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Who was Giovanni da Verrazzano?

Da Verrazzano reached America at Cape Fear and sailed along the coast from Florida to Newfoundland. According to the Mariner's Museum, Lyonnaise textile merchants had financed the trip so that Da Verrazzano could bring back rare Chinese silks that were in high demand at the time. The Florentine explorer never reached northern China. Instead, upon returning, he provided French king Francois I with an extended description of the American coast, including the first written description of the New York harbor.\nDa Verrazzano sailed to South America several years later, reaching present-day Bra..

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Which U.S. president was born in a town named Caldwell?

The Cleveland family moved to the northern part of the state of New York in 1841. Though he never graduated from college, President Cleveland worked as a teacher and a lawyer before entering politics. He was elected sheriff of Erie County, New York; mayor of Buffalo; and governor of New York. He defeated James G. Blaine to become the 22nd U.S. president. A bachelor when he was inaugurated, he married Frances Folsom in the White House in 1886. After losing his bid for a second term in 1888, he was re-elected to office in 1892.

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What contributions made by the Aztecs have influenced today's society?

Another contribution made by the Aztecs is in pharmacology. By using herbs and flowers, they were able to create medicines used to prevent muscle spasms and reduce pain. One of their medicines, which used the sap of an agave plant to heal and disinfect wounds, is still used today to kill E. coli bacteria.\nAztec innovations influence today's society in many other ways, such as food, language and art.

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What are some pros and cons of the Vietnam War?

History.com chronicles the many protests that broke out against the Vietnam War. With the country spending billions of dollars a year on war and the death toll rising, more and more young people resisted not only the war draft, but they also cried out against the atrocities of the war itself. One of the most horrific aspects of guerrilla warfare the the Vietnam conflict was that the enemy and innocent villagers looked exactly alike. Soldiers could not trust anyone they met in villages, leading to the deaths of many innocent Vietnamese as well as soldiers.\nWhile the positive side to the war wa..

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What happened at the Battle of Marathon?

Persian forces were led by Datis and Artaphernes. Under the orders of King Darius I, they had already begun to subjugate other Greek cities before the battle. Greece, at this time, was a group of city-states rather than a unified country. Forces from Athens learned of a looming Persian attack and enlisted the aid of Plataean troops to catch the Persians off guard. The Persian cavalry likely would have outmatched the Greek forces, but they were away for a short absence. The two armies battled on the Plains of Marathon, about 26 miles north of Athens. The Greek attack method is notable because i..

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Who invented the camera?

Although the pinhole camera, also known as a camera obscura, was invented around the year 1000 A.D., the first photographic image taken with this type of camera did not occur until 1827. The pinhole camera was used for viewing and drawing purposes up until that point. Joseph Nicephore Niepce is credited for creating the first photographic image. Unfortunately, his method required a chemical reaction and eight hours of sunlight, and it the image it produced faded shortly after being removed from the light exposure.

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When was math invented?

The Sumerians were the first people to use abstract symbols to describe large groups of objects. At first, they used symbols to represent sheaves of wheat. Eventually, they developed cuneiform writing and probably were using a crude abacus by the second century BC.\nThe Sumerians used the base 60 numeric system. They counted by using the 12 bones of the four fingers on one hand.

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What are the major accomplishments of Charlemagne?

Charlemagne was able to accomplish his goals because he excelled at military strategy and because he had Pope Leo III's blessing. The pope crowned him the Roman emperor in 800. The Pope encouraged this intellectual and cultural takeover of Christianity through Charlemagne's conquests.Charlemagne is often considered to be "the father of Europe" because he is the primary reason for its unification. Little is known about Charlemagne's childhood other than that he was born in 742. He also displayed a knack for languages at an early age with the ability to speak Latin fluently and to..

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Who were Albert Einstein's parents?

Hermann Einstein ran an electrical engineering company with his brother, Jakob. When the business failed, Hermann opened an electrical engineering company on his own. He ran the company until his death from heart failure on Oct. 10, 1902. He was 55.\nPauline Einstein was a well-educated woman with an interest in the arts. She insisted that Albert take violin lessons at the young age of 5. At first Albert vigorously objected, but in time he developed a passion for music. Pauline died from cancer on Feb. 20, 1920.

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Who was Alexander Miles?

It was while riding in an elevator with his young daughter that Miles realized the risk of an elevator door being carelessly left ajar. Standard opening and closing procedures up until this time required manual operation. By designing a system of belts, levers and rollers, Miles submitted and was awarded a patent.\nBefore creating his elevator patent, Miles experiment with hair care products. His earlier career was as a barber in the four-story St. Louis Hotel in Duluth, Minnesota. Miles became the first black member of the Duluth Chamber of Commerce. His wife worked as a dress maker.\nAfter h..

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