When was the first world map made? The first world map was made in the 6th century BC, but it was very limited. The first map that is close to a modern map, i.e. having all of the continents on it, was probably made in the late 19th century. The problem with maps is that […]
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Did pirates really bury treasure? Not really. There is only one known instance and even that is debatable. The idea of buried treasure and a map with an X on it was popularized by Robert Louis Stevenson in his book “Treasure Island”. When we think of pirates, we think of swashbuckling rouges with an eye
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Why is the presidential inauguration on January 20th? Inauguration day is on January 20th because the 20th Amendment to the Constitution changed it in 1933. The new president of the United States of America is sworn in on January 20th. There is a big spectacle, which is attended by thousands of people. The president swears
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What are war bonds? War bonds are a way of raising money to fight a war from the citizens of that country, and a way of keeping inflation under control. The first public war bonds were issued during World War 1. Without them, both of the wars might have been lost. Despite the technological advances
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Is there any basis to the legend of Atlantis? No, there is no basis to the legend of Atlantis. It was invented by Plato to serve a purpose in his writings and was not based on anything. There was an event that could have been an inspiration for Atlantis, but there is no direct connection.
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When was the compass invented? The compass was invented in China in the 4th century BC. However, it wasn’t used for navigation until over a thousand years later, also in China. A compass works because our planet has a magnetic field. The magnetic field is generated by the spinning ball of iron at the center
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When was the first postal service? There have been postal services for thousands of years, but they took on a very different form to the modern postal service. The concept behind the modern postal service started in the 19th century. Since people have been able to write, there has been a need to send and
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When did people start playing board games? The first board games were played in Egypt roughly 5,500 years ago. We have probably all played board games at some time in our lives. Christmas isn’t really Christmas without a game of Pictionary or Monopoly. Incidentally, Monopoly is considered the best-selling board game of all time, but
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Why was Genghis Khan so effective? Genghis Khan was effective because of his military strategy, but also because he could take advantage of the natural abilities of the Mongols he commanded and of the weaknesses of the enemies he faced. Genghis Khan was born in 1162. His birth name was Temūjin, and he was the
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Why do churches have stained glass windows? The stained glass windows in churches were used to display religious stories to educate the congregation. They were also used because plate glass windows were not possible at such a large scale. And they were possibly used to show off the wealth and the power of the church.
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