History

Refine Search

What were the earliest computing devices?

The first calculating machine was invented in 1623 by Wilhelm Schickard. Blaise Pascal invented the first mechanical calculator in 1642. By the early 20th century, cash registers, accounting machines and mechanical calculators started to incorporate electric motors. Alan Turing developed the principle of the modern computer in the 1930s. The British Bell Punch ANITA was the first all-electronic desktop calculator, released in 1961.

Continue Reading

What day of the week was July 4, 1776?

On Thursday, July 4, 1776, the provisional government of the 13 American colonies, known as the Continental Congress, adopted the Declaration of Independence. The declaration was issued 442 days after the first battle of the American Revolution. With the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress declared the 13 colonies an independent nation, free from the rule of King George III and Great Britain. Congress voted to approve the declaration on July 4, 1776 after revising Jefferson's original draft several times.

Continue Reading

Why did Britain declare war on Germany?

The years leading up to the World War I were filled with new arrangements and agreements between many of the European countries. Germany was fairly new in their level of power in the world at the time that the war started. The country had not really come to the forefront as a major power until the late 1800s, making them very inexperienced in this level of power, but not in war. The Franco-Prussian war had ended shortly before Germany, Russia and Austria came to an agreement to be allies in the 1880s. With a change of rulers in Germany, the alliance with Russia was ended and France gained the ..

Continue Reading

How many rooms are in the White House?

There have been several versions of the official residence of the president of the United States throughout history. In fact, the residence was officially known as the Executive Mansion until 1901, when President Theodore Roosevelt had "White House" engraved on official stationery. The White House name had previously been mostly colloquial. Renovations have increased the overall size and number of rooms in the White House, including substantial renovations undertaken during the administrations of President Arthur, Coolidge, Truman and Kennedy. While every new president has made some alteration..

Continue Reading

Who won the first Battle of Bull Run?

The First Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas, was fought near Manassas Junction, Va. Around 35,000 Union troops marched from Washington, D.C. to attack 20,000 Confederate troops beside a small river called Bull Run. The Union troops were led by Brigadier General Irvin McDowell, who had been ordered by Lincoln to attack and open a way to Richmond. Lincoln believed this would bring a quick end to the war. The Confederate troops, led by General P.G.T. Beauregard, met the Union troops and outmaneuvered them on the battlefield. The Federals were forced to retreat. They lost 3,000 sold..

Continue Reading

When did WW2 end?

The Japanese agreed to the surrender on Aug. 14, 1945, under the Potsdam Declaration. This occurred shortly after the United States dropped two nuclear bombs in Japan. Japan was the last Axis Power to give up arms.\nJapan, Italy and Germany composed the Axis Powers. The main Allied Powers included Great Britain, the United States, China and the Soviet Union. World War II began on Sept. 1, 1939, with the German invasion of Poland.

Continue Reading

Why is Nathan Hale famous?

Born in Coventry, Connecticut, on June 6, 1755, Hale joined the fighting on July 1, 1775. He followed his five brothers who previously fought in the battles of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, in April of that same year. By July of 1776, the young soldier was already a captain.\nHale's commanding officer was General George Washington, leader of the New York regiment. Faced with a military build-up on Long Island, led by British General William Howe, Washington asked for a volunteer to go behind enemy lines and gather information. Hale volunteered.\nHale had already graduated from Yal..

Continue Reading

Who was Anton Van Leeuwenhoek?

Anton Van Leeuwenhoek was born in Delft, Netherlands in 1632. At the age of 16, he became a linen draper's apprentice in Amsterdam. At the linen draper's factory, workers used magnifying glasses to count threads in fabrics in order to determine their quality. Working at the factory inspired Van Leeuwenhoek to grind new lenses with greater magnifications. He eventually designed and built his own microscopes, which he used to study the smaller aspects of nature, including life in a drop of water, blood cells and bacteria. Van Leeuwenhoek's microscopes weren't the traditional ..

Continue Reading

How did Islamic culture influence Spain?

After the fall of the Roman Empire, European civilization underwent a period of strife and uncertainty that slowed the pace of scientific and cultural progression for hundreds of years. The Middle East suffered no such calamity, so when Muslim forces entered Spain in 711 A.D., the culture they brought was substantially different than the one they dominated. Muslim colleges would serve as the basis for later centers of learning, such as Oxford and Cambridge universities, and much of the literature and learning of the Greeks returned to Europe through the Muslim conquest.\nThe Muslim conquest br..

Continue Reading

What did the ancient Romans do for fun?

Board games, such as dice, knucklebones, chess, checkers, tic-tac-toe and backgammon, were also popular. The main public sources of entertainment were the Colosseum, the Circus Maximus, the various Roman theaters and the bath houses. The Colosseum was the site of mock battles where gladiators would fight to the death. Sometimes the Colosseum was filled with water in order to conduct mock naval battles that were called "naumachia." The Circus Maximus was home to many different kinds of events, such as chariot races, foot races, boxing and wrestling.\nThe late second century gave rise to Roman t..

Continue Reading
Showing 1601 to 1610 of 8554 (856 Pages)