The Monastic State of the Teutonic Order
by Vintage Germany
The government of the United States of America has lasted from 1789 to 2012, or 223 years. That is a long time, but not as long as the Monastic State of the Teutonic Order which lasted from 1224 to 1525, a total of 301 years. This Teutonic Order State has a lesson for us in today's world. One of its main reasons for decline was oppressive high taxes, imposed after a costly war in 1410.
If you are of German heritage, then you probably have a hard time finding very many products that honor your heritage.
by Vintage Germany
If you are of German heritage, then you have something in common with 17% of America's population. Despite the fact that there are 50 million people like you, it is hard to find very many products that honor your heritage. I mean by that, you have a hard time finding German vintage commemorative items that you can own and can be used every day, and perhaps even personalized.
Indira Gandhi Assassination
by AmielJaven
Indira Gandhi Assassination took place on 31st October 1984 at her residence in New Delhi. She was assassinated at 9.20am by her own Sikh bodyguards in the garden of her residence. She was the honorable Prime Minister of India who started the Operation Blue Star in the Golden Temple to avenge the military attack on the temple.The Sikh bodyguards
Something to know about Area 51
by skipy
It became private and primarily isolated when the US government decided to make the site as a testing and development site for aircrafts including warfare weapons to stop terrorism. The site became controversial and mysterious when it started to privatized its exercises and practices.
Ghosts in Ludwigsburg, Germany
by skipy
Indeed, ghost stories or even testimonies from different people around the globe have existed through out the years. Every one of us has ghost stories, and most of us already experienced ghost sightings. Still, there are no coherent facts that prove their existence and yet, a lot of people tend to believe their existence.
Virginia Ghost stories
by skipy
It has been known from having spooky paranormals including vampire and ghosts sightings. In this state, here lies Arlington Cemetery, the most haunted place within the state, George Mason University, and the Bacon's castle in Colonial Williamburg.
Greek Art
by history
The art forms that the Greeks took over from the Minoan civilization can be seen in the geometric designs on decorated vases, and in the early simple wooden temples. Around the year 600 BC Greek civilization settled down; temples and other buildings were made of stone, and cities like Athens were built. Gradually, there began the amazing changes which the Greeks made to the course of art.
Ancient Rome
by history
In the year 753 B.C. a small town was founded in Italy on the River Tiber. Its people became famous as warriors and they conquered the neighboring regions. They were governed by the Senate, a group of noblemen, later assisted by an assembly of citizens.By 275 B.C. they were masters of all Italy.Their armies, the legions, were well trained, strictly disciplined and intensely brave. Their artillery consisted of large catapults, by means of which they bombarded the enemy with great arrows or boulders.The Romans were very proud of their city.
Ancient Greece
by history
About 2000 B.C. South-east Europe was invaded by a fair-skinned people, the Hellenes (Greeks), who conquered not only Greece itself but the adjoining islands and part of the coast of Asia Minor. The trick by which they captured Troy is described in a famous Greek poem, pretending to retreat, they left an immense wooden horse - in their camp and the Trojans dragged it into their city as a trophy. Then during the night the sides opened and out poured Greek warriors.
Trajan
by history
Trajan, Roman emperor, directed the last major expansion of the Roman Empire. Trajan was born Marcus Ulpius Traianus in Italica, Spain, on September 18, 53. His father, also Marcus Ulpius Traianus, was a distinguished Roman soldier, and his mother was Spanish.
Titus
by history
Titus was Roman emperor from 79 to 81. Born in Rome on December 30, 39, he was the son of Emperor Vespasian and the older brother of Emperor Domitian. His powerful, aristocratic father provided Titus Flavius Vespasianus with an excellent education. In the reign of Nero, when Vespasian was sent to Palestine to put down the Jewish rebellion, Titus accompanied his father and served as his chief military assistant.
Claudius
by history
Claudius I's official full name as emperor was Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus. He was born at Lugdunum (modern Lyon, France), on August 1, 10 B.C., the son of Drusus (the brother of Emperor Tiberius) and Antonia Minor.
Caligula
by history
Caligula was the nickname of the Roman emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus. He was born at Antium (modern Anzio) on August 31, 12 A.D. His father was Germanicus, the nephew and adopted son of Emperor Tiberius; his mother was Agrippina Major (the Elder). As a child he accompanied his father on military campaigns and wore his own military boots. The name Caligula means "Little Boots," and it was given to him affectionately by the soldiers under his father's command.
Augustus
by history
Augustus was first emperor of the Roman empire. His original name was Gaius Octavius. After his adoption by Caesar, he was known as Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, which has become anglicized to Octavian. He was the grandnephew of Julius Caesar, who, having no son of his own, took an interest in him.
Commodus
by history
Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus (161-192 A.D.) was one of the twin sons of Marcus Aurelius and survived Marcus' other male children. Pushed into public affairs when the revolt of Avidius Cassius threatened the throne in 175, Commodus was made co-augustus (joint senior emperor) with his father in 177 and accompanied Marcus to the wars in defense of the Danubian frontier.
Vikings
by history
Renowned Scandinavian warriors, the Vikings for over 200 years explored and conquered much of the Old World. Their image as barbaric pirates, plundering and looting, has been a prevalent part of legends. However, apart from being a highly militarized race, the Vikings lived during the period between the close of the eighth century and the eleventh century, which was a time of important constructive commerce. The oldest parliamentary body still in existence, the Althing of Iceland, is a relic of the Vikings.
Socrates
by history
Socrates is regarded as one of the greatest figures in Western civilization because of the quality of his thought, his success as a teacher, and the moral courage with which he lived and died.
Comitia
by history
Comitia was a meeting of all the citizens of the Roman state, both patrician and plebeian. A meeting of only part of the citizens (the plebeians) was called the concilium. Summoned by an official of state, a comitia met to transact state business. In the comitia the citizens voted approval or disapproval of matters put before them, or they elected officials. The people voted as units, the majority in each unit determining the unit's vote.
Roman Art
by history
Strongly influenced by Greek and Etruscan art, the Romans absorbed both and changed them to suit their own needs, so making a recognizably Roman art.By about AD 200 Rome was the capital of the greatest empire the world has ever known. Highly-skilled Roman civil engineers constructed roads, bridges, sewers and aqueducts that were not to be bettered for many centuries.Public buildings, such as circuses, theaters and baths, had to be large enough to accommodate huge crowds.
Sophocles
by history
The Greek dramatist Sophocles was one of the three great Athenian writers of tragedy. He was born at Colonus (now part of Athens) and appears to have led a happy life there, many of his writings making references to the beauty of the area. He lived at the time of Athens' greatest achievements and among his contemporaries were Pericles and Herodotus.Poetry was of major interest to Sophocles.
Julian
by history
Flavius Claudius Julianus was born in Constantinople. His father, Julius Constantius, was half-brother of Constantine the Great.
Embalming
by history
The preservation of dead bodies by a process that removes the body fluids and replaces them with preservatives is known as embalming. It has been used in many cultures for preventing decomposition of the dead for religious or sanitary purposes.
Mummy
by history
A mummy is a dead body preserved by embalming. The name arose because the skin and bones of corpses embalmed by the Egyptians of antiquity are often found to be blackened, an effect mistakenly attributed to the use of bitumen, which in Arabic is mumiya, in the embalming process.
Greek Science
by history
The earliest stirrings of Greek science are found in the eighth century B.C. in the Homeric poems with descriptions of the stars and an unusual concept of the universe as a sphere. Other civilizations had been content with hemispherical skies; the Greek love of symmetrical shapes led them to the concept of a spherical universe. Greek studies of the universe
Ancient China
by history
The history of China is traditionally seen as a continuous development following a general pattern of expansion and decay. From the heart of Chinese culture, the Hwang-ho and Yangtze basins, the area of central political control spreads out, then, under pressure from war-like barbarians, shrinks back. Native dynasties decay, lose 'the mandate of Heaven' and are replaced by the more vigorous barbarian rulers, who, in their turn, are overthrown and expelled by a resurgence of national feeling.