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How did the Black Death spread?

Refugees from the siege of Kaffa evacuated their city and fled back to Europe on ships that carried black rats. These rats played host to fleas with the bacterium Yersinia pestis in their guts. On being bitten, animals and humans alike became infected and began to develop the classic symptoms of bubonic plague. As About.com reports, these symptoms included large black swellings at the site of inflamed lymph nodes and dark, mottled spots on the skin.\nIf the infection spread to the victim's lungs, the disease could develop into its more virulent form and become airborne. This pneumonic pla..

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Who is James, Duke of York?

King James II's reign was troubled by the political and religious turmoil of the the time, as the Parliament and the people strove to keep the Protestant way of life alive in England. Though James never tried to press his own Catholicism on the country, when he married his second wife (a Catholic princess), Parliament worried that conversion was imminent. Rebelling, the nobles of England called for James' own son-in-law, William of Orange, to invade and remove James from the throne. James' daughter, Mary II, and William took over the throne when James fled, abdicating the throne..

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What did Albert Einstein contribute to science?

Einstein is most famous for his theories of special and general relativity that overturned the long-standing dominance of the ideas of Isaac Newton. Rather than seeing gravity as a force acting on a backdrop of absolute space and time, Einstein recast gravity as an expression of the geometric shape of space itself. This enabled him to make more accurate predictions than were possible with Newton's equations.\nIn 1921, Einstein received the Nobel Prize in Physics for his explanation of the photoelectric effect. This laid the foundation for the development of quantum physics. His equation E..

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What happened to Dacron in 1954?

DuPont purchased the rights to Dr. Wallace Hume Carothers's organic chemical research in 1945 after he developed synthetic nylon from polyester. Chemical engineers at DuPont dedicated an entire laboratory to perfect Dacron, which is known for its durability, resistance to degradation and high tensile strength. They patented the fabric in 1953.\nSuits made of the synthetic fabric began to debut in May of 1951, with items sold by Deering, Milliken & Co., and a $79.50 model from Hart, Schaffner & Marx. Adjusting for inflation, the suit would sell for more than $650 today.\nDacron became com..

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What was the job of a medieval knight?

The primary role of a knight in medieval society was to fight battles for his lord, similar to that of the samurai of Japan. Knights were an elite class of warriors that specialized in armored combat from horseback and used weapons such as the longsword, lance, dagger and various blunt weapons. They conducted themselves according to the Code of Chivalry, which stressed courtly etiquette and valor in battle as well as devout Christian faith.\nNot only did knights protect their lords from attack by other lords, but they also served as a military force for the king of the country should he requir..

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What is Japan known for?

One of the most notable aspects of Japanese aesthetics is "wabi-sabi," or the beauty of imperfection. According to this principle, designs that are perfectly symmetrical and well proportioned are not as beautiful as those that contain at least one noticeable flaw.\nTwo other Japanese aesthetic principles are "mono no aware" and "yugen." According to Bradley Park, a professor at St. Mary's College of Maryland, mono no aware refers to the poignant beauty of transience and change within the natural world. The concept of yugen includes shadowy darkness, mystery and the impossibility of clear..

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Who were James Madison's parents?

The Madison family was among the oldest and most prestigious families in Virginia. Madison's father was a prominent tobacco farmer in Virginia who grew up on an estate in Orange Country, Va., which he later inherited. Madison's mother was the daughter of a prominent tobacco merchant. She was born in 1731 in Virginia.

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What is Executive Order 9066?

Even before the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, racism was common against Japanese-Americans in the United States. After the attack, there was fear that they would conduct sabotage in vulnerable areas, such as the U.S. West Coast. Following the signing of Executive Order 9066, the entire West Coast was designated a military zone. Japanese-American citizens and resident aliens were ordered to leave their homes with no more than they could carry. They were taken to makeshift compounds in remote, barren areas and housed in shacks made of tar paper surrounded by barbed wire and armed guar..

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What factors influence the prices of old U.S. coins?

Coin grading essentially means the physical appearance of the coin. Shinier, less tainted coins have a higher grade and thus a higher value. There are two main systems coin enthusiasts use to grade coins: the Sheldon grading system and the European grading system. The second factor of influence is rarity. It is difficult to predict the rarity of a coin without professional guidance, as it is calculated using complicated variables related to the original production and availability of the coin. Each coin is rated on a scale from "extremely rare" to "extremely common," which either adds or subtr..

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Do Chinese people eat babies?

Throughout the centuries, certain religious and ethnic groups have been accused of practicing the bloody custom of human sacrifice, but no evidence has ever been found as undeniable proof that the custom of eating babies ever existed, notes David Emery for About.com. The burden of proof lies with the ones who make the claims.

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