History

Refine Search

Who is the father of modern science?

Galileo formulated inertia into a mathematical form, and his work laid the foundation for Isaac Newton's First Law of Motion. He also enhanced the field of astronomy by improving the telescope in order to observe the stars with better accuracy.\nHis work in the area of astronomy gave credibility to Nicholas Copernicus' heliocentric model, which proposed that the Earth revolved around the sun, as opposed to Ptolemy's geocentric model. This placed Galileo at odds with the Catholic Church's endorsement of the geocentric model. His opposition to church doctrine resulted in his ..

Continue Reading

What did Benjamin Franklin discover?

Franklin's invention of bifocals stemmed from his own personal need for vision correction for his affliction with presbyopia. Franklin wrote in 1784 that his invention of double spectacles allowed him to see "distant objects as well as near ones" and that they made his eyes "as useful to me as ever they were."Based on his work with elements of electricity, the single fluid theory was formed that states that electricity flows from a positive body to a negative one. Franklin also coined many of the terms that are associated with electricity, including the terms "plus," "minus," "conductor,"..

Continue Reading

How did the Royal Family start?

Centralized systems of government came into existence in England sometime between 700 and 900 A.D. Offa and Alfred the Great had begun to organize tribes under a single ruler, and Anglo-Saxon and Scottish kingdoms had monarchs by the time of the Norman invasion of 1066. William the Conqueror then became the English king, and his descendants ruled in the centuries that followed.After the death of Queen Victoria, the Virgin Queen, in 1603, the kingdoms of England and Scotland were united. In 1801, Ireland was also included in the union to form the United Kingdom.In 1917, King George V issued a r..

Continue Reading

What was the food of the Cahuilla?

There were no big game animals where the Cahuilla lived, and although they had deer and rabbits, they relied mostly on desert plants for their main sources of food. When acorns from the few oak trees were available, they created bread made with acorn flour. They also ate the fruit of the mesquite tree, along with agave and yucca plants. Many of the local cacti and palm trees produced edible fruit, which was routinely harvested. The Cahuilla often ate seeds from plants, such as chia seeds.

Continue Reading

Who invented light?

While people often credit Edison with the invention of the light bulb, the Department of Energy indicates there were many others involved in the actual invention. There were questions of patent infringement, but Edison eventually merged with companies in both the United States and England to overcome these infringements. English inventors had also created electrical arc lighting several decades before the Edison light bulb.\nElectrical lighting brought a revolution, according to the Smithsonian Institute. For the first time, it became possible to control the light in a room by flipping a switc..

Continue Reading

How did the United States acquire Samoa?

The U.S. territory of Samoa is now known as American Samoa and is an unincorporated territory to the United States. The western islands of Samoa, better known as Western Samoa, were under the rule of the German government until it was overtaken by New Zealand during World War I. Western Samoa was under the rule of New Zealand until it declared its independence as its own country in 1962, according to the Office of the Historian website.\nWestern Samoa was officially recognized as its own independent country on Jan. 1, 1962, by President John F. Kennedy, and in 1997, the country was renamed the..

Continue Reading

Why was Richard Nixon called "Tricky Dick"?

Nixon, who had served on the House Un-American Activities Commission (HUAC), attempted to link Douglas to communism, even going as far as to print anti-Douglas leaflets on pink paper ("pink" being a term for Americans with loose ties to "red" Communist sentiments). In response, a committee supporting Douglas ran several full-page newspaper ads showing a cartoon Nixon baling hay labeled "Campaign Trickery" into a donkey labeled "Democrat."\nNixon served as president from 1969 to 1974. He is the only president to resign from office, which he did following his implication in the Watergate scandal..

Continue Reading

What is Michelangelo famous for?

Cardinal Jean de Bilhères-Lagraulas commissioned Michelangelo for the "Pietà" when the sculptor was only 24. Originally situated at the cardinal's tomb, the sculpture of Mary grieving over the body of Jesus is now in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. According to legend, Michelangelo carved his signature into the scarf across Mary's chest upon hearing pilgrims attribute the work to another sculptor. It is the only of his sculptures bearing his signature.\nReturning to Florence in 1499, Michelangelo took over the commission to complete the sculpture of "David" from a 17-foo..

Continue Reading

Which country did Hernando Cortez sail for?

Hernando Cortes sailed to Hispaniola in 1504 and remained there for several years. He later sailed to Cuba and entered politics. In 1519, Cortes sailed to Mexico against orders. There, he established alliances with some native groups and conquered others. After capturing Montezuma and conquering the Aztec Empire, he was appointed governor of New Spain by King Charles I. Cortes retired in Spain and died in 1547.

Continue Reading

What ended the War of 1812?

President James Madison began the War of 1812 for three primary reasons: British support for Native American raids in the Great Lakes region, the economic blockade of France and the tradition of impressment, in which the British would force American sailors to join the Royal Navy. The Treaty of Ghent, which the U.S. Senate ratified unanimously on Feb. 16, 1815, did not solve any of these issues.\nHowever, during the course of the war, the American military had defeated many of the Native American tribes, reducing their power, and the Treaty of Ghent made only vague promises to the Native Ameri..

Continue Reading
Showing 1191 to 1200 of 8554 (856 Pages)