How did the Polynesians navigate? They used star compasses, maps of waves made using sticks, clouds, the color of the sky, and birds. From about 5,000 years ago, groups of people started to spread out from Taiwan into South East Asia. These were the people we call Polynesians. By 1200 AD, they had spread across […]
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What was the Carrington Event? It was the largest ever geomagnetic storm in recorded history? The Carrington Event lasted from the 1st to the 2nd of September 1859. It was observed by an amateur astronomer called Richard Christopher Carrington; hence its name, and it was caused by a very bright solar flare. From August of
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How did the Black Death change society? It ended serfdom and slavery, improved worker conditions, brought a recession, harmed religion, increased antisemitism, improved medical practice, improved women’s rights, and changed the world of art and fashion. There were three major plagues, but let’s look at the middle one, the one that is most famous. It
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How did the Black Death spread? It was spread by people along trade routes. The Black Death is another name for bubonic plague, which is caused by a bacteria called Yersinia pestis. Y. pestis generally lives in fleas that feed on rats. When the flea bites the rat, the bacteria passes into the rat’s blood.
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When was shampoo invented? It was invented in India in about 1500. Our hair gets dirty because we secrete an oil called sebum which protects the structure of the hair and stops it from breaking. However, this oil can build up and other things can stick in it, such as dirt. It also has an
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Why do we say boycott? The word comes from a British land agent who lived in Ireland. His name was Captain Charles Cunningham Boycott. He was born in England in 1832. He joined the army when his family paid for his commission in 1850. He was not able to join on the strength of his
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When was the Roman forum built? In the 7th century BC. The beginning of the Roman forum is difficult to get a grip on because the Romans liked to embellish the legend of the formation of Rome. The legend is that Rome was founded by the brothers Romulus and Remus in 753 BC. The brothers
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Why did the Mayan civilization collapse? Probably because of overpopulation, environmental damage, war, and extended drought. The Mayan people lived in an area that is where southeastern Mexico and northern Central America are today. People started living there in about 8000 BC. By 2000 BC the Maya were settled and farming the land. From about
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When was the penny first used? The first coin to be called a penny was in 790, but the word meant “all money” and not just one coin. There are several currencies across the world that use “penny” for their smallest coin. In the UK there is a one penny coin. In the United States
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How long has the Sahara been a desert? Possibly for 4.6 million years, but maybe as long as 7 million years., The Sahara goes through a 41,000-year cycle. The Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert on Earth. The largest deserts are actually the Antarctic and the Arctic deserts. The Sahara is 9.2 million square
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