Avatar Posted by duke 92 days ago (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com)
Category: This Day in History
Harrison was an American military leader, politician, and the ninth president of the US. When the 68-year-old statesman took office in 1841, he became the oldest man elected president, a record that stood for 140 years and was broken by Ronald Reagan, who was 69 years old when he took office. Harrison died just one month into his term—making him the first president to die in office and making his presidency the briefest ever. According to legend, what curse had been placed on Harrison?
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Avatar Posted by duke 113 days ago (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com)
Category: This Day in History
Adams is an Irish Republican politician, member of parliament for West Belfast, and president of Sinn Féin, the Irish nationalist movement that has gained notoriety for its association with the violent Irish Republican Army. He has been a key figure in Irish peace negotiations, and he was the main architect of the 1994 IRA ceasefire. In 1984, Adams was seriously wounded when several gunmen opened fire on his car. What did Adams allege about the British army's failure to prevent the attack?
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Avatar Posted by duke 114 days ago (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com)
Category: This Day in History
The Apollo program was a series of spaceflight missions undertaken by the US in the 1960s with the goal of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth. Apollo 9 was the third manned mission in this series and consisted of a 10-day earth-orbital mission launched on March 3, 1969. It was the second manned flight of the Saturn V launch vehicle and the first manned flight of the Apollo Lunar Module. Why did Apollo 9's crewmembers name their command module “Gumdrop”?
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Avatar Posted by duke 115 days ago (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com)
Category: This Day in History
The German term Anschluss, meaning “unification” or “political union,” is most frequently used in reference to the Nazis' 1938 annexation of Austria into Greater Germany. When the Nazis entered Austria to enforce the Anschluss, they encountered no military opposition and quickly took control of the newly created German province. The US, USSR, and UK signed a declaration proclaiming the Anschluss null and void in 1943, yet Austria did not regain its sovereignty until what year?
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Avatar Posted by duke 116 days ago (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com)
Category: This Day in History
Though the Bureau of Indian Affairs was given jurisdiction over trade with Native Americans and was responsible for protecting them from exploitation, it had little success safeguarding Native American rights and, instead, evolved primarily into a land-administering agency. It now acts as trustee over Native American lands and funds, promotes development, and provides Native Americans with various social services. Why is the Bureau involved in a class-action lawsuit against the US government?
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Avatar Posted by duke 117 days ago (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com)
Category: This Day in History
Army sergeant Fulgencio Batista was a major figure during the ousting of the Cuban Céspedes government in 1933. The coup leaders installed Ramón Grau San Martín as president, but just months later, Batista forced Grau's resignation and became Cuba's de facto ruler. After a brief period of exile (1944-1949), Batista returned to Cuba and once again led a coup to seize power. His second term as president was marked by brutal repression, which led to several uprisings, including one led by whom?
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Avatar Posted by duke 118 days ago (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com)
Category: This Day in History
When Ruth Handler, wife of Mattel toy company co-founder Elliot Handler, realized that there were no adult-bodied dolls on the toy market, she suggested to her husband that Mattel begin producing one. In 1959, Barbie made her debut. She was based on a German doll called Bild Lilli and was marketed as a "Teen-age Fashion Model." According to estimates, over a billion Barbie dolls have been sold worldwide and many have become collector's items. How much is a mint-condition original Barbie worth?
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Avatar Posted by duke 119 days ago (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com)
Category: This Day in History
German mathematician, astronomer, and astrologer Johannes Kepler was a key figure in the 17th century astronomical revolution. He formulated the three laws of planetary motion and laid the foundation for the study of celestial mechanics. Kepler stated that the shape of each planet's orbit is an ellipse with the sun at one focus and that the speed of a planet depends on its distance from the sun. The third law establishes a relationship between a planet's average distance from the sun and what?
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