History

Refine Search

Why did feudalism develop?

Feudalism spread through Europe during the ninth century and lasted for several centuries in some nations. In France, feudalism began as wealthy landowners built castles for protection. As kings weren't powerful enough to reclaim their land, nobles began to claim authority over land in their jurisdiction.\nIn England, feudalism wasn't part of Anglo-Saxon society. However, large landowners had extensive powers in terms of managing their land. When William the Conqueror introduced feudalism in the 11th century, he maintained authority over all landowners.\nIn Germany, feudalism lasted ..

Continue Reading

What were James Madison's failures?

Madison proposed 12 amendments to the Constitution when he served in the House of Representatives in 1789. Ten of these were ratified by the states but, unfortunately, the first two were not. The first of these related to the apportionment of members of the House of Representatives. but the vote fell just short of what was needed to make it law. The second amendment related to Congress not being able to issue itself with a pay raise. An unexpected discovery by a university student in 1982 highlighted that the amendment had no expiration date, and it is now the 27th Amendment of the Constitutio..

Continue Reading

What were some famous immigration ships?

The S.S. Nevada is famous for having transported Ellis Island's first processed immigrant passenger, Annie Moore. The vessel arrived from Ireland on December 31, 1891, and Moore was processed on New Year's Day. The Atlantic was one of many immigration ships that traveled from Ireland to the United States between 1804 and 1827. The Citta di Milano moved passengers into the New York port from Naples and Milano, Italy in the early 1900s.

Continue Reading

When was the first DVD player invented?

The first manufacturer to bring a DVD player to the American market was Toshiba, who sold the first DVD players in 1997, although the players were available the year before in Japan. The first models sold for around $1,000. By comparison, low-end DVD players in 2014 can be purchased for $35 or so.

Continue Reading

Who are some past Israeli prime ministers?

David Ben-Gurion was the first Israeli prime minister in 1948 before he was ousted by Moshe Sharet in 1954. Ben-Gurion reclaimed the premiership in 1955 before stepping down in 1963. Levi Eshkol took over, but he died while in office and Golda Meir took over as prime minister in 1969.\nMeir resigned in 1974 and Yithak Rabin took over. Rabin held the post for three years before he resigned in 1976 and Menachem Begin came to power in 1977. Yizhak Shamir took the premiership from Begin in 1983, until Shimon Peres became prime minister in 1984. Shamir again took over in 1986. Shamir was succeeded ..

Continue Reading

Who conquered the Aztecs?

Cortés landed in Mexico in 1519 with the intention of colonizing it for Spain. Although he had never commanded an army before, there were already successful expeditions to the area from which to learn the strategies he needed to conquer and settle the land. Factors such as disease and ritual sacrifice that lessened Aztec population played a factor in their defeat. Cortes also allied with rival tribes that aided in his successful conquest, which ended in his seizure of the Aztec capital in August 1521.

Continue Reading

What do historians think Cleopatra looked like?

There is no way to be absolutely sure of what Cleopatra looked like. The coinage with Cleopatra's image could very well have made her look strong and manly, as befitting her position. In ancient Greece, even Aphrodite, the love goddess, was shown with a prominent nose and an abundance of curves. In 2015, both women may have been encouraged to diet and to maybe visit a plastic surgeon for some nose reconstruction, based on some modern standards regarding beauty and femininity.\nAncient historians do credit Cleopatra with being charming, having a pleasing voice and being irresistible to the..

Continue Reading

How did the ship Titanic sink?

The sinking of RMS Titanic is also attributed to poor planning and preparation. The ship had 2,223 passengers on board when it sank in the North Atlantic Ocean. This resulted in the death of 1,517 passengers. Most survivors of the tragedy were women, children and passengers of the first-class group. The ship also had 899 crew members and 685 of them died. The number of children who died amounted to 53.

Continue Reading

What did Henry the Navigator discover?

According to About.com, Prince Henry founded the Institute at Sagres. This was a place for sailors to learn navigation, map making and science. The Institute launched the expeditions to the west coast of Africa. This school also developed a kind of ship known as the caravel that was faster and much easier to maneuver than previous models. Two of Christopher Columbus' ships, the Nina and the Pinta, were caravels.

Continue Reading

What are some Civil War battle flags?

Early in the war, the Confederacy used its national flag as a battle flag: two red stripes and one white, with a blue box or canton containing seven stars. It later adopted specific battle flag designs to prevent confusion with the U.S. flag. The most famous Civil War battle flag features a blue and white star-spangled "X" on a red field. This was the regimental flag of General Robert E. Lee's unit, the Army of Northern Virginia, and was never used during the war as a national battle flag.\nThe blue and white "X" on a red field, while never used nationwide, was incorporated into the two n..

Continue Reading
Showing 3471 to 3480 of 8554 (856 Pages)