While Johann Sebastian Bach’s music has been praised for its genius in the popular press, Bach would have been perplexed and probably appalled at the notion that he had “superhuman” creative capacities. Of all the really great contributors to societies throughout the world, most did not see themselves as anything great at all. To Read … Continue reading
Ten Days Lost From the Calendar Forever What if you went to sleep and woke up ten days later? It happened to millions of people in Europe in October of 1582, and some of them were quite upset about it. To Read the Full Article, Download File: Disappearing Days … Continue reading
In the early 1600s, Great Britain and Holland were vying for control over the very valuable Spice Islands in the East Indies. All but forgotten today, these tiny islands were at one time considered as prized possessions because of the nutmeg and cloves that could be found there and no where else. The British and … Continue reading
“This is the beverage of the friends of God.” In Praise of Coffee Arabic Poem 1511 A. D. When you drink your morning cup of coffee tomorrow, say thanks to the pope who made it all possible. A coffee craze first gripped the world about six hundred years ago in the Middle East. Some of … Continue reading
How a thirst for beer played a role in the colonizing of America The Mayflower was headed for Virginia when heavy storms and high winds blew it off course. The ship ended up hitting the shore of Massachusetts. Rather than heading south to find a better location for their colony, the Pilgrims put ashore at … Continue reading
In the year 1585, Sir Walter Raleigh organized a British expedition to establish a new colony in Virginia on the eastern shore of the North American Continent. Raleigh sent along twenty-five-year-old Thomas Hariot as a historian and surveyor. Hariot spent a year at the Roanoke Colony and wrote a report detailing his experiences. This publication … Continue reading
In September of 1945 World War II ended with the unconditional surrender of the Empire of Japan. Germany had preceded the Japanese surrender the previous May. Multiple thousands of soldiers, sailors, and airmen came victoriously marching home to their own families, loved ones, and wives or girlfriends. These war veterans were more than ready to … Continue reading
One of the great lessons of life that my father taught me as a young teenager was the importance of me finding and reading Good Books as well as The Good Book (The Holy Bible). I am so grateful that I followed his advice. Following his guidance has been one of the greatest things that … Continue reading
In all of the traveling social circles and histories of the the entire world, one name fails to stand out more than that of Ibn Battuta. You see, this discussion will revolve around the one man, the greatest traveler that you have never heard of before. A quick review of world history will uncover the … Continue reading
The Murderous Prince Who Will Live In Legend Forever The Shocking Story of a Monster and Berserker Called Dracula In the decade of the 1450s A. D. there lived a prince known as Vlad the Impaler. This prince was ruler of Walachia, a small principality in what is now Romania. Much of what we know … Continue reading
