History

Refine Search

When did Benjamin Franklin invent the lightning rod?

Lightning rods have been found on ancient buildings in Sri Lanka that date back to approximately 400 B.C. However, Benjamin Franklin was the first to test the hypothesis that drew a correlation between electricity and lightning.\nA lightning rod is a metal object that is used to conduct lightning to the ground. The process of intercepting lightning prevents the current from passing through the structure and potentially causing a fire. The lightning rod is sometimes called a “lightning attractor” or “Franklin rod.”

Continue Reading

Who were the enemies of the Allies in World War I?

World War I was driven by imperialistic clashes and unstable treaties between European countries. In the years leading up to the war, Serbia and Bulgaria helped force the Ottoman Empire out of the Balkans, while Austria-Hungary and Russia both held major ethnic ties to the Balkans, exacerbating disputes about which nation was entitled to those territories. The French government harbored resentment against Germany following the annexation of French land after the Franco-Prussian War, contributing to France’s decision to form an alliance with Russia.\nOn July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary was the ..

Continue Reading

What is the life story of Cabeza de Vaca?

De Vaca was well educated in languages, physics and cartography. He was the treasurer to the Spanish expedition under de Narvaez that reached what is now Tampa Bay, Florida in 1528. The survivors of the party lived among the natives of the region for four years. Cabeza de Vaca took on roles as a healer and trader in the community.\nDe Vaca and three other survivors of the original party set out for Mexico in 1532, where they hoped to connect with other representatives of the Spanish empire. They travelled through Texas and arrived in Northern Mexico in 1536, where they met up with their fello..

Continue Reading

Who invented the smartphone?

The term smartphone was not coined until 1997, but Simon had most of the capabilities expected from such a device. Simon was the first phone to incorporate features such as a touchscreen and software applications. It came complete with a stylus, and it allowed users to update their calendars, write notes and receive and send faxes. The phone also came with a text prediction function and an email function. Simon only worked on the networks of 15 American states.

Continue Reading

What is the history of Utah's state flag?

In October 1903, the Utah State Legislature determined that the flag could only serve as the Governor's regimental flag because it was not approved by the state legislature and the flag did not accurately depict the official state seal. The USSDR then commissioned the artist H.L.A. Culmer to revise the flag. When the governor saw the new flag he agreed to display it on occasions for which he would be present. The flag was on display during the World's Fair in St. Louis, celebrating the Louisiana Purchase. It served as the state flag until the end of Governor Wells' term in offic..

Continue Reading

What was Jean-Jacques Rousseau famous for?

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born in Geneva, but later moved to Paris where he began writing for a radical magazine named "Encyclopédie." During his early years in Paris, he attempted to work as a composer, but much of his work was rejected.Rousseau is better known for his political philosophical works, which often concerned the freedom of men in French society. In his first book, "Discours sur les sciences et les arts," he questions whether the advancement of science and art has helped mankind to progress, or whether it has led to its decline.In his second book, "Discours sur l'origine et ..

Continue Reading

Why did The Crusades take place?

According to PBS, the Crusades officially began in the year 1095 after Pope Urban II called for Christians to reclaim Jerusalem. There were eight Crusades in total, and although the reasons for the initiation of each Crusade varied slightly, the overarching themes remained essentially the same. The Pope sought to unite Christians across the continent, and he chose the popular idea of reclaiming the Holy Land as his rallying cause.\nAlthough not as frequently cited, the expansion of the Holy Roman Empire was a far more pressing motivation for the Crusades among the political and religious leade..

Continue Reading

Who invented Sudoku?

Although the game was invented in Connorsville, Indiana, it first appeared in Japan and grew in popularity, before it was renamed Sudoku. A judge from New Zealand named Wayne Gould discovered the game while in Tokyo and developed a computer program that produced Sudoku puzzles. In 2004, The Conway, a New Hampshire paper, started featuring Sudoku, and the puzzle's popularity has grown exponentially in the United States and around the world ever since.

Continue Reading

Was the Reign of Terror justified?

The excesses of the nobility in pre-Revolutionary France were a source of enormous frustration for both intellectuals and laborers. This boiling frustration led to the French Revolution and, in the chaos following that revolution, its leaders took extreme measures to enforce their ideology and pursue their personal vendettas. The violence that followed was extreme and by the Terror's end, over 40,000 people had been executed, many without trial.The Terror did not pursue a coherent ideological line, nor did it allow for due process or even persecute a single group. Many of the people who l..

Continue Reading

Why did women want the right to vote?

Many abolitionists in the early part of the 19th century were women. The problem, however, was that women had no voice in government. When women tried to voice their opinions at the World's Anti-Slavery Convention in 1840, they were segregated from the men, and their opinions were deemed unfit for consideration.\nThis led to the Seneca Falls convention in 1848, a women's rights convention from which the idea of women's suffrage was born. The issue of women's right to vote was a controversial topic at the convention, triggering several debates. Women argued that the conditio..

Continue Reading
Showing 1171 to 1180 of 8554 (856 Pages)