History

Refine Search

What were some hallmarks of the Neolithic Revolution?

Neolithic civilizations first appeared in river valleys, where the soil was soft and fertile due to annual flooding. People who settled in these flood plains clustered together for assistance and protection, creating the first towns. Gradually, they learned to share labor, to create irrigation systems and to stock food.\nGovernments and religious structures also sprang up as these primitive civilizations sought greater control over their lives. They took charge of communal duties like the storage of grain, determining when to plant crops and planning irrigation systems. A governmental organiza..

Continue Reading

When was the Stone Age?

Stone Age people had not yet mastered the art of making tools from metal, so they had to rely on tools made from stones, animal bones or other natural objects. The end of the Stone Age is marked not only by the advent of metal work but also by the development of agriculture and the first towns. In Europe, the Stone Age was succeeded by the Bronze Age about 4,000 or 5,000 years ago.

Continue Reading

What was the result of Scotland's independence referendum?

The turnout was high, and the vote was extended to include 16- to 17-year-old Scottish citizens for the first time in history. The rejection of independence was supported by 55.3 percent of the population with a record turnout of a little under 85 percent. Stock markets in the United Kingdom rebounded after a taking a plunge before the vote.

Continue Reading

Are any of the Titanic survivors still alive?

Millvina Dean was 2 months old when her family decided to travel to the United States. They did not originally book passage on the Titanic but were transferred to the ship due to a coal strike. When the ship struck the iceberg on April 14, 1912, Dean and her mother and brother were placed on one of the first lifeboats to leave the ship. Her father did not survive the disaster. Dean was the youngest passenger traveling on the Titanic when it sank.

Continue Reading

Who invented electricity?

Benjamin Franklin, using his famous kite experiment, proved that lightning was electrical in 1752. A Danish man named Hans Christian Oersted discovered in 1819 that a compass needle will move if placed near an electrical wire. In 1831, the British inventor of the dynamo, named Michael Faraday, proved the existence of electromagnetism. The American inventor, Thomas Edison, successfully produced the electric light bulb in 1879. Based on Edison's designs, small electric plants were built in a number of United States cities.

Continue Reading

When was Martin Luther King, Jr. assassinated?

King was shot in the head while standing on the second floor balcony outside of room 306 at 6:01 p.m. He was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m. Witnesses claimed to have seen Ray fleeing from a rooming house across the street. Police discovered a package nearby that had a rifle and binoculars with Ray's fingerprints on them. Hundreds of riots throughout the United States ensued in reaction to King's assassination.

Continue Reading

Who invented the first microscope?

Janssen was also a debated inventor of the telescope, along with Dutch eyeglass-maker Hans Lippershey. The 18th century Dutch scientist Anton van Leeuwenhoek took Janssen's design, added a number of lenses to it and produced a microscope capable of 270X magnification. Van Leeuwenhoek became the first person to see objects too small to see with the naked eye, such as bacteria, yeast cells and blood corpuscles.

Continue Reading

How can you find the history of what happened on your birthday?

Go to MyBirthdayFacts.com, and enter your birth date in the search box, and then click Set. On August 4, 1959, for example, the price of gas was 30 cents, the most popular movie was “North by Northwest,” and the number one pop song was “A Big Hunk o’ Love” by Elvis Presley.\nNavigate to the Today in History Archive of the Library of Congress, and follow the steps to search the history archive by date. The Library of Congress provides historical information for noteworthy events for a particular day. On August 4, 1753, George Washington became a Master Mason, the highest rank in the f..

Continue Reading

Who invented the trombone?

Trombones, also called sackbuts, arrived in the courts of Burgundy, France during the late 1400s. They appeared in paintings around 1490 and eventually gained popularity in Germany. These instruments changed in shape and purpose throughout history. Trombones of the 16th century feature a smaller size and more intricate detailing than modern instruments of the 20th century. Initially, trombones came in small sizes and accompanied choirs and vocalists. Later, they joined orchestras, beginning in the 18th century. Trombones come in tenor, bass and alto sizes to meet the needs of orchestras and en..

Continue Reading

What year did the Civil War end?

Lee signed the surrender at Appomattox Court House in the afternoon wearing full ceremonial dress. Grant was gracious in his terms. Lee's men could go home immediately. They were allowed to retain possession of their side arms, and enlisted men who owned horses could keep them to assist in feeding their families over the winter. Grant also arranged for 25,000 rations to be given to the starving Confederate troops after learning that Lee's men had run out several days prior. Lee accepted these terms and gave a brief speech to his men the next day. Some Confederate troops remained in t..

Continue Reading
Showing 1151 to 1160 of 8554 (856 Pages)