The South Pole is the southernmost point of the Earth’s surface. It is in Antarctica, at an elevation of 9300 feet, surrounded by miles and miles of icy terrain. It was discovered on December 14, 1911 by Roald Amundsen (1872-1928), …[Continue]
What is Halloween?
Boo! Happy Halloween! It’s that time of year again, when goblins and witches roam our streets in search of trick-or-treat candies. But, what exactly is Halloween? This week’s sites explore the origins of the holiday and how Halloween celebrations have …[Continue]
History of the Internet
On October 29, 1969, the first transmission over the ARPANET computer network was sent from UCLA to the Stanford Research Institute. Although the system crashed after sending just two letters (first “L” then “O”) this was the beginning of the …[Continue]
September 11 Attacks
On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, nineteen al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial jets and crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Including the first responders (such as firefighters, police …[Continue]
French and Indian War
The war between Great Britain and France that took place in North America from 1754 to 1763 is usually called The French and Indian War by Americans. It was a fight for control of land, and officially ended with the …[Continue]
The Medici
The House of Medici was a powerful family dynasty in Florence during the fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries. They made their money in banking, and although they were not monarchs, they held great political power. Their greatest legacy was …[Continue]
Battle of Gettysburg
Often described as the Civil War’s turning point, the Battle of Gettysburg took place on July 1-3, 1863, in the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was an extremely bloody battle, in the midst of an extremely bloody war. But in …[Continue]
Battle of Little Bighorn
The Battle of the Little Bighorn (also known as Custer’s Last Stand and the Battle of Greasy Grass Creek) took place on June 25-26 of 1876, during the Great Sioux War of 1876-77. General George Custer led 700 U.S. troops …[Continue]
Tiananmen Square Massacre
After the death of pro-democracy Chinese official Hu Yaobang on April 15, 1989, mourners gathered at Tiananmen Square in Beijing by the thousands. Weeks passed and the crowd grew larger, filled with students and intellectuals demanding democratic reforms. On June …[Continue]
Ben Franklin’s Kite Experiment
In June of 1752, Ben Franklin sought to prove that lightning was electrical by flying a kite in stormy weather. When Franklin touched the iron key attached to the kite’s string, he saw sparks fly between his knuckle and the …[Continue]
