In the early hours of April 15, 1912 some 110 years ago the RMS Titanic passenger ship sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on her maiden voyage, capturing the world's attention and taking with her more than 1,500 passengers and crew.
Category: History
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Syndrome K: The Fake Disease that Saved Italian Jews from the Nazi Regime
Syndrome K was a neurological illness "that began with convulsions and dementia and led to paralysis and death from asphyxia." This ailment, which terrified the Nazi soldiers occupying the city, reportedly saved anywhere from 20 to over 100 Jews who were destined for the Auschwitz concentration camp. But how was this possible during an epidemic of such a lethal sickness?
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3 Major Causes of the February Russian Revolution of 1917
The 20th century was one filled with significant change within the European continent, including the Russian Revolution of 1917, which consisted of two pivotal rebellions in March and November of that year. While the latter November Revolution led to the rise of a group of communists known as the Bolsheviks to power, it was the initial March Revolution that ended centuries of imperial rule in Russia. Though several distinct causes precipitated the spring revolution, it was the social, political, and economic structure of the country and the effects of World War I that terminated the Romanov dynasty, instituted a democratic republic, and launched a civil war.
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The Lost Colony of Roanoke: 7 Theories on What Happened
After having established the colony of Roanoke in July 1587, Englishman John White wouldn't return until three years later, in August of 1590. He was heartened to see "a great smoke rise in the Ile Roanoak neere the place where I left our Colony in the yeere 1587." But what he found upon docking was nothing less than shocking: the site had apparently been fortified, but everyone was gone - not a single soul remained.
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Unbelievable True Story About the Fox Sisters, Spiritualism, and the Biggest Hoax of the 19th Century
Word got around and before they knew it, people from all over New Jersey and New York were coming to talk to the famous spirit (with help from Maggie and Kate, of course). Thus, modern spiritualism was born and the Fox sisters became the first "mediums." In fact, the movement grew so large that by the year 1867, more than 11,000,000 Americans (or two-fifths of the entire population at the time) were "spiritualists."
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Finding Treasure in an Unlikely Place
Finding a new artifact to add to one's One-Place Study is something I think we can all agree is exciting! While some "One-Placers" may have an overabundance of civil records, church records, newspaper articles, letters, photographs, etc. at their disposal (depending on where and when they are located), others may have to dig a little deeper, look a little harder, to find even an ounce of information about their places.
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Concepts of Proper Societal / Governmental Leadership
It is said that concepts of proper societal and governmental leadership were born in ancient societies, that principles from pagan religions can be seen in modern Christianity, and that even today's approach to morality and ethics is owed, for example, to ancient Greek philosophers and others from that long-ago time.
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Italian Jews Who Survived the Shoah: A Critical Analysis Using Elements of Thought
"In the vast majority of cases, Jews who survived the Holocaust in Italy did so in one (or more) of three ways: by blending in with the non-Jewish population; by fleeing over the border into Switzerland; or by taking refuge in private homes, church dormitories or convents, or medical institutions."
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The Lakota Sun Dance
The Sun Dance is "an act of ritual self-torture originally performed as a 'drama' to symbolize the capture, torture, and release of an enemy" that traditionally followed the cycle of the summer buffalo hunt. Moreover, members generally act out this self-torture for healing or as payment for the restoration of an ill person or the return of a loved one from danger.
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On the Origins and Evolution of the Cold War
The infamous Cold War of the mid-twentieth century sprung from the discord between the Soviet Union and the United States following World War II in 1945. This conflict led to several significances such as a second "Red Scare," containment, a nuclear arms race, and the "Space Race."