring type size. quintal 100,000 grams or 220.46 pounds avoirdupois. quire Used for measuring paper. Sometimes 24 sheets but more often 25. There are 20 quires to a ream. ream Used for measuring paper. Sometimes 480 sheets, but more often 500 sheets. roentgen International Unit of radiation exposure produced by X-rays. score 20 units. sound, speed of Usually placed at 1,088 ft. per second at 32°F at sea level. It varies at other temperatures and in different media. span 9 inches or 22.86 cm. Derived from the distance between the end of the thumb and the end of the little finger when both are outstretched. square 100 square feet. Used in building. stone Legally 14 pounds avoirdupois in the U.K. therm 100,000 Btus. township U.S. land measurement of almost 36 square miles. The south border is 6 miles long. The east and west borders, also 6 miles long, follow the meridians, making the north border slightly less than 6 miles long. Used in surveying. tun


In the 2009 British Open golf tournament, Stewart Cink and Tom Watson had to play how many extra holes to decide the winner?

Classy Open victory from Stewart Cink - The Open 2009 Classy Open victory from Stewart Cink Only when it looked easy did Stewart Cink face his toughest challenge. With one hole remaining in the British Open playoff, Cink split the middle of the 18th fairway and had a four-shot lead. His opponent was in the weeds short of the green in two. Not even Jean Van de Velde could blow this. Cink struggled to contain a smile as he stood next to caddie Frank Williams, and who could blame him? In his dozen years on the PGA Tour, he had five victories and played on four Ryder Cup teams, yet had done nothing to otherwise distinguish himself. That’s what made the final, meaningless hole so vitally important. This wasn’t just any opponent he was beating. It was Tom Watson. And if the world was watching, no one in the world was rooting for Cink except for his immediate family. Even then, an exit poll might have been in order. Cink wore a lime green hat. It might as well have been black. “It’s mixed feelings, because I’ve watched him with such admiration all week,” Cink said later. Walking the fine line between celebration and condolences, Cink struck his best pose of the championship. Standing behind the 18th green as the Open champion, Cink began clapping his hands to salute this 59-year-old marvel. So did everyone else. During the trophy presentation, as Cink admired the silver claret jug, he quickly turned his attention to Watson. “He turned back the clock, just did a great job,” Cink said. “I speak for all the rest of the people here, too.” Cink hit all the right shots Sunday. The most crucial of all was a 12-foot birdie putt on the last hole in regulation to finish at 69, which got him into the playoff when Watson missed an 8-foot putt for par. He blasted out of a pot bunker and made a 10-foot par save on the first extra hole, then went fairways-and-greens over the final three holes as Watson imploded. Even in defeat, this Open belonged to Watson. Yet if people occasionally forget that Cink’s name is on that silver jug, they should always remember his graciousness in victory. It’s one thing to be a gracious loser. Golfers have plenty of practice since victories are so rare. Gary Player still needles his friend Jack Nicklaus by introducing him as “golf’s greatest loser.” It’s quite another to show class in victory. Twenty years ago at Kemper Lakes, the late Payne Stewart was seen laughing during Mike Reid’s meltdown that cost him the PGA Championship. That moment stuck with Stewart for years until he won the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. He held both sides of Phil Mickelson’s face and said, “Good luck with the baby. There’s nothing like being a father.” Mickelson won his second Masters in 2006 and asked the gallery for a moment of silence for Tiger Woods’ father, who was dying. In one of the most poignant scenes at Augusta National, Nick Faldo shared a long embrace after overcoming a record six-shot deficit against Greg Norman, telling the Shark, “Don’t let (them) get you down.” Cink shouldn’t have to apologize for winning the British Open, although you wouldn’t know it reading some headlines Monday in Britain. “Stewart Stink!” one of them declared. It’s hard to rattle a guy with the oldest trophy in golf, and Cink was busy Monday evening trying to decide which beverage to pour first. Based on one of his Twitters, he settled on Guinness. Besides, he isn’t the first major champion to share the stage with a runner-up, if not be overshadowed completely. Go back 10 years ago, and some might have a hard time remembering that Paul Lawrie won the British Open. Yet hardly anyone will think of Carnoustie in 1999 and forget Van de Velde’s triple bogey on the final hole. It seemed as though all of New York wanted Mickelson, not Retief Goosen, to win at Shinnecock Hills. And while it isn’t a major, it sure felt that way at the Canadian Open five years ago. On the 100th anniversary of golf’s third-oldest championship, and the 50-year anniversary of the last Canadian winner, Mike Weir three times had a putt to win the tournament. He wound up losin


What sent back the first pictures of the moon's surface by video?

21 Most Marvelous Moon Missions of All Time 21 Most Marvelous Moon Missions of All Time By Clara Moskowitz, SPACE.com Assistant Managing Editor | December 14, 2013 10:00am ET MORE Credit: CNTV Live from the Moon Of the dozens of missions, manned and unmanned, that have been sent to the moon, here are some highlights. These include GRAIL, the Apollo flights, the Soviet Luna missions, China's historic Chang'e 3 landing and more. Check out some of the biggest, boldest and best moon missions of all time in this countdown. FIRST STOP: Soviet Luna 2 2 of 23 Credit: NASA Luna 2 This unmanned Soviet probe became the first man-made object to make contact with another planetary body. The spherical spacecraft launched on Sept. 12, 1959 and impacted the moon two days later. 3 of 23 Credit: NASA Luna 3 This Soviet follow-up to the first moon impactor became the first spacecraft to take pictures of the far side of the moon. The spacecraft launched Oct. 4, 1959. 4 of 23 Credit: NASA Ranger 7 This U.S. spacecraft captured about 4,300 images of the lunar surface — the first high-quality photos sent back from the moon. It later crashed landed in the Sea of Clouds. It launched July 28, 1964 5 of 23 Credit: NASA/GSFC/NSSDC Luna 9 This unmanned Soviet probe became the first to make a controlled landing on the lunar surface. On Feb. 3, 1966, Luna 9 touched down into a moon crater, and then sent back panoramic images of the landscape. 6 of 23 Credit: NSSDC Photo Gallery Luna 10 Racking up another Soviet first, this mission became the first man-made object to successfully orbit another celestial body. The unmanned probe launched March 31, 1966, and entered orbit around the moon two days later. Over two months, the spacecraft circled the moon 460 times and continuously transmitted readings. 7 of 23 Surveyor 1 In June 1966, the United States accomplished what the Soviets had four months earlier, by successfully landing a probe on moon in a controlled manner. Over a six-week mission, Surveyor 1 snapped over 11,100 images of the lunar surface. 8 of 23 Credit: NASA Kennedy Space Center Lunar Orbiter 5 This U.S. mission was part of a series of unmanned lunar prospecting missions in preparation for the manned Apollo landings. Upon completion of the Lunar Orbiter 5 mission, the moon's surface had been 99 percent mapped. The spacecraft launched Aug. 1, 1967, and completed its mission on January 31, 1968. 9 of 23 Credit: NASA Apollo 8 On Dec. 21, 1968, NASA astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders became the first humans to leave low-Earth orbit and visit the moon. They arrived in lunar orbit on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 1968, and sent back the famous first human views of Earth rising from the horizon of the moon. After 10 orbits of the moon, the three astronauts headed back to Earth and landed on Dec. 27, 1968. 10 of 23 Credit: NASA Apollo 11 The United States made up for its slow start in the space race with the Soviets by grabbing the ultimate prize: landing the first man on the moon. NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped down on the Sea of Tranquility on July 20, 1969, while their crewmate Michael Collins orbited above in the Apollo Command and Service Module. The three returned home on July 24, 1969. 11 of 23 Credit: NASA's National Space Science Data Center Luna 16 In between American Apollo manned flights, the Soviet Union launched this unmanned sample return mission to the moon on Sept. 12, 1970. Luna 16 landed on the lunar surface (in total darkness, no less), collected moon rocks, packed them up, and returned them to Earth. It was the first successful robotic sample return. 12 of 23 Credit: NASA Lunokhod 1 The Soviet Lunokhod 1 was the first lunar rover to traverse the moon. The rover launched unmanned on Nov. 10, 1970 as part of the Luna 17 mission. After touching down on the moon, the remote-controlled vehicle traveled over 6 miles (10.5 kilometers), snapping photos and video the whole way. 13 of 23 Credit: NASA Luna 24 The Soviet Lunokhod 1 was the first lunar rover to traverse the moon. The rover launched unm


The Lndler is a traditional dance from where?

The Austrian Landler.AVI - YouTube The Austrian Landler.AVI Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Jul 16, 2011 Concordia Choirs Singing Festival  held at the Concordia club. The Surprise act , was Rowan Classen and Tamara Carlin Performing the famous Austrian Landler . Category


What name was given to the accidental destruction caused to British trawlers and fishermen by ships from the Russian navy on 21 October 1904, during the Russo-Japanese War?

Russo-Japanese War : Wikis (The Full Wiki) The Full Wiki       Note: Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the Wikipedia article! This article doesn't yet, but we're working on it! See more info or our list of citable articles . Related top topics The Great Game Did you know ... the Russian armored cruiser Rossia (pictured) became the first warship to use an aerial device on the high seas during a time of war when she flew an observation balloon in May 1904 during the Russo-Japanese War ? the Russo-Japanese War vintage Japanese cruiser Yakumo (pictured) was the only warship in the Imperial Japanese Navy (aside from prizes-of-war ) to have been built in Germany ? many of the remaining willows of the Willow Palisade were cut by the Russian and Japanese troops during the Russo-Japanese War ? From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Russo–Japanese War 8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905 Location Tōgō Heihachirō Strength 500,000 800,000 Casualties and losses 47, 400 killed 146,032 wounded 12,128 died of disease. [1] 47,152 killed 11,424 died of wounds [2] 20,000 Chinese dead Russo-Japanese War 1st Port Arthur  – Chemulpo Bay  – Yalu River  – Nanshan  – Telissu  – Motien Pass  – Tashihchiao  – Hsimucheng  – Yellow Sea  – Ulsan  – 2nd Port Arthur  – Liaoyang  – Shaho  – Sandepu  – Mukden  – Tsushima The Russo–Japanese War ( Japanese : 日露戦争; Romaji : Nichi-Ro Sensō; Russian : Русско-японская война Russko-Yaponskaya Voyna; simplified Chinese : 日 俄 战 争 ;  traditional Chinese : 日 俄 戰 爭 ;  pinyin : Rìézhànzhēng, 10 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) or the Manchurian Campaign in some English sources,[citation needed] was a conflict that grew out of the rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea . The major theatres of operations were Southern Manchuria, specifically the area around the Liaodong Peninsula and Mukden , the seas around Korea, Japan, and the Yellow Sea . The Russians were in constant pursuit of a warm water port [3] on the Pacific Ocean , for their navy as well as for maritime trade. The recently established Pacific seaport of Vladivostok was only operational during the summer season, but Port Arthur would be operational all year. From the end of the First Sino-Japanese War and 1903, negotiations between the Tsar 's government and Japan had proved futile. Japan chose war to maintain exclusive dominance in Korea. The resulting campaigns, in which the fledgling Japanese military consistently attained victory over the Russian forces arrayed against them, were unexpected by world observers. These victories, as time transpired, would dramatically transform the balance of power in East Asia, resulting in a reassessment of Japan's recent entry onto the world stage. The embarrassing string of defeats inflamed the Russian people's dissatisfaction with their inefficient and corrupt Tsarist government, and proved a major cause of the Russian Revolution of 1905 . Contents 9 External links Origins of the Russo-Japanese war After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the Meiji government embarked on an endeavor to assimilate Western ideas, technological advances and customs. By the late 19th century, Japan had emerged from isolation and transformed itself into a modernized industrial state in a remarkably short time. The Japanese wished to preserve their sovereignty and to be recognized as an equal with the Western powers. Russia, a major Imperial power, had ambitions in the East. By the 1890s it had extended its realm across Central Asia to Afghanistan , absorbing local states in the process. The Russian Empire stretched from Poland in the west to the Kamchatka peninsula in the East [4] . With its construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway to the port of Vladivostok , Russia hoped to further consolidate its influence and presence in the region. This was precisely what Japan feared, as they regarded Korea (and to a lesser extent Manchuria) as a protective buffer. Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895) Main article: First Sino-Japanese War The Japanese government regarded


What Three Laws were formulated by Johannes Kepler in the early 1600s?

Kepler's Three Laws Circular Motion and Satellite Motion - Lesson 4 - Planetary and Satellite Motion Kepler's Three Laws Energy Relationships for Satellites In the early 1600s, Johannes Kepler proposed three laws of planetary motion. Kepler was able to summarize the carefully collected data of his mentor - Tycho Brahe - with three statements that described the motion of planets in a sun-centered solar system. Kepler's efforts to explain the underlying reasons for such motions are no longer accepted; nonetheless, the actual laws themselves are still considered an accurate description of the motion of any planet and any satellite. Kepler's three laws of planetary motion can be described as follows: The path of the planets about the sun is elliptical in shape, with the center of the sun being located at one focus. (The Law of Ellipses) An imaginary line drawn from the center of the sun to the center of the planet will sweep out equal areas in equal intervals of time. (The Law of Equal Areas) The ratio of the squares of the periods of any two planets is equal to the ratio of the cubes of their average distances from the sun. (The Law of Harmonies)   The Law of Ellipses Kepler's first law - sometimes referred to as the law of ellipses - explains that planets are orbiting the sun in a path described as an ellipse. An ellipse can easily be constructed using a pencil, two tacks, a string, a sheet of paper and a piece of cardboard. Tack the sheet of paper to the cardboard using the two tacks. Then tie the string into a loop and wrap the loop around the two tacks. Take your pencil and pull the string until the pencil and two tacks make a triangle (see diagram at the right). Then begin to trace out a path with the pencil, keeping the string wrapped tightly around the tacks. The resulting shape will be an ellipse. An ellipse is a special curve in which the sum of the distances from every point on the curve to two other points is a constant. The two other points (represented here by the tack locations) are known as the foci of the ellipse. The closer together that these points are, the more closely that the ellipse resembles the shape of a circle. In fact, a circle is the special case of an ellipse in which the two foci are at the same location. Kepler's first law is rather simple - all planets orbit the sun in a path that resembles an ellipse, with the sun being located at one of the foci of that ellipse.   The Law of Equal Areas Kepler's second law - sometimes referred to as the law of equal areas - describes the speed at which any given planet will move while orbiting the sun. The speed at which any planet moves through space is constantly changing. A planet moves fastest when it is closest to the sun and slowest when it is furthest from the sun. Yet, if an imaginary line were drawn from the center of the planet to the center of the sun, that line would sweep out the same area in equal periods of time. For instance, if an imaginary line were drawn from the earth to the sun, then the area swept out by the line in every 31-day month would be the same. This is depicted in the diagram below. As can be observed in the diagram, the areas formed when the earth is closest to the sun can be approximated as a wide but short triangle; whereas the areas formed when the earth is farthest from the sun can be approximated as a narrow but long triangle. These areas are the same size. Since the base of these triangles are shortest when the earth is farthest from the sun, the earth would have to be moving more slowly in order for this imaginary area to be the same size as when the earth is closest to the sun.   The Law of Harmonies Kepler's third law - sometimes referred to as the law of harmonies - compares the orbital period and radius of orbit of a planet to those of other planets. Unlike Kepler's first and second laws that describe the motion characteristics of a single planet, the third law makes a comparison between the motion characteristics of different planets. The comparison being made is that the ratio of the squares of the periods to th


Rice Pilaf Recipes - Allrecipes.com Rice Pilaf Rice Pilaf Recipes We’ve got dozens of top-rated rice pilaf recipes, perfect for a flavorful side or a light main dish. This brown rice and wild rice pilaf is filled with sliced mushrooms, dried cranberries, and slivered almonds. Get Allrecipes Magazine! Top-rated recipes, party ideas, and cooking tips to inspire you year-round. Get a full year for just $7.99!


"Which 18th century writer produced ""She Stoops To Conquer"" and ""The Vicar Of Wakefield""?"

Oliver Goldsmith Biography | List of Works, Study Guides & Essays | GradeSaver Goldsmith, Oliver Biography of Oliver Goldsmith Oliver Goldsmith, one of the most popular 18th century English writers, lived a fascinating life of contradictions, between his unquestionable brilliance and self-destructive tendencies. Many details of Goldsmith's life are not precisely known, partially because he seems to have frequently lied to his official biographer, about details as innocuous as his birth year or as significant as his lineage. And yet this fact tells us as much about Goldsmith's life and character as any other detail. Goldsmith was born sometime between 1728 and 1731 to a poor Irish family. He was one of seven children, and his father was a county vicar. When Goldsmith was still young, his father's death forced him to rely on a wealthy uncle for support. In his early days, he was frequently bullied because of facial disfigurement caused by smallpox. Goldsmith never bothered to hide his Irish origins, even maintaining his brogue despite the fact that it would have been considered low-class once he later settled in London amongst more esteemed company. His relationship with his mother was always a complicated one, and he later grew estranged from her. He was always noted for his intelligence, and earned a Bachelor of Arts at Trinity College, Dublin in 1750. While there, he participated in a student riot and was publicly admonished for his role. Despite a strong acumen for literary work, Goldsmith was unable to settle on a career for a long time, flittering between the church, law, and education. In 1752, he began to study medicine in Edinburgh. Though there is no evidence that he ever completed his course of study, he did later practice medicine, and in fact referred to himself as Dr. Goldsmith throughout his career. Goldsmith traveled for many years, until settling in London in 1756. It was here that he finally turned to literature, and his career took off. Though he made a lucrative living through writing history books and literary journals, Goldsmith also lived a free-wheeling life of gambling and generous extravagance that kept him in debt. Amongst his literary output in this period are contributions to Tobias Smollett's Critical Review, and An Inquiry to the Present State of Polite Learning in Europe (1759). His writing also appeared in The Busy Body, The British Magazine, and The Lady's Magazine. A year later, his "Chinese letters" were published in the Public Ledger; these were fictionalized letters in the style of Voltaire that presumed to be written by a Chinese mandarin visiting England. It was during this time period that Dr. Samuel Johnson, one of England's most famous men of letters, became a great admirer of Goldsmith's work. He invited Goldsmith to join his exclusive Turk's Head Club, and through Johnson's patronage, Goldsmith began to publish his first master works, including the novel The Vicar of Wakefield . This novel, along with his masterful comic play She Stoops to Conquer , found great success, and remain his best-loved works. Vicar was particularly important since his advance earnings kept him out of a debtor's prison. During this period, Goldsmith also published his letters and The Life of Richard Nash. He continued to write throughout the 1760's, overseeing several editions of The Vicar of Wakefield during that time. Goldsmith died suddenly on April 4, 1774, after suffering from a kidney disease that he refused to treat properly. It was an early death, but not entirely unexpected considering his lifestyle. His work The Haunch of Venison was published posthumously in 1776. During his life, Goldsmith was equally known for his brilliance and for his insecurity. Always willing to act foolishly, he could come off as extremely generous and gregarious, or as conceited and pretentious. Some biographers see in him a constant contradiction between the high-class post he earned through talent and the low-class heritage he refused to totally eschew. In short, Oliver Goldsmith is one of the most


"What is the name of the pet dog in the 1962 cartoon TV series ""The Jetsons""?"

The Jetsons (TV Series 1962–1963) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error The misadventures of a futuristic family. Stars: Lovebirds George and Jane go on a second honeymoon. 7.7 Elroy finds a dog and brings him home, even though his father is against having a dog. 7.7 George thinks that Elroy has invented a flying pill that actually works. 7.7 Famous Directors: From Sundance to Prominence From Christopher Nolan to Quentin Tarantino and every Coen brother in between, many of today's most popular directors got their start at the Sundance Film Festival . Here's a list of some of the biggest names to go from Sundance to Hollywood prominence. a list of 26 titles created 17 Apr 2012 a list of 30 titles created 13 May 2014 a list of 46 titles created 9 months ago a list of 44 titles created 3 months ago a list of 44 titles created 1 week ago Search for " The Jetsons " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Title: The Jetsons (1962–1963) 7/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. The misadventures of two modern-day Stone Age families, the Flintstones and the Rubbles. Stars: Alan Reed, Mel Blanc, Jean Vander Pyl     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.3/10 X   The Smurfs are little blue creatures that live in mushroom houses in a forest inhabited mainly by their own kind. The smurfs average daily routine is attempting to avoid Gargomel, an evil man who wants to kill our little blue friends. Stars: Don Messick, Danny Goldman, Lucille Bliss Yogi, a smooth, talkative forest bear looks to raid park goers picnic baskets, while Park Ranger Smith tries to stop him. Stars: Daws Butler, Don Messick, Jimmy Weldon A Saturday morning series, collecting of some of the most popular classic cartoons from the Looney Tunes catalogue. Stars: Mel Blanc, June Foray A bumbling bionic police inspector stumbles about on his cases, while his niece and dog secretly do the real investigative work. Stars: Don Adams, Holly Berger, Frank Welker The daily satirical adventures of the Looney Tunes star The Tazmanian Devil, along with his extended family, friends, and enemies on the island of Tasmania. Stars: Jim Cummings, Rob Paulsen, Maurice LaMarche The globe-trotting treasure-hunting money-making adventures of billionaire Scrooge McDuck and his nephews. Stars: Alan Young, Russi Taylor, Terence McGovern The desert in the U.S. southwest is the natural habitat of the Road Runner, a high-octane, cartoon bird who runs so fast on the desert's roadways that he leaves a trail of flame or causes ... See full summary  » Stars: Mel Blanc, June Foray, Bea Benaderet The continuing animated adventures of Olive Oyl, Wimpy, Swee'pea and Popeye. Stars: Jack Mercer, Mae Questel, Jackson Beck A genius mouse and his stupid sidekick try to conquer the world each night. Stars: Maurice LaMarche, Rob Paulsen, Tress MacNeille The Hanna-Barbera-created Oscar-winning cat-and-mouse team of Tom & Jerry returned to TV in an hour-long stretch of new adventures. Here, T&J, after years of rivalry, have become the best ... See full summary  » Stars: Henry Corden, Kathy Gori, Don Messick A group of teenage friends and their Great Dane (Scooby-Doo) travel in a bright green van solving strange and hilarious mysteries, while returning from or going to a regular teenage function. Stars: Don Messick, Casey Kasem, Nicole Jaffe Edit Storyline The Jetsons are a family living in the future. They have all manner of technological appliances to help around the house. George Jetson works at Spaceley's Sprockets, doing his best for his family. Written by Murray Chapman <muzzle@cs.uq.oz.au> 23 September 1962 (USA) See more  » Also Known As: Did You Know? Trivia Originally ran for only 24 episodes during the 1962-1963 TV season. In 1985 the program was revived, with new episodes designed to syndicate alongside the originals. S


How many sides does a trapezoid have? | Reference.com How many sides does a trapezoid have? A: Quick Answer A trapezoid has four sides. It is a simple, convex quadrilateral with at least one pair of parallel sides. In British English, it is typically called a trapezium. Full Answer Formerly, the word trapezoid in British English meant a quadrilateral with no parallel sides, or what is often called an irregular quadrilateral. Agreement as to the classification of trapezoids is not universal. Some regard only quadrilaterals with one single pair of parallel sides as trapezoids. Others regard the parallelogram, with two pairs of parallel sides, as a special type of trapezoid. This definition includes rectangles, rhombuses and squares as trapezoids as well because they are all special types of parallelogram.


What made the first voyage around the world by air in 1929?

Round the World Flights Graf Zeppelin (LZ-127) The Only Airship to Fly Round-the-World The Graf Zeppelin (LZ-127) was built by the Zeppelin Company. The commercial flights of the Graf Zeppelin, along with the Hindenburg, pioneered the first trans-Atlantic air service.   The Graf Zeppelin was completed in 1928. The first trial flight was made on September 18, 1928, followed by additional flights on September 20, 26, 28, October 2 and 8th. On October 11, 1928 the Graf Zeppelin departed Friedrichshafen, Germany on its first trans-Atlantic crossing to Lakehurst, New Jersey. In 1929 the Graf Zeppelin left Friedrichshafen to make the first flight round-the-world by an airship. Here's the complete story of this most famous and memorable trip in the history of air transportation: The round-the-world flight attempt really began on May 14, 1929 when the Graf departed from Friedrichshafen for its trip to Lakehurst. It didn't get too far when an engine breakdown forced a landing at Cuers, France. The engine was repaired and the Graf returned to Friedrichshafen. Mail carried on board the Graf received a one-line cachet reading "Due to mishap the flight was delayed for the first America trip". It became known as the "Interrupted America Flight." The mail was held at Friedrichshafen until August 1, 1929 when the Graf made another attempt to cross the Atlantic for Lakehurst (Leg #0). The delayed mail was backstamped in New York on August 5, 1929.  Lakehurst was to become the official point of origin for the round-the-world trip. William Randolph Hearst had paid $100,000 dollars to finance this round-the-world trip conditioned on it beginning when it passed the Statue of Liberty in New York.  On August 8, 1929 piloted by Dr Hugo Eckener, the Graf departed Lakehurst for its return flight to Friedrichshafen arriving there on August 10th (Leg #1). It carried a crew of forty with twenty two passengers and thousands of pieces of mail. Amongst the passengers were Charles E. Rosendahl (US Navy Commander of the Zeppelin, Los Angeles), Lieutenant Jack Richardson, Lady Grace Drummond Hay (Hearst Press Rep) and Sir Hubert Wilkins (Arctic explorer). On August 15th the Graf then left Germany for Kasumigaura Naval Air Station near Tokyo, Japan arriving there on August 18th (Leg #2). On August 23rd the Graf bade farewell to Japan and headed for the United States flying over San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge arriving at Los Angeles, California on August 26th (Leg #3). The following day it left LA for Lakehurst, New Jersey arriving there on August 29th (Leg #4). The Graf then returned to Friedrichshafen arriving there on September 4th (Leg #5). As you can see, the Graf Zeppelin round-the-world trip would be viewed from two perspectives. The Germans saw the round-the-world flight from Friedrichshafen to Friedrichshafen (Leg #2 to Leg #5 - 12 days, 11 hours, 28 minutes flying time). The Americans would view the same round-the-world flight from Lakehurst to Lakehurst (Leg #1 to Leg #4 - 12 days 11 minutes flying time).  Schedule of Distances:   Leg #0 Friedrichshafen to Lakehurst, NJ     4391 miles  Leg #1 Lakehurst to Friedrichshafen, Germany  4391 miles  Leg #2 Friedrichshafen to Tokyo, Japan     6988 miles  Leg #3 Tokyo to Los Angeles           5998 miles   Leg #4 Los Angeles to Lakehurst         2996 miles  Leg #5 Lakehurst to Friedrichshafen       4391 miles  Special cachets and other postal markings were applied by each country (Germany, Japan and the United States) to the mail carried by the Graf Zeppelin on its round-the-world journey.  Postal rates from the United States:  From Lakehurst to Friedrichshafen (#1) $1.05 letter/$0.35 card  From Lakehurst to Tokyo, Japan     $2.05 letter/$1.03 card  From Lakehurst to Los Angles      $3.02 letter/$1.51 card  From Lakehurst to Lakehurst       $3.52 letter/$1.76 card  From Lakehurst to Friedrichshafen (#5) $1.20 letter/$0.60 card  Postal rates from Japan:  From Tokyo to Los Ang


With which sport is Babe Ruth associated?

Babe Ruth | Official Site Had #3 retired by the New York Yankees in 1948 Member of Major League Baseball’s All Century Team Voted Athlete of the Century by the Associated Press ESPN Sports Century - #2 Athlete of the 20th Century Named the Greatest baseball player of all time by The Sporting News Named the Greatest baseball player of the 20th Century by Sports Illustrated ©


Who was an American clergyman, activist and prominent leader in the African-American civil rights movement who was assassinated on 4 April 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee?

The Assassination of Dr Martin Luther King Jr - YouTube The Assassination of Dr Martin Luther King Jr Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on May 4, 2013 Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader of the African-American civil rights movement and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who became known for his advancement of civil rights by using civil disobedience. He was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968, at the age of 39. King was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:05PM that evening. The King family and others believe that the assassination was carried out by a conspiracy involving the US government, as alleged by Loyd Jowers in 1993, and that James Earl Ray was a scapegoat. In a 1999 civil trial that did not name the US government as a defendant and sought $100 from Jowers, with both the family and Jowers cooperating together and the only presenting parties, the jury ruled against Jowers and Unidentified Conspirators Category


Which mountain chain runs down the centre of South America?

The Longest Mountain Range on Earth | The Basement Geographer The Longest Mountain Range on Earth by kuschk The Andes . 7 000 km in length, they run the length of South America and are the highest mountain range outside of Asia. The diversity of the range is astounding, from the moist, warm north to the arid, frozen southern reaches. In total, the Andes stretch out over nearly 70 degrees of latitude, easily making them the longest mountain range on Earth. Until you look under water, that is, where the actual longest mountain ranges on Earth exist. As humans, we are rarely confronted with what lies beneath the ocean, only with the things that emerge from it (islands and continents). The world’s sea floors, however, are riddled with mountains and ridges. Every place on the planet where two tectonic plates are pulling apart, magma is rising through the breaks in the crust to create new land . This magma creates new volcanic mountains rising out of the ocean floor. With plate boundaries running into each throughout the world’s oceans, many of these underwater mountain chains ( mid-oceanic ridges ) stitch together to form a continuous set of peaks that stretch 65 000 km in length . That’s nearly ten times the length of the Andes. The US Geological Survey identifies several major mid-oceanic ridges as being contiguous. The age of oceanic crust. Deep red areas indicate where new crust is being formed (and thus where the mid-oceanic ridges are located). Eventually mountains get pushed away from the centre over times by the new crust continually emerging from the mid-oceanic ridge. Bermuda, for example, was originally formed from mid-oceanic magma but has since moved considerably to the west of it . Source: NOAA, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Earth_seafloor_crust_age_1996.gif (click to enlarge). The 65 000-km undersea mountain chain begins in the Arctic Ocean with what is known as the Gakkel Ridge . Located 3 to 5 kilometres beneath the surface, the Gakkel Ridge is the deepest and slowest-spreading ridge on the planet . The Gakkel is covered in pyroclastic deposits and hydrothermal vents, and is home to a unique type of magma ten times more volatile than that in other mid-oceanic ridges. The high mineral content has provided the opportunity for rather unique life forms to evolve around the seafloor heat vents via chemosynthesis . The Gakkel Ridge can be seen as the zipper-like formation bypassing the North Pole on the right in the centre of the map. The mid-oceanic chain continues southward from the Gakkel, now known as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge , as it snakes between Greenland and Svalbard, eventually emerging above water in Iceland. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge splits the island country in half, fuelling Iceland’s physical growth (as well as providing 24 percent of its electricity and 87 percent of its heating via geothermal means) but also creating occasional chaos via major volcanic eruptions. The ability of these eruptions to form new land was born out quite famously half-a-century ago with the emergence of the island of Surtsey off the southern Icelandic coast. Over time, Iceland will continue to grow, being pulled apart slowly to the west and east as North America and Europe grow further apart. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge extends nearly all the way to Antartica. While the deepest parts of the ridge can be thousands upon thousands of metres deep, these great canyons are of course surrounded on both sides by the massive seamounts that form from magma eruptions, rising 3 000 metres above the ocean floor . In addition to Iceland, numerous smaller islands periodically emerge from the ocean along the massive ridge that nearly stretches from pole to pole, such as the Azores, Saint Helena, and two islands in the South Atlantic previously covered here, Tristan da Cunha and Bouvet Island . Speaking of Bouvet, it is at the nearby Bouvet Triple Junction where the great mid-oceanic mountain chain turns east along the Southwest Indian Ridge, first navigating between Antarctica and South Africa before turning northeast into the he


Miso Soup Miso Soup From The Best Soups and Stews Why this recipe works: For an authentic miso soup recipe with sweet, smoky, briny, and earthy flavors, we made a basic dashi (“broth” in Japanese) from a simple combination of water, kombu (kelp), and dried bonito (fish) flakes. After straining the dashi, miso is added to make miso soup. We tried different types of… read more For an authentic miso soup recipe with sweet, smoky, briny, and earthy flavors, we made a basic dashi (“broth” in Japanese) from a simple combination of water, kombu (kelp), and dried bonito (fish) flakes. After straining the dashi, miso is added to make miso soup. We tried different types of miso for our miso soup recipe, and tasters preferred white miso. Since miso is a thick paste, we found it best to thin the miso with a small amount of dashi before adding it to the pot.


Where does Harry Potter have a scar in the shape of a bolt of lightning?

Harry Potter's scars | Harry Potter Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia — Hermione Granger to Harry Potter [src] When Nagini attacked Harry when he and Hermione ventured to Godric's Hollow on 24 December , 1997 , the snake bit him on the forearm. After Disapparating , Hermione put some Dittany on the wound. By the time Harry woke up, the bite was "half-healed". [5] It is unknown if this left a scar, because although Dittany generally repairs damage to the skin, Nagini was a venomous snake, which may have exacerbated the injury. When she bit Arthur Weasley in 1995 , the healers at St Mungo's had a difficult time keeping the wound closed because her poison dissolved his stitches [4] and was immune to common magical forms of healing. Nagini may not have given Harry as severe a bite because Voldemort ordered her to hold him, not to kill him. [5] Harry's own nature as a Horcrux may also have been a factor. Behind the scenes Concept artwork by Mary GrandPré , showing the scar on Harry's forehead located in the centre. According to J. K. Rowling during a web chat, the lightning scar no longer burns or hurts after Voldemort 's defeat. [7] J. K. Rowling stated that the pain from Harry's scar on his forehead is caused by the piece of Voldemort's soul trying to leave his body through the wound it entered to rejoin its master's soul. [8] In the films, Harry's scar is off-centre on his forehead. This was done at J. K. Rowling's insistence, because many fans believe that the scar is in the middle of his forehead, since this is where illustrations in the American books depict it; however the British books depict it off-centre, but the scar's location is never mentioned in the books' text. It is, however, hinted to be on the right side of his forehead (in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix it says Harry received pain above his right eye). It was also mentioned that it was in a location easily covered by his hair. The scar on Harry's forehead prompted Draco Malfoy to come up with and use the mocking nickname of "Scarhead" for Harry, which he first uttered during the Quidditch match of Gryffindor versus Slytherin in 1992 , [9] but used multiple times since. In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix , the scars on Harry's left hand read "I must not tell lies". Also, he has scars on his right hand saying "I will not break rules" (done after Umbridge found the Dumbledore's Army ). Prince William, Duke of Cambridge revealed that he has a scar similar to Harry Potter's on his forehead. He calls it his "Harry Potter scar" because it glows sometimes, and some people notice it, while at other times they do not notice it at all. [10] Before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released, J. K. Rowling stated that the last word of the book would be "scar." She changed her mind in the end, and the last word is "well", although Harry's scar is mentioned in the penultimate sentence of the book. The cut that Pettigrew gave Harry in the Little Hangleton Graveyard is similar to the Dark Mark in its location and length.


Which make of car has won the most 24 Hour races at Le Mans?

AUTOSPORT's favourite 50 Le Mans cars © 2017 AUTOSPORT.com • Images © LAT Photographic Terms & Conditions • Privacy Statement • Contact Us 50. Jaguar XJR-6 It was Group 44's XJR-5 that took Jaguar back to Le Mans, but the XJR-6 was the first Group C Big Cat from Tom Walkinshaw Racing, which would go on to win the race twice. All three XJR-6s retired in 1986, but put up a decent performance against the Porsches. Kevin Turner 49. Ferrari 166 MM Ferrari's first entry at the first post-war running of the 24 Hours also provided its first win. In 1949, the pretty little V12 overcame bigger-engined pre-war opposition, with Luigi Chinetti driving for 22 hours alongside entrant Lord Selsdon. Post-war technology had arrived. John Turner 48. Ferrari 312PB Ferrari dominated sportscars in 1972 in the absence of Matra, which won Le Mans without Ferrari! 1973 was the showdown and Matra won, but the Jacky Ickx/Brian Redman 312PB was in the thick of the glorious V12 battle in the 24 Hours when its engine gave up late on. Kevin Turner 47. Dome Zero Dome means 'child's dream' in Japanese, and that seems quite fitting when you gaze at the low-drag Zero. The Minoru Hayashi design competed for three years and took its best result in 1980 - in last - but it's the unusual look and impression it left that gets it in to this list. Jamie O'Leary 46. Ferrari 250 GT A car that appeared in various forms, the 250 GT was a stalwart of the GT classes in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was reliable too. Versions took a hat-trick of GT wins between 1959-1961, as well as two fine third places overall. Kevin Turner 45. Ford GT40 MkII A tad rushed, the MkII's Le Mans debut in 1965 was a disaster, but there was no doubting the speed. With decent testing and development, Ford's sledgehammer cracked the La Sarthe nut the following season, with a 1-2-3. Ferrari's run had finally been broken. Kevin Turner 44. Aston Martin Project 215 This was the final flowering of Aston's short run of front-engined project cars. A genuine prototype, it recorded over 198mph on the Mulsanne, still accelerating! In 1963, Phil Hill briefly led and was running competitively until transmission woes forced early retirement. John Turner 43. Gulf Mirage GR8 To a young kid and future AUTOSPORT staffer, Derek Bell's demo of the Mirage GR8, with which he'd just won the 1975 Le Mans, at the British GP opened the imagination to something that seemed impossibly glamorous. Beautiful lines, a Cosworth DFV crackle, a race over the sea that went on all day and all night...and that Gulf livery. Magic! Marcus Simmons 42. Audi R10 TDI This silent menace deserves its place in Le Mans history thrice over: the R10 turbodiesel was unbeaten in the hands of the factory, became the first alternatively-fuelled machine to win and, in its dotage in 2008, starred in one of the greatest Le Mans races ever. Gary Watkins 41. Lola T70 With the notable exception of the 1969 Daytona 24 hours, the T70 was a failure as an endurance racer, whether fitted with the undeveloped Aston V8 or the Chevrolet unit. It achieved little at Le Mans, but makes it into our list because of its sheer beauty. John Turner 40. Porsche 911 The statistics don't lie; the 911 is the most successful Le Mans car of all time, and one of the most recognisable too. From its 1966 debut to the GTE entries this year, the various versions have made nearly 350 Le Mans starts and scored over 30 class wins. And that's excluding the 935 and GT1 derivatives! Jamie O'Leary 39. Jaguar C-type The car that really started Jaguar's La Sarthe success. The C-type won in 1951 and 1953, which was also the first victory for a disc-braked car in the French Classic. Had it not been for ill-considered bodywork changes in 1952, it probably would have scored a hat-trick. Kevin Turner 38. Bentley 4.5 The supercharged privateer Bentley entries from Dorothy Paget for the 1930 Le Mans are remembered fondly despite their ultimate failure. The efforts of Tim Birkin were key in breaking the challenge of Le Mans newcomer Mercedes and although both 'Blower' Bentleys retired, the


How many states of the USA have the words North, South, East or West in their name?

List of States and Provinces in North America | Article about List of States and Provinces in North America by The Free Dictionary List of States and Provinces in North America | Article about List of States and Provinces in North America by The Free Dictionary http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/List+of+States+and+Provinces+in+North+America Also found in: Dictionary , Thesaurus , Wikipedia . North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. North America includes all of the mainland and related offshore islands lying N of the Isthmus of Panama (which connects it with South America). The term "Anglo-America" is frequently used in reference to Canada Canada , independent nation (2001 pop. 30,007,094), 3,851,787 sq mi (9,976,128 sq km), N North America. Canada occupies all of North America N of the United States (and E of Alaska) except for Greenland and the French islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon. ..... Click the link for more information.  and the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and in area. It consists of 50 states and a federal district. ..... Click the link for more information.  combined, while the term "Middle America" is used to describe the region including Mexico Mexico , Span. México or Méjico , officially United Mexican States, republic (2005 est. pop. 106,203,000), 753,665 sq mi (1,952,500 sq km), S North America. ..... Click the link for more information. , the republics of Central America, and the Caribbean. Geology and Geography The continent is bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the west by the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea, and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Its coastline is long and irregular. With the exception of the Gulf of Mexico, Hudson Bay is by far the largest body of water indenting the continent; others include the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortès). There are numerous islands off the continent's coasts; Greenland and the Arctic Archipelago, the Greater and Lesser Antilles, the Alexander Archipelago, and the Aleutian Islands are the principal groups. Denali (Mt. McKinley; 20,310 ft/6,190 m), Alaska, is the highest point on the continent; the lowest point (282 ft/86 m below sea level) is in Death Valley, Calif. The Missouri-Mississippi river system (c.3,740 mi/6,020 km long) is the longest of North America. Together with the Ohio River and numerous other tributaries, it drains most of S central North America and forms the world's greatest inland waterway system. Other major rivers include the Colorado, Columbia, Delaware, Mackenzie, Nelson, Rio Grande, St. Lawrence, Susquehanna, and Yukon. Lake Superior (31,820 sq mi/82,414 sq km), the westernmost of the Great Lakes Great Lakes, group of five freshwater lakes, central North America, creating a natural border between the United States and Canada and forming the largest body of freshwater in the world, with a combined surface area of c.95,000 sq mi (246,050 sq km). ..... Click the link for more information. , is the continent's largest lake. The Saint Lawrence Seaway Saint Lawrence Seaway, international waterway, 2,342 mi (3,769 km) long, consisting of a system of canals, dams, and locks in the St. Lawrence River and connecting channels between the Great Lakes; opened 1959. ..... Click the link for more information. , which utilizes the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes, enables oceangoing vessels to penetrate into the heart of North America. Physiographically, the Anglo-American section of the continent may be divided into five major regions: the Canadian Shield Canadian Shield or Laurentian Plateau , U-shaped region of ancient rock, the nucleus of North America, stretching N from the Great Lakes to the Arctic Ocean. Covering more than half of Canada, it also i


Yom Kippur - Holidays - HISTORY.com Yom Kippur A+E Networks Introduction Yom Kippur—the Day of Atonement—is considered the most important holiday in the Jewish faith. Falling in the month of Tishrei (September or October in the Gregorian calendar), it marks the culmination of the 10 Days of Awe, a period of introspection and repentance that follows Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. According to tradition, it is on Yom Kippur that God decides each person’s fate, so Jews are encouraged to make amends and ask forgiveness for sins committed during the past year. The holiday is observed with a 25-hour fast and a special religious service. Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah are known as Judaism’s “High Holy Days.” Google History and Significance of Yom Kippur According to tradition, the first Yom Kippur took place after the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt and arrival at Mount Sinai, where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. Descending from the mountain, Moses caught his people worshipping a golden calf and shattered the sacred tablets in anger. Because the Israelites atoned for their idolatry, God forgave their sins and offered Moses a second set of tablets. Did You Know? Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax, one of the most famous Jewish athletes in American sports, made national headlines when he refused to pitch in the first game of the 1965 World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur. When Koufax’s replacement Don Drysdale was pulled from the game for poor performance, he told the Los Angeles Dodgers’ manager Walter Alston, "I bet you wish I was Jewish, too." Jewish texts recount that during biblical times Yom Kippur was the only day on which the high priest could enter the inner sanctum of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. There, he would perform a series of rituals and sprinkle blood from sacrificed animals on the Ark of the Covenant, which contained the Ten Commandments. Through this complex ceremony he made atonement and asked for God’s forgiveness on behalf of all the people of Israel. The tradition is said to have continued until the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 A.D; it was then adapted into a service for rabbis and their congregations in individual synagogues. According to tradition, God judges all creatures during the 10 Days of Awe between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, deciding whether they will live or die in the coming year. Jewish law teaches that God inscribes the names of the righteous in the “book of life” and condemns the wicked to death on Rosh Hashanah; people who fall between the two categories have until Yom Kippur to perform “teshuvah,” or repentance. As a result, observant Jews consider Yom Kippur and the days leading up to it a time for prayer, good deeds, reflecting on past mistakes and making amends with others. Observing Yom Kippur Yom Kippur is Judaism’s most sacred day of the year; it is sometimes referred to as the “Sabbath of Sabbaths.” For this reason, even Jews who do not observe other traditions refrain from work, which is forbidden during the holiday, and participate in religious services on Yom Kippur, causing synagogue attendance to soar. Some congregations rent out additional space to accommodate large numbers of worshippers. The Torah commands all Jewish adults (apart from the sick, the elderly and women who have just given birth) to abstain from eating and drinking between sundown on the evening before Yom Kippur and nightfall the next day. The fast is believed to cleanse the body and spirit, not to serve as a punishment. Religious Jews heed additional restrictions on bathing, washing, using cosmetics, wearing leather shoes and sexual relations. These prohibitions are intended to prevent worshippers from focusing on material possessions and superficial comforts. Because the High Holy Day prayer services include special liturgical texts, songs and customs, rabbis and their congregations read from a special prayer book known as the machzor during both Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah. Five distinct prayer services take place on Yom Kippur, the first on the eve of the holiday and the las


Until and including the birth of her twins in July 2008, how many children, including adopted children, did Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have?

The full stories behind the Jolie-Pitt family - Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, Vivienne, Angelina and Brad Brad and Angelina’s vital stats: Angelina Jolie, born 4 June 1975 Brad Pitt (real name William Bradley), born 18 December 1963 Brad and Angelina’s children: Maddox Chivan, born 5 August 2001, in Cambodia, adopted on March 10, 2002, by Angelina Jolie Pax Thien born 29 November 2003, in Vietnam, adopted on March 15, 2007, by Angelina Jolie Zahara Marley born 8 January 2005, in Ethiopia, adopted July 6, 2005, by Angelina Jolie Shiloh Nouvel born 27 May 2006, in Namibia. Shiloh is Angelina and Brad’s first biological child Twins Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline, born 12 July 2008. Knox and Vivienne are Brad and Angelina’s second and third biological children Angelina adopts Maddox Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie became a mum for the 1st time when she adopted a baby boy from Cambodia in March 2002. Originally named Rath Vibol, Angelina re-named her adopted son Maddox Chivan after she adopted him from his orphanage in Battambang, Cambodia. Although Angelina was married to fellow actor Billy Bob Thornton at the time and they announced the adoption news together, Angelina formally adopted Maddox as a single parent. The couple split 3 months after the adoption was finalised. Pic: Brad with Pax and Maddox at the Venice Film Festival in 2008      Angelina meets Brad Angelina was a single mum for 3 years and then in 2005, on the film set of Mr & Mrs Smith, rumours started circulating about Angelina forming a close relationship with Brad Pitt - who was married to Friends actress Jennifer Aniston at the time. Following Brad’s divorce to Jennifer and his relationship with Angelina going public, the Hollywood power couple ‘Brangelina’ brand was born. Angelina (and not Brad initially) adopts Zahara In 2005, Angelina decided to adopt her 2nd child, an Ethiopian girl named Zahara. The baby girl was born on 8 January 2005, and adopted by Angelina when she was 6 months old. Angelina first met Zahara (who was named Yemsrach by her birth mother and then changed to Tena Adam by the orphange) at the Wide Horizons For Children orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and applied for adoption. There was a slight set back after Zahara was brought home to the US, as her birth mother, who they thought had died during childbirth, surfaced, saying she had Zahara put in the orphanage because she was too poor to look after her. However, she later retracted her claims and gave her blessing for the adoption. Although Angelina's relationship with Brad was now public, Angelina adopted Zahara as a single parent (even though Brad was present at the paper signing and she has hinted that the adoption was a joint decision with Brad). In January 2006, Brad officially adopted Angelina's 2 children Maddox and Zahara and their surnames were changed to Jolie-Pitt. Angelina and Brad have Shiloh Already nicknamed the 'rainbow family', Brad and Angelina announced that they were expecting their 1st biological child together soon after Brad's adoption of Maddox and Zahara was finalised. Angelina gave birth to a daughter they named Shiloh Nouvel on 27 May 2006, in Swakopmund, Namibia. The arrival of the first Jolie-Pitt biological child caused an excited flurry with fans, all wondering what the baby would look like due to their reputation as the world's most attractive parents. The first pictures of Shiloh were allegedly sold for $4 million to American magazine, People, and for $3.5 million to the UK's magazine, Hello! The picture fees were donated to an undisclosed charity of Brad and Angelina's choice. Pic: Brad with Pax, Shiloh, Maddox plus Brad's parents Jane and Wiliam at the LA premiere of Unbroken in 2014     Shiloh has her own waxwork in Madame Tussauds, New York from when she was 2 months old – the first celeb baby to be re-created in wax.  Shiloh has grown up as a tomboy, despite her glamorous mum and girly sister Zahara. After insisting that  her family call her John , Shiloh likes to wear boys' clothes - with dad Brad recently  splashing out $10,000 on boy


What is the richest horse race in Europe?

The World's Richest Horse Races | betHQ Home / Blog / The World's Richest Horse Races The World's Richest Horse Races By Captain Thomsen on 28 Sep 2015 The "Sport of Kings" offers racehorse owners large sums of prize money at races around the world, but nowhere more than at the nine races featured below: 1. The Dubai World Cup © Jaguar MENA There’s no disputing the richest horse race on the planet. Every year The United Arab Emirates hosts the Dubai World Cup, a race that attracts a selection of the finest 4 year old and older racehorses in the Northern Hemisphere, as well as a smattering of 3 year old and older talent from the Southern Hemisphere. The 2 000 meter race over dirt awards a purse of $10 million. 2. Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe © Scoopdyga The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe offers the second largest purse in thoroughbred racing. Run over a distance of 2 400 metres, the race brings together the finest thoroughbred talent from the United Kingdom, Ireland and continental Europe. The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe rewards horses that place handsomely with a purse of €5 million (around $5,68 million), which is shared between the top five finishers. 3. The Breeders' Cup Classic © The Blue Zebra The Breeders’ Cup constitutes another of the world’s richest horse races. The race is run over a distance of 1½ miles by a collection of the finest 3 year old and above thoroughbred races on the planet. Success in the race generates significant rewards, with $5 million in prize money on offer for the second biggest race at the Breeders’ Cup meeting. 4. The Melbourne Cup © Charles Van den Broek Australia’s Melbourne Cup is billed as the ‘race that stops a nation’, and carries a proportionately significant prize fund. In fact the Melbourne Cup is the world’s richest handicap flat race, paying out a prize fund of A$6,2 million (approximately 4.5 million US dollars). 5. The Hong Kong Cup © The Hong Kong Jockey Club The Hong Kong Cup is Asia’s answer to the Epsom Derby and the Kentucky Derby. Run over a distance of 2000m by Asia’s finest 3 year old and above thoroughbred racehorses, the Hong Kong Cup doesn’t slouch when it comes to gargantuan payouts, and tosses up a $3,2 million purse for the top performers in the race. 6. The Rest of the Breeders' Cup There’s no competing with the Breeder’s Cup when it comes to enormous prize funds. Rated as being the single richest sports event in the world, the Breeders Cup awards well over $24.5 million in prize money for races run over the course of the two-day event. Whilst the Classic and Turf pay out the biggest prizes at the meeting, six other races pay out purses worth $2 million. 7. The Kentucky Derby © Bill Brine There’s more to Kentucky than its famous fried chicken. Every year the finest three year old thoroughbreds in North America gather to run in the Kentucky Derby, the opening race of the American Triple Crown of thoroughbred racing. The 1¼ mile race is the richest in the Triple Crown series, paying out $2 million in prize money. 8. The Irish Derby © Florian Christoph Irish thoroughbred racing is no longer the poor second cousin of the racing that takes place across the Irish seas. The Irish Derby, Ireland’s answer to the Epsom Derby, is one of the richest races in the world, and by far the richest on the Emerald Isle. Every year the 1 mile 4 furlong race awards a purse of €1.25 million – approximately $1.4 million. 9. The Epsom Derby © monkeywing Few thoroughbred races can rival the Epsom Derby when it comes to heritage and prestige. The richest of the five English Classics, the Epsom Derby is not only a horse race but also a cultural institution. The 1 mile 4 furlong Derby rewards its participants handsomely with a purse of £1.325 million (approximately $2 million), which is up for grabs in the race. If you've enjoyed this post you might also be interested in our post on the:


Sulfur: The mineral native Sulfur information and pictures Advertising Information The Mineral sulfur Pure Sulfur is bright yellow. The color may be altered if impurities are present. Clay and selenium impurities , as well as volcanic mixtures in sulfur can cause it to be slightly red, green, brown, or gray. Sulfur often occurs in petroleum deposit s, where it is found coated with greasy black petroleum. Sulfur is soft, light in weight, and very brittle . Care must be exercised when handling and storing specimens. When kept moist or not allowed to dry when wet, hydrogen will mix with the Sulfur, forming hydrogen sulfide (H2S), which causes the deterioration of a specimen. To prevent this, Sulfur should not be stored under humid conditions. It is best not to wash Sulfur specimens, as warm water can dissolve them. Sulfur also has the tendency to crack when exposed to mild heat, including body heat. It should be handled as little as possible, and kept out of light to avoid cracking. The earthy , massive , specimens usually come from volcanic sulfur springs, and have small, bubbly holes throughout. These specimens usually have a greasy feel, and exhibit a strong "rotten-egg" odor. Much of the fine natural Sulfur crystals are destroyed by mining operations. In mining, underground Sulfur deposits are flooded with hot water, causing the Sulfur to melt into a brine . The brine is pumped to the surface, where the water is evaporated and the sulfur recovered. Such mining operations destroy all specimens. Sulfur crystallizes in the orthorhombic system, but an uncommon monoclinic form of sulfur also exists. This monoclinic form is scientifically considered a different mineral than Sulfur, and is scientific name is Rosickyite. Crystal Forms and Aggregates Steep dipyramidal and tabular crystals are common. May also be bipyramidal with angled centers. Crystals frequently have hollow skeletons or   hopper ed growths. Curved and rounded distorted crystals are also common. Small grain s, wheat sheaves , and encrusting s occur. Massive , earthy specimens are prevalent, and may have bubbly holes throughout. Also occurs as rounded, waterworn masses. Transparency Transparent to opaque Specific Gravity 2.0 - 2.1 Luster Adamantine on clean, clear crystal surfaces; otherwise resinous or dull Cleavage 3,2 Fracture Conchoidal Tenacity Brittle Other ID Marks 1) Cracks when exposed to heat 2) Dissolves in warm water 3) May have a greasy feel 4) Gives off a mild, sulfuric odor. Odor becomes strong if heated. Complex Tests Melts at only 226° F (108° C) and gives off a blue flame with fumes that smell like rotten eggs In Group Native Elements ; Non-Metallic Elements Striking Features Color, softness, very low density, and habit of cracking when exposed to heat. Environment In sedimentary environments in evaporite and salt dome deposits, where it often is a product of breakdown of sulfates caused by cetain bacteria. In volcanic deposits in hot spring s and fumarole s as a product of sublimation . Also occurs in igneous basalt rocks of recent volcanic activity. Rock Type Igneous , Sedimentary Popularity (1-4) 1 Prevalence (1-3) 1 Demand (1-3) 1 Sulfur ON EBAY USES Sulfur is a common element, with many uses. Although most sulfur is extracted from sulfides , Native Sulfur, being common, is also used as a source. The fine specimens from Agrigento and Cattolico in Sicily, Italy, are highly sought by mineral collectors and command very high prices. Sulfur has many industrial uses. It is used in the manufacture of black powder, matches and explosives. It is also used to create rubber, in dyes, and as an insecticide and fungicide. It is also used in the manufacturing of sulfuric acid . NOTEWORTHY LOCALITIES The most famous and classic Sulfur specimens have come from the Italian mines on the island of Sicily. These localities have produced well crystallized and brightly colored gemmy yellow crystals that are highly sought after. Important Sicilian deposits include Agrigento (Girgenti), the Cozzodisi Mine (Casteltermini), Cianciana, and Cattolico. Another outsta


Since the late 1930s, what date has been reserved for the inauguration of a President of the USA?

Inauguration Day in the United States Home   Calendar   Holidays   the United States   Inauguration Day Inauguration Day in the United States Inauguration Day occurs in the USA once every four years on January 20. It occurs in the year after presidential elections have been held. George Washington was the first person to be inaugurated as president of the USA. George Washington was the first person to be inaugurated as president of the USA. ©iStockphoto.com/Kohlerphoto What Do People Do? The new terms of office of the president and vice-president officially begin at noon in Washington DC. On Inauguration Day the candidates, who won the elections in the previous year, are sworn into office as president and vice-president of the United States. The swearing-in ceremony takes place at the U.S. Capitol and is organized by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. It is usually followed by a parade along Pennsylvania Avenue. The new president watches the parade from the presidential viewing stand in front of the White House. The route of the parade is often lined by thousands of people. However, many Americans watch the ceremony on television or listen to it on the radio. Public Life Inauguration Day is not a public holiday and many people are expected to work as usual. Many schools, stores, and other organizations are open as normal in many parts of the USA. Public transport services run on their regular schedules. There may be changes to normal broadcasting schedules on television and radio, as news stations cover the inauguration ceremony. Inauguration Day is a federal holiday for some federal employees who work in the District of Columbia or the surrounding areas. This is mainly to reduce the amount of congestion on the roads and public transit systems of the area. In and around Washington DC there can be considerable disruption to public life, both on Inauguration Day and in the days before and after the ceremony. This is not only due to the actual ceremony and parades that accompany it but also the protests and demonstrations that are organized and the massive security operation that takes place. If you have business affairs in this area in the second half of January in an inauguration year, it is wise to check carefully that you will be able to do what you need to. Background The head of state of the USA has been a president since 1789. In that year, George Washington was elected and inaugurated as president of the United States of America. He was inaugurated for the first time on April 30, 1789, and for the second time on March 4, 1793. Subsequent inaugurations were held on March 4 until the second inauguration of President Franklin Roosevelt on January 20, 1937. Since then Inauguration Day has been held on January 20 and the term of office officially starts at 12:00 noon on that date. Usually, the vice-president is sworn in first and the president at exactly 12:00 noon. After they have been sworn in, the president and vice-president are given four ruffles and flourishes. The ruffles are played on drums and the flourishes on bugles, which are simple brass instruments with no valves. The ruffles and flourishes form a fanfare before a performance of the president's anthem, "Hail to the Chief", and the vice-president's anthem, "Hail, Columbia". There is then a 21-gun salute from the howitzers of the military district of Washington. After the ceremony, the president and vice-president are guests of honor at a luncheon given by the United States Congress. Later in the day, they parade down Pennsylvania Avenue and walk part of the way from the Capitol to the White House. If Inauguration Day falls on is a Sunday, the presidential oath is usually administered in a private ceremony on that day and a public ceremony and celebrations are held on the following day. On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama was be the first African-American president to be inaugurated. He is succeded by Republican Donald John Trump, who won the 2016 elections where he was up against Hillary Clinton. Inauguration Day Observances


"Who won the Best Actress Oscar for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in ""The Queen""?"

Tony Awards: Helen Mirren named best actress for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in The Audience Tony Awards: Helen Mirren named best actress for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in The Audience By Amy West June 8, 2015 10:47 BST Oscar-winner Helen Mirren won best leading actress in a play at last night's Tony Awards. She earned her accolade for her performance as Queen Elizabeth II in Broadway production, The AudienceJemal Countess/Getty Dame Helen Mirren has won yet another gong for portraying Queen Elizabeth II, being honoured with her first ever Tony Award in a presentation in New York on 7 June. The 69 year old won best leading actress in a play for The Audience, beating stiff competition from fellow Brits Carey Mulligan for her role in Skylight and Ruth Wilson from Constellations, as well as Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss, nominated for her part in Heidi Chronicles. Her performance marks the second time she has received an accolade playing the monarch, after earning herself the Academy Award for best performance by an actress in a leading role for 2006 film The Queen. During her speech, the Prime Suspect star referred to her previous successes as Elizabeth, commenting "Your Majesty, you did it again". Helen Mirren as the monarch in 2006's The QueenPathe Pictures Mirren accepted the award by saying: "This is an unbelievable honour and I am so thrilled," dedicating her win to her husband Taylor Hackford. 'Baby, this is for you and you know why,' she said pointing towards her partner of 18 years. But in true Mirren style, she added jokingly "that's nothing rude, incidentally." Mirren has been nominated for a Tony Award – a ceremony which recognises the best talent on Broadway – twice before. Once in 1995 for A Month In The Country and then again in 2002 when she starred opposite Ian McKellen in Dance Of Death. Written by Peter Morgan (The Queen) and directed by Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot), The Audience depicts the private weekly meetings held between Queen Elizabeth II and each of her twelve prime ministers, including Winston Churchill, Tony Blair and David Cameron. As the play goes behind the walls of Buckingham Palace, theatregoers get a glimpse of the woman behind the crown and her professional relationships, all playing a significant part in shaping the current monarch. Other British wins of the night included Alex Sharp for best actor for his role in the stage adaptation of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time and Marianne Elliott for best direction for the same production. The show also walked away with the award for best play. More celebrity news


In which year was the longest Tour de France held?

Tour de Yorkshire: 20 facts about the history of the iconic Tour de France bike race - Huddersfield Examiner View gallery   The so-called 'La Grande Boucie' has a rich history - here's 20 things you might not know about Le Tour: The race was first held in 1903 in a bid to boost sales for L'Auto, a French daily newspaper devoted to sport. Now known as L'Equipe, it also formulated the competition that eventually became the UEFA Champions League. Le Tour is now organised by L'Equipe's parent company, the Amaury Sport Organisation. It has been held ever year since 1903, except between 1915-1919 and 1940-1947, when it was stopped due to the two World Wars. The Tour de France is the oldest of the three Grand Tours, held over three consecutive weeks - the other two are the Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy) and the Vuelta a Espana (Tour of Spain). The first ever Tour de France winner was Maurice Garin - he also won the 1904 race, but was stripped of his second title when it was discovered he and eight others had cheated. Tut tut. The second Tour de France in 1904 was almost the last - organiser Henri Desgrange was dismayed by the amount of cheating that went on, and rival fans were beating up competitors along the route. However by spring 1905 he was planning the third, longer Tour de France - held in daylight to make cheating more obvious. The Tour de France has 21 daily stages and is around 2,200 miles long - the shortest and longest Tour routes were 1,509 miles and 3,570 miles long in 1904 and 1926, respectively. The Tour de France in Brussels (Photo: Geert Schneider/Flickr)   In 1939, no riders from Italy, Germany or Spain took part due to pre-World War Two tensions - a tour was originally planned for 1940, but the Germans invaded France before it took place. Historians Jean-Luc Boeuf and Yves Leonard said most French people did not know the shape of their country until L'Auto started publishing maps of the race route. German band Kraftwerk released hit record Tour de France in 1983, and followed-up with their Tour de France Soundtracks album in 2003 to mark the 100th anniversary of the race. And did you know Freddy Mercury was inspired to write their cycling tune Bicycle Race after observing a stage of the 1978 Tour de France? The Tour has also entered the literary world - the race's first Italian winner, Ottavio Bottecchia, who won in 1924 and again in 1925, is mentioned at the end of Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. In 1950, during an unusually hot summer, many riders got off their bikes and ran into the Mediterranean sea at Sainte Maxine in the south east of France during the race. Some competitors rode into the sea without dismounting - and all involved were penalised by Tour judges. In 1968, reporters covering the race went on strike for a day after the third organiser of the Tour de France, Felix Levitan, said they were watching 'with tired eyes'. Journalists had previously complained the race was dull. Four cyclists have died taking part in the Tour de France. In 1910, French rider Adolphe Heliere drowned at the French Rivera; in 1935 Spaniard Francisco Cepeda crashed down a ravine on the Col du Galibier; in 1967 Tom Simpson died of heart failure during the ascent of Mont Ventoux - amphetamines were found in his blood and in his jersey; and in 1995, Fabio Casartelli crashed at 55mph while descending the Col de Portet d'Aspet. Lance Armstrong formerly held the record for most Tour de France wins, with seven victories - until he was stripped of his titles and banned from competitive cycling by the Union Cycliste Internationale in 2012 following doping allegations made by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (ASADA). Lance Armstrong (Photo: Wayne England/Flickr)   Four riders - Jacques Anquetil (France), Eddy Merckx (Belgium), Bernard Hinault (France) and Miguel Indurain (Spain) have won the Tour de France five times. Three riders - Philippe Thys (Belgium), Louison Bobet (France) and Greg LeMond (USA) have won three times. Cycling champ Bradley 'Wiggo' Wiggins, who  became the first ever British winner in the 2012 Tou