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Who invented the first Lego?

Kristiansen's modest workshop first began producing wooden toys in 1932, reports Wikipedia. The company started making plastic toys in 1947, and the first Lego brick was introduced and patented in 1958. In 2015, the Lego company was ranked the world's most powerful brand, according to Forbes. The toymaker, which supplanted Ferrari from the top position, employs gender-neutral advertising to promote its plastic, interlocking building blocks.

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What was the water frame used for?

The water frame was invented by Richard Arkwright in 1768. It was too big to be operated by a person, so Arkwright tried using horses. After experimenting with horses, Arkwright decided to use the power from a water wheel to spin the machine. Using a water wheel meant the machine could operate at a much faster rate and, therefore, produced threads faster and cut down on people needed to run the machine. It also produced a thread that was much stronger.\nThe water frame was the first automatic textile machine that could work continuously. Instead of running during daylight hours, Arkwright used..

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How did the Watergate scandal affect America?

When five burglars were caught red-handed trying to break into the Watergate building on June 17, 1972 to steal top-secret documents and tap into office phone lines, Nixon assured the public that he had not been involved in the break-in. At the time, America was still recovering from the repercussions of the Vietnam War, and despite the perceived difficulty of running an election campaign at the time, Nixon was reelected in a landslide victory.However, over time, it was revealed that Nixon helped provide the burglars thousands of dollars in exchange for obtained information from the Watergate ..

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What are some fun facts about the Louisiana Purchase?

Another fun fact about the Louisiana Purchase is that futurepresident and former governor of Virginia James Monroe, who was appointed as a special envoy to negotiate the sale with the French, had to sell off his porcelain plates, silver flatware and china tea set to afford the passage to France for the negotiations.Not everyone was happy with the deal. On the French side, Napoleon's brothers were unhappy and tried to talk him out of the sale. When they went to talk to him, Napoleon famously fell backwards into a bathtub, purposely soaking his brothers. Many Americans also opposed the purc..

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What kind of people lived in the Southern Colonies?

The people of the southern colonies were fiercely resistant of oligarchy and centralized authority. Many yeoman farmers sought to maintain their freedoms by entering into politics. The southern colonists were prepared to endure considerable hardships, including Indian retaliation. Many men dressed in animal skins, while women made their own cloth.Puritanism was less of a driving influence in the southern colonies, and in Maryland especially, which was established as a refuge for Catholics.

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What prompted the hysteria during the Red Scare?

Anarchists, looking to spread chaos, had already brought tragedy to American soil when Leon Csolgosz shot President McKinley in 1901. Anarchists began setting off bombs, and a fear of anarchy, socialism and communism began to spread through the Untied States in 1919. Many people were thrown in jail just for expressing their opinions, as civil liberties were suspended. However, as the calendar turned to 1920, the mood lifted, and the country moved on.\nIt is sometimes difficult from a modern perspective to understand the instability at work during this period. World War I had featured the most ..

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What was life like in the 16th century in England?

During the 16th century, England began to increase its mining of coal and metals, which allowed it to expand its trading routes farther throughout Europe and into Asia. This resulted in a significant increase in wealth for those who owned mines or businesses that traded or sold products. For the first time, the noble, upper middle class were able to afford and produce a higher quality of life.\nMost of the population lived in smaller settlements and villages, with the homes of the wealthy and powerful acting as focal points. These homes were able to be built upon, adding new architectural feat..

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Who were some notable WWII pilots?

In 1941, Chuck Yeager joined the American Army Air Force at the age of 18. On his first European tour of duty, flying his P-51B Mustang called The Glamorous Glen, he became an ace in one day. He was shot down over France, where he evaded escape and returned to fly many missions for the rest of the war. The most notable event during his flying career occurred after the war, however, when he became the first pilot to break the sound barrier. Piloting the Bell X-1 on Oct. 14, 1947, Yeager earned the celebrity title "The Fastest Man Alive" when flew the rocket plane over 700 miles per hour.\nGrego..

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Who did not sign the Tripartite Pact?

Germany kept the Soviet Union at arm's length while expanding Nazi territory near Russian borders by signing the 1939 Non-Aggression Act, pledging that Germany wouldn't attack the Soviets. When Germany, Italy and Japan offered Russia a spot on the Tripartite Pact, the Soviets responded favorably, but Stalin demanded too much in return, causing the Axis countries to decline future proposals. Finland, whom the Soviet Union was constantly attempting to seize, agreed to join the Germans in their fight against Russia but repeatedly refused to sign the Tripartite Pact, stating that the fig..

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Why did people join the Crusades?

The First Crusade was a mission to the holy land to defend Christians who, it was rumored, were being tortured in the Middle East. Once the first crusaders realized the amount of wealth the Islamic people of the East possessed and began returning with spoils, others decided to join so they too would have an opportunity to improve their financial situations by capturing a few of the riches, which were not taxed if taken in the name of God during a crusade.\nIn some situations, men did not join the Crusades for religious reasons or the prospect of finding riches but because they were offered lan..

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