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What was the purpose of the Marshall Plan?

Countries impacted by the Marshall Plan included Portugal, Italy, East Germany, France, Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and Greece. Though the Soviet Union was initially open to the plan, Stalin eventually rejected cooperation with the Marshall Plan under fear that the plan would lead to the deepening of anti-Soviet sentiment. The Marshall Plan was widely successful in helping to rebuild infrastructure and reinvigorate European industry, bringing about a quicker global recovery from the devastation caused by World War II. In addition to having clear benefits for the European ben..

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What are some facts about Deborah Sampson?

Sampson was born in Plympton, Massachusetts, in 1760. She was a descendant of Myles Standish, one of the original settlers who crossed over on the Mayflower and a well-known military leader. She was an indentured servant until the age of 18, at which time she became a teacher and weaver until she enlisted in the Continental Army under her assumed name in 1782.\nSampson served in the Light Infantry Company of the 4th Massachusetts Regiment. She was critically wounded in her first battle, taking two musket shots to the leg and sustaining a large cut to the forehead. Her fellow soldiers rescued h..

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What year did World War I begin?

A Serbian nationalist assassinated Ferdinand on June 28, 1914, setting off a chain of events leading to the outbreak of war. Austria-Hungary refused to declare war until it had support from Germany, even though the country knew that Germany's support meant Russia, France and Great Britain were likely to also enter the war due to various political and military pacts.

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When was air conditioning invented?

The concept of air conditioning has existed since the second century in China. An inventor named Ding Huan created a rotary fan with seven wheels, each almost 10 feet in diameter. The fan had to be powered by hand. This fan inspired later imitators that were turned by water wheels. In the modern era, fans were frequently used with blocks of ice for cooling. Benjamin Franklin and Michael Faraday both discovered that volatile liquids like alcohol and ammonia produce a cooling effect when they melt. These discoveries made it possible for Carrier to create a machine that cooled without adding humi..

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What were some of Napoleon's domestic policies in France?

Napoleon concentrated French power into a strong central government with a powerful and extensive bureaucracy, focusing on bringing the ideals of the French Revolution into effect. With the Napoleonic Code, he used revolutionary principles to regularize several different systems of law, focusing on freedom and equality – at least for some. Freedom of religion was protected, though freedom of speech was strictly curtailed. Careers were opened to people of talent and serfdom was abolished, but women were heavily restricted and children had no rights at all. Private property was protected as we..

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What is the history of John Cabot's discovery of North America?

When John Cabot left England with a crew of over 300 men, he believed he could use a new, quicker route to discover distant Asian lands. Modern historians believe he was the first European explorer to set foot on what is the country of Canada today, since ancient history.\nCabot explored a large area and named parts of it. Some of the areas he named include Cape Discovery, the Island of St. John and St. George’s Cape. The north eastern tip of Canada became known as Newfoundland, referring to the new discovery.\nKing Henry VII rewarded Cabot with a pension after returning to England, but the ..

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When was the Sphinx built?

As evidence, they point to Khafra's Causeway, a walkway built in Khafra's reign that connects the Valley Temple to the Funerary Temple. The causeway is built around the Sphinx, suggesting that the statue was already in place at the time of the causeway's construction. An older theory, widely discredited, suggests that the erection of the Sphinx was at least 2686 B.C. or before. This theory is based on hieroglyphics interpreted from the Inventory Stela, describing the Sphinx, already in existence, being excavated in Khafra's time.

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When was electricity invented?

According to Wikipedia, even though William Gilbert is credited with the first writings on the subject, Benjamin Franklin is considered by most to be the father of modern electrical science. It was in June of 1752 when he was reputed to have attached a metal key to the bottom of a dampened kite string flown during a lighting storm, thus establishing that lightning was indeed electrical and fluid in nature.

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What are some interesting facts about the Battle of Hastings?

Duke William forced the battle after landing his army in southwestern England in what is known as the Norman Invasion of England. The reason for his invasion was that William believed he was the rightful heir to the English throne and that Harold had earlier agreed to support his claim. However, after the death of King Edward the Confessor, Harold was quickly named king, which angered Duke William.\nThe result of the battle saw King Harold killed, leading Duke William to eventually be named the new king. Due to the defeat of the English by the Norman French, King William became known as Willia..

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Who invented time?

Ancient Egyptians were known to have built sundials as early as 1500 B.C.E. However, in ancient times, basing the measurement of time on celestial bodies was seasonal. With the invention of the pendulum by Galileo Galilei, in the 17th century, the concept of time began to change and become more precise and consistent across the world.

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