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Who invented porcelain?

Porcelain was highly prized in Asia and eventually in Europe, but the Chinese kept the production method a secret. It wasn't until 1708 that the first European finally discovered how to make it. Credit for the first production of porcelain in Europe went to Johann Friedrich Bottger of Dresden, Germany, although many historians now believe that it was produced in England 25 years prior to Bottger's work.

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What were the satellite nations during the Cold War?

The Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was a USSR satellite state from 1948 to 1989, while both the German Democratic Republic and the Hungarian People's Republic were satellites from 1949 to 1990. The Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia was briefly considered a satellite state, as was the People's Republic of Albania. Some considered the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan a satellite state between 1978 to 1992. Between 1944 to 1949, the satellite states included the East Turkestan Republic.

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Who invented the first bullet?

According to Princeton University, the word "bullet" is translated from the French "boulette," which means little ball. "Boulette" describes the original musket bullet, which consisted of a small lead ball wrapped in a paper cartridge that held the bullet in front of explosive powder. The muzzle-loading guns that followed had barrels with the rifling grooves Delvigne's bullet used. The grooves required ammunition with a tighter fit than early lead balls provided.\nDelvigne's bullet fell out of favor because it was difficult to aim, and it failed to hold its shape when the rifle was ..

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What are the contributions of the Babylonians to mathematics?

The base 60 system the Babylonians used helped them derive a fairly accurate calendar. It required periodic adjustments, but the Earth's movement is not precisely regular. In fact, even in modern times adjustments are necessary through leap years and periodic changes of a few seconds to the atomic clock that tracks world time.\nThe Babylonians also developed a table of squares that some elementary math teachers use to help students learn their squares. Using that table, the Babylonians could derive the product of any two integers up to 59. Their formula for these two integers was similar ..

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When did the concentration camps end?

Nazi Germany utilized 20,000 concentration and work camps between 1933 and 1945, primarily used to imprison the Jewish populations of areas under German control. In a few of the concentration camps, Nazi physicians conducted medical experiments on people imprisoned in the camp that often led to the death of the patients. The deaths of the Jewish population in a concentration camp was often carried out by using a gas chamber.

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What were some major events in Philadelphia history?

William Penn founded the city of Philadelphia in 1682. Penn belonged to the Quakers, and the name he gave the city is Greek for "City of Brotherly Love," reflecting the man's belief in religious freedom and tolerance. Penn also fostered the social life of the early city by providing for the design of five large squares within the city.\nPhiladelphia was also the site of both the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. The signing took place in Independence Hall. The seat of the U.S. government transferred from Federal Hall in New York to Congress..

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What is ancient Greek currency called?

The Drachma was used as a form of currency as early as 1100 B.C. and was a form of "bullion:" bronze, copper or iron ingots denominated by weight. It was the standard unit of silver coinage at most ancient Greek mints. The name obol was used to describe a coin that was one-sixth of a drachma. Not all coins appeared the same, though, because each city had its own mint with different marks for their coins.

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What do the cross and diamonds mean on the Vietnam Memorial?

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was built to serve as a memorial to all those servicemen who served in the Vietnam War, both living and dead. The memorial, commonly called "The Wall," lists the names of more than 58,270 servicemen who died or were declared missing or prisoners of war as a result of the war. The memorial was designed by Maya Lin and completed in 1982. The wall receives approximately 3 million visitors each year, many of whom leave various sentimental items. These are collected by the National Park Service, which catalogs and stores all non-perishable items at the NPS Museum and R..

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Why did both Britain and Russia want to control Iran?

The Anglo-Russian Agreement of 1907 helped quell the intermittent conflict, providing a region subject to Russian influence buffered by a neutral zone. Great Britain was satisfied by the security brought by military control over India. Just a few years later, in 1910, oil was discovered in Persia, and Great Britain's focus changed. By 1915, the British military had converted its primary fuel source from coal to oil, causing a shift in political focus to protect its interests in Persian oil.

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What did the Egyptians believe in?

Egyptian religion was a polytheistic one, with a host of gods and goddesses. Each had influence over some sphere of life, and many served multiple roles. For instance, Khnum was the god of the Nile River; since the Nile was the source of life in ancient Egypt, Khnum was also a creator deity. Multiple gods could serve the same role as well, such as Ra and Horus both being associated with the sun.\nMummification came about due to the Egyptian belief that life after death merely meant the body continued on. Since the spirit would have need of the body in the future, it must be properly preserved...

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