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Which US president ended his country's participation in the Vietnam War? | Which US president ended his country's participation in the Vietnam War? View the step-by-step solution to: Which US president ended his country's participation in the Vietnam War? This question was answered on Jun 08, 2016. View the Answer Which US president ended his country's participation in the Vietnam War? WmLittle posted a question · Jun 08, 2016 at 6:58am Top Answer The way to answer this question is ... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29995166) ]} lewismrk557 answered the question · Jun 08, 2016 at 6:59am Other Answers president Gerald Ford .... The end of the Vietnam War on April 30, 1975, was a much-anticipated and emotionally fraught event... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(30005967) ]} View Full Answer or ask a new question Related Questions The late 1960s and 1970s were turbulent years both at home and abroad for the United States. Evaluate the failures and successes of the Nixon presidency during Recently Asked Questions Need a World History tutor? mathtutor1983 3 World History experts found online! Average reply time is less than an hour Get Homework Help Why Join Course Hero? Course Hero has all the homework and study help you need to succeed! We’ve got course-specific notes, study guides, and practice tests along with expert tutors and customizable flashcards—available anywhere, anytime. - - Study Documents Find the best study resources around, tagged to your specific courses. Share your own to gain free Course Hero access or to earn money with our Marketplace. - Question & Answers Get one-on-one homework help from our expert tutors—available online 24/7. Ask your own questions or browse existing Q&A threads. Satisfaction guaranteed! - Flashcards Browse existing sets or create your own using our digital flashcard system. A simple yet effective studying tool to help you earn the grade that you want! |
What was the first considerable engagement in the American Revolution? | Chapter 3: The American Revolution: The First Phase The American Revolution: First Phase The American Revolution came about, fundamentally, because by 1763 the English-speaking communities on the far side of the Atlantic had matured to an extent that their interests and goals were distinct from those of the ruling classes in the mother country. British statesmen failed to understand or adjust to the situation. Ironically enough, British victory in the Seven Years' War set the stage for the revolt, for it freed the colonists from the need for British protection against a French threat on their frontiers and gave free play to the forces working for separation. In 1763 the British Government, reasonably from its point of view, moved to tighten the system of imperial control and to force the colonists to contribute to imperial defense, proposing to station 10,000 soldiers along the American frontiers and to have the Americans pay part of the bill. This imperial defense plan touched off the long controversy about Parliament's right to tax that started with the Stamp and Sugar Acts and ended in December 1773, when a group of Bostonians unceremoniously dumped a cargo of British tea into the city harbor in protest against the latest reminder of the British effort to tax. In this 10-year controversy the several British ministries failed to act either firmly enough to enforce British regulations or wisely enough to develop a more viable form of imperial union, which the colonial leaders, at least until 1776, insisted that they sought. In response to the Boston Tea Party, the king and his ministers blindly pushed through Parliament a series of measures collectively known in America as the Intolerable Acts, closing the port of Boston, placing Massachusetts under the military rule of Maj. Gen. Sir Thomas Gage, and otherwise infringing on what the colonists deemed to be their rights and interests. Since 1763 the colonial leaders, in holding that only their own popular assemblies, not the British Parliament, had a right to levy taxes on Americans, had raised the specter of an arbitrary British Government collecting taxes in America to support red-coated Regulars who might be used not to protect the frontiers but to suppress American liberties. Placing Massachusetts under military rule gave that specter some substance and led directly to armed revolt. The Outbreak The First Continental Congress meeting at Philadelphia on September 5, 1774, addressed respectful petitions to Parliament and king but also adopted nonimportation and nonexportation agreements in an effort to coerce the British Government into repealing the offending measures. To enforce these agreements, committees were formed in almost every county, town, and city throughout the colonies, and in each colony these committees soon became the effective local authorities, the base of a pyramid of revolutionary organizations with revolutionary assemblies, congresses, or conventions, and committees of safety at the top. This loosely knit combination of de facto governments superseded the constituted authorities and established firm control over the whole country before the British were in any position to oppose them. The de facto governments took over control of the militia, and out of it began to shape forces that, if the necessity arose, might oppose the British in the field. In Massachusetts, the seat of the crisis, the Provincial Congress, eyeing Gage's force in Boston, directed the officers in each town to enlist a third of their militia in minutemen organizations to be ready to act at a moment's warning, and began to collect ammunition and other military stores. It established a major depot for these stores at Concord, about twenty miles northwest of Boston. General Gage learned of the collection of military stores at Concord and determined to send a force of Redcoats to destroy them. His preparations were made with the utmost s |
Who succeeded Henry I as king of England in 1135? | Henry (1068 - 1135) - Genealogy Genealogy Join the world's largest family tree Gender Henry I "Beauclerc", King of England London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom Henry I "Beauclerc", King of England's Geni Profile Share your family tree and photos with the people you know and love Build your family tree online Share photos and videos French: Henri, Danish: Henrik, Latin: Henricus, German: Heinrich, Spanish: Enrique, Portuguese: Henrique, Dutch: Hendrik Also Known As: Selby, North Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom Death: in Saint-Denis-le-Ferment, Department de Eure, Haute Normandie, France Cause of death: Reading Abbey, Reading, Berkshire, England Immediate Family: Brother of Robert II "Curthose", duke of Normandy ; Adelizia de Normandie, Princess of England ; Cecilia, Abbess of Holy Trinity ; Richard ; Agatha de Normandie, Princess of England and 5 others ; Anna de Normandie, Princess of England ; Constance, Duchess Consort of Brittany ; Adela, countess of Blois ; Matilda and William II "Rufus", King of England « less Occupation: King of England, Roi d'Angleterre de 1100 à 1135-Duc de Normandie, King of the English Duke of Normandy, Duke of the Normans, Kung av England och Hertig av Normandie, Duke of Normandy King of England, King, kung, KING OF ENGLAND, 1100-1135, King Henry I Managed by: http://genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00000238&tree=LEO Called "Beauclerc because of his study habits (Beauclerc meaning well-learnt, scholarly, erudite) Il est aussi connu sous le nom de Henri Ier de Normandie, roi d'Angleterre et Henri Ier, roi d' Angleterre dit le Beau Clerc. En 1106, il est connu sous le nom de Henri Ier, duc de Normandie dit Beauclerc. Henry I 'Beauclerc', King of England gained the title of Lord of Domfront in 1092 Comte de Coutances in 1096 Comte de Bayeux in 1096 King Henry I of England on 2 August 1100. He was crowned King of England on 5 August 1100 in Westminster Abbey, Westminster, London, Married First: Eadgyth renamed on marriage Mathilda of Scotland He had 2 wives, Eadgyth of Scotland who changed her name to Matilda mother of Euphemia (unconfirmed), Matilda & William and Adelisa de Louvain who married William d'Aubigny on Henry's death He also had many mistresses (or concubines) as follows: 1 Unknown woman from Caen mother of Robert de Caen aka Robert FitzRoy, Earl of Gloucester 2 Edith Unknown mother of Mathilde w/o Routrou de Perche 3 Ansfride widow of Anskill mother of Richard, Juliane & Foulques 4 Unknown mother of Sybil Queen of Scotland & William 5 Sibyl Corbet married Herbert FitzHerbert mother of Renaud de Dunstanville, William, & Gundred, Rohese 6 Edith FitzForne d/o Forn Sigurdson Lord of Greystoke, Cumberland married Robert De Oilly of Hook Norton mother of Robert FitzEdith 7 - 12 All Unknown. Mothers to: * Maud (m. Conan III Duke of Brittany), *Alix (m. MATHIEU [I] de Montmorency) *Constance (Mathilde) (m ROSCELIN Vicomte de Beaumont) *Mathilde abbess of Montvilliers *Gilbert *William de Tracy 13 Nest of South Wales wife of Gerald FitzWalter of Windsor d/o Rhys apTewdwr Prince of South Wales and Gwladus mother of Henry 14 Unknown mother of unknown daughter (m GUILLAUME [III] Goët de Montmirail) 15 Isabelle de Beaumont d/o Robert de Beaumont Comte de Meulan, Earl of Leicester and Isabelle de Vermandois and wife of Gilbert FitzGilbert de Clare Earl of Pembroke mother of Isabel Please do not merge Named Mistresses as Unknown Mistresses ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The fourth son of William I the Conqueror the first King of England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Henry I 'Beauclerc', King of England gained the title of Lord of Domfront in 1092. He gained the title of Comte de Coutances in 1096. He gained the title of Comte de Bayeaux in 1096. He succeeded to the title of King Henry I of England on 2 August 1100. He was c |
In which war was the Battle of Shiloh? | Battle of Shiloh Video - American Civil War History - HISTORY.com American Civil War History American Civil War History Videos Battle of Shiloh At Shiloh, Tennessee in April of 1862, a Confederate surprise attack backfires when the Union holds firm at the "Hornet's Nest." Battle of Shiloh (3 min) tv-pg At Shiloh, Tennessee in April of 1862, a Confederate surprise attack backfires when the Union holds firm at the "Hornet's Nest." Videos © 2017, A&E Television Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved. We know you love history. Sign up for more! Get the Inside HISTORY newsletter for in-depth historical articles and videos. Please enter a valid email address By submitting your information, you agree to receive emails from HISTORY and A+E Networks. You can opt out at any time. More details: Contact Us You're almost done! You will soon receive an activation email. Once you click on the link, you will be added to our list. If you do not receive this email, please contact us . To ensure delivery to your inbox, add us to your address book . Oops, there's a problem. This email address has previously opted out from receiving any emails from HISTORY and/or A+E Networks. If you changed your mind, please contact us . You have already subscribed to this list. If you completed your subscription and still have not received an email, please contact us . Oops, there's a problem. |
Which treaty after World War I established the League of Nations? | Milestones: 1914–1920 - Office of the Historian Milestones: 1914–1920 The League of Nations, 1920 The League of Nations was an international organization, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, created after the First World War to provide a forum for resolving international disputes. Though first proposed by President Woodrow Wilson as part of his Fourteen Points plan for an equitable peace in Europe, the United States never became a member. Cartoon critizing U.S. lack of participation in the League of Nations Speaking before the U.S. Congress on January 8, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson enumerated the last of his Fourteen Points , which called for a “general association of nations…formed under specific covenants for the purpose of affording mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike.” Many of Wilson’s previous points would require regulation or enforcement. In calling for the formation of a "general association of nations," Wilson voiced the wartime opinions of many diplomats and intellectuals on both sides of the Atlantic who believed there was a need for a new type of standing international organization dedicated to fostering international cooperation, providing security for its members, and ensuring a lasting peace. With Europe’s population exhausted by four years of total war, and with many in the United States optimistic that a new organization would be able to solve the international disputes that had led to war in 1914, Wilson’s articulation of a League of Nations was wildly popular. However, it proved exceptionally difficult to create, and Wilson left office never having convinced the United States to join it. David Lloyd George of the United Kingdom The idea of the League was grounded in the broad, international revulsion against the unprecedented destruction of the First World War and the contemporary understanding of its origins. This was reflected in all of Wilson’s Fourteen Points, which were themselves based on theories of collective security and international organization debated amongst academics, jurists, socialists and utopians before and during the war. After adopting many of these ideas, Wilson took up the cause with evangelical fervor, whipping up mass enthusiasm for the organization as he traveled to the Paris Peace Conference in January 1919, the first President to travel abroad in an official capacity. Wilson used his tremendous influence to attach the Covenant of the League, its charter, to the Treaty of Versailles . An effective League, he believed, would mitigate any inequities in the peace terms. He and the other members of the “Big Three,” Georges Clemenceau of France and David Lloyd George of the United Kingdom, drafted the Covenant as Part I of the Treaty of Versailles. The League’s main organs were an Assembly of all members, a Council made up of five permanent members and four rotating members, and an International Court of Justice. Most important for Wilson, the League would guarantee the territorial integrity and political independence of member states, authorize the League to take “any action…to safeguard the peace,” establish procedures for arbitration, and create the mechanisms for economic and military sanctions. Georges Clemenceau of France The struggle to ratify the |
In which year did the Korean War break out? | Why did the Korean War break out in 1950 Why did the Korean War break out in 1950? Summary The Korean War was an episode in the Cold War. It seemed to be a war between South and North Korea, but America and Russia were using it to fight without having a �hot war�. The USA went to war in Korea for three reasons. The first reason was the �Domino theory� � China turned Communist in 1949 and Truman feared that the next �domino� would be Japan. The second was to undermine Communism and protect the American way of life � in 1950 the American National Security Council recommended that America start 'rolling back' Communism. Thirdly, Truman realised the USA was in a competition for world domination with the USSR. Russia went to war because Stalin wanted Communism to grow. In 1949, Kim Il Sung persuaded Stalin and Mao Tse Tung to support an invasion of South Korea. In 1950, Syngman Rhee threatened to attack North Korea. It was an excuse � the trigger for war: the NKPA invaded South Korea The underlying reason that the Korean War broke out was because it was just another episode in the ongoing Cold War between the USA and the USSR. On the surface, the Korean War seemed to be a war between South Korea and North Korea, but really the superpowers were just using it as a front to combat each other without actually going into a �hot war� which � as both had the atomic bomb � would have been MAD (mutually assured destruction). The USA went to war in Korea for three reasons. The first reason was the �Domino theory�. Salami tactics in eastern Europe was not the only place where Communists were coming to power. In the Far East, too, they were getting powerful � China turned Communist in 1949. Truman believed that, if one country fell to Communism, then others would follow, like a line of dominoes. He was worried that, if Korea fell, the next �domino� would be Japan, which was very important for American trade. This was probably the most important reason for America�s involvement in the war. The second reason was just to try to undermine Communism. President Truman believed that capitalism, freedom and the American way of life were in danger of being overrun by Communism. The Truman Doctrine had been one of �containment� � stopping the Communists gaining any more territory. In April 1950 the American National Security Council issued a report (NSC 68) recommending that America abandon 'containment' and start 'rolling back' Communism. This led Truman to consider driving the Communists out of North Korea. Finally, Truman realised the USA was in a competition for world domination with the USSR. By supporting South Korea, America was able to fight Communism without directly attacking Russia. The USSR, also, went to war because of the Cold War. Stalin wanted to see Communism expand as long as he did not get involved in a �hot war� with America. In 1949, Kim II Sung visited Stalin. He persuaded Stalin that he could conquer South Korea. Stalin did not think that America would get involved, so he gave his agreement. Kim II Sung also went to see Mao Tse Tung, the leader of China, to get his support. The trigger for the war was when, in 1950, Syngman Rhee boasted that he was going to attack North Korea. It was a good enough excuse � the North Koreans invaded South Korea. This started the actual fighting. |
What is the official residence of the president of France? | Palais de l’Elysee Presidential Elysee Palace In Paris France Contact us This wealthy banker wanted the Hotel d’Evreux to house his collection of paintings and he hired the architect Etienne-Louis Boullee to make many different alterations to the building and transform the gardens, but it was then purchased by the Duchess of Bourbon in 1787 who then named it the Elysee. The next stage of the Palais de l’Elysee Palace During the French Revolution, the Elysee Palace was confiscated and then leased out, but in 1803 was sold to Joachim Murat who was Marshal of France and future King of Naples, then in 1808 it was purchased by Napoleon Bonaparte I . However, a few years later it was then returned back to the Duchess of Bourbon, who then subsequently sold the Palais Elysee to King Louis XVIII in 1816 and from then was starting to be used a guest residence for important foreign visitors. Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, who was the ruler of the Second Empire and of the French Republic resided at this palace in Paris and made some renovations, and then Marshal Macmahon, who was the President of the Third Republic of France then made the Palais de l’Elysee the official residence of the president in the 1870s. The Palais Elysee Official Residence of the French Presidents From this era of the Third Republic, the Palais Elysees became the official residence of the Presidents of France, such as President Raymond Poincare, President Paul Deschanel, etc, but was completely deserted during World War II. It was then reoccupied by the President of the provisional government, Vincent Auriol of the fourth French Republic in 1946 and then by Rene Coty who resigned to General Charles de Gaulle , who became the first President of the Fifth Republic. However, according to many reports, Charles de Gaulle did not like the idea that foreign state officials used to stay at the Palais Elysees because it was a bit too personal, and therefore the state purchased the Hotel de Marigny as the guest residence for kings and other state officials that were visiting Paris . And yet again, according to many sources, the President Francois Mitterrand preferred to stay at his own private residence rather than the official Palais de l’Elysee, but President Jacques Chirac did reside here with his wife throughout his term in office and there was always an official Bastille Day party held within the grounds of this palace in Paris. But when the President Nicolas Sarkozy took over, he put a stop to these festivities as a symbol of the economic crisis that France was going through, in order to reduce the financial burden, yet the palace would still the official home of the president of France. About The Palais de l’Elysee Palace in Paris Today As you can no doubt imagine, this is a heavily guarded mansion house and palace in Paris that has the same role since the 1800s, as the official residence of the President of France and therefore is a place not normally open to the public. However, if you are lucky enough to step inside and experience this wonderful mansion, you will find that there is a vast amount of different styles, where former residents have left their mark on designs, decor and their own personal tastes. To give you an idea, there is a very exquisite and lavish ballroom that is used for official ceremonies, which dates back to the 1800s, and a library that was originally an office on the ground floor along with a dining room that looks like it came out of the 1970s. On the second floor are meeting rooms and even though some have been renovated, there are still the rooms with wood panelling, portraits, tapestries and much more, which are no doubted there as reminders of its heritage and past. Of course, there are also the gardens to admire along with the facade and the fabulous entrance to the Elysee Palace in Paris with its monumental gate, and yet, because of its status plus its heritage, unfortunately this tourist attraction in Paris is not open every day to the public. Access to the Palais de l’Elysee Palace in Paris Even though this mansion house is normall |
Who set out his political ideas in Mein Kampf? | Hitler's political ideas - The Holocaust Explained Website Think! Now you have read the section on antisemitism, reflect: Why do you think Hitler and others might have thought that the Jews were conspiring to rule the world for themselves? Why might Hitler have linked communism and Jews? Why did the Nazis want to rid Germany of mentally and physically disabled people? Want to know more? If you would like to know more about this subject you can find out more on the KS3 version of the site. Click here to visit the KS3 antisemitism pages. Mein Kampf While in prison, Hitler wrote his book Mein Kampf, in which he set out his political ideas and developed his antisemitic ideas. Mein Kampf did not contain any new ideas. Many people in the 19th and 20th centuries had believed that races were not equal, and that some people were stronger or better than others. Hitler took on these ideas, and stated that Germans were part of a race called ‘Aryans’ who were superior to all others and would one day rule the world. Aryans were said to have blonde hair and blue eyes and be of North European descent. In Hitler’s view, Jews were a separate race and could not be German. He believed the Jews conspired against Aryans to rule the world for themselves. Hitler also believed that communism was a huge threat to Germany and should be destroyed. He thought that communism was a Jewish invention and that was another reason why he hated the Jews. Hitler also wanted to rid Germany of the mentally and physically disabled, because they were seen as imperfect and also a drain on the resources of the ‘master race’. This month in history |
Who preceded Ronald Reagan as American president? | Ronald Reagan | whitehouse.gov Air Force One Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan, originally an American actor and politician, became the 40th President of the United States serving from 1981 to 1989. His term saw a restoration of prosperity at home, with the goal of achieving "peace through strength" abroad. At the end of his two terms in office, Ronald Reagan viewed with satisfaction the achievements of his innovative program known as the Reagan Revolution, which aimed to reinvigorate the American people and reduce their reliance upon Government. He felt he had fulfilled his campaign pledge of 1980 to restore "the great, confident roar of American progress and growth and optimism." On February 6, 1911, Ronald Wilson Reagan was born to Nelle and John Reagan in Tampico, Illinois. He attended high school in nearby Dixon and then worked his way through Eureka College. There, he studied economics and sociology, played on the football team, and acted in school plays. Upon graduation, he became a radio sports announcer. A screen test in 1937 won him a contract in Hollywood. During the next two decades he appeared in 53 films. From his first marriage to actress Jane Wyman, he had two children, Maureen and Michael. Maureen passed away in 2001. In 1952 he married Nancy Davis, who was also an actress, and they had two children, Patricia Ann and Ronald Prescott. As president of the Screen Actors Guild, Reagan became embroiled in disputes over the issue of Communism in the film industry; his political views shifted from liberal to conservative. He toured the country as a television host, becoming a spokesman for conservatism. In 1966 he was elected Governor of California by a margin of a million votes; he was re-elected in 1970. Ronald Reagan won the Republican Presidential nomination in 1980 and chose as his running mate former Texas Congressman and United Nations Ambassador George Bush. Voters troubled by inflation and by the year-long confinement of Americans in Iran swept the Republican ticket into office. Reagan won 489 electoral votes to 49 for President Jimmy Carter. On January 20, 1981, Reagan took office. Only 69 days later he was shot by a would-be assassin, but quickly recovered and returned to duty. His grace and wit during the dangerous incident caused his popularity to soar. Dealing skillfully with Congress, Reagan obtained legislation to stimulate economic growth, curb inflation, increase employment, and strengthen national defense. He embarked upon a course of cutting taxes and Government expenditures, refusing to deviate from it when the strengthening of defense forces led to a large deficit. A renewal of national self-confidence by 1984 helped Reagan and Bush win a second term with an unprecedented number of electoral votes. Their victory turned away Democratic challengers Walter F. Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro. In 1986 Reagan obtained an overhaul of the income tax code, which eliminated many deductions and exempted millions of people with low incomes. At the end of his administration, the Nation was enjoying its longest recorded period of peacetime prosperity without recession or depression. In foreign policy, Reagan sought to achieve "peace through strength." During his two terms he increased defense spending 35 percent, but sought to improve relations with the Soviet Union. In dramatic meetings with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, he negotiated a treaty that would eliminate intermediate-range nuclear missiles. Reagan declared war against international terrorism, sending American bombers against Libya after evidence came out that Libya was involved in an attack on American soldiers in a West Berlin nightclub. By ordering naval escorts in the Persian Gulf, he maintained the free flow of oil during the Iran-Iraq war. In keeping with the Reagan Doctrine, he gave support to anti-Communist insurgencies in Central America, Asia, and Africa. Overall, the Reagan years saw a restoration of prosperity, and the goal of peace through strength seemed to be within grasp. The Presidential biographies on WhiteHouse.gov are from “The |
In which year was Ulster incorporated into the UK, under the Home Rule Act? | BBC - History - British History in depth: Irish Home Rule: An imagined future Print this page Self-government The casual observer could be forgiven for thinking that the picture entitled ‘King George and Queen Mary Opening the New Irish Parliament’ was a faithful representation of actual events. But, in fact, the occasion never happened. The image was instead one of a number of propaganda postcards produced in the years before World War One in which various artists tried to imagine what Ireland would be like under Home Rule. Yet even though Home Rule was never achieved, this image is much more than just a historical curiosity. Pictures like this help us to make the imaginative leap back to a time in Ireland’s history when the establishment of a Home Rule parliament in Dublin was to the majority of Irish people a real and immediate prospect. As one English journalist visiting Ireland in 1893 (the year of the second Home Rule Bill) recorded: 'self-government was the only topic of conversation in hotels, railway carriages, tramcars, and on the steps of the temples, at the corners of the streets, in the music halls.' Charles Stewart Parnell © Between 1801 and 1922 Ireland formed a constituent part of the United Kingdom. At various intervals during this time, attempts were made to destabilise Anglo-Irish relations. Rebellions were launched in 1803, 1848, 1867, and 1916 to try and end British rule over Ireland. Daniel O’Connell in the 1830-1840s campaigned to repeal the Act of Union. But from the 1870s onwards Irish Nationalists (under Isaac Butt) favoured Home Rule. It was not until 1886, however, that the first attempt to legislate Home Rule was made. Nineteen years were to pass before another Home Rule Bill was introduced. The Liberal government, led by WE Gladstone and supported by the Irish Parliamentary Party under Charles Stewart Parnell, introduced a Home Rule bill in the House of Commons. British and Irish Unionists (so-called because they defended the union of 1801) defeated it. By the time another bill was introduced in 1893, Parnell was dead (having earlier been deposed following a messy divorce scandal) and his followers were acrimoniously divided. Gladstone’s second attempt was passed by the House of Commons, but was rejected by the House of Lords. Nineteen years were to pass before another Home Rule Bill was introduced in 1912. The Home Rule Bill This bill proposed the creation of a bi-cameral legislative assembly subordinate to the imperial parliament in London. It had carefully circumscribed powers over domestic issues and numerous constitutional safeguards to protect Protestants. But while the debate at Westminster focused on Home Rule finance and the protection of minorities, the discussion on the streets of Dublin, Belfast, Cork and elsewhere reflected more personal hopes, fears, and aspirations for the future. Nationalist politicians described Home Rule as the 'promised land'. The cause of Irish self-government was certainly interwoven with centuries-old memories of Catholic dispossession and Protestant ascendancy on the one hand and popish plots and moonlit intimidation on the other. Sectarian riots raged after a Catholic allegedly told a Protestant that none of "his sort" would find a job under Home Rule. Accordingly, expectations that a Dublin parliament would right old wrongs or settle old scores flourished. In 1886, for instance, sectarian riots in Belfast raged for several months after a Catholic docker allegedly told a Protestant worker that none of ‘his sort’ would find employment under Home Rule. Similarly, an English visitor to Ireland in 1893 encountered wildly optimistic expectations among Catholics and Nationalists: ‘Every man … [possessed] a visionary scheme of which he had all the absurd particulars.' Accordingly, advocates of Home Rule were aware of the need to manage popular expectations, as one argued in 1914: ‘In an autonomous Ireland public life would not be all nougat, velvet, and soft music. There will be … vehement conflicts, for that is the way of the twentieth century.' To |
What name is shared by the chairs of the UK House of Commons and the US House of Representatives? | Office and Role of Speaker - UK Parliament Office and Role of Speaker History of the Speakership Office and Role of Speaker The Speaker of the House of Commons chairs debates in the Commons chamber. The holder of this office is an MP who has been elected to be Speaker by other Members of Parliament. During debates they keep order and call MPs to speak. The Speaker is the chief officer and highest authority of the House of Commons and must remain politically impartial at all times. The Speaker also represents the Commons to the monarch, the Lords and other authorities and chairs the House of Commons Commission. The current Speaker is John Bercow, MP for Buckingham. Chairing debates in the House of Commons The Speaker is perhaps best known as the person who keeps order and calls MPs to speak during Commons debates. The Speaker calls MPs in turn to give their opinion on an issue. MPs signal that they want to speak by standing up from their seat (a custom known as 'catching the Speaker's eye') or they can notify the Speaker in advance by writing. The Speaker has full authority to make sure MPs follow the rules of the House during debates. This can include: directing an MP to withdraw remarks if, for example, they use abusive language suspending the sitting of the House due to serious disorder suspending MPs who are deliberately disobedient - known as naming asking MPs to be quiet so Members can be heard Election of the Speaker John Bercow was elected House of Commons Speaker on 22 June 2009 . The Speaker was elected using an exhaustive secret ballot system, the first time this procedure had been used for the election of a Speaker. Election process MPs are given a list of candidates and place an x next to the candidate of their choice if a candidate receives more than 50 per cent of the votes, the question is put to the House that he or she takes the chair as Speaker if no candidate does so, the candidate with the fewest votes, and those with less than five per cent of the vote, are eliminated in addition, any candidate may withdraw within 10 minutes of the announcement of the result of a ballot MPs then vote again on the reduced slate of candidates and continue doing so until one candidate receives more than half the votes Politically impartial Speakers must be politically impartial. Therefore, on election the new Speaker must resign from their political party and remain separate from political issues even in retirement. However, the Speaker will deal with their constituents' problems like a normal MP. Speakers and general elections Speakers still stand in general elections. They are generally unopposed by the major political parties, who will not field a candidate in the Speaker's constituency - this includes the original party they were a member of. During a general election, Speakers do not campaign on any political issues but simply stand as 'the Speaker seeking re-election'. |
Which is the lower house of the British parliament? | House of Commons | British government | Britannica.com British government Diane Abbott House of Commons, also called Commons, popularly elected legislative body of the bicameral British Parliament . Although it is technically the lower house, the House of Commons is predominant over the House of Lords , and the name “Parliament” is often used to refer to the House of Commons alone. Learn about the evolution of the House of Commons, the role of its members, and how those members … © UK Parliament Education Service (A Britannica Publishing Partner) Chamber of the House of Commons in the Houses of Parliament, London. Rolf Richardson—Spectrum Colour Library/Heritage-Images History The origins of the House of Commons date from the second half of the 13th century, when landholders and other property owners in the counties and towns began sending representatives to Parliament to present grievances and petitions to the king and to accept commitments to the payment of taxes. In the 14th century the knights and burgesses chosen as representatives (i.e., the commons) began sitting in a separate chamber, or “house,” from that used by the nobles and high clergy (i.e., the lords). Night view of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, London. © Thinkstock Images/Jupiterimages The House of Lords was initially the more powerful of the two houses, but over the centuries its powers gradually diminished. By the late 17th century, the House of Commons had gained the sole right to initiate taxation measures. The House of Lords retained its veto power over bills passed by the Commons, however, and in 1832 the only recourse of the Liberal Party government was to threaten to flood the House of Lords with new Liberal peers in order to prevent it from rejecting that government’s Reform Bill . Eighty years later the same threat was used, again by a Liberal government, to compel the Lords to approve the Parliament Act of 1911 , which enabled a majority of the House of Commons to override the Lords’ rejection of a bill. Under this act, the House of Lords lost the power to delay legislation passed by the Commons for the raising and spending of revenue; it also lost the power to delay other legislation for a period beyond two years (reduced in 1949 to one year). The act also reduced the maximum duration of a parliamentary session to five years. Historical consideration of London’s Houses of Parliament. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. National Convention The membership of the House of Commons stood at 658 from 1801—when Great Britain and Ireland were united by the Act of Union to form the United Kingdom—until 1885, when it was increased to 670. In 1918 it was increased to 707. It was also changed under subsequent acts. At the general election in May 2010, 650 members were returned—533 from England, 59 from Scotland, 40 from Wales, and 18 from Northern Ireland . Each constituency returns a single member. William Pitt the Younger addressing the House of Commons, 1793. © Photos.com/Jupiterimages Despite its large membership, the chamber of the House of Commons seats only 427 persons. After it was destroyed by a German bomb during World War II , there was considerable discussion about enlarging the chamber and replacing its traditional rectangular structure with a semicircular design. Among those who argued against this proposal was Winston Churchill , who maintained that a semicircular chamber appeals to political theorists, enables every individual or group to move round the centre, adopting various shades of pink according as the weather changes.…A chamber formed on the lines of the House of Commons should not be big enough to contain all its members at once without overcrowding, and there should be no question of every member having a separate seat reserved for him. If the House is big enough for all its members, nine-tenths of its debates will be conducted in the depressing atmosphere of an almost empty or half-empty Chamber.…[T]here should be on great occasions a sense of crowd and urgency. Britannica Stories The chamber was rebuilt in 1950 to match its |
"Of what electoral system are ""single transferable vote"" and ""party list"" forms?" | Proportional Representation Systems Party List Voting Party list voting systems are by far the most common form of proportional representation. Over 80% of the PR systems used worldwide are some form of party list voting. It remains the system used in most European democracies and in many newly democratized countries, including South Africa. How It Works. Legislators are elected in large, multi-member districts. Each party puts up a list or slate of candidates equal to the number of seats in the district. Independent candidates may also run, and they are listed separately on the ballot as if they were their own party (see below). On the ballot, voters indicate their preference for a particular party and the parties then receive seats in proportion to their share of the vote. So in a five-member district, if the Democrats win 40% of the vote, they would win two of the five seats. The two winning Democratic candidates would be chosen according to their position on the list. There are two broad types of list systems: closed list and open list. In a closed list system--the original form of party list voting--the party fixes the order in which the candidates are listed and elected, and the voter simply casts a vote for the party as a whole. This is shown in the first ballot below, which illustrates an election for the House of Representatives in a five-seat district. Voters are not able to indicate their preference for any candidates on the list, but must accept the list in the order presented by the party. Winning candidates are selected in the exact order they appear on the original list. So in the example here, if the Democrats won two seats, the first two candidates on the pre-ordered list--Foster and Rosen-Amy--would be elected. Closed Party List Ballot Most European democracies now use the open list form of party list voting. This approach allows voters to express a preference for particular candidates, not just parties. It is designed to give voters some say over the order of the list and thus which candidates get elected. One version of this is illustrated in the ballot below. Voters are presented with unordered or random lists of candidates chosen in party primaries. Voters cannot vote for a party directly, but must cast a vote for an individual candidate. This vote counts for the specific candidate as well as for the party. So the order of the final list completely depends on the number of votes won by each candidate on the list. The most popular candidates rise to the top of the list and have a better chance of being elected. In our example, if the Democrats won 2 seats, and Volz and Gentzler received the highest and next highest number of individual votes, they would rise to the top of the list and be elected. This example is similar to the system used in Finland and widely considered to be the most open version of list voting. Open Party List Ballot A variety of different formulas exist for accomplishing the actual allocation of seats to the parties. One of the simplest seat allocation formulas is the called the "largest remainder formula." In this approach, the first step is to calculate a quota, which is determined by taking the total number of valid votes in the district and dividing this by the number of seats. In the example in the table below, 100,000 votes were cast and ten seats are to be filled. 100,000/10 = 10,000 � which is the quota. The quota is then divided into the vote that each party receives and the party wins one seat for each whole number produced. So the Republican party received 38,000 votes, which is divided by 10,000 to produce three seats � with a remainder of 8,000. After this first allocation of seats is complete than the remainder numbers for the parties are compared and the parties with the largest remainders are allocated the remaining seats. In our example, two seats remain to be allocated and the Republicans and Moll, the independent candidate, have the largest remainders, so they get the seats. Ultimately all the parties end up with the number of seats that as closely as pos |
Who was the USA's vice president in 1990? | George Bush - President of the United States (POTUS) George Bush Vice President: J. Danforth Quayle (1989-93) Cabinet: Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Jack Kemp (1989-93) George Bush -- from Table of Presidents and Vice Presidents of the United States - MSN Encarta Grolier Online has created this resource from its collection of print articles in Encyclopedia Americana. Contains a full biography, written by Donald Young, author of American Roulette: The History and Dilemma of the Vice Presidency, along with suggestions for further reading. George Bush -- from The American President From the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, in addition to information on the Presidents themselves, they have first lady and cabinet member biographies, listings of presidential staff and advisers, and timelines detailing significant events in the lives of each administration. |
Which prime minister took Britain into the European Community in 1973? | BBC ON THIS DAY | 1 | 1973: Britain joins the EEC 1973: Britain joins the EEC The United Kingdom has become a fully-fledged member of the European Economic Community. Ireland and Denmark also joined Britain in becoming the newest members of the community, bringing the total number of member states to nine. At midnight last night a Union Jack flag was raised at the EEC's headquarters in Brussels to mark the occasion. Celebrations were held in the city and one of Britain's new European Commissioners, George Thomson, joined revellers in a torch lit procession. Prime Minister Edward Heath is optimistic that Britain's membership of the community will bring prosperity to the country. He said: "It is going to be a gradual development and obviously things are not going to happen overnight. "But from the point of view of our everyday lives we will find there is a great cross-fertilisation of knowledge and information, not only in business but in every other sphere. "And this will enable us to be more efficient and more competitive in gaining more markets not only in Europe but in the rest of the world." More than 1,000 Britons will relocate to Brussels over the coming months to take up their places as civil servants of the community. Britain will be given four votes within the council, which proposes policies on issues ranging from the environment to public health. Membership applications by the UK to join the EEC were refused in 1963 and 1967 because the French President of the time Charles de Gaulle doubted the UK's political will. It is understood, however, his real fear was that English would suddenly become the common language of the community. |
What was enforced by Parliament in 1379 and was the trigger that caused the Peasants' Revolt? | BBC - History - British History in depth: Black Death: Political and Social Changes Print this page Social change Life in Britain in the fourteenth century was 'nasty, brutish and short', and it had been that way for the peasantry since long before the Black Death. Britain in the early fourteenth century was horrendously overpopulated. This was very good for the land-owning classes, since it meant that they had a vast reserve of inexpensive manpower upon which they could draw. In fact, there was such a surplus on manpower, that most landlords found it convenient to relax the old feudal labour dues owed to them on the grounds that men could always be found to perform them. Life in Britain in the Fourteenth Century was 'nasty, brutish and short.' This changed after 1348. We can see in the example of Farnham the immediate consequence of the plague: a slash in the cost of livestock and inflation in the cost of labour. This pattern was repeated up and down the country. The immediate reaction of the elite was to legislate against this. The Ordinance of Labourers was published on 18th June 1349, limiting the freedom of peasants to move around in search of the most lucrative work. This was promulgated through Parliament as the Statute of Labourers in 1351: It was lately ordained by our lord king, with the assent of the prelates, nobles and others of his council against the malice of employees, who were idle and were not willing to take employment after the pestilence unless for outrageous wages, that such employees, both men and women, should be obliged to take employment for the salary and wages accustomed to be paid in the place where they were working in the 20th year of the king's reign [1346], or five or six years earlier; and that if the same employees refused to accept employment in such a manner they should be punished by imprisonment, as is more clearly contained in the said ordinance. Statute of Labourers, 1351. Top Age of the yeomen? Up and coming yeomen © It failed. Skilled manpower was so short that no landlord could afford to ignore the strictures of the market. In Farnham, a carpenter who had been paid 3d. in 1346 was being paid 5d. by 1367, his mate had shot up from 1½d. to 4d., and most other workmen had added at least a penny to their wages. In fact, to those with the opportunity and ability to seize it, the Black Death presented a golden opportunity for advancement. John Ronewyk might have had to force several of his tenants to take over neighbouring land, but others like Robert Heningt were only too willing to step into dead men's shoes. Ronewyk himself took over the 5 acres of his neighbour, Richard atte fforde of Runwick, for the knock-down bargain price of 18d. Other peasants, like Walter Dolle and his fellow survivor at archbishop Edendon's manor of Upton, were able to renegotiate favourable labour dues. The yeomen and the gentry were the movers and shakers of their locality. With the de facto (if not de jure) freedom to move around and sell their labour, and the horrendously deflated prices of goods and land, those with the enterprise to do so were able to lift themselves out of the bonds of villeinage and make something of themselves. It is at this point that we see the emergence of the yeoman farmer: a peasant smallholder with up to 100 acres of land. These yeoman farmers were always a tiny minority. They were outnumbered hugely both by the gentry classes above them, and by the general peasantry below. Yet the weakening of lordship and the cheapness of land had provided conditions which the 'yeomen' and gentry were best positioned to exploit. They were the movers and shakers of their locality, enclosing land for sheep, establishing weaving mills and spending their new-found wealth on architectural memorials, both for this life and the next. Top Questioning the elites? A peasant house after the Black Death. © In 1371, an academic Oxford cleric called John Wycliffe was promoted into the government service of King Edward III. Desperate for cash to pursue the never-ending war with France, Edwa |
In which country did Pol Pot lead the feared Khmer Rouge? | Pol Pot - Leader of the Khmer Rouge Pol Pot Pol Pot Leader of the Khmer Rouge An interview with former Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot in the rebels' Cambodian stronghold of Anlgong Veng. Asked about his role in the killing of as many as two million Cambodians, Pol Pot said he did not wish to discuss the matter. (Jan. 8, 1998). (Photo By Getty Images) By Michael Richards, Contributing Writer Updated March 28, 2016. Who Was Pol Pot? As head of the Khmer Rouge, Pol Pot oversaw an unprecedented and extremely brutal attempt to remove Cambodia from the modern world and establish an agrarian utopia. While attempting to create this utopia, Pol Pot created the Cambodian Genocide, which lasted from 1975 to 1979 and caused the deaths of at least 1.5 million Cambodians out of a population of approximately 8 million. Dates: May 19, 1928 (1925?) – April 15, 1998 Also known as: Saloth Sar (born as); “brother number one” Childhood and Youth of Pol Pot The man who would later be known as Pol Pot was born as Saloth Sar on May 19, 1928, in the fishing village of Prek Sbauk, Kampong Thom province, in what was then French Indochina (now Cambodia ). His family, of Chinese-Khmer descent, was considered moderately well-to-do. They also had connections to the royal family: a sister was a concubine of the king, Sisovath Monivong, and a brother was a court official. In 1934, Pol Pot went to live with the brother in Phnom Penh, where he spent a year in a royal Buddhist monastery and then attended a Catholic school. continue reading below our video Profile of Pol Pot At age 14, he began high school in Kompong Cham. Pol Pot was, however, not a very successful student and switched to a technical school to study carpentry. In 1949, Pol Pot obtained a scholarship to study radio electronics in Paris. He enjoyed himself in Paris, gaining a reputation as something of a bon vivant, fond of dancing and drinking red wine. However, by his second year in Paris, Pol Pot had become friends with other students who were impassioned by politics. From these friends, Pol Pot encountered Marxism, joining the Cercle Marxiste (Marxist Circle of Khmer Students in Paris) and the French Communist Party. (Many of the other students whom he befriended during this period later became central figures in the Khmer Rouge.) After Pol Pot failed his examinations for the third year in a row, however, he had to return in January 1953 to what would shortly become Cambodia. Pol Pot Joins the Viet Minh As the first of the Cercle Marxiste to return to Cambodia, Pol Pot helped assess the different groups rebelling against the Cambodian government and recommended that returning members of the Cercle join the Khmer Viet Minh (or Moutakeaha). Although Pol Pot and other members of the Cercle disliked that the Khmer Viet Minh had heavy ties with Vietnam, the group felt that this Communist revolutionary organization was the one most likely to take action. In August 1953, Pol Pot left his home secretly and, without even telling his friends, headed to the Viet Minh’s Eastern Zone Headquarters, located near the village of Krabao. The camp was located in the forest and consisted of canvas tents that could be easily moved in case of an attack. Pol Pot (and eventually more of his Cercle friends) were dismayed to find the camp completely segregated, with Vietnamese as the high ranking members and Cambodians ( Khmers ) given just menial tasks. Pol Pot himself was assigned tasks such as farming and working in the mess hall. Still, Pol Pot watched and learned how the Viet Minh used propaganda and force to take control of peasant villages in the region. When the Khmer Viet Minh were forced to disband after the 1954 Geneva Accords ; Pol Pot and several of his friends headed back to Phnom Penh. The 1955 Election The 1954 Geneva Accords had temporarily quashed much of the revolutionary fervor within Cambodia and proclaimed a mandatory election in 1955. Pol Pot, who was now back in Phnom Penh, was determined to do what he could to influence the election. He thus infiltrated the Democratic Party in the hopes of b |
How often are American presidential elections held? | Presidential Elections - U.S. Presidents - HISTORY.com Presidential Elections A+E Networks Introduction Departing from the monarchical tradition of Britain, the founding fathers of the United States created a system in which the American people had the power and responsibility to select their leader. Under this new order, George Washington, the first U.S. president, was elected in 1789. At the time, only white men who owned property could vote, but the 15th, 19th and 26th Amendments to the Constitution have since expanded the right of suffrage to all citizens over 18. Taking place every four years, presidential campaigns and elections have evolved into a series of fiercely fought, and sometimes controversial, contests, now played out in the 24-hour news cycle.The stories behind each election—some ending in landslide victories, others decided by the narrowest of margins—provide a roadmap to the events of U.S. history. Google 1789: George Washington – unopposed The first presidential election was held on the first Wednesday of January in 1789. No one contested the election of George Washington , but he remained reluctant to run until the last minute, in part because he believed seeking the office would be dishonorable. Only when Alexander Hamilton and others convinced him that it would be dishonorable to refuse did he agree to run. The Constitution allowed each state to decide how to choose its presidential electors. In 1789, only Pennsylvania and Maryland held elections for this purpose; elsewhere, the state legislatures chose the electors. This method caused some problems in New York , which was so divided between Federalists who supported the new Constitution and Antifederalists who opposed it that the legislature failed to choose either presidential electors or U.S. senators. Before the adoption of the Twelfth Amendment, each elector cast two votes for president. The candidate with a majority won the presidency, and the runner-up became vice president. Most Federalists agreed that John Adams should be vice president. But Hamilton feared that if Adams was the unanimous choice, he would end in a tie with Washington and might even become president, an outcome that would be highly embarrassing for both Washington and the new electoral system. Hamilton therefore arranged that a number of votes be deflected, so that Adams was elected by less than half the number of Washington’s expected unanimous vote. The final results were Washington, 69 electoral votes; Adams, 34; John Jay , 9; John Hancock , 4; and others, 22. 1792: George Washington – unopposed As in 1789, persuading George Washington to run was the major difficulty in selecting a president in 1792. Washington complained of old age, sickness, and the increasing hostility of the Republican press toward his administration. The press attacks were symptomatic of the increasing split within the government between Federalists, who were coalescing around Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, and Republicans, forming around Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson . James Madison , among others, convinced Washington to continue as president by arguing that only he could hold the government together. Speculation then shifted to the vice presidency. Hamilton and the Federalists supported the reelection of John Adams. Republicans favored New York governor George Clinton, but Federalists feared him partly because of a widespread belief that his recent election to the governorship was fraudulent. In addition, the Federalists feared that Clinton would belittle the importance of the federal government by retaining his governorship while serving as vice president. Adams won relatively easily with support from New England and the Mid-Atlantic states, except New York. Only electoral votes are recorded here, because most states still did not select presidential electors by popular vote. Nor was there a separate vote for president and vice president until the Twelfth Amendment took effect in 1804. The results were Washington, 132 electoral votes (unanimous); Adams, 77; Clinton, 50; Jefferson, |
Israel was proclaimed an independent state in 1948. Who was its prime minister from then until 1963? | The Declaration of the State of Israel The Declaration of the State of Israel May 14, 1948 donations Introduction As the British forces pulled out of Palestine and the mandate came to an end, the Executive Committee of the Jewish "Yishuv" (community) in Palestine met to decide whether or not to declare a state, as has been envisioned under UN Resolution 181. The Arab states had declared that if such a state was declared, they would invade it. Nonetheless, the committee decided to declare a state, armed with the promise of US President Harry S. Truman that he would recognize such a state if it was declared. The Israeli Declaration of Independence was read out on Friday, the 14th of May 1948 by David Ben Gurion, who then became the first Prime Minister of the new state. The State was quickly recognized by the United States and the USSR. The Palestinians did not declare a state immediately, and though several attempts were made to do so, they were blocked by the Jordanians and then by the Egyptians. The Egyptians later allowed the declaration of such a state in Gaza in September 1948, but it was recognized by no-one and had no resources and no real existence. Arab states had no interest in the formation of a separate state in Palestine, both because each state had territorial ambitions in Palestine, and because they feared the radical influence of Palestinian leadership under Haj Amin El-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem. The declaration stated that Israel "will uphold the full social and political equality of all its citizens, without distinction of race, creed or sex; will guarantee full freedom of conscience, worship, education and culture; will safeguard the sanctity and inviolability of the shrines and Holy Places of all religions; and will dedicate itself to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. " The last sentence of the declaration refers to "the rock of Israel" (tsur Yisrael). This is one of the synonyms for God used in Hebrew. According to Tom Segev, in The First Israelis, the wording represents a compromise between the demand of Moshe Shapira representing the religious party that the declaration incorporate a reference to the Lord of Israel, and the demand of the leftist Mapam party representative that the declaration must not incorporate such a reference. The compromise formula made it possible to approve the declaration and publish it before the Sabbath and before the British left the country. May 15, 1948 was a Sabbath. David Ben Gurion, the first Prime Minister, who was a deist or possibly a polite atheist, was agreeable to this compromise. He said on other occasion that for him "the rock of Israel" was the Old Testament with its history and traditions. Ami Isseroff Notice - Copyright This introduction is Copyright 2001-2003 by MidEastWeb http://www.mideastweb.org and the author. Please tell your friends about MidEastWeb and link to this page. Please do not copy this page to your Web site. You may print this page out for classroom use provided that this notice is appended, and you may cite this material in the usual way. Other uses by permission only. The source material below is placed in the public domain and is free of copy restrictions. MidEastWeb is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting peace and coexistence in the Middle East. We provide balanced and complete information, news and views to promote understanding and dialog. We cannot continue without your help! If peace in the Middle East is important to you, please help us by making a tax-deductible donation . If you don't help us, who will? Thank you! Declaration of Israel's Independence 1948 Issued at Tel Aviv on May 14, 1948 (5th of Iyar, 5708) The land of Israel was the birthplace of the Jewish people. Here their spiritual, religious and national identity was formed. Here they achieved independence and created a culture of national and universal significance. Here they wrote and gave the Bible to the world. Exiled from Palestine, the Jewish people remained faithful to it in all the |
Who did Margaret Thatcher succeed as leader of the Conservative Party? | BBC ON THIS DAY | 11 | 1975: Tories choose first woman leader 1975: Tories choose first woman leader The British Conservative Party has chosen Margaret Thatcher as its new leader. She will be the first woman to head a British political party after a landslide victory over the other four - male - candidates. Mrs Thatcher - who served as Secretary of State for Science and Education in Ted Heath's Government - exclaimed "It's like a dream." The MP for Finchley, north London, since 1959 rejected suggestions of great celebrations. It's like a dream Margaret Thatcher She said: "Good heavens, no. There's far too much work to be done." Mrs Thatcher, 50, forced Ted Heath to resign as leader last week when she trounced him in the first round of the leadership race with 130 votes to his 119. Conservative Party confidence in Mr Heath - prime minister from 1970 to 1974 - was rattled by his failure to win general elections in both February and October last year. Chairman of the influential 1922 Backbench Committee - whose 276 members are largely responsible for deciding party leaders - Edward du Cann, told BBC Television: "We have a new and rather exciting leader. Mrs Thatcher will make the Tory Party distinctive." At a press conference at the House of Commons the new leader thanked her campaign team and looked forward to retaining Ted Heath and other members of the current Shadow Cabinet, though probably not in the same jobs. Mrs Thatcher - a mother of twins married to Denis, an oil executive - put in a brief appearance at a party in Pimlico before having a working dinner with Conservative Chief Whip Humphrey Atkins in Westminster. Former Northern Ireland Minister Willie Whitelaw was her closest challenger, but still only gained 79 votes in comparison to the 146 she polled in the second ballot of the contest. The other candidates were Sir Geoffrey Howe, QC, and Mr Prior who each received 19 votes and John Peyton trailed in last with just 11 votes. |
Who said 'A week is a long time in politics'? | Harold Wilson - Wikiquote Harold Wilson Jump to: navigation , search This Party needs to protect itself against the activities of small groups of inflexible political persuasion, extreme so-called left and in a few cases extreme so-called moderates, having in common only their arrogant dogmatism. James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx , KG, OBE, FRS, PC ( 11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995 ) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1964 to 1970, and again from 1974 to 1976. He had an impressive educational background, becoming an Oxford don at 21 and working as a war time civil servant; he was made a government minister immediately after he was elected to Parliament. As Leader of the Labour Party he moved the party towards a technocratic approach and appeared more in tune with the 'swinging sixties'; however his government was beset by economic difficulties and he was unexpectedly defeated in 1970. His return to office with a tiny majority in the mid-1970s saw a referendum which endorsed British membership of the European Communities. He resigned suddenly in 1976, and in his retirement suffered from Alzheimers' disease. Contents Sourced[ edit ] On 5 September, when the TUC unanimously rejected wage restraint, it was the end of an era, and all the financiers, all the little gnomes in Zürich and other finance centres about whom we keep on hearing, had started to make their dispositions in regard to sterling. Hansard, House of Commons, 5th series, vol. 560, col. 579. Speech in the House of Commons (12 November 1956); often quoted as "gnomes of Zürich". In all our plans for the future, we are re-defining and we are re-stating our Socialism in terms of the scientific revolution. But that revolution cannot become a reality unless we are prepared to make far-reaching changes in economic and social attitudes which permeate our whole system of society. The Britain that is going to be forged in the white heat of this revolution will be no place for restrictive practices or for outdated methods on either side of industry. Usually quoted as "the white heat of the technological revolution". Speech at Labour Party conference, October 1, 1963. Labour Party Annual Conference Report, 1963, pages 139-140. Hughie, get your tanks off my lawn. Statement to trade union leader Hugh Scanlon (c.1969), as quoted in "Lord Scanlon" in The Telegraph (28 January 2004) The government have only a small majority in the House of Commons. I want to make it quite clear that this will not affect our ability to govern. Having been charged with the duties of Government we intend to carry out those duties. David Butler, Coalitions in British Politics (Macmillan, London, 1978), p. 99. Television broadcast, October 1964, after winning the general election . Smethwick Conservatives can have the satisfaction of having topped the poll, of having sent a Member who, until another election returns him to oblivion, will serve his time here as a Parliamentary leper. Hansard, House of Commons, 5th series, vol. 701, col. 71. Speech in the House of Commons, 3 November, 1964. The 1964 general election had seen the defeat of Wilson's Shadow Foreign Secretary Patrick Gordon Walker by Conservative Peter Griffiths after an allegedly racist campaign. Griffiths was indeed defeated at the next election but returned to Parliament in 1979 and served until 1997. I know I speak for everyone in these islands, all parties, all our people, when I say to Mr. Smith tonight: "Prime Minister, think again". Broadcast speech calling on the Government of Rhodesia not to declare independence , October 12, 1965. Quoted in The Times, October 13, 1965, p. 8. It is difficult for us to appreciate the pressures which are put on men I know to be realistic and reasonable, not only in their executive capacity but in the highly organized strike committees in the individual ports by this tightly knit group of politically motivated men who, as the last general election showed, utterly failed to secure acceptance of their views by the British electorate, but who are now determined to exercise back-stage |
Which Elizabethan politician, philosopher and essayist was fined L40,000 for taking bribes? | Bacon, Francis | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy Z Francis Bacon (1561—1626) Sir Francis Bacon (later Lord Verulam and the Viscount St. Albans) was an English lawyer, statesman, essayist, historian, intellectual reformer, philosopher, and champion of modern science. Early in his career he claimed “all knowledge as his province” and afterwards dedicated himself to a wholesale revaluation and re-structuring of traditional learning. To take the place of the established tradition (a miscellany of Scholasticism, humanism, and natural magic), he proposed an entirely new system based on empirical and inductive principles and the active development of new arts and inventions, a system whose ultimate goal would be the production of practical knowledge for “the use and benefit of men” and the relief of the human condition. At the same time that he was founding and promoting this new project for the advancement of learning, Bacon was also moving up the ladder of state service. His career aspirations had been largely disappointed under Elizabeth I, but with the ascension of James his political fortunes rose. Knighted in 1603, he was then steadily promoted to a series of offices, including Solicitor General (1607), Attorney General (1613), and eventually Lord Chancellor (1618). While serving as Chancellor, he was indicted on charges of bribery and forced to leave public office. He then retired to his estate where he devoted himself full time to his continuing literary, scientific, and philosophical work. He died in 1626, leaving behind a cultural legacy that, for better or worse, includes most of the foundation for the triumph of technology and for the modern world as we currently know it. Table of Contents References and Further Reading 1. Life and Political Career Sir Francis Bacon (later Lord Verulam, the Viscount St. Albans, and Lord Chancellor of England) was born in London in 1561 to a prominent and well-connected family. His parents were Sir Nicholas Bacon, the Lord Keeper of the Seal, and Lady Anne Cooke, daughter of Sir Anthony Cooke, a knight and one-time tutor to the royal family. Lady Anne was a learned woman in her own right, having acquired Greek and Latin as well as Italian and French. She was a sister-in-law both to Sir Thomas Hoby, the esteemed English translator of Castiglione, and to Sir William Cecil (later Lord Burghley), Lord Treasurer, chief counselor to Elizabeth I, and from 1572-1598 the most powerful man in England. Bacon was educated at home at the family estate at Gorhambury in Herfordshire. In 1573, at the age of just twelve, he entered Trinity College, Cambridge, where the stodgy Scholastic curriculum triggered his lifelong opposition to Aristotelianism (though not to the works of Aristotle himself). In 1576 Bacon began reading law at Gray’s Inn. Yet only a year later he interrupted his studies in order to take a position in the diplomatic service in France as an assistant to the ambassador. In 1579, while he was still in France, his father died, leaving him (as the second son of a second marriage and the youngest of six heirs) virtually without support. With no position, no land, no income, and no immediate prospects, he returned to England and resumed the study of law. Bacon completed his law degree in 1582, and in 1588 he was named lecturer in legal studies at Gray’s Inn. In the meantime, he was elected to Parliament in 1584 as a member for Melcombe in Dorsetshire. He would remain in Parliament as a representative for various constituencies for the next 36 years. In 1593 his blunt criticism of a new tax levy resulted in an unfortunate setback to his career expectations, the Queen taking personal offense at his opposition. Any hopes he had of becoming Attorney General or Solicitor General during her reign were dashed, though Elizabeth eventually relented to the extent of appointing Bacon her Extraordinary Counsel in 1596. It was around this time that Bacon entered the service of Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex, a dashing courtier, soldier, plotter of intrigue, |
Who succeeded Clement Attlee as Labour Party leader in 1955? | BBC ON THIS DAY | 7 | 1955: Attlee steps down as Labour leader 1955: Attlee steps down as Labour leader Clement Attlee has resigned as leader of the opposition Labour Party, following months of speculation. Tonight the Prime Minister, Sir Anthony Eden, announced in Downing Street that the Queen is to make Mr Attlee an earl. He is the first Labour leader to accept a hereditary peerage. This will allow him to continue his work for the parliamentary Labour Party from the House of Lords, where the Opposition has little representation. He made his announcement this morning at the start of a special meeting of the shadow cabinet in the Commons convened to discuss the Middle East. 'Regrettable' He said: "After the [1951] general election I intimated that I would continue as chairman of the party meantime. "It is regrettable, however, that since that date there has scarcely been a week passed without one prominent member of the party or another talking about my impending resignation. That certainly does not help the party." He then announced his immediate resignation and was thanked for his long service to the party and the country. Herbert Morrison, deputy chairman of the party, will stand in as leader while a successor is found. There are expected to be three candidates - Mr Morrison himself, Hugh Gaitskell and Aneurin Bevan. Most Labour MPs believe Mr Gaitskell, at 49 the youngest of the contenders, will be elected leader. Lasting legacy Mr Attlee, who is 72 and has recently suffered a stroke, has led his party for 20 years and has had a seat in the House of Commons for 33 years. In 1942 he became deputy prime minister in the war cabinet under Sir Winston Churchill. During his six years as prime minister from 1945 to 1951 he oversaw sweeping changes to the welfare state with the introduction of the National Health Service and the nationalisation of key industries - the Bank of England, civil aviation, coal telecommunications, transport, electricity, iron and steel. He also pushed through the independence of India and Burma. |
Whose book Sexual Politics was a landmark in feminist thinking? | Faces of Feminism Read the Review Gender and Politics Redefined The women's movement has changed the way we think about both gender and politics in this country. In feminist theory, gender, unlike sex, is defined as a socially constructed role, which means that it is the result of political arrangements and is amenable to social and political analysis. To understand this idea, we have to think about roles the way social scientists do--not as God or nature determined, but as how and with what rationale a particular culture distributes certain tasks, certain privileges, and certain responsibilities. We owe the original formulation of this radical idea to anthropologist Margaret Mead, who in a study of three primitive societies in New Guinea noticed that, even though in every culture certain tasks, responsibilities, and privileges were assigned by gender, those assignments were not identical. In one, the military task of protecting the village was assigned to males, but in another both sexes had to go to war if the village was threatened. In still another tribe, food production by agriculture was assigned to women, and the men who had to do hunting and gathering had much more free time. Hence, when the males were not away, they were home unemployed and able--indeed, expected--to sit around and indulge in what we Americans would call gossip. In that society, gossiping was considered a male privilege, whereas in our society such conversation is thought to be a frivolous female pleasure.(1) Mead's analysis demonstrated that, although every society defined certain activities as either male or female, the gender designation of those activities varied from culture to culture. No universal role was either male or female. The societies Mead studied were interesting and important to her analysis because there was little contact among them; each had invented its own gender arrangements independently. Nevertheless, there was always gender definition, and one pattern everywhere held true: Whatever men did was more highly valued by the village than whatever women did. In modern terminology, males were assigned tasks that, by themselves, conferred higher status.(2) Thus, as we move into a discussion of sexual politics in America, we have to face the challenge of the universality of gender differences and the fact that, despite myths about matriarchies, almost everywhere males enjoy a socially constructed superiority over women.(3) Why? That is the question ethnologists, anthropologists, sociologists, and political scientists have been asking for the past several decades. Some analysts believe it is because males are physically stronger. Can we infer that in all societies males have threatened women physically to maintain a superior status? Or is there something about the childbearing and childrearing functions that so debilitates women that they are unwilling or unable to compete with men for positions of leadership and power? Remember that in a world without contraception, a healthy female will be pregnant constantly during her adult life. The only natural contraceptive is mother's malnutrition. Despite the difficulty of answering these questions definitively, the reason for women's inferior status has to be addressed. If biology is not women's destiny, then some other explanation of how women's destiny came to be defined this way, in culture after culture, must be provided by feminists. Just as gender has been reconceptualized, "politics," too, has been expanded by feminists. In its narrowest definition, politics has to do with participation in government, party politics, and elective or appointed office. More broadly, however, politics has to do with power: getting people to do what you want them to do. This definition is still being challenged by academics, but feminists have refused to limit a political analysis to that of formal roles. Politics, feminists believe, includes relations in the world of work: for example, who is hired, who is fired, who is always boss, who is never boss. In |
Which American economist is the foremost advocate of monetarism? | Milton Friedman: The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics | Library of Economics and Liberty | Biographies | Milton Friedman Milton Friedman was the twentieth century’s most prominent advocate of free markets. Born in 1912 to Jewish immigrants in New York City, he attended Rutgers University, where he earned his B.A. at the age of twenty. He went on to earn his M.A. from the University of Chicago in 1933 and his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1946. In 1951 Friedman received the John Bates Clark Medal honoring economists under age forty for outstanding achievement. In 1976 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in economics for “his achievements in the field of consumption analysis, monetary history and theory, and for his demonstration of the complexity of stabilization policy.” Before that time he had served as an adviser to President Richard Nixon and was president of the American Economic Association in 1967. After retiring from the University of Chicago in 1977, Friedman became a senior research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Friedman established himself in 1945 with Income from Independent Professional Practice, coauthored with Simon Kuznets. In it he argued that state licensing procedures limited entry into the medical profession, thereby allowing doctors to charge higher fees than they would be able to do if competition were more open. His landmark 1957 work, A Theory of the Consumption Function, took on the Keynesian view that individuals and households adjust their expenditures on consumption to reflect their current income. Friedman showed that, instead, people’s annual consumption is a function of their “permanent income,” a term he introduced as a measure of the average income people expect over a few years. In Capitalism and Freedom, Friedman wrote arguably the most important economics book of the 1960s, making a case for relatively free markets to a general audience. He argued for, among other things, a volunteer army, freely floating exchange rates, abolition of licensing of doctors, a negative income tax, and education vouchers. (Friedman was a passionate foe of the military draft: he once stated that the abolition of the draft was almost the only issue on which he had personally lobbied Congress.) Many of the young people who read it were encouraged to study economics themselves. His ideas spread worldwide with Free to Choose (coauthored with his wife, Rose Friedman), the best-selling nonfiction book of 1980, written to accompany a TV series on the Public Broadcasting System. This book made Milton Friedman a household name. Although much of his trailblazing work was done on price theory—the theory that explains how prices are determined in individual markets—Friedman is popularly recognized for monetarism . Defying Keynes and most of the academic establishment of the time, Friedman presented evidence to resurrect the quantity theory of money—the idea that the price level depends on the money supply . In Studies in the Quantity Theory of Money, published in 1956, Friedman stated that in the long run, increased monetary growth increases prices but has little or no effect on output. In the short run, he argued, increases in money supply growth cause employment and output to increase, and decreases in money supply growth have the opposite effect. Friedman’s solution to the problems of inflation and short-run fluctuations in employment and real GNP was a so-called money-supply rule. If the Federal Reserve Board were required to increase the money supply at the same rate as real GNP increased, he argued, inflation would disappear. Friedman’s monetarism came to the forefront when, in 1963, he and Anna Schwartz coauthored Monetary History of the United States, 1867–1960, which contends that the great depression was the result of the Federal Reserve’s ill-conceived monetary policies. Upon receipt of the unpublished manuscript submitted by the authors, the Federal Reserve Board responded internally with a lengthy critical review. Such was their agitation that the Fed governors discontinued their |
In what year did the Representation of the People Act give the vote to all women over 21? | Women get the vote - UK Parliament Women get the vote Women and the Lords Women get the vote During 1916-1917, the House of Commons Speaker, James William Lowther, chaired a conference on electoral reform which recommended limited women's suffrage. Influential consideration Only 58% of the adult male population was eligible to vote before 1918. An influential consideration, in addition to the suffrage movement and the growth of the Labour Party, was the fact that only men who had been resident in the country for 12 months prior to a general election were entitled to vote. This effectively disenfranchised a large number of troops who had been serving overseas in the war. With a general election imminent, politicians were persuaded to extend the vote to all men and some women at long last. Representation of the People Act 1918 In 1918 the Representation of the People Act was passed which allowed women over the age of 30 who met a property qualification to vote. Although 8.5 million women met this criteria, it only represented 40 per cent of the total population of women in the UK. The same act abolished property and other restrictions for men, and extended the vote to all men over the age of 21. Additionally, men in the armed forces could vote from the age of 19. The electorate increased from eight to 21 million, but there was still huge inequality between women and men. Equal Franchise Act 1928 It was not until the Equal Franchise Act of 1928 that women over 21 were able to vote and women finally achieved the same voting rights as men. This act increased the number of women eligible to vote to 15 million. |
Who was Italy's Fascist lender from 1925-43? | The Fascist State: 1925-43 - Revision Cards in A Level and IB History The Fascist State: 1925-43 Fascism and the economy Mussolini's economic policy, 1922-29 in his first years as prime minister, Mussolini pursued liberal economic policies which pleased amny industrialists he appointed Alberto De Stefani - an economics professor and former First World War soldier - as his finance minister and introduced various pro-business measures taxes on war profits were reduced or abolished, private companised took over the telephone system and Ansaldo (the large shipping and steel firm) received a cash injection from the state these early years coincided with a general European economic recovery and the decline of the Italian Left, both of which strenghtened business confidence consequently, from 1921-25, manufacturing output in ITaly increased by almost 54% and a budget surplus was produced in 1924 1 of 36 Fascism and the economy Mussolini's economic policy, 1922-29 the boom years ended in 1925-26 due to rising inflation, a trade deficit crisis and the falling value of the lira these problems, and the creation of the fascist dictatorship, led to a shift in economic policy Mussolini replaced De Stefani with a new finance minister, the banker and industrialist Count Giuseppe Volpi, in 1925 unlike De Stefani, Volpi backed government loands to industry, state intervention, high tarifs and a balanced budget his appointment was a clear sign that Mussolini wanted good relations with big business Volpi pursued deflationary and protectionist policies, which set the tone for the rest of the fascist era 2 of 36 Fascism and the economy Mussolini's economic policy, 1922-29 1926 - for reasons of national and personal presige, the Duce insisted that the lira was undervalued and should be rest at 90 lire to the British pound - done so the following year foreign financiers and the Italin republic applauded Mussolini's decision but it had a damaging impact on the economy the high cost of the lire meant that Italian goods almost doubled in price abroad and Italian export industries, notably textiles, light engineering and car manufacturing, suffered between 1922-26 Italy's economic boom had been largley export-led moreover, imported foods and products did not become more affordbale through revaluation because the regime imposed reductions were part of the regime's deflationary policy only industries which required large supplies of cheap tariff-free raw materials from abroad and which relied mainly on domestic orders, really benefitted from 'Quota 90' and a protected home market by 1929, 'the Fascist economic pattern was becoming set. Italy was turning away from her export markets, and boosting instead the industries which stood to gain most from empire and rearmament' - Martin Clark, 2008 3 of 36 Fascism and the economy The corporate state in the mid-1920s, production was officially reoganised under the Corporate State, the much-heralded Fascist 'third way' between capitalism and communism Fascist propaganda claimed this new mechanism would end class conflict and promote social harmony by incorporating both bosses and workers inside the state Mussolini also believed that corportate conomics would support an expansionist foreign policy under the Vidoni PAct of 1925, Confindustria (the Italian Industrialists' Confederation) and the Fascist syndiates (trade unions) recognised each other as the exclusive representatives respecitvely of capital and labour, but the regime was not even-handed 1926 Rocco Law & 1927 Labour Charter placed the Fascist unions under state control and created a labour relations system which favoured employers furthermore, in 1928, the Confederations of Fascist Syndicates was split into 6 sections this ensured that the Fascist unions were susceptible to greater state control and posed little threat either to the government or to the industrialists' aims 4 of 36 Fascism and the economy The corporate state to give this 'third way' some credibility, a Ministry of Corportations was set up in 1926 and, over the next 12 years, a Corp |
Which human-rights organization campaigns for the release of political prisoners worldwide?| | Myanmar’s Release of Political Prisoners a Step in Right Direction for Human Rights | Amnesty International USA Myanmar’s Release of Political Prisoners a Step in Right Direction for Human Rights Press Release Myanmar’s Release of Political Prisoners a Step in Right Direction for Human Rights Calls for Independent Monitoring of Detention Facilities and Investigation into Torture Reports Contact: Carol Gregory, cgregory@aiusa.org , 202-675-8759 (Washington, D.C.) – Amnesty International USA welcomed news today that Myanmar released 50 political prisoners, including Amnesty International prisoners of conscience, U Myint Aye and Saw Kyaw Kywa Min, but said the authorities have "miles to go" to fulfill the promise of human rights protections in the country. In addition to the release of all political prisoners, the human rights organization is calling for independent monitoring of all detention facilities in Myanmar and an independent investigation into reports of torture and other ill treatment. The prisoners were released today following President Obama's trip to Rangoon, Myanmar -- the first time a sitting U.S. President has visited the country. "The Myanmar government cannot release a few political prisoners while the world is watching, and call it human rights reform," said Suzanne Nossel, executive director of Amnesty International USA. "When President Obama returns on Washington, D.C. he must exert more pressure on Burma to release all prisoners of conscience immediately and without condition." The prisoners released today include co-founder of the Human Rights Defender and Promoters Network, U Myint Aye, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2008 for his peaceful political activities, and Saw Kyaw Kyaw Min, a lawyer and human rights offender who was sentenced to six months imprisonment in August 2012. "The release of these prisoners of conscience is a baby step in the right direction, but Burma has miles to go to right the wrongs of a repressive regime that has attempted to silence peaceful defenders of human rights," said Suzanne Nossel. The Myanmar government announced on November 18 that it will hold inter-governmental consultations by December of this year to reconsider charges and punishment of prisoners still in jail. Amnesty has called on authorities for a comprehensive review mechanism to determine who remains in prison and why. Additionally, the human rights organization wants the United Nations and civil society representatives to be involved in the process to guarantee impartiality and credibility. Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied. Sign Up Get updates on Amnesty's work to protect human rights worldwide. Act Now Urgent Action: LGBTI Activist Held In Pre-Trial Detention (Turkey: UA 2/17) Fashion designer and LGBTI activist Barbaros Şansal is being held in pre-trial detention, accused of ‘inciting the public to hatred or hostility’ for a video message and tweet he shared on social media on New Year’s Eve. He was detained on the territory of northern Cyprus and extradited to Turkey the next day. He was assaulted on arrival in Istanbul on the airport apron. |
Which British company was effectively the ruler of much of India until the India Act of 1858? | The British East India Company — the Company that Owned a Nation (or Two) The British East India Company — the Company that Owned a Nation (or Two) George P. Landow , Professor of English and the History of Art, Brown University [ Victorian Web Home —> Victorian Political History —> Victorian Social History —> The Empire > —> The British India ] The East India Company is, or rather was, an anomaly without a parallel in the history of the world. It originated from sub-scriptions, trifling in amount, of a few private individuals. It gradually became a commercial body with gigantic resources, and by the force of unforeseen circumstances assumed the form of a sovereign power, while those by whom its affairs were directed continued, in their individual capacities, to be without power or political influence. — Bentley's Miscellany 43 (1858) One of the strangest parts of the history of the British Empire involves that commercial venture generally known as the East India Company, though its original name when founded by royal charter on the very last day of 1600 was the Governor and Company of Merchants of London Trading into the East Indies. As its name suggests, the company was the enterprise of London businessmen who banded together to make money importing spices from South Asia. For centuries the valuable spice trade with the East Indies (as they were long known) relied on land routes across Asia and the Middle East, but by the sixteenth century, the superior navigational technology and skills of the Portuguese for the first time permitted Europeans to cut out intermediaries and hence make themselves far greater profits. The Spanish and Portuguese had a monopoly of the East Indies spice trade until destruction of the Spanish Aramada in 1588, which permitted the British and Dutch to seek their share of this wealthy import business. The company with the long name first entered the spice trade in the form of an old-fashioned or early capitalist venture, essentially conducting each voyage as a separate business venture with its own subsribers or stock-holders. This approach lasted for a dozen years, and then in 1612 the company switched to temporary joint stocks and finally to permanent joint stocks in 1657. Supposedly a monopoly, the company evenentually faced competition from another group of English investors and merchants, and the two merged in 1708 as the United Company of Merchants of England Trading to the East Indies. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, The company met with opposition from the Dutch in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) and the Portuguese. The Dutch virtually excluded company members from the East Indies after the Amboina Massacre in 1623 (an incident in which English, Japanese, and Portuguese traders were executed by Dutch authorities), but the company's defeat of the Portuguese in India (1612) won them trading concessions from the Mughal Empire. The company settled down to a trade in cotton and silk piece goods, indigo, and saltpetre, with spices from South India. It extended its activities to the Persian Gulf, Southeast Asia, and East Asia. The company's encounters with foreign competitors eventually required it to assemble its own military and administrative departments, thereby becoming an imperial power in its own right, though the British government began to reign it in by the late eighteenth century. Before Parliament created a government-controlled policy-making body with the Regulating Act of 1773 and the India Act eleven years later, shareholders' meetings made decisions about Britain's de facto colonies in the East. The British government took away the Company's monopoly in 1813, and after 1834 it worked as the government's agency until the 1857 India Mutiny when the Colonial Office took full control. The East India Company went out of existence in 1873. During its heyday, the East India Company not only established trade through Asia and the Middle East but also effectively became of the ruler of territories vastly larger than the United Kingdrom itself. In addition, it also create |
What offence was former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega tried for in the USA? | Panama's ex-ruler Noriega returns home after 22 years - CNN.com Panama's ex-ruler Noriega returns home after 22 years By the CNN Wire Staff Updated 5:16 AM ET, Mon December 12, 2011 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. JUST WATCHED Manuel Noriega returns to Panama 02:04 Story highlights Manuel Noriega arrives at El Renacer prison in Gamboa His attorney says the former dictator deserves fair representation Noriega was convicted in absentia for crimes committed during his rule Because of his age, he may ask to serve time under house arrest Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega arrived Sunday evening in his home country, nearly 22 years after U.S. forces forcibly removed him from office. The 77-year-old was taken straight to El Renacer prison to serve time for crimes committed during his rule. Reporters flooded the medium-security facility in Gamboa, but the former leader was shielded from public view. Officials later confirmed that he was there. Earlier, Noriega arrived at the Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, where security was tight. "I think it has historic and symbolic significance," said Michael Shifter, president of the Washington D.C.-based Inter-American Dialogue, about Noriega's return. "It's a sense of closure for the Panamanian people. He clearly was a dictator for six years and presided over assassinations, disappearances and killing of opposition leaders. And so I think that it's something that was unfinished business and I think it's important for Panama to have a sense of closure," he said. Noriega's extradition process began Sunday morning with a flight from Paris to Madrid. He was in Spanish police custody during a four-hour layover before leaving Madrid Sunday afternoon on a flight to Panama City, a spokesman for Spain's airport authority said. Last month, a French court authorized his extradition to Panama, where officials want Noriega to face justice in the killings of Hugo Spadafora, his political opponent, and at least one other person. He was convicted in absentia. Speaking outside of the prison complex in Gamboa, Noriega's attorney said his client deserves fair representation. "He (Noriega) wanted to return to the country and face in this land the charges for which he was tried in absentia," attorney Julio Berrios told reporters. "General Noriega is accused of having participated in three homicides. U.S. President George H.W. Bush invaded us and that cost 4,000 deaths. Has anybody said anything against Bush?" he said. Noriega has been in France since 2010, after two decades in an American prison. Authorities have strengthened security to guarantee his safety in Panama, according to Panamanian Foreign Minister Roberto Henriquez. "We have to be ready for all the possibilities in all aspects. Noriega inspires very big emotions, and Noriega's life could very well be at risk in Panama," Henriquez said. Interior Minister Roxana Mendez said Noriega will receive the same treatment as other inmates in the Panamanian prison. "The Panamanian state has no special consideration when it comes to him serving his sentence inside the prison complex," Mendez said. "However, based on our laws, and if there's a valid request from his attorneys, they can ask that he be transferred from the prison to house arrest if the inmate's health is in jeopardy or if the inmate, being over 70 years old, may face risks inside the prison complex." Last year, a French court sentenced Noriega to seven years in prison for laundering 2.3 million euros ($2.9 million) through banks there. He was ordered to pay the money back. Noriega denied the charges. For almost two decades, Noriega was a major player in a country of critical regional importance to the United States because of its location on the Panama Canal, the key strategic and economic waterway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans on the narrow isthmus linking the Americas. Amid growing unrest in Panama, then-U.S. President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in December 1989, saying Noriega's rule posed a thre |
Which are the two main political parties in the USA? | Politics1 - Director of U.S. Political Parties DIRECTORY OF U.S. POLITICAL PARTIES THE TWO MAJOR PARTIES: DEMOCRATIC PARTY (DNC) - The Democrats won the White House in 2008 and 2012, won some key governorships (PA, NY, MO, MN, and CA) -- but lost control of the US House in 2010, lost the US Senate in 2014, and lost the White House in 2016 (while still carrying a plurality of the national popular vote by a margin of over 2.5 million votes). Democrats run the wide gamut from the near Euro-style democratic-socialist left ( Barbara Lee and Bernie Sanders , an independent who caucuses with the Dems) and traditional liberals ( Elizabeth Warren , Sherrod Brown , Nancy Pelosi ) to the pragmatic "centrist" moderate-to-liberal style ( Andrew Cuomo , Martin O'Malley , Mark Warner ) to the Dem center-right ( John Hickenlooper and the New Democratic Coalition ) to the dwindling GOP-style center-conservative right ( Joe Manchin , Blue Dog Coalition ). The 2016 presidential nomination contest saw a competitive race between the traditional Democratic establishment (Clinton) and the progressive wing (Sanders), in which the establishment prevailed. Official affiliated national Democratic sites include: College Democrats of America ("College Dems") . REPUBLICAN PARTY (RNC) - Republicans recaptured the Presidency in 2016, following strong off-year elections in 2010 (recapturing majority status in the US House) and 2014 (recapturing US Senate control). The GOP also holds several key Governorships (including TX, OH, FL, GA, MI, IL, WI, MO, MA and MD). Pre-Trump, the Republicans could generally be classified into several different sub-sets: traditional establishment conservatives ( Paul Ryan , John Kasich , Jeb Bush , and the Club for Growth ), the "Religious Right" ( Mike Huckabee , Mike Pence , and the Family Research Council ), libertarians ( Rand Paul and the Campaign for Liberty ), the "paleo-conservative" wing that backs strict anti-immigration controls ( Steve King ), the rapidly dwindling "centrist" or "moderate" wing ( Mark Kirk , Larry Hogan and Charlie Baker ), and the powerful firebrand "Tea Party" movement ( Ted Cruz , Jim Jordan , Mike Lee ). President Donald Trump , however, is a political nationalist and economic populist who does not fit neatly into any of these traditional GOP factions, and in fact handily vanquished 2016 nomination rivals from each of the various other wings of the party. Official, affiliated national GOP sites include: THE "BIG THREE" THIRD PARTIES: (Based upon vote performance over past two election cycles and ballot access) CONSTITUTION PARTY - The Constitution Party is strongly pro-life, anti-gun control, anti-tax, anti-immigration, trade protectionist, "anti-New World Order," anti-United Nations, anti-gay rights, anti-welfare, and pro-school prayer. Former Nixon Administration official and one-time Conservative Coalition chair Howard Phillips founded the party, originally named the US Taxpayers Party (USTP), in 1992. The USTP renamed itself the Constitution Party in 1999. The party has fielded presidential tickets since 1992 and congressional and state candidates since 1994 (but only in a small number of states). The party received a brief boost in the media when conservative US Senator Bob Smith of New Hampshire -- an announced GOP Presidential hopeful -- bolted from the Republican Party to seek the Constitution Party nomination in 2000 (but the erratic Smith quit the Constitution Party race a few weeks later and rejoined the GOP). At the 1999 n |
What do the British call the person other countries might call minister of the interior? | British political system Back to home page click here A SHORT GUIDE TO THE BRITISH POLITICAL SYSTEM Constitutional And Political Reform A VERY, VERY SHORT HISTORY To understand fully any country's political system, one needs to understand something of its history. This is especially true of the United Kingdom because its history has been very different from most other nations and, as a result, its political system is very different from most other nations too. Like its (unwritten) constitution, the British state evolved over time. We probably need to start in 1066 when William the Conqueror from Normandy invaded what we now call England, defeated the Anglo-Saxon King Harold and established a Norman dynasty. The Normans were not satisfied with conquering England and, over the next few centuries, tried to conquer Ireland, Wales and Scotland. They succeeded with the first two and failed with the last despite several wars over the centuries. By one of those ironical twists of history, when Queen Elizabeth of England died in 1603, she was succeeded by her cousin James VI, King of Scots who promptly decamped from Edinburgh and settled in London as King James I of England while keeping his Scots title and running Scotland by remote control. Regal pickings were more lucrative in his southern capital. A century later the Scottish economic and political elite bankrupted themselves on the Darien Scheme and agreed to a scheme of Union between England and Scotland to make themselves solvent again and so Great Britain with one Parliament based in London came into being. The Irish parliament was abolished in 1801 with Ireland returning members to Westminster and the new political entity was the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The southern (Catholic) Irish never reconciled themselves to being ruled by the English and rebelled in 1916 and gained independence in 1922. The northern (Protestant) Irish did not want independence and so the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland arrived. Not a snappy name. Meanwhile, although the Normans were the last to mount a successful invasion of the country, there were plenty of other plans to conquer the nation, notably the Spanish under King Philip II in 1588, the French under Napoleon in 1803-1805, and the Germans under Hitler in 1940. None succeeeded. Furthermore, in recent centuries, Britain has not had a revolution of the kind experienced by so many other countries. Some might argue that the English Civil War (1642-1651) was the nation's revolution and - athough it was three and a half centuries ago - it did bring about a major shift in power, but the main constitutional consequence - the abolition of the monarchy - only lasted 11 years and the Restoration of the Monarchy has so far lasted 350 years (although it is now, of course, a very different monarchy). There was a time in British history which we call the Glorious Revolution (1688) but it was a very English revolution, in the sense that nobody died, if a rather Dutch revolution in that it saw William of Orange take the throne. So the British have never had anything equivalent to the American Revolution or the French Revolution, they have not been colonised in a millennium but rather been the greatest colonisers in history, and in neither of the two world wars were they invaded or occupied. HOW HISTORY HAS SHAPED THE POLITICAL SYSTEM The single most important fact in understanding the nature of the British political system is the fundamental continuity of that system. For almost 1,000 years, Britain has not been invaded or occupied for any length of time or over any substantial territory as the last successful invasion of England was in 1066 by the Normans. Is this true of any other country in the world? I can only think of Sweden. This explains why: almost uniquely in the world, Britain has no written constitution (the only other such nations are Israel & New Zealand) the political system is not neat or logical or always fully democratic or particularly efficient change has been very gradual and pragmatic and |
Which British prime minister fell from office because of his repeal of the Corn Laws? | BBC - History - Sir Robert Peel z Sir Robert Peel © Peel was twice British prime minister and his period in government saw landmark social reforms and the repeal of the Corn Laws. Robert Peel was born on 5 February 1788 in Bury, Lancashire. His father was a wealthy cotton mill owner, and Peel was educated at Harrow and Oxford, entering parliament as a Tory in 1809. His early political career included appointments as under-secretary for war and colonies (1809) and chief secretary for Ireland (1812). In 1822, he become home secretary, and introduced far-ranging criminal law and prison reform as well as creating the Metropolitan Police - the terms 'bobbies' and 'peelers' come from his name. The Wellington government in which Peel had been home secretary fell in 1830, and Peel was now in opposition to a new administration, headed by Earl Grey. Peel argued passionately against Grey's proposals for parliamentary reform. Nonetheless, in 1832 the Reform Act was passed. The Whig Government of Earl Grey was dismissed in 1834 by William IV, who appointed Peel as the new prime minister. In his Tamworth Manifesto, Peel outlined his support for the Reform Act, a shift which highlighted his adoption of a more enlightened Conservatism. Although in power, Peel's Tories remained a minority in the House of Commons, a situation which Peel found increasingly intolerable, and he resigned in 1835. In 1841, Peel again formed a Conservative administration, and it was during this government that he oversaw the introduction of significant legislation such as the Mines Act of 1842, which forbade the employment of women and children underground and the Factory Act of 1844, which limited working hours for children and women in factories. In 1845, Peel faced the defining challenge of his career, when he attempted to repeal the Corn Laws which had been introduced to protect British agriculture. This was triggered by the need to free up more food for Ireland, where a potato famine was raging. Landowners resisted in the House of Commons what they perceived as an attack on their interests. Peel's Conservative Party would not support him, and the debate lasted for months. Eventually, in June 1846, with support from the Whigs and the Radicals, the Corn Laws were repealed. On the same day, Peel was defeated on another bill, and resigned. He never held office again. Four years later, Peel was badly injured after falling from his horse and died on 2 July 1850 in London. |
Which Conservative MP was a middle-distance runner who won two Olympic gold medals and set eleven world records during the 1970s and 1980s? | Heroes of the Games: A-E (From Evening Times) Here's A-E in our guide to the Heroes of the Commonwealth Games. John Akii-Bua John Akii-Bua, Uganda's first Olympic champion, was supposedly born in a family of 43 children, and his father had 8 different wives. Several of his siblings were also good athletes, including his brother Lawrence Ogwang. Akii-Bua himself started out as a high hurdler, but failed to make the 1968 Olympics. He then tried out the longer hurdles race as well, qualifying for both events at the 1970 Commonwealth Games. In Edinburgh, he fared much better in the 400m, and placed 4th. He switched focus to this discipline, and soon became a top runner, winning his event at a 1971 USSR-USA country match as a guest runner. At the Munich Olympics, he was unlucky to draw lane one in the final, yet managed to break the world record and win the gold in 47.82 seconds. Akii-Bua was unable to defend his title, as Uganda boycotted the 1976 Olympics like most African nations, and he was past his prime at the 1980 Games, when he was eliminated in the semi-finals. By then, he was living in West Germany, having fled Uganda following the overthrow of dictator Idi Amin. He returned to his native country in 1983, and eventually started working for the police, where he had also worked after his Olympic title. Personal Bests: 400 - 45.82 (1976); 400H - 47.82 (1972) Jim Alder Jim Alder is one of the most successful Scottish endurance runners ever. In the Commonwealth Games in Jamaica Alder was third in the 10,000m and then followed this up with marathon gold after one of the most dramatic finishes imaginable. Leading to the Stadium Alder found that the stewards outside the arena had gone inside to have a look at the Duke of Edinburgh and, as a result, he over ran the entrance. Bill Adcocks, who was following, went in the right entrance and was ahead of Jim. Dunky Wright shouted to Jim and got him into the stadium while Bill was on the track and Jim managed to catch him and win. 1966: Commonwealth Games Jamaica Marathon Gold 1966: Commonwealth Games Jamaica 6 Miles Bronze 1970: Commonwealth Games Edinburgh Marathon Silver 1969: European Championships Athens Marathon Bronze 1964: World Record Holder 30,000 metres 1970: World Record Holder 30,000 metres 1964: World Best Performance for 2 Hours 1970: British Record Holder 20,000metres Note: Not all distances are recognised as World Records Jim also narrowly missed World Best for 25,000 metres by 2 seconds. However, he broke the World Best for 20,000 metres en-route to 30,000 metres World Best and narrowly missed British Record for 10,000 metres by 6/10 of a second in a race won by over half a lap. In summary Jim has held every distance record from 10,000 metres to marathon. Filbert Bayi Filbert Bayi (born June 23, 1953) is a former Tanzanian middle-distance runner of the 1970s who set the world records for 1,500 metres in 1974 and the mile in 1975. He is still the 1,500m Commonwealth Games record holder. The men's 1,500m final was run on the last day of the 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games. Bayi, the runaway leader, set a new world record of 3 minutes 32.16 seconds. New Zealander John Walker came close to catching Bayi and also broke Jim Ryun's world record. Bayi and Walker continued their rivalry in 1975. On May 17, Bayi broke Ryun's eight-year-old record for the mile, clocking 3 minute 51 seconds. It was hoped that the Bayi-Walker clash would continue but, because Tanzania boycotted the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, it never materialised. However, since Bayi was suffering from a bout of malaria shortly before the Olympics, he may not have been able to challenge Walker even if there had not been a boycott. Ian Black Date of Birth: 27, June 1941 Discipline: Swimming (Butterfly) Black began his swimming career at Robert Gordon's College Junior School in Aberdeen. His medals, titles and records - both European and Worldwide - make his one of the finest swimmers to have come from Scotland. Black was the first Scot to win the 1958 BBC Sports Personality of the year award at th |
What was the racial segregation policy practiced by South Africa's National Party until 1994? | Apartheid - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com A+E Networks Introduction After the National Party gained power in South Africa in 1948, its all-white government immediately began enforcing existing policies of racial segregation under a system of legislation that it called apartheid. Under apartheid, nonwhite South Africans (a majority of the population) would be forced to live in separate areas from whites and use separate public facilities, and contact between the two groups would be limited. Despite strong and consistent opposition to apartheid within and outside of South Africa, its laws remained in effect for the better part of 50 years. In 1991, the government of President F.W. de Klerk began to repeal most of the legislation that provided the basis for apartheid. ‹ › Google Birth of Apartheid Racial segregation and white supremacy had become central aspects of South African policy long before apartheid began. The controversial 1913 Land Act, passed three years after South Africa gained its independence, marked the beginning of territorial segregation by forcing black Africans to live in reserves and making it illegal for them to work as sharecroppers. Opponents of the Land Act formed the South African National Native Congress, which would become the African National Congress (ANC). Did You Know? ANC leader Nelson Mandela, released from prison in February 1990, worked closely with President F.W. de Klerk's government to draw up a new constitution for South Africa. After both sides made concessions, they reached agreement in 1993, and would share the Nobel Peace Prize that year for their efforts. The Great Depression and World War II brought increasing economic woes to South Africa, and convinced the government to strengthen its policies of racial segregation. In 1948, the Afrikaner National Party won the general election under the slogan “apartheid” (literally “separateness”). Their goal was not only to separate South Africa’s white minority from its non-white majority, but also to separate non-whites from each other, and to divide black South Africans along tribal lines in order to decrease their political power. Apartheid Becomes Law By 1950, the government had banned marriages between whites and people of other races, and prohibited sexual relations between black and white South Africans. The Population Registration Act of 1950 provided the basic framework for apartheid by classifying all South Africans by race, including Bantu (black Africans), Coloured (mixed race) and white. A fourth category, Asian (meaning Indian and Pakistani) was later added. In some cases, the legislation split families; parents could be classified as white, while their children were classified as colored. A series of Land Acts set aside more than 80 percent of the country’s land for the white minority, and “pass laws” required non-whites to carry documents authorizing their presence in restricted areas. In order to limit contact between the races, the government established separate public facilities for whites and non-whites, limited the activity of nonwhite labor unions and denied non-white participation in national government. Apartheid and Separate Development Dr. Hendrik Verwoerd, who became prime minister in 1958, would refine apartheid policy further into a system he referred to as “separate development.” The Promotion of Bantu Self-Government Act of 1959 created 10 Bantu homelands known as Bantustans. Separating black South Africans from each other enabled the government to claim there was no black majority, and reduced the possibility that blacks would unify into one nationalist organization. Every black South African was designated as a citizen as one of the Bantustans, a system that supposedly gave them full political rights, but effectively removed them from the nation’s political body. In one of the most devastating aspects of apartheid, the government forcibly removed black South Africans from rural areas designated as “white” to the homelands, and sold their land at low prices to white farmers. From 1961 to 1994, more than 3.5 |
Which party was led by Adolf Hitler from 1921 to 1945? | Nazis - A Short History of the Nazi Party The Nazis A Short History of the Nazi Party Adolf Hitler poses with a group of Nazis soon after his appointment as Chancellor. (Picture courtesy of USHMM Photo Archives.) By Jennifer L. Goss, Contributing Writer Updated March 29, 2016. The Nazi Party was a political party in Germany, led by Adolf Hitler from 1921 to 1945, whose central tenets included the supremacy of the Aryan people and blaming Jews and others for the problems within Germany. These extreme beliefs eventually led to World War II and the Holocaust . At the end of World War II, the Nazi Party was declared illegal by the occupying Allied Powers and officially ceased to exist in May 1945. (The name “Nazi” is actually a shortened version of the party’s full name: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP, which translates to “National Socialist German Workers’ Party.”) Party Beginnings In the immediate post-World-War-I period, Germany was the scene of widespread political infighting between groups representing the far left and far right. The Weimar Republic (the name of the German government from the end of WWI to 1933) was struggling as a result of its tarnished birth accompanied by the Treaty of Versailles and the fringe groups sought to take advantage of this political unrest. continue reading below our video Profile of Adolf Hitler It was in this environment that a locksmith, Anton Drexler , joined together with his journalist friend, Karl Harrer, and two other individuals (journalist Dietrich Eckhart and German economist Gottfried Feder ) to create a right-wing political party, the German Workers’ Party, on January 5, 1919. The party’s founders had strong anti-Semitic and nationalist underpinnings and sought to promote a paramilitary Friekorps culture that would target the scourge of communism. Adolf Hitler Joins the Party After his service in the German Army (Reichswehr) during World War I , Adolf Hitler had difficulty re-integrating into civilian society. He eagerly accepted a job serving the Army as a civilian spy and informant, a task that required him to attend meetings of German political parties identified as subversive by the newly formed Weimar government. This job appealed to Hitler, particularly because it allowed him to feel that was still serving a purpose to the military for which he would have eagerly given his life. On September 12, 1919, this position took him to a meeting of the German Worker’s Party (DAP). Hitler’s superiors had previously instructed him to remain quiet and simply attend these meetings as a non-descript observer, a role he was able to accomplish with success until this meeting. Following a discussion on Feder’s views against capitalism, an audience member questioned Feder and Hitler quickly rose to his defense. No longer anonymous, Hitler was approached after the meeting by Drexler who asked Hitler to join the party. Hitler accepted, resigned from his position with the Reichswehr and became member #555 of the German Worker’s Party. (In reality, Hitler was the 55th member, Drexler added the 5 prefix to the early membership cards to make the party appear larger than it was in those years.) Hitler Becomes Party Leader Hitler quickly became a force to be reckoned with in the party. He was appointed to be a member of the party’s central committee and in January 1920, he was appointed by Drexler to be the party’s Chief of Propaganda. A month later, Hitler organized a party rally in Munich that was attended by over 2000 people. Hitler made a famous speech at this event outlining the newly created, 25-point platform of the party. This platform was drawn up by Drexler, Hitler, and Feder. (Harrer, feeling increasingly left out, resigned from the party in February 1920.) The new platform emphasized the party’s volkisch nature of promoting a unified national community of pure Aryan Germans. It placed blame for the nation’s struggles on immigrants (mainly Jews and Eastern Europeans) and stressed excluding these groups from the benefits of a unified community |
How old must you be to vote in a British parliamentary election? | How do I register to vote? - UK Parliament How do I register to vote? Referendums in the UK How do I register to vote? You need to register before you can vote in UK elections. The different ways you can register to vote are listed below. Registering in England, Scotland and Wales Register online You will need your National Insurance number (if you have one). Register by post Who can register to vote? You can register to vote if you are: 16 years old or over (but you cannot vote until you are 18 years old) A British citizen An Irish, Commonwealth or European Union citizen who is resident in the UK Citizens of the European Union who are not Commonwealth citizens can vote in European and local elections in the UK, but are not able to vote in UK general elections. Overseas and service voters About My Vote: Armed Forces (external site) When can I register to vote? You can register to vote , or change your address on the electoral register, at any time throughout the year. However, if you are seeking to vote in a specific election there will be a deadline by which you must have registered that will be determined by when that election is to be held. Am I already registered to vote? To find out whether or not you are registered to vote, you need to contact your Electoral Registration Officer. You can find their details by entering your postcode on the About My Vote website . Further information More information on how to register to vote can be found on the Electoral Commission website or the About My Vote website . Image: iStock Electoral Commission The Electoral Commission is an independent body, accountable directly to the UK Parliament, that regulates elections in the UK, promotes voter awareness and works to build confidence in the electoral process. Parliament is not responsible for the content of external websites. Video: how the General Election works in nearly 60 seconds Watch video on YouTube Living Heritage Before 1918 no women were allowed to vote in parliamentary elections. Discover how the right to vote was extended to different sectors of society over the years. |
How many readings does an act of Parliament have in the House of Commons before being given royal assent? | How many readings does an act of Parliament have in the House ofCommons before being given royal assent? Sign up View the step-by-step solution to: How many readings does an act of Parliament have in the House ofCommons before being given royal assent? This question was answered on May 22, 2016. View the Answer How many readings does an act of Parliament have in the House ofCommons before being given royal assent? torestutor200 posted a question · May 22, 2016 at 1:38am Top Answer This relief fragment depicts one of the many wives of ________________, and is one of the only surviving pieces from his funerary complex at Deir el-Bahri. Recently Asked Questions Need an Ancient History tutor? brightkesenwa 44 Ancient History experts found online! Average reply time is 1 min Get Homework Help Why Join Course Hero? Course Hero has all the homework and study help you need to succeed! We’ve got course-specific notes, study guides, and practice tests along with expert tutors and customizable flashcards—available anywhere, anytime. - - Study Documents Find the best study resources around, tagged to your specific courses. Share your own to gain free Course Hero access or to earn money with our Marketplace. - Question & Answers Get one-on-one homework help from our expert tutors—available online 24/7. Ask your own questions or browse existing Q&A threads. Satisfaction guaranteed! - Flashcards Browse existing sets or create your own using our digital flashcard system. A simple yet effective studying tool to help you earn the grade that you want! |
In which city did Karl Marx write Das Kapital? | Karl Marx FAQ | Site Map Karl Marx The German philosopher Karl Marx (1818-1883) was one of the most influential political writers in history. Indeed, in the last half of the twentieth century, almost half the people in the world lived in countries governed by principles based on Marx's work. To understand the scope and importance of Marx, we must look to his childhood and to the political situation of his time. Marx grew up in a learned family that prized education. In fact, he came from a long line of rabbis on both sides of the family. In 1835, at the age of 17, Marx went to the University of Bonn to study law. However, Marx's father felt his son should go to a more serious school so, a year later, Marx was sent to the University of Berlin where he studied for four years. Even as a young man, Marx had a thoughtful, philosophical bent. When he was 17 years old, he wrote a letter to his father, in which he pondered the choices that a young person must make when choosing a profession: "...But the chief guide which must direct us in the choice of a profession is the welfare of mankind and our own perfection. It should not be thought that these two interests could be in conflict, that one would have to destroy the other; on the contrary, Man's nature is so constituted that he can attain his own perfection only by working for the perfection, for the good, of his fellow men. If he works only for himself, he may perhaps become a famous man of learning, a great sage, an excellent poet, but he can never be a perfect, truly great man." I have quoted from this letter at such length to show you that Marx was much more than a political philosopher. As he grew older, he developed into a highly educated economist, a historian, a social scientist and, eventually, a revolutionary. In October 1842, not long after finishing his formal education, Marx began to edit a 4-month old liberal newspaper, "Rheinische Zeitung", in the Prussian city of Cologne. (At the time, Prussia was an independent kingdom, the largest and most important of the Germanic states.) Up to now, Marx had looked at the study of the law only as an academic pursuit. However, "Rheinische Zeitung" was an outlet for the region's middle class and intellectuals, people who were strongly opposed to Prussian authoritarianism. As editor, Marx was obliged -- for the first time in his life -- to confront legal and political issues from a practical viewpoint. This led him to turn his attention to economics and, within a short time, he began to develop a progressive, anti- authoritarian philosophy. In November of 1842, Marx met Friedrich Engels, a German writer who was visiting the newspaper on his way to England. Marx and Engels began to collaborate, the start of a fruitful and stimulating partnership that was to last the rest of their lives. Under Marx's guidance and Engels' influence, the newspaper became more and more radical. In March 1843, Marx was forced to resign and, two weeks later, the Prussian government closed down the paper. Marx then traveled to Paris, where he became involved with working-class, socialist groups. At the end of 1844, he was expelled from Paris, and he and Engels went to Brussels, where they stayed for three years. During this interval, Marx devoted himself to an intensive study of history, developing a materialistic conception of the field. In doing so, he took a very important philosophical step. At the time, European metaphysics was dominated by Hegel's philosophy of idealism, based on two ideas. First, that reality is a creation of the mind; second, that history can be explained as an eternal struggle between opposing spiritual forces, a concept known as the Hegelian dialectic. According to Marx, people make social decisions solely in response to their economic needs. Thus, over time, the characteristics of a society are determined by its economic structure. For Marx, reality was material |
Which party did F W de Klerk represent as South African president? | South Africa: Overcoming Apartheid South African President and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate with Nelson Mandela. Early life F. W. de Klerk was born in Johannesburg on 18 March 1936. F.W. de Klerk grew up in a political family, with both his father and grandfather serving high office. His father, Jan de Klerk, was a Cabinet Minister and the President of the South African Senate. In this political environment he learned the essential importance of timing. His brother is Dr Willem (Wimpie) de Klerk, a political analyst and one of the founders of the Democratic Party. After finishing school in Krugersdorp, F.W. de Klerk graduated in 1958 from Potchefstroom University with BA and Ll.B degrees (the latter cum laude). At the same time he was awarded the Abe Bailey scholarship (an all-expenses paid educational tour to the United Kingdom). In 1969 he married Marike Willemse, with whom he had two sons and a daughter. Political career From 1961-1972 de Klerk practiced as an attorney in Vereeniging. During this time, he played an active part in Nationalist Party politics and in local educational affairs. He was offered the chair of Administrative Law at Potchefstroom University, but declined the position when he was elected Member of Parliament for Vereeniging in November 1972. In 1975 he became information officer of the Transvaal National Party. He held several ministerial positions in the Cabinet of President P.W. Botha, including Minister of Post and Telecommunications and Sport and Recreation (1978-1979); Mines, Energy and Environmental Planning (1979-1980); Mineral and Energy Affairs (1980-1982); Internal Affairs (1982-1985); and National Education and Planning (1984-1989). In 1982 he became the Transvaal leader of the National Party after Dr Andries Treurnicht quit the party. In 1985 he was appointed chairman of the Ministers’ Council in the House of Assembly and in 1986 he became the House’s leader. When P.W. Botha resigned as leader of the National Party in February 1989, he was succeeded by de Klerk. In September he was elected the new State President. He soon announced his policy of reform: he hoped to create a suitable climate for negotiations which would end apartheid and bring about a new Constitutional dispensation for South Africa, based on the principle of one person, one vote. The 1990 reforms In December 1989, de Klerk met with the imprisoned leader of the African National Congress (ANC), Nelson Mandela. On 2 February 1990, de Klerk lifted the ban on the ANC, the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). On 11 February Mandela was released. Negotiations with Mandela and other party leaders were held for the peaceful end of apartheid and transition to democratic rule. In 1993, De Klerk and Mandela were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts at reform in South Africa. After 1994. After the 1994 elections, De Klerk was appointed the Second Vice President in President Mandela’s cabinet. In 1996 and other National Party members withdrew from their cabinet posts in order to establish the National Party as an effective opposition to the ANC. In 1997 De Klerk retired from politics. |
What is the term used when a sitting MP is removed as the candidate for a forthcoming election? | BBC News - Labour MP Nigel Griffiths to quit at election Labour MP Nigel Griffiths to quit at election Nigel Griffiths has been the Edinburgh South MP for 23 years Former Labour minister Nigel Griffiths has announced he will quit as MP for Edinburgh South at the next election. Mr Griffiths, who has held the marginal seat for 23 years, said he was leaving the Commons to take up a "once in a lifetime job offer". The politician was recently hit with allegations concerning his private life and the Westminster expenses scandal. The announcement brings the number of Scottish Labour MPs stepping down so far to nine. Meanwhile, former West Lothian Council leader Graeme Morrice has been selected as the Labour candidate in Livingston, after sitting MP Jim Devine was deselected by the party's special endorsement panel following a probe of his expenses claims. Brian Taylor Political editor There is always churn at election time, but it does look as if the turnover will be substantial this time around. Thus far, nine Scottish Labour MPs are retiring/departing before a vote is cast. One Lib Dem, John Barrett, has announced that he is to go. The SNP's cohort - with the exception of Alex Salmond - are all seeking re-election as is the solitary Tory. Read Brian Taylor's blog Labour MSP Cathy Jamieson, the former Scottish justice minister, will fight Kilmarnock and Loudoun after former defence and Scottish secretary Des Browne announced he was quitting the seat. And former civil servant and trade union official Michael McCann has been unveiled as the Labour candidate in East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow, after former defence minister Adam Ingram also decided to quit as the sitting MP. Labour paid tribute to Mr Griffiths as one of Scotland's most experienced parliamentarians. And the party moved quickly to declare Labour support in Edinburgh South - which is being targeted by the other main parties in the forthcoming election - was "strong and growing". Mr Griffiths, whose new post as director of an international education institution based in London, the United States and India, starts in June, said he firmly believed Labour would hold the seat. The former councillor said: "After 30 years of continuously elected service in Edinburgh, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. "It would not be right to delay accepting this position, since I want to give the party time to select a new candidate to fight the forthcoming election." Trident protest Mr Griffiths, a long-time friend of Gordon Brown, last year escaped a standards investigation after the News of the World reported he cheated on his wife inside the House of Commons. In a statement following the newspaper's account of events on Remembrance Day in 2008 he said at the time: "I am, of course, ashamed that my conduct did fall below acceptable standards. I have little recollection of the evening but that does not make it right." Last summer it was reported Mr Griffiths tried to defend a £3,600 claim for a television, DVD player and digital radio in his London home by saying he had to listen to "Scottish radio" and watch "Scottish TV". He was said to have told the Commons fees office a flat-screen television was the "sensible option" in a cramped flat, but did not pursue the claim after being told that, while the explanation was understandable, the "level of purchases" remained under question. Mr Griffiths has served as a minister for construction, competition and enterprise. He became deputy Leader of the Commons in 2005, but quit two years later so he could vote against the government on Trident. Bookmark with: |
Who played the part of Piers Fletcher Dervish, personal assistant to MP Alan B'stard, in the television comedy series The New Statesman? | Who played the part of Piers Fletcher Dervish, personal assistant to MP Alan B'stard, in the television comedy series The New Statesman? Sign up View the step-by-step solution to: Who played the part of Piers Fletcher Dervish, personal assistant to MP Alan B'stard, in the television comedy series The New Statesman? This question was answered on May 22, 2016. View the Answer Who played the part of Piers Fletcher Dervish, personal assistant to MP Alan B'stard, in the television comedy series The New Statesman? veterantutor62 posted a question · May 22, 2016 at 10:19am Top Answer josewriter23 answered the question · May 22, 2016 at 10:20am Other Answers Michael Troughton (born 2 March 1955) is an English actor, writer, and teacher. He is the son of actor Patrick Troughton (known as the Second Doctor in Doctor Who in the 1960s) and the younger brother of David Troughton. Yati1987 May 22, 2016 at 10:21am {[ getNetScore(29666349) ]} View Full Answer or ask a new question Related Questions Go back a bit and explore part of the 1890s. What was the significance of the Spanish-American War in the debate over imperialism? What impression did you get Recently Asked Questions Need an US History tutor? mathtutor1983 2 US History experts found online! Average reply time is less than an hour Get Homework Help Why Join Course Hero? Course Hero has all the homework and study help you need to succeed! We’ve got course-specific notes, study guides, and practice tests along with expert tutors and customizable flashcards—available anywhere, anytime. - - Study Documents Find the best study resources around, tagged to your specific courses. Share your own to gain free Course Hero access or to earn money with our Marketplace. - Question & Answers Get one-on-one homework help from our expert tutors—available online 24/7. Ask your own questions or browse existing Q&A threads. Satisfaction guaranteed! - Flashcards Browse existing sets or create your own using our digital flashcard system. A simple yet effective studying tool to help you earn the grade that you want! |
Which MP entered Parliament as a Tory in 1833, but became Liberal prime minister in 1868? | William Ewart Gladstone | prime minister of United Kingdom | Britannica.com prime minister of United Kingdom Written By: Prime minister of United Kingdom born William Ewart Gladstone, (born December 29, 1809, Liverpool , England —died May 19, 1898, Hawarden , Flintshire, Wales ), statesman and four-time prime minister of Great Britain (1868–74, 1880–85, 1886, 1892–94). William E. Gladstone. Culver Pictures Early life Gladstone was of purely Scottish descent. His father, John, made himself a merchant prince and was a member of Parliament (1818–27). Gladstone was sent to Eton, where he did not particularly distinguish himself. At Christ Church, Oxford, in 1831 he secured first classes in classics and mathematics. He originally intended to take orders in the Church of England , but his father dissuaded him. He mistrusted parliamentary reform; his speech against it in May 1831 at the Oxford Union, of which he had been president, made a strong impression. One of his Christ Church friends, the son of the Duke of Newcastle, persuaded the Duke to support Gladstone as candidate for Parliament for Newark in the general election of December 1832; and the “Grand Old Man” of Liberalism thus began his parliamentary career as a Tory member. His maiden speech on June 3, 1833, made a decided mark. He held minor office in Sir Robert Peel’s short government of 1834–35, first at the treasury, then as undersecretary for the colonies. United Kingdom: Gladstone and Disraeli In July 1839 he married Catherine, the daughter of Sir Stephen Glynne of Hawarden, near Chester. A woman of lively wit, complete discretion, and exceptional charm, she was utterly devoted to her husband, to whom she bore eight children. This marriage gave him a secure base of personal happiness for the rest of his life. It also established him in the aristocratic governing class of the time. The influence of Peel Gladstone’s early parliamentary performances were strongly Tory; but time after time contact with the effects of Tory policy forced him to take a more liberal view. His conversion from conservatism to liberalism took place in prolonged stages, over a generation. Peel made Gladstone vice president of the Board of Trade , and Gladstone’s application astonished even hardworking colleagues. He embarked on a major simplification of the tariff and became a more thoroughgoing free trader than Peel. In 1843 he entered the Cabinet as president of the Board of Trade. His Railway Act of 1844 set up minimum requirements for railroad companies and provided for eventual state purchase of railway lines. Gladstone also much improved working conditions for London dock workers. Early in 1845, when the Cabinet proposed to increase a state grant to the Irish Roman Catholic college at Maynooth, Gladstone resigned—not because he did not approve of the increase but because it went against views he had published seven years before. Later in 1845 he rejoined the Cabinet as secretary of state for the colonies, until the government fell in 1846. While at the Colonial Office, he was led nearer to Liberalism by being forced to consider the claims of English-speaking colonists to govern themselves. Private preoccupations Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent The Glynne family estates were deeply involved in the financial panic of 1847. For several years Gladstone was concerned with extricating them. He began charitable work, which was open to a great deal of misinterpretation; he often tried to persuade prostitutes to enter a “rescue” home that he and his wife maintained or in some other way to take up a different way of life. Several of Gladstone’s closest Oxford friends were among the many Anglicans who converted to Roman Catholicism under the impact of the Oxford Movement. Gladstone had moved to a High Anglican position in Italy just after leaving Oxford. The suspicion that he was Catholic was used against him by his adversaries, of whom he had many in the University of Oxford , for which he was elected MP in August 1847. He scandalized many of his new constituents at once by voting for the admissio |
Who was the last foreign secretary to serve in Margaret Thatcher's cabinet, an MP who also contested the leadership after her resignation? | Margaret Thatcher obituary: The most divisive political leader of modern times | The Independent Margaret Thatcher obituary: The most divisive political leader of modern times Her outsider’s mentality made her admired – worshipped, almost – by members of the Conservative Party Monday 8 April 2013 17:06 BST Click to follow The Independent Online Baroness Margaret Thatcher arriving for the Passing of the World War One Generation Memorial Service on Armistice Day EPA There has been no other leader quite like Margaret Thatcher in post-war Britain. No other post-war Prime Minister has been so admired, or so reviled. She was the first woman to lead a major political party in Britain, the longest-serving Prime Minister of the 20th century, and almost the only Prime Minister whose name is synonymous with an ideology. "Thatcherism" remained in political diction when the holder of that name was an elderly frail, lonely widow. She was never much loved, though she would have liked to have been. She believed that she had a direct line to the British people, or at least the section of it from which she sprang: the hardworking, law-abiding, self-denying lower middle class. Although she dominated her party and the government machine, her self-image was of an outsider battling with an inert establishment. Evening visitors to the flat above Downing Street would sometimes find her and her husband, Denis, watching the news, and grumbling about the state of the nation, wanting something done. This outsider's mentality made her admired - worshipped, almost - by members of the Conservative Party and its core supporters. Others felt grudging respect for her immense willpower. Even the satirists who thrived during the Thatcher years unwittingly enhanced the very reputation that they were mocking. One famous Spitting Image sketch showed Thatcher settling down to dinner with a collection of half-witted Cabinet ministers. Approached by the waiter, she ordered raw steak. "And what about the vegetables?" she is asked, to which she replied: "They'll have the same." Jokes such as this only reinforced her image as a strong leader. She was also lucky in the choice of enemies that fate threw in her path - the Kremlin, Argentina's General Galtieri, and the miners' leader, Arthur Scargill, all unwittingly helped her from success to success. But to a very large minority of Britons - if not the majority - she was an increasingly unappealing embodiment of unfeeling middle-class self-righteousness. While it was her hostility to her fellow Europeans that most damaged her relations with senior Cabinet colleagues, what turned the public against her was the apparent glee with which she rode roughshod over sections of society, such as the miners and the unemployed. Margaret Roberts was born in 1925, the second daughter of Alfred and Beatrice Roberts, in Grantham, Lincolnshire. Her father, a local grocer, was a member of the local council and became Mayor of Grantham in 1945. The family was Methodist, austere, and teetotal. They usually attended church three times on a Sunday. Though Alfred Roberts owned two shops and employed five assistants, there was no hot running water or inside lavatory in the family flat. Later, it would be much commented on that Thatcher's Who's Who entry identified her as her father's daughter, but did not mention her mother. Similarly, neither her mother nor her sister, Muriel, featured in her lengthy memoirs, in which she pays tribute to her father, a shoemaker's son, as the person from whom she learnt "the basis for my economic philosophy." In all the years she was in Downing Street, she allowed only one other woman a seat in the Cabinet. This was Janet Young, who was leader of the Lords from 1981 to 1983. Thatcher was in some respects very feminine, particularly in the endless care she took over her clothes and complexion, but she was no feminist. She preferred to work with men, preferably men who behaved flirtatiously, like her court favourite, Cecil Parkinson. The politician to whom she owed most was the long-serving, long-suffering Si |
Which publication documents all proceedings of the British parliament? | Publications & records - UK Parliament Publications & records Produced by Commons Library, Lords Library and Parliamentary Office Science and Technology The UK’s EU referendum 2016 explained Four staff networks for people to discuss and consider issues. Working in Parliament Find and register for Parliament's free events and training sessions Have your say See some of the sights you’ll encounter on a tour of Parliament Planning an event? Publications & records Publications & records See what is happening today in both Houses, read previous debates in Hansard and get the latest select committee reports. Explore research from the parliamentary libraries and find out how to access the archives. |
Which British minister of health inaugurated the National Health Service? | Which British minister of health inaugurated the National Health Service? View the step-by-step solution to: Which British minister of health inaugurated the National Health Service? This question was answered on May 22, 2016. View the Answer Which British minister of health inaugurated the National Health Service? .__________________________________________ jebiiwriter43 posted a question · May 22, 2016 at 10:25am Top Answer Please see the attached... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29666450) ]} josewriter23 answered the question · May 22, 2016 at 10:27am Other Answers Aneurin Bevan; 15 November 1897 – 6 July 1960), often known as Nye Bevan, was a Welsh Labour Party politician who was the... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29666484) ]} The answer to this question... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29666496) ]} Here is the answer... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29674566) ]} Need an Ancient History tutor? brightkesenwa 41 Ancient History experts found online! Average reply time is 1 min Get Homework Help Why Join Course Hero? Course Hero has all the homework and study help you need to succeed! We’ve got course-specific notes, study guides, and practice tests along with expert tutors and customizable flashcards—available anywhere, anytime. - - Study Documents Find the best study resources around, tagged to your specific courses. Share your own to gain free Course Hero access or to earn money with our Marketplace. - Question & Answers Get one-on-one homework help from our expert tutors—available online 24/7. Ask your own questions or browse existing Q&A threads. Satisfaction guaranteed! - Flashcards Browse existing sets or create your own using our digital flashcard system. A simple yet effective studying tool to help you earn the grade that you want! |
What is the name for the group of opposition spokesmen who comment on the policies of government ministers? | What is the name for the group of opposition spokesmen who comment on the policies of government ministers? Sign up View the step-by-step solution to: What is the name for the group of opposition spokesmen who comment on the policies of government ministers? This question was answered on May 22, 2016. View the Answer What is the name for the group of opposition spokesmen who comment on the policies of government ministers? oldprincetutor51 posted a question · May 22, 2016 at 10:32am Top Answer josewriter23 answered the question · May 22, 2016 at 10:33am Other Answers 1 comment The Shadow Cabinet is a feature of the Westminster system of government. It consists of a senior group of opposition spokespeople who, under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition, form an alternative cabinet to that of the government, and whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the Cabinet.[1] Members of a shadow cabinet are often but not always appointed to a Cabinet post if and when their party gets into government. It is the Shadow Cabinet's responsibility to criticise the policies and actions of the government, as well as offering an alternative program. Yati1987 May 22, 2016 at 10:33am {[ getNetScore(29666534) ]} |
"Who was ""Britain's first ever Labour prime minister in 1924?" | Who was "Britain's first ever Labour prime minister in 1924? View the step-by-step solution to: Who was "Britain's first ever Labour prime minister in 1924? This question was answered on May 22, 2016. View the Answer Who was "Britain's first ever Labour prime minister in 1924? longman86 posted a question · May 22, 2016 at 10:35am Top Answer The way to answer this question is ... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29666574) ]} josewriter23 answered the question · May 22, 2016 at 10:35am Other Answers Here is the explanation for... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29666570) ]} 1 comment James Ramsay MacDonald, FRS[1] (12 October 1866 – 9 November 1937) was a British statesman who was the first Labour Party Prime Minister, leading a Labour Government in 1924, a Labour Government from 1929 to 1931, and a National Government from 1931 to 1935. Yati1987 May 22, 2016 at 10:36am {[ getNetScore(29666575) ]} Here is a detailed explanation... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29666579) ]} Ramsay MacDonald In office... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29666603) ]} View Full Answer or ask a new question Related Questions Who is the first US president? How old was he when he became a president? Recently Asked Questions Need an Ancient History tutor? rahulbansal 29 Ancient History experts found online! Average reply time is 1 min Get Homework Help Why Join Course Hero? Course Hero has all the homework and study help you need to succeed! We’ve got course-specific notes, study guides, and practice tests along with expert tutors and customizable flashcards—available anywhere, anytime. - - Study Documents Find the best study resources around, tagged to your specific courses. Share your own to gain free Course Hero access or to earn money with our Marketplace. - Question & Answers Get one-on-one homework help from our expert tutors—available online 24/7. Ask your own questions or browse existing Q&A threads. Satisfaction guaranteed! - Flashcards Browse existing sets or create your own using our digital flashcard system. A simple yet effective studying tool to help you earn the grade that you want! |
"What became known s ""the F-word"" at the 1991 Maastricht summit, where Britain wanted it removed from the treaty?" | European Council, Maastricht (Hansard, 25 November 1991) Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos My Lords, we are grateful to the noble Lord the Leader of the House for setting the scene for the debate and for his comprehensive speech in which he explained some aspects of the Government's policy. A two-day debate on the importance and implications of the Maastricht Summit was held in another place last week. We all followed that discussion with great interest. Today we have the opportunity to express our views on what is without doubt a historic milestone in the history of the Community. There are differences of view on a number of issues between the parties, and within the parties, in this country, as was made very plain in last week's debate in the House of Commons. However, there is overwhelming agreement on one central point; namely, that as a member of the European Community it is our duty in this country to work for solutions which are in the best interests of our people and of the Community as a whole. We must be clear about how we want to see the Community develop and we must work to ensure that Britain is in a position to influence the objectives which we support. There is little doubt that the Community will expand still further. Sweden and Austria are seeking membership and the other EFTA countries will follow, as may two or three Eastern European countries in due course. It is an exciting prospect but it will be an attractive one only if we can ensure that the new association will be democratic and that there will be accountability as between the various levels of administration within the Community—a point upon which the noble Lord expanded. Economic, monetary and political union for Europe is an ambitious concept and a complex and intricate one. The noble Lord said that we cannot set the final shape of Europe now, and I agree with him. It is for that reason that we should tackle each stage of the development with realism and common sense. We know that there have been arguments on a range of issues and we do not know, even at this late stage, whether they will be resolved before the Maastricht Summit takes place. The noble Lord also said that Maastricht will not settle the fate of Europe now. Here again I agree with him. I suggested in the debate on the Address that we should seek to negotiate a package upon which we could all agree at Maastricht while other matters on 1154 which agreement is clearly impossible should be reserved for further consideration. That must be preferable to a pointless and acrimonious haggle there. The impression has been created that Maastricht is a make or break summit. That is a great mistake for it has been plain from the start that there are issues on which total agreement may well be impossible, at least at this stage. As the noble Lord has said, every country in the Community has its own history, ethos, culture and national memory and its policies inevitably reflect that. That has its dangers, as we know all too well. Yugoslavia demonstrates that in an extreme way at this moment. We can thank heaven that the Community came into existence primarily to ensure that the wars which had devastated Europe would never happen again. It is very much to the credit of this House that over the past two years or so it has gone to very great lengths to study and debate the problems implicit in Maastricht. In October 1990 and in July this year our Select Committee on the European Communities, which is presided over by my noble friend Lady Serota, published excellent reports which we debated here at some length. The committee made important recommendations which are very relevant to our debate today. For example, it stressed that the communities must take steps to meet the requirements of democratic principles and that Community institutions must be, and must be seen to be, democratically accountable. It is for that reason that the Commission as at present constituted poses a problem. I must put the question to the noble Earl, Lord Caithness, who is to reply to the debate: why should not the Commission be mo |
Which British actress won the Hampstead and Highgate seat for Labour in the 1992 General Election? | UK Polling Report Geography: Greater London. Parts of Camden and Brent council areas. Main population centres: Hampstead, Kilburn, Kendal Rise. Profile: Hampstead itself is stereotypically, but not entirely inaccurately, portrayed as the home of the chattering classes and the liberal intelligensia, although the extreme house prices mean it is increasingly the home to city financiers, celebrities and business entrepreneurs. The desirable location, Hampstead Heath and direct transport links into central London and to Canary Wharf mean the rest of the seat is rapidly gentrifying and house prices rocketing as young professionals move into the area. Kilburn is a more socially deprived area with a large proportion of social housing and large Irish and Caribbean communities. Gentrification is having its effect even here though and the large South Kilburn council estate is in the process of being redeveloped. Politics: Hampstead and Kilburn was created for the 2010 election, a cross borough seat based on the old Hampstead and Highgate seat of Glenda Jackson and the Brent East seat of Sarah Teather, who opted to fight the Brent Central seat instead. In 2010 the result was an extremely tight three-way finish between Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat with Labour only winning by 42 votes. In 2015 the Liberal Democrat vote collapsed, but the battle between Labour and Conservative remained tight, with Tulip Siddiq winning by only two percent. Current MP TULIP SIDDIQ (Labour) Born 1982, Mitcham, granddaughter of Sheikj Mujibur Rahman, first President of Bangledesh. Educated at University College London. Former corporate communications executive. First elected as MP for Hampstead & Kilburn in 2015. Past Results *There were boundary changes after 2005, name changed from Hampstead & Highgate Demographics 2015 Candidates SIMON MARCUS (Conservative) Born Hampstead. Educated at City of London School and Kings College London. Camden councillor since 2012. Contested Barking 2010. TULIP SIDDIQ (Labour) Born 1982, Mitcham, granddaughter of Sheikj Mujibur Rahman, first President of Bangledesh. Educated at University College London. Corporate communications executive. MAAJID NAWAZ (Liberal Democrat) Born 1978, Westcliff on Sea. Educated at Westcliff High School for Boys and SOAS. Executive director of Quilliam Foundation. Former member of extremist group Hizb-ut-Tahrir, he left HUT in 2007 to become a campaigner against extremism. Received death threats in 2013 for tweeting a Jesus and Mo cartoon. MAGNUS NIELSEN (UKIP) Educated at George Dixons Grammar School and University of London. Contested Holborn and St Pancras 2001, Hampstead and Highgate 2005, Hampstead and Kilburn 2010. REBECCA JOHNSON (Green) Educated at Bristol University. Academic and nuclear disarmament expert. ROBIN ELLISON (U Party) Educated at Manchester Grammar School and Cambridge University. Pensions lawyer. Chairman of the National Association of Pension Funds. THE EUROVISIONARY CARROLL (Independent) Born 1934, Belfast. Singer and entertainer. British entrant to the Eurovision Song Contest in 1962 and 1963.. Contested Hampstead and Highgate 1997, Uxbridge by-election 1997, Hartlepool by-election 2004, Haltemprice 2008 by-election. Died on 13th April 2015, after the close of nominations. Links |
Whose book Inside NO 10 described Harold Wilson's Downing Street years? | The truth about Harold Wilson - after 30 years of scandalous rumours | Daily Mail Online The truth about Harold Wilson - after 30 years of scandalous rumours By ROY HATTERSLEY Last updated at 10:12 24 June 2007 The real Mary Wilson is dramatically different from the dull suburban housewife who was caricatured so ruthlessly during her husband Harold's years of power. Her reputation for doing little more than "standing by her man" was acquired in an era before Prime Ministers' wives became personalities in their own right. It was exacerbated by Mrs Wilson's Diary - a long-running spoof in the satirical magazine Private Eye that mocked her apparent meekness and fondness for composing verse. Mary never complained, and finally faded from public view during the many years she devotedly nursed her husband as he was gradually consumed by Alzheimer's. Scroll down for more...Today, the "little woman" calumny is regurgitated whenever so-called new "revelations" about Wilson's premiership - which ended prematurely in 1976 after he resigned under rather mysterious circumstances - are spewed out by one of his "loyal" lieutenants. But his widow must also take some responsibility for all the nonsense that is so often written, because she adamantly refuses to take on her husband's detractors. An intensely private woman, she despises the cult of personality that has infested modern politics. And she emphatically does not believe in letting her emotions show. Now aged 90, she lives alone in a Westminster flat and observes the world through eyes that have lost none of their sharpness. Despite all her years as a political wife (Harold became an MP in 1945), she has rarely talked to the media and has never given a full-blown newspaper interview. That she is giving one at all now - coincidentally, as yet another Prime Minister prepares to step down before the end of his term - is because we have known each other for more than 40 years. Time after time, she prefaces her words by saying: "I have never told this to anyone before." But equally, time after time, she stops me from delving any further. It is a matter of principle that she will never retaliate against those who tell lies about her husband by telling the discreditable truth about them. Of course, the story that has resurfaced the most persistently pivots on the role of Marcia Williams - now Lady Falkender - who served as Harold Wilson's political secretary for nearly 30 years, including his eight years as Prime Minister. In 2003, Joe Haines, Wilson's former Press secretary, published a book which claimed that Marcia had had an affair with the Prime Minister and that she had treated him with derision. One of his tallest tales - repeated in a BBC drama last year - had Marcia once telling Mary: "I've slept with your husband six times and it wasn't very satisfactory." (Subsequently, the BBC was forced to issue an apology.) Mary Wilson, who combines moral certainty with the no-nonsense approach of a Northerner, says such allegations are beneath contempt and unworthy of comment. When I ask if her disdain for scandal-mongering is built on her knowledge that none of the stories are true, she allows herself a contented smile. To understand Mary Wilson's character, it is necessary to know something of her upbringing as "a daughter of the manse". Her father, a Congregationalist minister, encouraged plain living and high thinking. ("Church twice on Sundays and no novels to be read on the day of prayer," recalls Mary.) Little wonder, then, that the family watchwords were "pride" and "propriety". Her background also goes some way to explaining why she has never complained about the Cabinet Office's decision, regarded by some as a disgrace, to halve her pension - to £15,000 - when her husband died in 1995. All she will say is: "I have a small annuity." Mary Wilson is part of a disappearing generation that is determined to go through life without whining, blaming and emoting. There is not a trace of self-pity when she describes her husband's final, terrible illness, which became evident after he resig |
What is the Swedish name of the official who acts for the private citizen in complaints against the government? | The Swedish system of government Home / Society / The Swedish system of government The Swedish system of government All public power proceeds from the people. This is the foundation of parliamentary democracy in Sweden. Everyone has the same rights and is free to scrutinise how politicians and public agencies exercise their power. Photo: Johnér/Plattform The Swedish system of government All public power proceeds from the people. This is the foundation of parliamentary democracy in Sweden. Everyone has the same rights and is free to scrutinise how politicians and public agencies exercise their power. A parliamentary democracy In Sweden, general elections are held every four years, with the last one held in September 2014. Around 7 million people are entitled to vote and thereby influence which political party will represent them in the Riksdag (the Swedish Parliament), county councils and municipalities. People can also influence Swedish politics in other ways – by taking part in referendums, joining a political party or commenting on reports presented by the Government. The Swedish Constitution The Swedish Constitution defines how Sweden is governed. It regulates the relationships between decision-making and executive power, and the basic rights and freedoms of citizens. Four fundamental laws make up the Constitution: the Instrument of Governmen t, the Act of Succession , the Freedom of the Press Act and the Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression . Among other things, the Instrument of Government guarantees citizens the right to obtain information freely, hold demonstrations, form political parties and practise their religion. The Act of Succession regulates the right of members of the House of Bernadotte to accede to the Swedish throne. The Freedom of the Press Act sets out the principle of public access to official documents in order to guarantee an open society with access to information about the work of the Riksdag, the Government and public agencies. This law allows people to study official documents whenever they wish. Another principle in the Freedom of the Press Act is the freedom to communicate information. Under this principle, everyone in Sweden is entitled to give information to the media that they consider important and that they feel should be made public. The publisher of the material is not entitled to reveal the source if the individual in question wishes to remain anonymous. The Law on Freedom of Expression, which came into force in 1992, largely mirrors the Freedom of the Press Act, in regards to the prohibition of censorship, the freedom to communicate information and the right to anonymity. Fundamental rights To amend a fundamental law, the Riksdag must pass the amendment on two separate occasions, separated by a parliamentary election. The fundamental laws take precedence over all other statutes and no law may contravene the Constitution. DID YOU KNOW… National referendums A total of six national referendums have been held in Sweden. These polls are consultative in character and the Riksdag may reach decisions that run counter to their outcome. This has only happened on one occasion, in 1955, when a referendum was held on the introduction of right-hand traffic. The Swedish people voted against it but the Government chose to introduce it nonetheless. Sweden’s last two referendums: 1994: Membership of the EU Result: Yes 2003: Introduction of the euro Result: No The Riksdag has 349 members who are chosen by Sweden’s citizens every four years in general elections. Photo: Frank Chmura/Nordic Photos The Riksdag – representing the people The Riksdag makes the decisions and the Government implements them. The Government also submits proposals for new laws or law amendments to the Riksdag. The 349-member Riksdag is Sweden’s primary representative forum. The entire Riksdag is chosen by direct elections based on suffrage for all Swedish citizens aged 18 or over who are, or previously have been, residents of Sweden. Since 1971, Sweden has had a unicameral (one-chamber) Riksdag. General elections to the Riksd |
Which US president introduced the New Deal in 1933 to counter the depression? | The Great Depression and the New Deal The Great Depression and the New Deal John Hardman Poverty & Prejudice: Social Security at the Crossroads In his first inaugural address, United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt, made some attempt to assess the enormous damage: "The withered leaves of industrial enterprise lie on every side; farmers find no markets for their produce; the savings of many years in thousands of families are gone. More important, a host of unemployed citizens face the grim problem of existence, and an equally great number toil with little return." He was speaking of the Great Depression of 1929 to 1940, which began and centered in the United States but spread quickly throughout the industrial world. Despite describing the Great Depression with grim words, this economic catastrophe and its impact defied description. The United States had never felt such a severe blow to its economy. President Roosevelt's New Deal reshaped the economy and structure of the United States, however, in order to end the poverty during the crisis. The New Deal programs would employ and give financial security to millions of Americans. These programs would prove to be effective and extremely beneficial to the American society as some still provide the economic security and benefits today. The Great Depression The Great Depression began by the complete collapse of the stock market on October 24th, 1929 when about 13 million shares of stock were sold. The damage was extended on Tuesday, October 29 when more than 16 million shares were sold making the day forever known as Black Tuesday. The value of most shares fell sharply, leaving financial ruin and panic in its wake. There has never been a collapse in the market that has had such a devastating and long-term effect on the economy. Businesses closed and banks failed by the hundreds due to the collapse, putting millions out of work. Wages for those still fortunate enough to have work fell sharply. The value of money decreased as the demand for goods declined. In Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal by William E. Leuchtenburg, the economic plight of the Depression is seen. "In the three years of Herbert Hoover's Presidency, the bottom had dropped out of the stock market and industrial production had been cut more than half.. By 1932, the unemployed numbered upward of thirteen million. Many lived in the primitive conditions of a preindustrial society stricken by famine."1 1 Leuchtenburg, pg. 1 Most of the agricultural segment of the economy had been in serious trouble for years. The arrival of the depression nearly eliminated it altogether, and the drought that created the 1930s Great Plains Dust Bowl greatened the damage. The government itself was sorely pressed for income at all levels as tax revenues fell; and the government during this period was more limited in its ability to respond to economic crises than it is today. The international structure of world trade also collapsed, and each nation sought to protect its own industrial base by imposing high tariffs on imported goods. This only made matters worse. Social Impact of the Great Depression By 1932 United States industrial output had been cut in half. One fourth of the labor force--about 15 million people--was out of work, and there was no such thing as unemployment insurance. Hourly wages had dropped by about 50 percent. Hundreds of banks had failed. Prices for agricultural products dropped to their lowest level since the Civil War. There were more than 90,000 businesses that failed completely. Statistics, however, can only partially give an account of the extraordinary hardships that millions of United States citizens endured For nearly every unemployed person, there were dependents who needed to be fed and housed Such massive poverty and hunger had never been known in the United States before. Former millionaires stood on street corners trying to sell apples at 5 cents apiece. Hundreds of pitiful shantytowns--called Hoovervilles in honor of the unfortunate Republican president who presided over the disaster--spran |
Mario Soares became the first socialist president of which country in 1986? | Mario Soares | president of Portugal | Britannica.com president of Portugal Alternative Title: Mário Alberto Nobre Lopes Soares Mario Soares Mário Alberto Nobre Lopes Soares born Manuel I Mário Soares, in full Mário Alberto Nobre Lopes Soares (born December 7, 1924, Lisbon , Portugal—died January 7, 2017, Lisbon), Socialist politician and lawyer, who became president of Portugal in 1986 as the country’s first elected civilian head of state in 60 years, holding the post until 1996. His father, João Lopes Soares (d. 1970), had been a liberal republican, often jailed or exiled during the dictatorship of António Oliveira Salazar. The young Soares studied at the University of Lisbon and at the Faculty of Law, Sorbonne, Paris, becoming a student activist and thereafter taking up a law practice defending political dissidents. By the time that the army-imposed right-wing dictatorship fell in 1974, Soares had been jailed 12 times and twice experienced exile, in São Tomé (1968) and Paris (1970–74). In 1964 he and others founded a clandestine society, the Portuguese Socialist Action, which by 1974 had transformed into the Portuguese Socialist Party (Partido Socialista Portuguesa). From 1974 to 1975 Soares was foreign minister in the new but still military-controlled government and oversaw the negotiations for freeing Portugal’s overseas colonies. In 1976 he became the first constitutionally elected prime minister since the 1974 revolution (serving 1976, 1976–78, and 1983–85) and in 1986 became the first civilian head of state (president) since 1926, ending 60 years of army overlordship. Reelected in 1991, Soares was constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term, and he left office in 1996. He ran again for president in 2006 but finished third. Soares wrote a number of books on philosophy and politics, including a partly autobiographical work, first published in Paris, Le Portugal baillonné: un témoignage (1972; “Portugal Muzzled: A Testament”). He also authored Portugal’s Struggle for Liberty (1975). Learn More in these related articles: in Portugal |
Who was the first president of France's Fifth Republic? | Fifth Republic | French history | Britannica.com Fifth Republic See Article History Fifth Republic, system of government in France from 1958. Under the constitution crafted by Charles de Gaulle with the help of Michel Debré , executive power was increased at the expense of the National Assembly . In 1959 de Gaulle was inaugurated as the first president of the Fifth Republic, with Debré as his prime minister. In 1962 de Gaulle pushed through a constitutional amendment that provided for direct popular election of the president, and in 1965 he became the first French president elected by popular vote since 1848. He was succeeded by Georges Pompidou (1969–74), Valéry Giscard d’Estaing (1974–81), François Mitterrand (1981–95), Jacques Chirac (1995–2007), Nicolas Sarkozy (2007–12), and François Hollande (2012– ). Learn More in these related articles: France: The Fifth Republic country of northwestern Europe. Historically and culturally among the most important nations in the Western world, France has also played a highly significant role in international affairs, with former colonies in every corner of the globe. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea,... Michel Debré Jan. 15, 1912 Paris, France Aug. 2, 1996 Montlouis-sur-Loire French political leader, a close aide of President Charles de Gaulle; after playing a prominent part in the writing of the constitution of the Fifth Republic, he served as its first premier. 10 References found in Britannica Articles Assorted References creation of French Community (in French Community ) role of Socialist Party (in Socialist Party (PS) ) External Links Corrections? Updates? Help us improve this article! Contact our editors with your feedback. MEDIA FOR: You have successfully emailed this. Error when sending the email. Try again later. Edit Mode Submit Tips For Editing We welcome suggested improvements to any of our articles. You can make it easier for us to review and, hopefully, publish your contribution by keeping a few points in mind. Encyclopædia Britannica articles are written in a neutral objective tone for a general audience. You may find it helpful to search within the site to see how similar or related subjects are covered. Any text you add should be original, not copied from other sources. At the bottom of the article, feel free to list any sources that support your changes, so that we can fully understand their context. (Internet URLs are the best.) Your contribution may be further edited by our staff, and its publication is subject to our final approval. Unfortunately, our editorial approach may not be able to accommodate all contributions. Submit Thank You for Your Contribution! Our editors will review what you've submitted, and if it meets our criteria, we'll add it to the article. Please note that our editors may make some formatting changes or correct spelling or grammatical errors, and may also contact you if any clarifications are needed. Uh Oh There was a problem with your submission. Please try again later. Close Date Published: June 21, 2012 URL: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fifth-Republic-French-history Access Date: December 17, 2016 Share |
Who was dismissed from office as Australian prime minister in 1975 after refusing to call a general election? | The Dismissal of the Whitlam Government - November 11th, 1975 November 11th, 1975 LinkedIn1 The Dismissal of the Whitlam Government on November 11, 1975 was the most dramatic political event in the history of Australia’s Federation. Edward Gough Whitlam’s government was elected on December 2, 1972 and was the first Labor administration in 23 years. Elected in a national mood of hope and anticipation, the government was steeped in controversy from the outset. Re-elected eighteen months later, it was gone in just under three years. It was a government that initiated unparalleled reform but was frustrated by the Senate, dismissed by the Governor-General, and then massively repudiated by the electorate. The story of the Whitlam years is the story of a political system tested to its limits. It remains a story of relevance to contemporary politics. CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS: OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 1975 The years 1972-1975 were a whirlwind of activity, controversy and change, culminating in the dramatic events of October 1975 when the coalition parties in the Senate used their numbers to delay passage of the government’s Supply Bills. A three-week constitutional impasse followed, culminating in Whitlam’s dismissal by the Governor-General, Sir John Kerr, on November 11. BACKGROUND TO 1972 The Whitlam Government was the first Labor government for 23 years, since the defeat of Ben Chifley in 1949. It was elected at a time of growing disillusionment with the Vietnam War, a concern about Australia’s place in the world and great social change. GOUGH WHITLAM Whitlam was born in Melbourne in 1916. He grew up in Canberra and entered Parliament in 1952, becoming deputy leader of the ALP in 1961 and leader in 1967. He won a 7% swing to his party in the 1969 election, rescuing it from the electoral disaster of 1966. Whitlam won office in 1972, was re-elected in 1974, dismissed and defeated in 1975, and rejected by the electorate again in 1977. He resigned the ALP leadership after the 1977 election and left parliament in 1978. In retirement, his energy and commitment to causes continued unabated. SIR JOHN KERR The man appointed by Whitlam to the position of Governor-General in 1974 is variously portrayed as a man of principle, a deceiver, an insecure man desperate to make his mark on history, the person who resolved a difficult situation not of his making by remitting it to the people, and a drunk. SIR GARFIELD BARWICK Barwick was Chief Justice of the High Court during the Whitlam years. He provided formal advice to the Governor-General on November 10, supporting Kerr’s decision to dismiss Whitlam. Forty years later, it was revealed that High Court Justice Sir Anthony Mason played an even more significant role than Barwick did. CONSTITUTIONAL & POLITICAL ISSUES: THE KEY QUESTIONS The Dismissal raised a number of important constitutional, parliamentary and political issues, most of which remain unresolved to this day. Should the Senate have the right to block money bills? How should a government respond when this happens? Should the Governor-General intervene in conflicts between the houses? When should the Governor-General intervene? THE WHITLAM GOVERNMENTS Whitlam’s 1972 election was the result of a program of party reform, policy development and political salesmanship. The ‘Program’ he presented to the people in 1972 still stands as the most definitive statement of policies ever proposed at an election. This section also contains information on the Whitlam ministers. THE LOANS AFFAIR The Loans Affair saga caused enormous damage to the credibility and reputation of the Whitlam government in 1975. It led to the dismissal of Dr. Jim Cairns and Rex Connor, and was pivotal to the decision of the Opposition to block the Budget in October 1975. WHITLAM SPEECHES Gough Whitlam died on October 21, 2014, at the age of 98. Even into his 90s, he was an active contributor to the political debates in Australia. Alone among all of the nation’s former leaders, he inspires a full measure of devotion from his supporters. |
What collective name is given to the first ten amendments to the US constitution? | First Ten Amendments - constitution | Laws.com Share Share 0 Tweet 0 +1 0 Share 0 The first ten Amendments to the U.S. Constitution are more commonly referred to as the Bill of Rights. These ten Amendments were introduced to the American Congress in 1789. The purpose of these 10 Amendments is to protect the individuals of the United States–protect their rights to property, their natural rights as individuals, and limit the Government’s power over the citizens. The ten Amendments that were originally placed into the Constitution were ratified in 1791 through the process of state voting and ratifying them one by one using a three-fourths majority vote of all the states. This was an important movement because it illustrated the way in which the founders had structured the Constitution, making them amendable while still requiring that sufficient time be given to the process in order to make the right choices regarding citizenship. The first ten Amendments of the U.S. Constitution are ones many individuals are taught when they are kids, but forget as they grow older. Simply stated, these 10 Amendments are: 1. Freedom of speech, religion, press, etc. 2. Right to keep and bear arms. 3. The conditions for quartering soldiers. 4. Right of search and seizure. 5. Provisions regarding the prosecution of an individual. 6. Right to a speedy trial. 7. Right to trial by jury. 8. Provision against excessive bail and cruel punishment before trial. 9. Rule of construction regarding the constitution; and 10. The rights of the states under the Constitution. |
In which year did Mikhail Gorbachev resign as Soviet president? | Gorbachev resigns as president of the USSR - Dec 25, 1991 - HISTORY.com Gorbachev resigns as president of the USSR Share this: Gorbachev resigns as president of the USSR Author Gorbachev resigns as president of the USSR URL Publisher A+E Networks Mikhail Gorbachev announces that he is resigning as president of the Soviet Union. In truth, there was not much of a Soviet Union from which to resign—just four days earlier, 11 of the former Soviet republics had established the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), effectively dismembering the USSR. The Soviet Union, for all intents and purposes, had already ceased to exist. In his farewell speech to the nation, Gorbachev indicated that the recent establishment of the CIS was the primary motive for his resignation, claiming he was “concerned about the fact that the people in this country are ceasing to become citizens of a great power and the consequences may be very difficult for all of us to deal with.” In words that were sometimes prideful, sometimes resentful, Gorbachev stated that he stood on his record of achievement. He had, he claimed, overseen the Soviet Union’s trip down the “road of democracy.” His reforms “steered” the communist economy “toward the market economy.” He declared that the Russian people were “living in a new world” in which an “end has been put to the Cold War and to the arms race.” Admitting “there were mistakes made,” Gorbachev remained adamant that he “never had any regrets” about the policies he pursued. In reality, Gorbachev had lost much of his power and prestige in the Soviet Union even before the establishment of the CIS. The economy was unstable. No one seemed pleased by Gorbachev-some opponents demanded even more political freedom while hard-liners in his government opposed any movement toward reform. In August 1991, he survived a coup attempt only through the assistance of Russian Federation president Boris Yeltsin. Following the failed attempt, Yeltsin became a vocal critic of the slow pace of economic and political reforms in the country. As Gorbachev’s power slipped away, Yeltsin took over the Kremlin and other Soviet government facilities and replaced the Soviet flag with the flag of Russia. After over 70 years of existence, the Soviet Union-America’s archenemy in the Cold War-was gone. Related Videos |
How many countries are there in the British Commonwealth? | Member countries | The Commonwealth Member countries Home >Member countries Member countries Fifty two countries are members of the Commonwealth. Our countries span Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific and are diverse – they are amongst the world’s largest, smallest, richest and poorest countries. Thirty-one of our members are classified as small states – countries with a population size of 1.5 million people or less and larger member states that share similar characteristics with them. All members subscribe to the Commonwealth’s values and principles outlined in The Commonwealth Charter . Leaders of member countries shape Commonwealth policies and priorities. Every two years, they meet to discuss issues affecting the Commonwealth and the wider world at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) . All members have an equal say – regardless of size or economic stature. This ensures even the smallest member countries have a voice in shaping the Commonwealth. |
What is the Irish house of representatives called? | Election Resources on the Internet: Parliamentary Elections in Ireland - Elections to Dáil Éireann (House of Representatives) The Electoral System The Parliament of Ireland, the Oireachtas consists of a lower chamber, Dáil Éireann (the House of Representatives), whose members are directly elected by universal adult suffrage, and an upper chamber, Seanad Éireann (the Senate), whose members are appointed by the prime minister, or indirectly elected by panels representing vocational interests or by graduates of the National University of Ireland and the University of Dublin (Trinity College). Dáil Éireann has greater legislative power than Seanad Éireann, which can neither initiate financial legislation nor delay indefinitely legislation already passed by Dáil Éireann. Dáil Éireann is composed of 158 members (previously 166) elected for a five-year term of office. Dáil elections are carried out in three- to five-member constituencies by the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system, which combines proportional representation (PR) with preferential voting. Under this system, voters indicate a first preference for one candidate, and may rank the remaining candidates in successive order of preferences on the ballot paper. In each constituency, Dáil seats are awarded to candidates who attain the constituency quota, calculated by dividing the number of valid first preference votes cast in the constituency by one more than the number of seats to be filled, and then adding one to the result. A candidate whose first preference vote total equals or exceeds the quota is immediately elected; if the candidate obtained more first preference votes than the quota, the surplus is distributed among the remaining candidates, in proportion to the second preferences of all votes cast for the successful candidate. The surplus transfer may result in the election of one or more candidates, in whose case the described procedure is repeated. However, if there are unallocated seats after transferring surplus votes from elected candidates, the candidate with the lowest number of votes is eliminated, and the preferences of the eliminated candidate are transferred to the remaining candidates. These two processes are repeated until all seats are filled. In referendums held in 1959 and 1968, the Irish electorate rejected proposed constitutional amendments to replace STV with plurality or first-past-the-post (FPTP) voting in single-member constituencies, the first time by a narrow margin and subsequently by a large majority. The Political Parties Ireland's present-day party system traces its origins to the civil war of 1922-23 between supporters and opponents of the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921. The treaty brought an end to the armed uprising against British rule in the island - which had been an integral part of the United Kingdom since 1800 - and granted dominion status to twenty-six of Ireland's thirty-two counties, which in 1922 became the Irish Free State. Northern Ireland, comprised by six of the nine counties forming the historic province of Ulster, was allowed to opt out of the treaty, and the province, ruled by a majority Protestant population that wished to remain part of the U.K., promptly exercised that option, retaining its own devolved government as provided by the Government of Ireland Act 1920; a similar arrangement established by the act over the rest of Ireland - "Southern Ireland" - was never fully implemented because of the armed conflict, and ultimately it was superseded by the Anglo-Irish Treaty. Interestingly, the partition of Ireland was barely touched upon during the debates leading to approval of the treaty, which provided for the establishment of a Boundary Commission that would review the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State "in accordance with the wishes of |
Who was Pope for only 33 days in 1978? | "Pope Was Poisoned After 33 Days" | Christian Assemblies International "Pope Was Poisoned After 33 Days" Printable PDF Version Book reveals background to death of John Paul I London (ap/dpa) Pope John Paul I, who was head of the Catholic Church for only 33 days in 1978, was murdered, claims the British author David Yallop in his book "In God's Name", which was published in 1984. After 3 years of investigation he has come to this conclusion, having found out that members of the forbidden Italian secret lodge "P2" allowed the pope to be poisoned. Mysterious death 33 days after election: John Paul I John Paul I was found dead in his bed by his private secretary on the morning of 29th September 1978. The official cause of death: heart attack. Yallop, however, says it was murder. He is relying on interviews with "highly positioned sources within the Vatican" and states as evidence a series of inexplicable occurrences which accompanied the pope's death. There was no post-mortem, according to Yallop, although the 65-year-old church leader had never had any heart problems before his death. All his personal belongings, including his last will, were removed from his room and were never seen again. There are conflicting opinions about the exact time of his death, and it was officially stated that the deceased was holding a book in his hand, although it was actually documents, said Yallop. He sees the motive of the murder as being due to the intention of John Paul I to bring an end to the ecclesiastical prohibition of artificial birth control. But most of all he wanted to relieve a few high dignitaries of their offices and to substantiate the finances of the Vatican. Yallop also names suspicious members of the secret union "P2". For instance, the founder of the fascist-orientated Free Mason Lodge, Licio Gelli; or Jean Villot (at that time cardinal-state secretary); or bishop Paul Marcinkus who, as governing head of the Vatican Bank, did fraudulent business with the "Ambrosia" (private bank); or their director Roberto Calvi, who himself lost his life in mysterious circumstances. Translated from the German: "Papst wurde nach 33 Tagen vergiftet" Source: Newspaper article - Munich TZ (12.06.84) |
Who was lead singer with the group Queen? | Freddie Mercury, 45, Lead Singer Of the Rock Band Queen, Is Dead - NYTimes.com Freddie Mercury, 45, Lead Singer Of the Rock Band Queen, Is Dead Published: November 25, 1991 LONDON, Nov. 24— Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of the hard-rock group Queen, died today at his home in Kensington here. He was 45 years old. He died of bronchopneumonia resulting from AIDS, his publicity agent said. Mr. Mercury announced on Saturday that he had AIDS. As the lead singer and lyricist for Queen, Mr. Mercury helped to forge a hugely popular hybrid of hard-rock, pop, heavy-metal, cabaret and a hint of opera. In its mid-1970's heyday, the group created an image of playful decadence while fabricating elaborate studio productions on its albums, overdubbing multiple guitar and vocal lines. Mr. Mercury strutted and preened, by turns campy and almost militaristic, at the center of Queen's stage shows. A Group's Glory Days In one of Queen's definitive hits, "Bohemian Rhapsody," Mr. Mercury overdubbed his voice until it became a choir, with words like "Mama mia," "Galileo" and "Figaro" bouncing up and down the octaves. But he also sang dramatic solo vocals in hits like the ballad "We Are the Champions" and the mock-rockabilly song "Crazy Little Thing Called Love." Queen thrived commercially from 1975, when "Killer Queen" appeared, to 1980, when the disco-style "Another One Bites the Dust" reached No. 1 on the pop-singles chart. Although Queen's commercial success waned in the 1980's, it was partly vindicated when the hook from "Under Pressure," its collaboration with David Bowie in 1982, was borrowed by the rapper Vanilla Ice for his hit single "Ice, Ice Baby." From Zanzibar to the World Stage He was one of a number of celebrities who had announced that they suffered from AIDS to try to increase the public's awareness of the disease. In a statement on the eve of his death, Mr. Mercury called on his fans around the world to join the fight against AIDS. Mr. Mercury, whose name was originally Frederick Bulsara, was born in Zanzibar, the son of a Government accountant. He rose to fame as the bravura singer for Queen, whose elaborate and occasionally bombastic songs made the group one of the most popular in the 1970's. In addition to recording with Queen, Mr. Mercury later released solo albums, including "The Great Pretender." In recent years, he lived a secluded life and resisted responding to persistent rumors that he had AIDS. "I felt it correct to keep this information private to date in order to protect the privacy of those around me," Mr. Mercury said in a statement on Saturday. "However, the time has now come for my friends and fans around the world to know the truth, and I hope that everyone will join with me, my doctors and all those worldwide in the fight against this terrible disease." A private cremation is to be held this week. Photo: Freddie Mercury (Agence France-Presse) |
Which author had the real name Charles Dodgson? | Lewis Carroll - Alice-in-Wonderland.net Alice-in-wonderland.net About Lewis Carroll Pseudonym The author of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass” is Lewis Carroll. This is an pseudonym; his real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. (His last name is pronounced with a silent ‘g’.) Dodgson first used ‘B.B.’ to sign his non-professional writings, but in March 1856, when he wanted to publish his poem ‘Solitude’ in the magazine “The Train”, Edmund Yates, a magazine editor, thought that this one was not appropriate. Then Dodgson came up with ‘Dares’ (from Daresbury in Cheshire, his birthplace), but that one was also rejected. Finally he invented Edgar Cuthwellis (composed from the letters of his name), Edgar U.C. Westhill (idem), Louis Carroll (he translated his name to Latin, and back: Lutwidge = Ludovic = Louis, Charles = Carolus) and Lewis Carroll (idem). Yates chose the last one. For his learned mathematic books Dodgson used his own name. Throughout this website I will use both names; when I’m talking about Carroll I am referring to his Alice books and when I call him Dodgson I’m talking about his private life. The life of Dodgson Dodgson was born on 27 January 1832 in the old parsonage at Daresbury, Cheshire. He was the 3rd child and eldest son of Reverend Charles Dodgson and Frances Jane Lutwidge (who were first cousins) and had 3 brothers and 7 sisters. He was very close and protective of them, especially the girls. Even as a child his talent was evident as he clearly enjoyed entertaining his brothers and sisters with stories and games. At the time of his birth, his father, Dr. Dodgson, was the vicar of Daresbury, Cheshire (he later was presented with the Crown living of Croft, Yorkshire, and subsequently became Archdeacon of Richmond and one of the Canons of Ripon Cathedral), and was a distinguished scholar whose favorite study was mathematics. In 1843 they moved to Croft, Yorkshire. At first, Charles was educated by his father. When he was twelve, he was sent to Mr. Tate’s School at Richmond. In 1846 Dodgson was enrolled at a boarding-school in Rugby where he had a miserable time because of his shyness and several illnesses. In May 1850 he matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford, where he studied mathematics and took up residence as an undergraduate in January 1851. In 1854 Dodgson gained a 1st class degree in mathematics and one year later he was appointed lecturer in mathematics and Sub-Librarian at Christ Church. Dodgson was not a very inspiring teacher; it is said that his mathematical lessons were quite boring. He taught until 1881. Dodgson was ordained a deacon in the Church of England on December 22, 1861. In 1898 he went to his sisters in Guildford, where he died of pneumonia on 14 January. Religion It is often said that Dodgson was a sincere Christian, although there is reason to believe that he had religious doubts. He was ordained a deacon in 1861. It was the rule on Christ Church that deacons should enter the priesthood (or else they’d loose their job), but Dodgson never did. It might have been because of his stammer, but we do not know for certain why the Dean let him get away with it. Dodgson never got married. Physique Dodgson stuttered and was asymmetric; his blue eyes were not at the same level and one shoulder was higher than the other. His smile was also slightly askew. He was deaf on one ear because of an illness when he was at Rugby School, suffered from insomnia and was very thin because he ate only one meal a day (he was a little obsessed with eating). According to most accounts he was six foot tall. Personality Dodgson was a very precise and punctual man who liked order (he made lists of all kinds of things and even kept track of menus in his diary, so that “people would not have the same dishes too frequently.”). If something was not to his liking, Dodgson was likely to write a letter to the concerning person. He also satirized the academic politics of Oxford in articles, booklets, and leaflets. He felt that by printing his arguments, rather than debating, he could log |
Who was the Lord Chancellor beheaded for refusing to recognize Henry VIII as head of the church? | King Henry VIII | Britroyals Children: Three legitimate who survived infancy; Mary, Elizabeth and Edward, and at least one illegitimate child Henry Fitzroy. Died: January 28, 1547 at Whitehall Palace, London, aged 55 years, 7 months, Buried at: Windsor Reigned for: 37 years, 9 months, and 7 days Succeeded by: his son Edward VI King of England from 1509, when he succeeded his father Henry VII and married Catherine of Aragon, the widow of his elder brother Arthur. During the period 1513�29 Henry pursued an active foreign policy, largely under the guidance of his Lord Chancellor, Cardinal Wolsey, who shared Henry's desire to make England stronger. Wolsey was replaced by Thomas More in 1529 for failing to persuade the Pope to grant Henry a divorce. By this time Henry's policy had become dominated by his desire to divorce Catherine because she was too old to give him an heir and he was determined to marry Anne Boleyn. At first there seemed a possibility that the divorce might be granted. The papal legate journeyed to England to hear the case, but Catherine appealed direct to the pope and the court was adjourned. The position was complicated by the fact that Charles V, Catherine's nephew, controlled Rome. Henry then proceeded to act through Parliament, and had the entire body of the clergy in England declared guilty of treason in 1531. The clergy were suitably cowed and agreed to repudiate papal supremacy and recognize Henry as supreme head of the church in England. The English ecclesiastical courts then pronounced his marriage to Catherine null and void and he married Anne Boleyn in 1533 Henry through Thomas Cromwell continued his attack on the church with the suppression of the monasteries (1536�39); their lands were confiscated and granted to his supporters. However, although he laid the ground for the English Reformation by the separation from Rome, he had little sympathy with Protestant dogmas. As early as 1521 a pamphlet which he had written against Lutheranism had won him the title of Fidei Defensor from the Pope, and Henry's own religious views are quite clearly expressed in the Statute of Six Articles in 1539 which instituted the orthodox Catholic tenets as necessary conditions for Christian belief. As a result Protestants were being burnt for heresy even while Catholics were being executed for refusing to take the oath of supremacy. Anne Boleyn was beheaded in 1536, ostensibly for adultery. Henry's third wife, Jane Seymour, died in 1537. He married Anne of Cleves in 1540 in pursuance of Thomas Cromwell's policy of allying with the German Protestants, but rapidly abandoned this policy, divorced Anne, and beheaded Cromwell. His fifth wife, Catherine Howard, was beheaded in 1542, and the following year he married Catherine Parr, who survived him. Henry ended his reign with the reputation of a tyrant, despite the promise of his earlier years � in 1536 the rebellion known as the Pilgrimage of Grace was viciously suppressed, and advisers of the calibre of More and Bishop John Fisher had died rather than sacrifice their own principles to Henry's will. But the power of the crown had been considerably strengthened by Henry's ecclesiastical policy, and the monastic confiscations gave impetus to the rise of a new nobility which was to become influential in succeeding reigns. King Henry VIII's Signature Quotes: �We are, by the sufferance of God, King of England; and the Kings of England in times past never had any superior but God� � Henry VIII 'If a man shall take his brother's wife it is an unclean thing... they shall be childless' � King Henry VIII (quoting The Bible, Leviticus, XX,21, as justification for seeking divorce from Catherine of Aragon who had previously been married to his brother Prince Arthur) �...to wish myself (specially an evening) in my sweetheart's arms, whose pretty ducks [breasts] I trust shortly to kiss�� - King Henry VIII (love letter to Ann Boleyn) �You have sent me a Flanders mare!� - King Henry VIII (on first meeting Anne of Cleves who was about to become his 4th wife) Timeline for King Henry VIII |
Who led the Free French forces during World War II? | France during World War II France History - France during World War II France surrendered to Nazi Germany early in World War II (June 24, 1940). Nazi Germany occupied three fifths of France's territory (Northern France and the entire French Atlantic Coast) and on July 10, 1940 established a new French government based at the town of Vichy. This government, was commonly referred to as Vichy France and was headed by Henri Philippe Pétain, a General during World War One. Its senior leaders acquiesced in the plunder of French resources, as well as the sending of French forced labor to Nazi Germany; in doing so, they claimed they hoped to preserve at least some small amount of French sovereignty. In the meantime, civilian anti-semites and Vichy officials aided in the concentration and persecution of Jews, in particular those of foreign citizenship. The Nazi German occupation proved costly, however, as Nazi Germany appropriated a full one-half of France's public sector revenue. On the other hand, those who refused defeat and collaboration with Nazi Germany, the Free French, organised resistance movements in occupied and Vichy France and the Free French Forces. The Free French Forces started in exile in and with the support of the UK. They were led by Charles de Gaulle, under-secretary of state for war and national defence, whose role in the resistance was to pave the way for his immense impact on the future of France, as leader of its provisional government and first President of the French Fifth Republic. After the Allied landings in North Africa (Operation Torch) the German Army occupied southern France as well, leading to the scuttling of the French Fleet at Toulon. After four years of occupation and strife, Allied forces, including Free French Forces, liberated France in 1944. |
Which battle of 1876 was Custer's last stand? | Custer's Last Stand Custer's Last Stand June 25, 1876 What do you know about the Battle of Little Big Horn? You might know the story better as Custer's Last Stand. On the morning of June 25, 1876, Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer and the 7th Cavalry charged into battle against Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne Indians. Custer's orders were to wait for reinforcements at the mouth of the Little Big Horn River before attacking the Indians, but Chief Sitting Bull had been spotted nearby, and Custer was impatient to attack. A treaty had given the Sioux exclusive rights to the Black Hills, but when gold was later discovered in the area, white miners flocked to the territory. Despite the treaty, the U.S. government ordered the Indians away from the invading settlers and back to their reservations. page 1 of 3 |
Which actor, comedian and singer was born David Daniel Kaminski? | Danny Kaye - Film Actor, Theater Actor, Television Actor, Comedian, Dancer, Singer, Philanthropist, Television Personality - Biography.com “Life is a big canvas; throw all the paint you want at it.” “I became an entertainer not because I wanted to but because I was meant to.” Danny Kaye Synopsis Danny Kaye was born on January 18, 1911 in Brooklyn, New York. He made his Broadway debut in The Straw Hat Review in 1939. In the 1940s and '50s, he appeared in musicals and other films. During the 1960s, he had his own TV show. Throughout the 1970s, Kaye focused mainly on charity work. He took a few TV roles in the 1980s, before dying of a heart attack on March 3, 1987 in Los Angeles, California. Early Life Entertainer Danny Kaye was born as David Daniel Kaminsky in Brooklyn, New York on January 18, 1911. According to his web site , Kaye's "actual year of birth was 1911, but the birthday he celebrated was 1913." Kaye was his parents' youngest child; he had two older brothers. His father, Jacob Kaminski, and his mother, Clara Nemerovky, were Ukrainian Jewish immigrants. Jacob, a former horse trainer, worked as a tailor while Kaye and his brothers were growing up. When Kaye was 13 years old, he dropped out of high school to take a stab at show biz stardom. Partnered up with a guitarist friend, Kaye hit the road, but before long he abandoned the unsuccessful tour and went home to Brooklyn. There he worked a string of odd jobs–ranging from soda jerk to office clerk, failing miserably in most positions. After he made a costly error as an insurance appraiser and was fired on the spot, Kaye reconsidered forging a career in show business. "I became an entertainer not because I wanted to but because I was meant to," Kaye would later say of his seemingly inevitable career path. Career in Entertainment While still a teen, Kaye found employment as a comedian and general entertainer in the Catskill Mountains. Working his way through the "Borscht Belt" of Jewish resort venues, Kaye left his audiences roaring with laughter. In 1933, Kaye was invited to join a vaudeville act called the "Three Terpsichoreans." He switched from his given name, David Daniel Kaminsky, to his stage name, Danny Kaye, around the time that the group toured Asia. Throughout the 1930s, Kaye persistently worked to make a name for himself in show business, while collaborating with song writer-composer Sylvia Fine. In 1939, he got his big break with a Broadway debut in The Straw Hat Review. Later that year, he achieved his goal of stardom with a crowd-pleasing performance of the silly, nonsensical song "Tchaikovsky" in Lady in the Dark. It was a time of great milestones for Kaye; in 1940, he married Sylvia Fine and she became his manager. During WWII, Kaye supported the troops by performing overseas, in New York nightclubs and on Broadway. In 1944, he accepted a movie contract with Samuel Goldwyn and subsequently appeared in a string of popular Technicolor musicals, including the hit film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. He is also starred on his own wildly popular variety show on CBS Radio from 1945 to 1946. Kaye made more movies in the 1950s, including the seasonal classic White Christmas (1954) with Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney, but his popularity as a film star gradually began to taper off as the decade wound down. In the 1960s, he transitioned to the small screen with TV specials and, eventually, his own series, The Danny Kaye Show, which ran from 1963 to 1967. Always a social activist, Kaye served as ambassador at large for the United Nations Children's Fund in the 1950s. During the 1970s, as his show biz career was lagging, he devoted most of his time to charitable causes. In the early 1980s, Kaye made occasional TV appearances, including on sitcoms like The Cosby Show, and a dramatic made-for-TV movie about a holocaust survivor, Skokie (1981). Skokie marked one of only a few dramatic roles that the comedic performer played during his lifetime. Death and Legacy Kaye died of heart failure in Los Angeles, California on March 3, 1987. Through his lively singing, da |
What nationality was the spy Mata Hari? | Mata Hari - Biography of the Exotic World War I Spy Mata Hari Mata Hari Biography of the Exotic World War I Spy The infamous Dutch spy Mata Hari, real name Margarete Geertruida Zelle, who was born in Leeuwarden and became a dancer in France is performing the Dance of the Seven Veils. (1906). (Photo by Walery/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Updated June 28, 2016. Who Was Mata Hari? Mata Hari was an exotic dancer and courtesan who was arrested by the French and executed for espionage during World War I . After her death, her stage name, "Mata Hari," became synonymous with spying and espionage. Dates: August 7, 1876 -- October 15, 1917 Also Known As: Margaretha Geertruida Zelle; Lady MacLeod Mata Hari's Childhood Mata Hari was born Margaretha Geertruida Zelle in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands as the first of four children. Margaretha's father was a hat maker by trade, but having invested well in oil, he had enough money to spoil his only daughter. At only six years old, Margaretha became the talk of the town when she traveled in a goat-drawn carriage that her father had given her. In school, Margaretha was known to be flamboyant, often appearing in new, flashy dresses. However, Margaretha's world changed drastically when her family went bankrupt in 1889 and her mother died two years later. Her Family Broke Up After her mother's death, the Zelle family was split up and Margaretha, now age 15, was sent to Sneek to live with her godfather, Mr. Visser. continue reading below our video 10 Best Universities in the United States Visser decided to send Margaretha to a school that trained kindergarten teachers so that she'd have a career. At the school, the headmaster, Wybrandus Haanstra, became enchanted by Margaretha and pursued her. When a scandal broke out, Margaretha was asked to leave the school, so she went to live with her uncle, Mr. Taconis, in The Hague . She Gets Married In March 1895, while still staying with her uncle, 18-year old Margaretha became engaged to Rudolph ("John") MacLeod, after answering a personal ad in the newspaper (the ad had been placed as a joke by MacLeod's friend). MacLeod was a 38-year-old officer on home leave from the Dutch East Indies , where he had been stationed for 16 years. On July 11, 1895, the two were married. They spent much of their married life living in the tropics of Indonesia where money was tight, isolation was difficult, and John's rudeness and Margaretha's youth caused serious friction in their marriage. Margaretha and John had two children together, but their son died at age two and a half after being poisoned. In 1902, they moved back to Holland and were soon separated. Off to Paris Margaretha decided to go to Paris for a new start. Without a husband, not trained in any career, and without any money, Margaretha used her experiences in Indonesia to create a new persona, one that donned jewels, smelled of perfume, spoke occasionally in Malay , danced seductively, and often wore very little clothes. She made her dancing debut in a salon and instantaneously became a success. When reporters and others interviewed her, Margaretha continually added to the mystique that surrounded her by spinning fantastic, fictionalized stories about her background, including being a Javanese princess and daughter of a baron. To sound more exotic, she took the stage name "Mata Hari," Malayan for "eye of the day" (the sun). A Famous Dancer and Courtesan Mata Hari became famous. She danced at both private salons and later at large theaters. She danced at ballets and operas. She was invited to the big parties and traveled extensively. She also had a large number of lovers (often military men from a number of countries) who were willing to provide her financial support in exchange for her company. A Spy? During World War I, her frequent traveling across international borders and her varied companions caused several countries to wonder if she was a spy or even a double-agent. Many people who met her say that she was sociable, but just not smart enough to pull off such a feat. However, the French were confident |
"Who said: ""The customer is always right""?" | 'The customer is always right' - the meaning and origin of this phrase Search | Phrase Dictionary | The customer is always right The customer is always right Famous Last Words Browse phrases beginning with: The customer is always right Meaning The trading policy that states a company's keenness to be seen to put the customer first. Origin Several retail concern used this as a slogan from the early 20th century onward. In the USA it is particularly associated with Marshall Field's department store, Chicago (established in the late 19th century). The store is an icon of the city, although it is set to lose its name in 2006 when, following a takeover, it becomes renamed as Macy's. In the UK, Harry Gordon Selfridge (1857-1947) the founder of London's Selfridges store (opened in 1909), is credited with championing its use. The Wisconsin born Selfridge worked for Field from 1879 to 1901. Both men were dynamic and creative businessmen and it's highly likely that one of them coined the phrase, although we don't know which. Of course, these entrepreneurs didn't intend to be taken literally. What they were attempting to do was to make the customer feel special by inculcating into their staff the disposition to behave as if the customer was right, even when they weren't. The trading policy and the phrase were well-known by the early 20th century. From the Kansas City Star, January 1911 we have a piece about a local country store that was modelled on Field's/Selfridges: [George E.] "Scott has done in the country what Marshall Field did in Chicago, Wannamaker did in New York and Selfridge in London. In his store he follows the Field rule and assumes that the customer is always right." Whether the phrase was coined by Field or Selfridge it is fair to call it American. What we can't do is credit them with the idea behind it. In 1908 César Ritz (1850-1918), the celebrated French hotelier is credited with saying 'Le client n'a jamais tort' - 'The customer is never wrong'. That's not the phrase that people now remember, but it can hardly be said to be any different in meaning to 'the customer is always right'. |
"What pen name was used by the Spanish orator Dolores Ibarruri, who said ""It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees""?" | Dolores Ibárruri | Wiki & Bio | 👤 Everipedia Everipedia Isidora Dolores Ibárruri Gómez (9 December 1895 – 12 November 1989) – known as "La Pasionaria" ( Spanish , "the Passionflower ") – was a Spanish Republican heroine of the Spanish Civil War and communist politician of Basque origin, known for her famous slogan ¡No Pasarán! (" They shall not pass ") during the Battle for Madrid in November 1936. She joined the Spanish Communist Party (PCE) when it was founded in 1921. In the 1930s, she became a writer for the PCE publication Mundo Obrero and in February 1936 was elected to the Cortes Generales as a PCE deputy for Asturias . After her exile from Spain at the end of the Civil War, she was appointed General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Spain , a position she held from 1942 to 1960. She was then named honorary president of the PCE, a post she held for the rest of her life. Upon her return to Spain in 1977, she was re-elected as a deputy to the Cortes for the same region she had represented under the Second Republic . Biography Dolores Ibárruri was born to a Basque miner and a Castillian mother. She grew up in Gallarta, but later moved to Somorrosto ( Biscay ). Gallarta was next to a large siderite mine which became the second-most important in Europe in the 1970s and which shut down permanently in 1993. [2] She attended the municipal school as soon as she could talk. The curriculum was basic and mainly religious; discipline was harsh. Outside she and the other children sang revolutionary ditties, played pranks and took part in rival gang fights. A willful child, she was taken at the age of ten by her mother to the Church of San Felicisimo in Deusto to be exorcized. Sometimes my small brothers and I engaged my mother in enlightening dialogue. One of us would ask the mother: "Is it true that we are all sons of God?" "It's true." "Are we all brothers?" "All!" "Then if we are the brothers of so and so—mentioning the well-off people in town—why does Dad have to go to work everyday, even when it rains, while the slickers do not work and are better off than we are?" Here the theological reach of my mother eluded her grasp and she would retort full of anger, "Keep quiet! Children musn't ask such things!" Ibárruri left school at fifteen after spending two years preparing for teacher's college at the encouragement of the schoolmistress. Her parents could not afford further education, so she went to work as a seamstress and later as a housemaid. She became a waitress in the town of Arboleda, the most important urban nucleus in the region of Somorrostro. [3] There she met Julián Ruiz Gabiña, union activist and founder of Socialist Youth of Somorrostro. They married in late 1915, two years after the birth of their first child. [4] The young couple participated in the general strike of 1917 and Ruiz returned to jail. During this time, Ibárruri spent nights reading the works of Karl Marx and others found in the library of the Socialist Workers' Centre in Somorrostro. [5] Ibárruri wrote her first article in 1918 for the miners' newspaper, El Minero Vizcaíno. The article came out during Holy Week and focused on religious hypocrisy, at odds with the Passion of Christ . Because of the article's theme and its timing, she signed it with the alias "Pasionaria." [6] [7] In 1920 Ibárruri and the Workers' Centre joined the budding Communist Party of Spain (PCE) and she was named a member of the Provincial Committee of the Basque Communist Party. After ten years of grassroots militancy, she was appointed to the Central Committee of the PCE in 1930. [8] During this time, Ibárruri had six children. Of her five girls, four died very young. She "used to relate how her husband made a small coffin out of a crate of fruit." [9] Her son, Rubén , died at twenty-two in the Battle of Stalingrad . The remaining child, Amaya, outlived her mother. In 2008 Amaya resided in the working-class neighbourhood of Ciudad Lineal in Madrid. [2] [2] In Madrid (1931–36) With the advent of the Second Republic in 1931, Ibárruri moved to Madrid |
For what purpose did Melvil Dewey devise his decimal system in 1876? | Full text of "Major classification systems : the Dewey Centennial" See other formats 020.715 A434 no. 21 Major Classification Systems: The Dewey Centennial LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 020/715 A434 no. 21 Lib. Scl The person charging this material is re- sponsible for its return to the library from which it was withdrawn on or before the Latest Date stamped below. Theft, mutilation, and underlining of books are reasons for disciplinary action and may result in dismissal from the University. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN SCfcHCEUBew A'JG 21 1978 OCU 978 w 3 WAR JUL ooD N5V JUN JUN V <8 JAJ^D82007 985 1986 1998 L161 O-1096 ALLERTON PARK INSTITUTE Number 21 Papers Presented at the Allerton Park Institute Sponsored by Forest Press, Inc. and University of Illinois Graduate School of Library Science and University of Illinois Office of Continuing Education and Public Service held November 9-12, 1975 Allerton Park Monticello, Illinois Major Classification Systems: The Dewey Centennial edited by Kathryn Luther Henderson University of Illinois Graduate School of Library Science Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Copyright 1976 by The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois LC Card Number: 76-026331 ISBN: 0-87845-044-0 * r r CONTENTS Foreword vii RICHARD B. SEALOCK Introduction ix KATHRYN LUTHER HENDERSON Library Classification: One Hundred Years After Dewey 1 DAVID BATTY The Historical Development of The Dewey Decimal Classification System , 17 JOHN P. COMAROMI Dewey Today: An Analysis of Recent Editions 32 MARGARET E. COCKSHUTT Summary of a Survey of the Use of the Dewey Decimal Classification in the United States and Canada 47 MARY ELLEN MICHAEL Dewey Today: The British and European Scene 59 JOEL C. DOWNING The Library of Congress Classification Scheme and its Relationship to Dewey 78 GORDON STEVENSON Factors in the Selection of a Classification Scheme for a Large General Library 99 PETER LEWIS Dewey Decimal Classification, Universal Decimal Classification, and the Broad System of Ordering: The Evolution of Universal Ordering Systems 113 HANS H. WELLISCH The Role of Indexing in Subject Retrieval 124 DEREK AUSTIN The Role of Classification in Subject Retrieval in the Future. ... 157 PAULE ROLLAND-THOMAS Contributors 175 Index . .179 VI Foreword One hundred years ago, in 1876, Melvil Dewey anonymously published the first edition of his classification system. Forest Press, publisher of the Dewey Decimal Classification since 1931, could think of no more suitable way to honor the DDC and its author during this centennial year than to bring together librarians interested in classification. It was with great pleasure, therefore, that Forest Press welcomed the opportunity to cosponsor with the University of Illinois Graduate School of Library Science the twenty-first annual Allerton Park Institute. Held on November 9-12, 1975, the topic of the institute was, most appropriately, "Major Classification Systems: the Dewey Centennial." The goal of the Allerton conference was to provide a forum for an in-depth discussion of classification systems in general and of the DDC in particular. Experts in the field from the United States, Canada, and England presented papers on a variety of topics ranging from a look at recent editions of the DDC and a comparison between Dewey and the Library of Congress Classification, to an examination of the role of classification in subject retrieval. The first report on the survey of DDC use in the United States and Canada was also given at the conference. These papers, all original contributions to the classification field, have been collected in the present volume. Forest Press wishes to thank in particular the two people whose diligence and care made the conference possible: Kathryn Luther Henderso |
Who was the king of rock and roll? | Elvis Elvis: Truly the King of Rock and Roll Although other entertainers, such as Bill Haley, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins, all had important pioneering influences on early rock music, it was Elvis who had the ability, magnetism, popularity, and lasting power to ensure that rock & roll would always be an important part of the pop music landscape. As all true Elvis fans know, however, Elvis Presley was not just a rock singer. In fact, much of his appeal and impact was due to his amazing versatility. During his childhood, Elvis was greatly influenced by gospel music and by rhythm & blues. He combined aspects of gospel, R& B, and country to develop a style all his own. Few other artists, if any, can perform all these varieties of music: spunky rock songs like "Heard Headed Woman" and "Jailhouse Rock," lighter pop songs like "Return to Sender" and "Good Luck Charm," country classics like "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and "Help Me Make It Through the Night," blues songs like "Blue Christmas" and "A Mess of Blues," middle-of-the-road standards like "My Way" and "What Now My Love," sensitive ballads like "Can't Help Falling in Love" and "It's Now or Never," and religious songs like "How Great Thou Art" and "Crying in the Chapel." Actually, Elvis is more than the King of Rock & Roll; he is a cultural phenomenon who has affected our entire society. It has been more than twenty years since Elvis died; yet his popularity is still very much alive. Each year millions of dollars' of Elvis products continue to sell and hundreds of thousands of his fans visit his former home Graceland. Clearly, interest in his music and life is still strong. So, let's see how much you know about The King of Rock & Roll! Name one of his four songs that was number one on the pop, country, and R&B charts. What was Elvis' biggest selling single? What was Elvis' biggest selling movie album? Name the leading lady in three Elvis movies. What was Elvis' last Top 10 pop hit? What was Elvis' closing song for most of his '70s concerts? What was the month and year of Elvis' comeback special? What western city gave Elvis a lukewarm reception in 1956? What Elvis Christmas single went gold? What Elvis song was a Top 40 pop hit more than three years after his death? For a great book on The King of Rock & Roll, take a look at: The Ultimate Elvis Quiz Book: What Do You Know About the King of Rock & Roll? By W. Kent Moore and David L. Scott Order The Ultimate Elvis Quiz Book Today! The Ultimate Elvis Quiz Book has crossword puzzles, matching, fill-in the blanks, picture puzzles, and some of the greatest and unusual Elvis photos you have ever seen! Test your skill against the knowlege of two college professors who have put together a challenging book for even the most devoted fans of Elvis. Published by Rutledge Hill Press, the 144-page paperback retails for $9.95. A perfect gift for a baby boomer friend or a great conversation piece for your living room table. What do you know about the King of Rock & Roll? |
Who was Sherlock Holmes' assistant? | Sherlock Holmes (2009) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC Detective Sherlock Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England. Director: a list of 28 titles created 08 Mar 2013 a list of 37 titles created 23 Oct 2013 a list of 47 titles created 13 Jul 2014 a list of 37 titles created 21 Jan 2015 a list of 34 titles created 01 Jan 2016 Search for " Sherlock Holmes " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 25 nominations. See more awards » Videos Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson join forces to outwit and bring down their fiercest adversary, Professor Moriarty. Director: Guy Ritchie King Leonidas of Sparta and a force of 300 men fight the Persians at Thermopylae in 480 B.C. Director: Zack Snyder An adaptation of Homer's great epic, the film follows the assault on Troy by the united Greek forces and chronicles the fates of the men involved. Director: Wolfgang Petersen A bored married couple is surprised to learn that they are both assassins hired by competing agencies to kill each other. Director: Doug Liman Danny Ocean and his eleven accomplices plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously. Director: Steven Soderbergh After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil. Director: Jon Favreau Jack Sparrow races to recover the heart of Davy Jones to avoid enslaving his soul to Jones' service, as other friends and foes seek the heart for their own agenda as well. Director: Gore Verbinski A police officer joins a secret organization that polices and monitors extraterrestrial interactions on Earth. Director: Barry Sonnenfeld Hancock is a superhero whose ill considered behavior regularly causes damage in the millions. He changes when one person he saves helps him improve his public image. Director: Peter Berg Danny Ocean rounds up the boys for a third heist, after casino owner Willy Bank double-crosses one of the original eleven, Reuben Tishkoff. Director: Steven Soderbergh Daniel Ocean recruits one more team member so he can pull off three major European heists in this sequel to Ocean's 11. Director: Steven Soderbergh A paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home. Director: James Cameron Edit Storyline After finally catching serial killer and occult "sorcerer" Lord Blackwood, legendary sleuth Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson can close yet another successful case. But when Blackwood mysteriously returns from the grave and resumes his killing spree, Holmes must take up the hunt once again. Contending with his partner's new fiancée and the dimwitted head of Scotland Yard, the dauntless detective must unravel the clues that will lead him into a twisted web of murder, deceit, and black magic - and the deadly embrace of temptress Irene Adler. Written by The Massie Twins Crime Will Pay See more » Genres: Action | Adventure | Crime | Mystery | Thriller Motion Picture Rating ( MPAA ) Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some startling images and a scene of suggestive material | See all certifications » Parents Guide: 25 December 2009 (USA) See more » Also Known As: £3,081,072 (UK) (25 December 2009) Gross: Did You Know? Trivia The outfits worn by the navvies are the same ones worn by the railway workers in Cranford: Return to Cranford: Part One - August 1844 (2009). See more » Goofs A scratch appears on Sherlock's right cheek, then disappears by the next scene. |
What are the indigenous people of new Zealand called? | The indigenous people of New Zealand are called _____. Aborigines Malayans Maori Zeelanders The indigenous people of New Zealand are called _____. Aborigines Malayans Maori Zeelanders The indigenous people of New Zealand are called MAORI. Get an answer The indigenous people of New Zealand are called _____. Aborigines Malayans Maori Zeelanders Original conversation This answer has been added to the Weegy Knowledgebase Comments Log in or sign up first. Questions asked by the same visitor Alex works as a customer service representative at an insurance company. Before starting his shift, Alex reviews issues from his last shift to make sure they have been resolved. What workplace habit does Alex show by doing this? efficiency initiative interpersonal skills problem solving Weegy: The answer is: initiative User: Jorja always arrives at work when she is scheduled. She doesn't call in at the last minute to say that she can't work. If she needs time off, she plans in advance and makes arrangements to have a coworker cover for her. Which workplace habit does Jorja demonstrate by these behaviors? dependability punctuality self-confidence honesty Weegy: The answer is punctuality. User: What of the following is not a benefit of active listening? Restating what you heard in your own words leads to fewer misunderstandings. The person you are listening to feels confident that you have understood the message. You have an opportunity to tell the other person how you feel about what they have said. Responding with active listening can calm someone down who is angry or upset Weegy: Restating what you heard in your own words leads to fewer misunderstandings. User: What component of effective feedback is demonstrated by giving examples of how someone can improve their performance instead of saying the person has done it all wrong? objective specific timely sincere Weegy: It's objective User: While reviewing a Web site that seems to have lots of great information about the topic you are researching, you decide to check on the author of the site. You cannot find any information about the author and you cannot find any information about her credentials. What characteristic of an effective Web site is a concern? reputable author relevant verified unbiased Weegy: relevant User: Which of the following is a goal of paraphrasing and summarizing? to quote the main idea of what you have read, giving credit to the original source to restate what you have read, using your own words to review the most important supporting points from the original information to change the words and order of the sentences of what you have read Weegy: Which of the following is a goal of paraphrasing and summarizing? using your own words to review the most ... (More) Question |
Who was the film star who married Prince Rainier III of Monaco? | Grace Kelly & Prince Rainier III of Monaco are married by Monaco's Bishop Gilles Barthe | Grace Kelly: her amazing life in pictures - Photography Photography Previous slide Next slide 18 of 42 View All Skip Ad Grace Kelly, the Fifties film star who became a princess, was born in 1929. After making her name in films such as High Noon, Rear Window and To Catch a Thief, she married Prince Rainier III of Monaco on April 19 1956 and retired from acting. She died in a car crash in 1982 after suffering a stroke while driving. 1948: American actress Grace Kelly and her sister Elizabeth wish their brother, Olympic medal-winning rower John B Kelly Jnr, good luck at Henley Royal Regatta, Henley-on-Thames Credit: Evening Standard/Getty Images A 1950s portrait of US actress Grace Kelly. Between 1950 and 1953, the young actress appeared on stage and in live TV productions. Credit: Rex Grace Kelly (1929-1982), is shown in this portrait from the early 1950s. In 1951 she made her little-noticed film debut in the film 'Fourteen Hours', but stardom would have to wait another two years. Credit: Getty Images 1953: Ava Gardner, Clark Gable and Grace Kelly in 'Mogambo'. This film won her a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Credit: Everett Collection / Rex Features/Everett Collection / Rex Features 1954: James Stewart and Grace Kelly in 'Rear Window' Credit: Moviestore Collection / Rex Features Grace Kelly on the set of 'To Catch A Thief', some of which was filmed on the riviera, where she met Prince Rainier of Monaco Credit: Keystone/Getty Images Grace Kelly on the set of To Catch A Thief Credit: Rex 30 March 1955: Presenter Bette Davis poses with Marlon Brando, winner of the Best Actor Academy Award for On the Waterfront, and Grace Kelly, who won Best Actress for The Country Girl Credit: Everett Collection / Rex Features 5 January 1956: Prince Rainier III of Monaco and his fiancee Grace Kelly show her mother her engagement ring at the Philadelphia county club where the Kellys announced the engagement of their daughter and the prince Credit: AFP/Getty 23 February 1956: US actor Gregory Peck is flanked by Grace Kelly (R), awarded Favourite Actress for "Henrietta" and Jean Simmons, named Best Actress in a Musical Comedy during the 10th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Hollywood Credit: AFP/Getty Grace Kelly in her final film High Society (1956) 27 February 1956: A dummy of the stamp to be issued by Monaco Stamp Office for the wedding of Prince Rainier with US actress Grace Kelly, to be held 19 April 1956 Credit: AFP/Getty/AFP/Getty Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III of Monaco, pictured in the 1950s Credit: REx 12 April 1956: Prince Rainier III of Monaco and his fiancee US actress Grace Kelly are all smiles aboard his yacht Deo Juvante II in Monte Carlo's harbour, as Grace Kelly arrives from the USA for their wedding ceremony Credit: AFP/Getty/AFP/Getty 19 April 1956: A close-up of Grace Kelly during her wedding ceremony with Prince Rainier of Monaco Credit: AFP/Getty 19 April 1956: Grace Kelly on her wedding day Credit: Rex/Rex 19 April 1956: Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III of Monaco are married by Monaco's Bishop Gilles Barthe Credit: AFP/Getty 19 April 1956: Prince Rainier III of Monaco and US actress and Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly are seen during their wedding lunch Credit: AFP/Getty Prince Rainier placing the wedding ring of Princess Grace's finger during the marriage service in Monaco Cathedral. Credit: AP Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco during their wedding ceremony in Monaco on April 19, 1956 Credit: AFP/Getty Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly, pictured during their wedding service at Monaco Cathedral Credit: AP Prince Rainier III of Monaco and US actress and princess of Monaco Grace Kelly salute the crowd as they leave Monaco's Saint Nicholas Cathedral after their wedding ceremony Credit: AFP/Getty Prince Rainier III of Monaco and US actress and princess of Monaco Grace Kelly after their wedding ceremony Credit: AP Prince Rainier and Princess Gra |
What was the first name of the politician Gladstone, the composer Walton, and the reformer Wilberforce? | Politicians, etc Politicians, etc Ministers of Transport, Prime Ministers and major landowners sometimes have had a major effect on railway development. This page mainly reflects their malign interference (Dalhousie and Huskisson are honourable exceptions) and will be be mainly activated by publications in journals like Backtrack rather than by biographies official or otherwise. Barnes, Alfred John Born on 17 July 1887 in Plaistow, London, the youngest of seven children of William Barnes, a docker and coffee-house keeper, and his wife, Lucinda Margaret Smith. At the age of eight he lost a leg in a fairground accident. He was educated at the Star Road Boys' School, at the Northampton Institute from 1905, and at the London County Council School of Arts and Crafts. After serving his apprenticeship he became a skilled designer and worker in precious metals. He established his own silversmith's business, which he relinquished in 1922 on his election to parliament. From an early age he sought to improve the living conditions of the people of east London through co-operation and political action. In 1908 he joined the Stratford Co-operative Society and the Independent Labour Party (ILP). Barnes was an industrious and reliable person who gained widespread respect for his integrity which ensured his quick promotion; by 1910 he was secretary of the East London Federation of the ILP. He was elected to the management committee of the Stratford Co-operative Society in 1914 and became its president in 1915. In 1920 he played a major part in the founding of the London Co-operative Society, and served as its first president from 1920 to 1923. On 5 March 1921 Barnes married Leila Phoebe Real (b. 1900/01): there were three daughters of the marriage. World War I gave Barnes the opportunity to achieve one of his aimsthe establishment of a Co-operative [political] Party with representatives at Westminster and on local councils. By 1917 co-operators were in revolt from one end of the country to another (A.J. Barnes, The Political Aspects of Co-Operation, 1922, 14) because of the unfair treatment received from the coalition government regarding taxation (of dividends); allocation of supplies; representation on wartime fuel and food committees; and unjust decisions from military tribunals which exempted many owners and managers of small businesses from military service but denied similar concessions to managers of co-operatives. At the 1918 general election the party fielded ten candidates, but only one was elected. He was elected to the Co-operative Party's national committee in 1920, and was its chairman from 1924 to 1945. At the general election of November 1922 Barnes was elected as MP for East Ham South, one of four Co-operative Labour candidates to be returned to parliament. On the opposition benches at Westminster they were swamped by 138 MPs who were elected on the straight Labour Party ticket. Barnes, the realist, recognized that the situation had changed. Barnes won increasing recognition from his colleagues in the Parliamentary Labour Party because of his pleasant manner and transparent sincerity. Between his election to the Commons in 1922 and the loss of his seat at East Ham South in the general election of 27 October 1931, he was appointed parliamentary private secretary to William Graham at the exchequer (19224), Labour whip (192530), and junior lord of the Treasury from 11 June 1929 to 23 October 1930. In the general election of November 1935 Barnes regained his old seat and retained it until his voluntary retirement in 1955. Although he followed the Labour Party line in domestic politics, in the late 1930s co-operative society and party members, led by Barnes and Sydney Elliott, editor of the Co-operative Press Sunday newspaper, Reynolds News, took an independent position. They favoured the creation of an anti-aggression peace pact of all peace-loving members of the League of Nations to resist fascist states that violated the sovereignty of other countries. Barnes held no ministerial office during the Second World War, b |
Of which tribe was Goliath the champion? | David and Goliath David and Goliath Add this: David and Goliath (1 Sam 17) by Keith Bodner Some of the most popular and enduring stories involve an underdog who overcomes great obstacles and secures victory against the odds. Arguably the most famous of such stories is the unlikely triumph of David—the young Israelite shepherd—against the battle-hardened Philistine war machine, the nine-foot-nine Goliath of Gath. Even though many people have heard about “David versus Goliath” in the media, the actual details of the story in 1Sam 17 are less widely known. According to the biblical story, the Philistines and Israelites were locked in a heated struggle over a limited amount of land. The Philistines enjoyed a technological advantage (see 1Sam 13:16-22 ) and usually held the upper hand, but in this case the tables were turned. How is Goliath characterized in this episode? Most English translations call Goliath a “champion” in 1Sam 17:4 , a paraphrase of a Hebrew expression that can more literally be rendered “a man of the place between.” If a combatant remains standing in the space between two armies at the end of the battle, such a person is a champion, and the implication is that Goliath has been effective in many such conflicts. Goliath’s immense stature must be a reason for such success, but he is also heavily armored as he approaches the Israelite troops. Such a long description of a warrior’s accoutrements—beginning with Goliath’s helmet, then moving down to the coat of mail and bronze greaves on his legs—is uncommon in the Hebrew Bible . In fact, this portrait is much closer to depictions of warrior-heroes in Greek literature and in this case points to the Hellenistic roots of the Philistines. But Goliath is also from the city of Gath, and according to Josh 11:22 , Gath is home to the “Anakites,” an ancient race of fearsome giants. Consequently, Goliath is pictured as the ultimate hybrid figure: a Greek warrior not unlike Achilles and a member of an ancient race of giants who struck terror into the Israelites moving toward the land of their inheritance (see Deut 1:28 ). Whoever takes on Goliath faces a formidable foe indeed. As if the description of Goliath’s ancestry and weaponry were not enough, he is also presented as an intimidating speaker who verbally assaults the army of Israel and David himself, before any actual fighting: “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the field” ( 1Sam 17:44 ). What happens to the head of Goliath? Goliath challenges the Israelites to choose a fighter to face him one on one, with the losing nation to become slaves of the other. Even for an experienced fighter this represents a daunting task, and David has to first convince Saul that he is equal to the task. Testifying about his prowess against lions and bears, David’s speech is impressive, and Saul agrees to allow him to enter the ring. Even more impressive are David’s words to Goliath, asserting that the battle belongs to God and that he intends to use the giant’s own sword to decapitate him ( 1Sam 17:45-47 ). It should be noted that David rejects the offer of Saul’s armor, but he does have a slingshot in his hand, a weapon customarily identified with Benjamin, Saul’s own tribe (see Judg 20:15-16 ). David also takes a shepherd’s staff in his other hand, an implement that in 1Sam 17:43 provides Goliath with a canine insult: “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” But it seems that David is merely using the staff as a distraction, and evidently Goliath takes the bait and does not see the well-aimed rock that hits his forehead, causing him to fall face-first to the ground. Like an athlete who guarantees victory before the game, true to his word, David cuts off the head of the Philistine with the giant’s own sword. But Goliath’s head is subject to an interesting postmortem journey, for according to 1Sam 17:54 David carries the head to Jerusalem. At this point in the larger story, Jerusalem is a non-Israelite city, and even though it is in the heart of the promised land , no Israel |
What nickname was given to General Thomas Jackson because of his stern defense at the battle of Bull Run? | Stonewall Jackson at Battle of Bull Run Stonewall Jackson at Battle of Bull Run Battle of Chancellorsville Conclusion July 19 At the first streak of dawn, Jackson aroused his men and resumed the march. Before the column gained the plain, Stuart�s cavalry clattered past, leaving Patterson at Charlestown, in ignorance of his adversary�s escape, and congratulating himself on the success of his cautious strategy. At Piedmont, a station at the foot of the Blue Ridge, trains were waiting for the conveyance of the troops; and at four o�clock in the afternoon Jackson and his brigade had reached Manassas Junction. The cavalry, artillery, and waggons moved by road; and the remainder of Johnston�s infantry was expected to follow the First Brigade without delay. But in war, unless there has been ample time for preparation, railways are not always an expeditious means of travel. The line was single; so short notice had been given that it was impossible to collect enough rolling-stock; the officials were inexperienced; there was much mismanagement; and on the morning of Sunday, July 21, only three brigades of the Army of the Shenandoah�Jackson�s, Bee�s, and Bartow�s�together with the cavalry and artillery, had joined Beauregard . Kirby Smith�s brigade, about 1,900 strong, was still upon the railway. The delay might easily have been disastrous. Happily, the Federal movements were even more tardy. Had the invading army been well organised, Beauregard would probably have been defeated before Johnston could have reached him. McDowell had advanced from Washington on the afternoon of the 16th with 35,000 men. On the morning of the 18th, the greater part of his force was concentrated McDOWELL�S ARMY 136 at Centreville , twenty-two miles from Washington, and five and a half north-east of Manassas Junction. Beauregard�s outposts had already fallen back to the banks of Bull Run, a stream made difficult by wooded and precipitous banks, from two to three miles south, and of much the same width as the Thames at Oxford. It would have been possible to have attacked on the morning of the 19th, but the Federal commander was confronted by many obstacles. He knew little of the country. Although it was almost within sight of the capital, the maps were indifferent. Guides who could describe roads and positions from a military point of view were not forthcoming. All information had to be procured by personal reconnaissance, and few of his officers had been trained to such work. Moreover, the army was most unwieldy. 35,000 men, together with ten batteries, and the requisite train of waggons, was a force far larger than any American officer had yet set eyes upon; and the movement of such a mass demanded precise arrangement on the part of the staff, and on the part of the troops most careful attention to order and punctuality; but of these both staff and troops were incapable. The invading force might have done well in a defensive position, which it would have had time to occupy, and where the supply of food and forage, carried on from stationary magazines, would have been comparatively easy; but directly it was put in motion, inexperience and indiscipline stood like giants in the path. The Federal troops were utterly unfitted for offensive movement, and both Scott and McDowell had protested against an immediate advance. The regiments had only been organised in brigades a week previously. They had never been exercised in mass. Deployment for battle had not yet been practised, and to deploy 10,000 or 20,000 men for attack is a difficult operation, even with well-drilled troops and an experienced staff. Nor were the supply arrangements yet completed. The full complement of waggons had not arrived, and the drivers on the spot were as ignorant as they were insubordinate. The troops had received no instruction in muske |
Which Christian martyr was first bishop of Rome? | Linus Lleyn "The Martyr" ap Caradoc, Pope, 1st Bishop of Rome (45 - d.) - Genealogy Linus Lleyn "The Martyr" ap Caradoc, Pope, 1st Bishop of Rome Is your surname ap Caradoc? Research the ap Caradoc family Share your family tree and photos with the people you know and love Build your family tree online Share photos and videos Linus Lleyn "The Martyr" ap Caradoc, Pope, 1st Bishop of Rome Also Known As: Died in Alia, Palermo, Sicilia, Italy Immediate Family: brother About Linus Lleyn "The Martyr" ap Caradoc, Pope, 1st Bishop of Rome Linus the Martyr, his sister Claudia and her husband Rufus Pudens aided the Apostle Paul in the Christian Church in Rome, as recorded in II Timothy 4:21 and Romans 16:13 (Rufus Pudens and St. Paul are shown to be half-brothers, with the same mother but different fathers. "His mother and mine." She thus appears to have been the mother of an elder son, Paul, by a Hebrew husband, and a younger son, Rufus, by a second marriage with a Roman Christian.) notes or source: ancestry.com & HBJ 2 Timothy 4:21 Paul is writing to Linus in Rome. Linus was active as a Bishop in Rome (on Pauls instructions) before Peter arrived at Rome, and was undoubtably one of the Christians in Rome both Peter and Paul desired to see. It is only Roman Catholic tradition that teaches otherwise. This is understandable of course, because who wants to belong to the Church Linus built. Unfortunately tradition is not factually correct. The Church made the switch in the order of Popes to ensure Peter was the first Bishop of Rome, and I've heard some Roman Catholics concede as much. Further corroboration of Linus' appointment as the First Bishop of Rome can be found in the writings of St. Peter himself. His words, preserved in the "Apostolic Constitutions" (Bk. I, Chap. 46) read: ' 'Concerning those Bishops who have been ordained in our lifetime, we make known to you that they are these; of Antioch Eudius, ordained by me, Peter; of the Church of Rome, Linus, brother of Claudia, was first ordained by Paul, and after Linus' death, Clemens, the second ordained by me, Peter. In another statement Peter affirms that Linus was a Briton, son of a royal king. Irenaeus, a disciple of Polycarp (Born cir. A.D. 130) and later Bishop of Smyrna, also confirms Linus' appointment. He wrote: "The apostles, having founded and built up the Church at Rome, committed the ministry of its supervision to Linus. This is the Linus mentioned by Paul in his Epistle to Timothy." (Irenaei Opera Lib. III. C.I.). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk%3APope_Linus Pope Saint Linus (d. ca. 76) was, according to several early sources, Bishop of the diocese of Rome after Saint Peter. This makes Linus the second Pope (or the first, if Peter is not considered to have been Pope). According to other early sources Pope Clement I was the Pope after Peter. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Linus Linus Lleyn "The Martyr" ap Caradoc, Pope, 1st Bishop of Rome's Timeline 45 |
Who was the most famous of English lexicographers? | What Samuel Johnson Really Did | Humanities What Samuel Johnson Really Did He Made Dictionaries Matter + Click on image to enlarge. Plagued by financial problems for much of his life, Johnson, who, in fact, had to drop our of Pembroke College in Cambridge, before earning his degree, would fully appreciate the irony that a first edition of his 1755 Dictionary, above, can now go for as much as $25,000, the equivalent of some college tuitions. Courtesy Manhattan Rare Book Company + Click on image to enlarge. Chris Porter, Special Collections, Vassar College Libraries Samuel Johnson, poet, satirist, critic, lexicographer, and dyed-in-the-wool conservative was born in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England, on September 18, 1709. We are quickly approaching the tercentenary of Johnson’s birth; scholars worldwide have been celebrating throughout the year. If someone’s birthday is worth celebrating three hundred years after the fact, inevitably partygoers will spread their praise pretty thick, as praise for Johnson has been spread since James Boswell’s Life of Samuel Johnson was published in 1791. As a result, legend has sometimes obscured the truth. Among other aspects of his career, Johnson’s contributions to English lexicography are often misunderstood. It serves both Johnson’s legacy and the history of lexicography to revalue his influence on the modern dictionary. Though he disparaged Johnson’s style, as well as his literary and political judgment, Thomas Babington Macaulay, in the Edinburgh Review in 1831, admitted that, due to Boswell, Johnson would be “more intimately known to posterity than other men are known to their contemporaries.” We tend to presume on that acquaintance. Johnson scholar Jack Lynch anticipated the tercentenary spirit by asserting (in the title of his recent selection) that Johnson’s A Dictionary of the English Language is the “work that defined the English language.” The English language was doing pretty well before Johnson got involved; nevertheless, he has been taken for the Jupiter of lexicography since before his dictionary appeared in print in 1755. For all the mythology, you’d think English vocabulary had sprung fully formed and irreproachable from his prominent, Augustan forehead. Johnson may well be the most celebrated lexicographer of English, yet many claims about his lexicography are exaggerated. Conventional wisdom holds that Johnson single-handedly conceived and produced A Dictionary of the English Language. Though he gave up several years of full-time work to the Dictionary, Johnson wasn’t the first professional lexicographer: John Kersey, author of A New English Dictionary, published in 1702, probably owns that distinction. And Johnson did not write his dictionary alone: He had half a dozen assistants, and the history of lexicography tells us that assistants influence dictionary-making more than either eighteenth-century social hierarchies or the Great Author theory behind Johnson’s reputation admits. Nor was Johnson’s the first dictionary to employ literary quotations to illustrate meaning or usage. Putting aside major early modern dictionaries produced in France, Italy, and Portugal, John Florio’s Italian-English dictionary, A Worlde of Wordes was, in 1598, the first at least partially English dictionary to use quotations, and by no means the last preceding Johnson. Johnson is also often credited with introducing sense divisions into dictionary entries, but Benjamin Martin had used them in Lingua Britannica Reformata, published in 1749. Martin may have got the idea from Johnson’s Plan of a Dictionary in 1747, for Johnson proposed to “sort the several senses of each word, and to exhibit first its natural and primitive significance,” followed by “its consequential meaning,” and then “the remoter or metaphorical signification.” Whoever came up with it, no one doubts, in retrospect, that it was a good plan. Johnson is admired for his witty definitions. No horticultural definition of oats for Johnson, but rather the infamous “a grain which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotl |
In which of the arts has Richard Avedon distinguished himself? | Obituary: Richard Avedon | Art and design | The Guardian Share on Messenger Close The career of the photographer Richard Avedon, who has died aged 81, was called by Susan Sontag "one of the exemplary photographic careers of this century" - alongside Edward Steichen, Bill Brandt and Henri Cartier-Bresson. He himself had no dearth of famous names in the fields of both photography and literature to accompany his volumes of images: from Mark Haworth-Booth and Harold Rosenberg, James Baldwin and Truman Capote to Arthur Miller and George Wallace. Avedon was born in New York; his father owned a shop on Fifth Avenue. At 12 years old, he joined the YMHA camera club - an early photograph shows him with his Kodak Box Brownie in Central Park in 1935. He attended DeWitt Clinton high school in the Bronx, where he was co-editor, with James Baldwin, of the Magpie, the school's literary magazine, and became poet laureate of New York high schools. From the start - after war service in the photography section of the US merchant marines - Avedon was linked to fashion, fashion magazines and Irving Penn. Never more so than in Helmut Gernsheim's oft-reiterated comments of their "creation of a contemporary style", utilising "the same strength" of assigning "monumentality" to their subjects. But whereas Penn might go for the oddest juxtapositions - like turning South Sea islanders in warrior armour into fashion plates - Avedon eschewed anything that might intervene in the arresting clarity and deceptive simplicity of the early portraits. Attached, aged only 21, to Harper's Bazaar, he had established his own studio a year later. His studies at New York's New School for Social Research, under the legendary Alexei Brodovitch (where Diane Arbus and Eve Arnold, among others, also trained), led directly to his appointment as a staffer on Harper's, where Brodovitch and Carmel Snow were commissioning editors. He stayed from 1945 to 1965, before branching out into Vogue, working under Diana Vreeland and Alexander Liberman (from 1966), and at the New Yorker, where, in 1992, he became the magazine's first staff photographer. It was the glossy, east-coast magazines which provided the skeleton on which all the other myriad Avedon projects were fleshed. Partly, perhaps, a question of being in the right place at the right time: one could not invent a more appropriate outlet for the stark, but often naturally lit, portraits of models, artists, the famous and the infamous. Despite Avedon's protestations against daylight, he had an even greater resistance to shadows - including those backdrop rims thrown up by flash. Something of the extraordinary print quality of those large-format black-and-white investigations has to be due to Avedon's printers, especially Earl Steinbicken. Avedon's own interest was always in the people, never in the fashions. In fact, the models tended to add a layer of complication to what he fundamentally believed was the relationship between photographer and sitter. As he said: "A photographic portrait is a picture of someone who knows he (sic) is being photographed, and what he does with this knowledge is as much a part of the photograph as what he's wearing or how he looks." In the case of the model, of course, she was performing as a clothes horse, wearing the outfits and makeup assigned, and not necessarily presenting herself as she might choose. Yet it was Avedon's conviction that "We all perform" - with its necessary corollary that "I trust performances" - that allowed both for the model's interpretation, actor-like, of a given role, and his own refusal to distinguish between "the named and unnamed" (in New Yorker terms, the famous and the rest). Initially inspired by the 1930s imagery of the great Hungarian Martin Munkacsi, who photographed fashions as if they were battleships, Avedon democratised the image, at least partly by removing it from its setting. (Even the portrait of Red Owens, Oil Field Worker, Oklahoma, 1980 has the raggedy-overalled, bearded stevedore doused in black viscosity aqainst a bare white backcloth.) Many phot |
Which religious grou0p migrated westward to the Great Salt Lake, Utah, in 1847? | Mormons settle Salt Lake Valley - Jul 24, 1847 - HISTORY.com Mormons settle Salt Lake Valley Share this: Mormons settle Salt Lake Valley Author Mormons settle Salt Lake Valley URL Publisher A+E Networks After 17 months and many miles of travel, Brigham Young leads 148 Mormon pioneers into Utah’s Valley of the Great Salt Lake. Gazing over the parched earth of the remote location, Young declared, “This is the place,” and the pioneers began preparations for the thousands of Mormon migrants who would follow. Seeking religious and political freedom, the Mormons began planning their great migration from the east after the murder of Joseph Smith, the Christian sect’s founder and first leader. Joseph Smith was born in Sharon, Vermont, in 1805. In 1827, he declared that he had been visited by a Christian angel named Moroni, who showed him an ancient Hebrew text that had been lost for 1,500 years. The holy text, supposedly engraved on gold plates by a Native American prophet named Mormon in the fifth century A.D., told the story of Israelite peoples who had lived in America in ancient times. During the next few years, Smith dictated an English translation of this text to his wife and other scribes, and in 1830 The Book of Mormon was published. In the same year, Smith founded the Church of Christ–later known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints–in Fayette, New York. The religion rapidly gained converts, and Smith set up Mormon communities in Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois. However, the Christian sect was also heavily criticized for its unorthodox practices, which included polygamy. In 1844, the threat of mob violence prompted Smith to call out a militia in the Mormon town of Nauvoo, Illinois. He was charged with treason by Illinois authorities and imprisoned with his brother Hyrum in the Carthage city jail. On June 27, 1844, an anti-Mormon mob with blackened faces stormed in and murdered the brothers. Two years later, Smith’s successor, Brigham Young, led an exodus of persecuted Mormons from Nauvoo along the western wagon trails in search of a sanctuary in “a place on this earth that nobody else wants.” The expedition, more than 10,000 pioneers strong, set up camp in present-day western Iowa while Young led a vanguard company across the Rocky Mountains to investigate Utah’s Great Salt Lake Valley, an arid and isolated spot devoid of human presence. On July 22, 1847, most of the party reached the Great Salt Lake, but Young, delayed by illness, did not arrive until July 24. Upon viewing the land, he immediately confirmed the valley to be the new homeland of the Latter-day Saints. Within days, Young and his companions began building the future Salt Lake City at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains. Later that year, Young rejoined the main body of pioneers in Iowa, who named him president and prophet of the church. Having formally inherited the authority of Joseph Smith, he led thousands of more Mormons to the Great Salt Lake in 1848. Other large waves of Mormon pioneers followed. By 1852, 16,000 Mormons had come to the valley, some in wagons and some dragging handcarts. After early difficulties, Salt Lake City began to flourish. By 1869, 80,000 Mormons had made the trek to their promised land. In 1850, President Millard Fillmore named Brigham Young the first governor of the U.S. territory of Utah, and the territory enjoyed relative autonomy for several years. Relations became strained, however, when reports reached Washington that Mormon leaders were disregarding federal law and had publicly sanctioned the practice of polygamy. In 1857, President James Buchanan removed Young, who had 20 wives, from his position as governor and sent U.S. Army troops to Utah to establish federal authority. Young died in Salt Lake City in 1877 and was succeeded by John Taylor as president of the church. Tensions between the territory of Utah and the federal government continued until Wilford Woodruff, the new president of the Mormon church, issued his Manifesto in 1890, renouncing the traditional practice of polygamy and reducing the domination |
"Which 18th-century dictionary compiler defined himself as a ""harmless drudge""?" | Depatment Meeting Jeopardy Jeopardy Template What is the number of days of summer? 93 What is the year the school was establishe? 1926 What is an alternate Acronym? Shhh,Texas, Ain't, Assessing, Rigor Which 18th century dictionary compiler defined himself as a "harmless drudge"? Samuel Johnson What is the number of days in a row we will be away from Lanier for Winter Break? 16 What is the hottest month of summer? July What are jobs held by Sidney Lanier? Lawyer, Soldier, Poet, Musician What are the 2 types of writing? Personal and Expository What pen name was used by the Spanish orator Dolores Ibarruri, who said "It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees"? La Pasionaria What is your favorite place you have been on Winter Break? ? What is the most popular vacation spot according to The Travel Channel? Paris What is the 3rd floor? Common place for the ghost What is the number of questions on the 6th grade reading test? 48 Which author had the real name Charles Dodgson? Lewis Carroll What is the duration between the Winter Olympics? 4 years What is the number of school days until summer? 104 What was the location of the cafeteria? Previously located in the library What is meeting the growth measure? Number of questions a student must get correct Elvis Presley, Mikhail Gorbachev, Mary Tyler Moore, Ernest Hemingway, Jackie Gleason and Jerry Garcia all suffered from this medical condition? Diabetes Who was the author of the quintessential winter song, Jingle Bells? James Lord Pierpont |
Who was president of the USSR from 1985-91? | Gorbachev | Define Gorbachev at Dictionary.com Gorbachev [gawr-buh-chawf, -chof; Russian guh r-buh-chawf] /ˈgɔr bəˌtʃɔf, -ˌtʃɒf; Russian gər bʌˈtʃɔf/ Spell noun 1. Mikhail S(ergeyevich) [mi-kahyl sur-gey-uh-vich,, mi-keyl;; Russian myi-khuh-yeel syir-gye-yi-vyich] /mɪˈkaɪl sɜrˈgeɪ ə vɪtʃ,, mɪˈkeɪl;; Russian myɪ xʌˈyil syɪrˈgyɛ yɪ vyɪtʃ/ (Show IPA), born 1931, Soviet political leader: general secretary of the Communist Party 1985–91; president of the Soviet Union 1988–91; Nobel Peace Prize 1990. Dictionary.com Unabridged Examples from the Web for Gorbachev Expand Contemporary Examples Of course, in Russia at that time you had just the beginning of Gorbachev, and glasnost and perestroika. British Dictionary definitions for Gorbachev Expand noun 1. Mikhail Sergeevich (mixaˈil sirˈɡjejivitʃ). born 1931, Soviet statesman; general secretary of the Soviet Communist Party (1985–91): president (1988–91). Nobel peace prize 1990. His reforms ended the Communist monopoly of power and led to the break-up of the Soviet Union Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 |
What was the name of the Thracian slave who led an ultimately unsuccessful gladiator revolt against Rome in 73 BC? | Spartacus - definition of Spartacus by The Free Dictionary Spartacus - definition of Spartacus by The Free Dictionary http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Spartacus Also found in: Acronyms , Encyclopedia , Wikipedia . Spar·ta·cus (spär′tə-kəs) Died 71 bc. Thracian gladiator who led a slave revolt in Italy (73-71). He defeated Roman armies in southern Italy, but his forces were crushed at Lucania (71), where Spartacus was killed and many of his troops were crucified. Spartacus (ˈspɑːtəkəs) n (Biography) died 71 bc, Thracian slave, who led an ultimately unsuccessful revolt of gladiators against Rome (73–71 bc) Spar•ta•cus died 71 B.C., Thracian slave, gladiator, and insurrectionist against Rome. Translations Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us , add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content . Link to this page: Spartacists References in periodicals archive ? One day in the spotlight wasn't nearly enough for Spartacus John Summers, the tot with Scotland's most heroic handle. dressed in thedark Speaking of when he first discovered that he was suffering from non-Hodgkin lymphoma in March 2010, Whitfield said: "I was very exhausted at the end of the first season of Spartacus, but I think anyone would have been. Copyright © 2003-2017 Farlex, Inc Disclaimer All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. |
Which English king abdicated and became Duke of Windsor? | The Duke of Windsor Dies at 77 The Duke of Windsor Dies at 77 By Reuters LONDON, Sunday, May 28--The Duke of Windsor, who gave up the British throne in 1936 to marry an American divorcee, died in his home near Paris early today, a Buckingham Palace spokesman announced here. The Duke was 77 years old. A statement from Buckingham Place, the official residence of Queen Elizabeth, the Duke's niece said: "It is announced with deep regret that his Royal Highness, the Duke of Windsor, has died at his home in Paris at 2:25 A.M., Sunday, May 28, 1972. "A further announcement from the Palace will be made later about the funeral arrangements." The death announcement reached New York shortly after 1:10 A.M. Eastern daylight time. The Duke, who reigned for 10 months as King Edward VIII before abdicating, had been ill for some time. The Duke defied the British Establishment to marry Mrs. Bessie Wallis Warfield Simpson, a twice-divorced American. The couple lived in virtual self-exile from Britain since the abdication. Queen Elizabeth visited her ailing uncle at his Paris home during her state visit to France earlier this month. The Duke, who would have been 78 on June 23, was too ill to leave the first-floor sitting room of the house overlooking the Bois de Boulogne. The Duke underwent a hernia operation earlier this year. One of his personal physicians, Dr. Arthur Antenucci, of the Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, flew to Paris to see him two days ago. In Paris, a spokesman for the Duke said: "He died peacefully." Asked what had been the cause of death, the spokesman--the Duke's longtime secretary, John Utter--said: "Just natural causes." Two weeks before the Queen, Prince Phillip and the Prince of Wales made their teatime call on the Duke and Duchess at their home near Longchamp Racecourse during the royal visit to France this month, the Duke was reported to be "in need of a long rest." After the 40-minute royal visit, the Duke was said to be in good spirits. Later the Duke's secretary said he was being treated at home for an illness, but its nature and his treatment were not disclosed. Abdicated in 1936 "But you must believe me when I tell you that I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as King, as I would wish to do, without the help and support of the woman I love." With these words, delivered with sadness over the radio on Dec. 11, 1936, to his subjects in Britain, Edward VIII, later the Duke of Windsor, became the first monarch in British history to voluntarily abdicate his throne, which he did 11 months after assuming it. A popular king, Edward VIII touched off a sensation at home and abroad with the announcement that he intended to leave the throne to marry Mrs. Bessie Wallis Warfield Simpson, an American who had been twice divorced. 'I Lay Down My Burden' Edward had been determined to marry Mrs. Simpson, although Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin had tried to dissuade him, on the ground that the King, as head of the Church of England, would be violating the church's doctrines against divorce. In the absence of legislation that would permit the marriage, King Edward chose to abdicate. He was succeeded by his brother, the Duke of York, who became King George VI. The new King made his predecessor the Duke of Windsor. "I now quit altogether public affairs, and I lay down my burden," Edward said in his broadcast the day after the act of abdication had been signed. Then, on Dec. 12, at 2 A.M., he left England. He married Mrs. Simpson six months later in France. He remained in virtual exile from Britain ever since, estranged from the royal family until recently. It was not until 1965 that Queen Elizabeth II met the Duchess of Windsor at the bedside of the Duke while he was in London for eye operations. Two years later, the Duke and Duchess were formally received by the Queen at a memorial ceremony for Edward's mother, Queen Mary. Last May 18, Queen Elizabeth visited her ailing uncle at his Paris home. After the abdication, the Duke and Duchess |
Who was the first man in space in 1961? | First man in space - Apr 12, 1961 - HISTORY.com First man in space Publisher A+E Networks On April 12, 1961, aboard the spacecraft Vostok 1, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin becomes the first human being to travel into space. During the flight, the 27-year-old test pilot and industrial technician also became the first man to orbit the planet, a feat accomplished by his space capsule in 89 minutes. Vostok 1 orbited Earth at a maximum altitude of 187 miles and was guided entirely by an automatic control system. The only statement attributed to Gagarin during his one hour and 48 minutes in space was, “Flight is proceeding normally; I am well.” After his historic feat was announced, the attractive and unassuming Gagarin became an instant worldwide celebrity. He was awarded the Order of Lenin and given the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Monuments were raised to him across the Soviet Union and streets renamed in his honor. The triumph of the Soviet space program in putting the first man into space was a great blow to the United States, which had scheduled its first space flight for May 1961. Moreover, Gagarin had orbited Earth, a feat that eluded the U.S. space program until February 1962, when astronaut John Glenn made three orbits in Friendship 7. By that time, the Soviet Union had already made another leap ahead in the “space race” with the August 1961 flight of cosmonaut Gherman Titov in Vostok 2. Titov made 17 orbits and spent more than 25 hours in space. To Soviet propagandists, the Soviet conquest of space was evidence of the supremacy of communism over capitalism. However, to those who worked on the Vostok program and earlier on Sputnik (which launched the first satellite into space in 1957), the successes were attributable chiefly to the brilliance of one man: Sergei Pavlovich Korolev. Because of his controversial past, Chief Designer Korolev was unknown in the West and to all but insiders in the USSR until his death in 1966. Born in the Ukraine in 1906, Korolev was part of a scientific team that launched the first Soviet liquid-fueled rocket in 1933. In 1938, his military sponsor fell prey to Soviet leader Joseph Stalin’s purges, and Korolev and his colleagues were also put on trial. Convicted of treason and sabotage, Korolev was sentenced to 10 years in a labor camp. The Soviet authorities came to fear German rocket advances, however, and after only a year Korolev was put in charge of a prison design bureau and ordered to continue his rocketry work. In 1945, Korolev was sent to Germany to learn about the V-2 rocket, which had been used to devastating effect by the Nazis against the British. The Americans had captured the rocket’s designer, Wernher von Braun, who later became head of the U.S. space program, but the Soviets acquired a fair amount of V-2 resources, including rockets, launch facilities, blueprints, and a few German V-2 technicians. By employing this technology and his own considerable engineering talents, by 1954 Korolev had built a rocket that could carry a five-ton nuclear warhead and in 1957 launched the first intercontinental ballistic missile. That year, Korolev’s plan to launch a satellite into space was approved, and on October 4, 1957, Sputnik 1 was fired into Earth’s orbit. It was the first Soviet victory of the space race, and Korolev, still technically a prisoner, was officially rehabilitated. The Soviet space program under Korolev would go on to numerous space firsts in the late 1950s and early ’60s: first animal in orbit, first large scientific satellite, first man, first woman, first three men, first space walk, first spacecraft to impact the moon, first to orbit the moon, first to impact Venus, and first craft to soft-land on the moon. Throughout this time, Korolev remained anonymous, known only as the “Chief Designer.” His dream of sending cosmonauts to the moon eventually ended in failure, primarily because the Soviet lunar program received just one-tenth the funding allocated to America’s successful Apollo lunar landing program. Korolev died in 1966. Upon his death, his i |
What invention made the fortune of Alfred Noel, founder of the Nobel prize? | Alfred Nobel's Life and Work - for Grade schoolers Lists of Nobel Prizes and Laureates Lists of Nobel Prizes and Laureates Alfred Nobel's Life and Work Born in Stockholm On October 21, 1833 a baby boy was born to a family in Stockholm, Sweden who was to become a famous scientist, inventor , businessman and founder of the Nobel Prizes. His father was Immanuel Nobel and his mother was Andriette Ahlsell Nobel. They named their son Alfred. Alfred's father was an engineer and inventor. He built bridges and buildings and experimented with different ways of blasting rocks. The same year that Alfred was born, his father's business suffered losses and had to be closed. In 1837, Immanuel Nobel decided to try his business somewhere else and left for Finland and Russia. Alfred's mother was left in Stockholm to take care of the family. At this time, Alfred had two older brothers, Robert born in 1829, and Ludvig born in 1831. The house where Alfred Nobel was born. Andriette Nobel, who came from a wealthy family, started a grocery store. The store had a modest income that helped in supporting the family. Immanuel Nobel Andriette Nobel The Family Moves to Russia After a time, Immanuel Nobel's business in St. Petersburg, Russia started doing well. He had opened a mechanical workshop that provided equipment for the Russian army. He also made the Russian Tsar and his generals believe that sea mines could be used to stop enemy ships from entering and attacking St. Petersburg. The mines stopped the British Royal Navy from moving into firing range of St. Petersburg during the Crimean War in 1853-1856. With his success in Russia, Immanuel was now able to move his family to St. Petersburg in 1842. By 1843, another boy was born into the family, Emil. The four Nobel brothers were given first class education with the help of private tutors. Their lessons included natural sciences, languages and literature. At the age of 17, Alfred could speak and write in Swedish, Russian, French, English and German. A painting of Immanuel Nobel demonstrating his naval or sea mines to the Tsar of Russia. Alfred Travels Abroad Alfred was most interested in literature, chemistry and physics. His father wanted his sons to follow in his footsteps and was not pleased with Alfred's interest in poetry. He decided to send the young man abroad to study and become a chemical engineer. Young Alfred Nobel. In Paris, Alfred worked in the private laboratory of Professor T. J. Pelouze, a famous chemist. There he met a young Italian chemist, Ascanio Sobrero. Three years earlier, Sobrero had invented nitroglycerine, a highly explosive liquid. It was considered too dangerous to be of practical use. Alfred became very interested in nitroglycerine and how it could be used in construction work. When he returned back to Russia after his studies, he worked together with his father to develop nitroglycerine as a commercially and technically useful explosive. Moving Back to Sweden After the Crimean War ended, the business of Alfred's father went badly and he decided to move back to Sweden. Alfred's elder brothers Robert and Ludvig stayed in Russia to try and save what was left of the family business. They became successful and went on to develop the oil industry in the southern part of Russia. After the Nobel family's return to Sweden in 1863, Alfred concentrated on developing nitroglycerine as an explosive. Sadly, these experiments resulted in accidents that killed several people, including Alfred's younger brother, Emil. The government decided to ban these experiments within the Stockholm city limits. Move mouse over the illustration to see what happened during Alfred Nobel's earlier experiments with nitroglycerine. Alfred did not give up and moved his experiments to a barge or flat bottom boat on Lake Mälaren. In 1864, he was able to start mass production of nitroglycerine but he did not stop experimenting with different additives to |
Whose circus did General Tom Thumb join at the age of five in 1843? | Tom Thumb Tom Thumb's wedding, 1863 Tom Thumb’s real name was Charles Stratton. He was born a dwarf, or person of short stature (defined medically as someone whose adult height will not exceed more than four feet ten inches tall). In fact Charles Stratton was under two feet tall when American impresario Phineas Taylor Barnum hired him to be an ‘exhibit’ at his American Museum on Broadway. Barnum exaggerated Charles’s age, saying that the four year old was eleven, and altered his identity to ‘General Tom Thumb’ from London. Despite Charles’s mother expressing concerns about this fabrication, Barnum insisted that it was a necessary marketing device and would ensure that his ‘exhibit’ was successful. Barnum moulded the young Stratton into the character of General Tom Thumb with excellent manners and a haughty air. He taught him various stage routines and dressed him in specially tailored character costumes as Napoleon Bonaparte and Cupid. His routine contained comic patter and songs, the most famous being the hornpipe dance and song ‘Yankee Doodle Dandee’. Tom Thumb first toured America in 1843 at the age of five and was a huge success. In February 1844 Tom Thumb made his debut on the London stage at the Princess’s Theatre. The Illustrated London News called him ‘a little monster’. However Barnum managed to secure Stratton an audience with Queen Victoria and his subsequent appearance at the Egyptian Hall later that year was a huge success with the public flooding to see ‘the wonderful little man’. Queen Victoria saw Tom Thumb three times and he met with other European Royalty. These royal meetings increased Stratton’s profile and he became a very wealthy man with a house in the fashionable part of New York, a steam yacht and a fine wardrobe. When Barnum got into financial difficulty it was Stratton who bailed him out and eventually Stratton became his business partner. In 1862 P.T.Barnum engaged Mercy Lavinia Warren Bump as an attraction at his American Museum. She was 21 years old and 32 inches (81 cm) tall. She first appeared in January 1863, advertised as 'the smallest woman alive' and 'the little Queen of Beauty'. Tom Thumb paid her a visit and just a few weeks later they were married, on 10 February, with her sister Minnie as a bridesmaid, and another of Barnum's attractions, 'Commodore' Nutt, as the 'best man'. The bride arrived at the church in a miniature wedding carriage, wearing a white satin dress and shoes, and a long lace train with a diamond necklace, a present from her husband. The reception at the Metropolitan Hotel displayed wedding gifts from the Astors, Vanderbilts, and President and Mrs Lincoln. The crowds outside were so big that the police had to cordon off the street. Barnum's involvement in the wedding was substantial and whilst he refrained from charging admission to the event, he drew up an impressive guest list of 2,000 guests to ensure maximum publicity. In August 1866 a star attraction from America appeared at the Corn Exchange in Peterborough, England, billed as 'General Tom Thumb and his celebrated little wife together with their infant daughter, the wonder of the age, and the equally renowned Commodore Nutt, and the infinitesimal Minnie Warren.' This was part of a tour during which they gave three performances daily, at 11am, 3pm and 8pm, with different songs, recitations and dances in each show. The second act of each performance began with Lavinia introducing her baby daughter on stage, and each show ended with Tom and his wife dancing a polka. Stratton, who was a good mimic, was taught a range of impersonations so that he could perform instead of being a curiosity just for his size. He and a 'straight man' would perform a series of comic scenes with Stratton disappearing off to change costume between each one. Among his characters were Villikins - a character from a popular song, a student at Oxford, a Scottish Highlander, an American Tar (sailor) and most popular of all, the Emperor Napoleon. Much of the banter between the two men centred on Stratton's fondness for attractive women, and h |
Of which country was de Valera the prime minister, and later the president? | Eamon de Valera | president of Ireland | Britannica.com president of Ireland Alternative Title: Edward de Valera Eamon de Valera William Thomas Cosgrave Eamon de Valera, original name Edward de Valera (born Oct. 14, 1882, New York , N.Y., U.S.—died Aug. 29, 1975, Dublin , Ire.), Irish politician and patriot, who served as taoiseach (prime minister; 1932–48, 1951–54, 1957–59) and president (1959–73) of Ireland . An active revolutionary from 1913, he became president of Sinn Féin in 1917 and founded the Fianna Fáil party in 1926. In 1937 he made his country a “sovereign” state, renamed Ireland, or Éire. His academic attainments also inspired wide respect; he became chancellor of the National University of Ireland in 1921. Eamon de Valera, the leader of the republicans during the Irish civil war. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Early life De Valera’s father, who was Spanish, died when the boy was two. De Valera was then sent to his mother’s family in County Limerick, Ire., and studied at the local national school and at Blackrock College, Dublin; he graduated from the Royal University, Dublin, and became a teacher of mathematics and an ardent supporter of the Irish-language revival. In 1913 he joined the Irish Volunteers , which had been organized to resist opposition to Home Rule for Ireland. In the anti-British Easter Rising in Dublin (1916), de Valera commanded an occupied building and was the last commander to surrender. Because of his American birth, he escaped execution by the British but was sentenced to penal servitude. Released in 1917 but arrested again and deported in May 1918 to England, where he was imprisoned, de Valera was acclaimed by the Irish as the chief survivor of the uprising and in October 1917 was elected president of the revolutionist Sinn Féin (“We Ourselves” or “Ourselves Alone”) party, which won three-fourths of all the Irish constituencies in December 1918. After a dramatic escape from Lincoln Jail in February 1919, de Valera went in disguise to the United States , where he collected funds. He returned to Ireland before the Anglo-Irish War (Irish War of Independence) ended with the truce that took effect on July 11, 1921, and appointed plenipotentiaries to negotiate in London. He repudiated the treaty of Dec. 6, 1921, that they signed to form the Irish Free State, however, primarily because it imposed an oath of allegiance to the British crown. Rise to power After Dáil Éireann (Irish Assembly) ratified the treaty by a small majority (1922), de Valera supported the republican resistance in the ensuing civil war. William Thomas Cosgrave’s Irish Free State ministry imprisoned him, but he was released in 1924 and then organized a republican opposition party that would not sit in Dáil Éireann (now the lower house of the Oireachtas, the Irish parliament). In 1927, however, he persuaded his followers to sign the oath of allegiance as “an empty political formula,” and his new Fianna Fáil (“Soldiers of Destiny”) party then entered the Dáil, demanding abolition of the oath of allegiance, of the governor-general, of the Seanad (senate) as then constituted , and of land-purchase annuities payable to Great Britain. The Cosgrave ministry was defeated by Fianna Fáil in 1932, and de Valera, as head of the new ministry, embarked quickly on severing connections with Great Britain. He withheld payment of the land annuities, and an “economic war” resulted. Increasing retaliation by both sides enabled de Valera to develop his program of austere national self-sufficiency in an Irish-speaking Ireland while building up industries behind protective tariffs. In a new constitution ratified by referendum in 1937, the Irish Free State became Ireland (in Irish, Éire), a sovereign , independent democracy tenuously linked with the British Commonwealth (under the External Relations Act of 1936) only for purposes of diplomatic representation. Britannica Stories Methane Surge Worries Scientists De Valera’s prestige was enhanced by his success as president of the council of the League of Nations in 1932 and of its assembly in 1938. |
"Which actress starred opposite Alan Ladd in the film ""The Blue Dahlia""?" | The Blue Dahlia (1946) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error An ex-bomber pilot is suspected of murdering his unfaithful wife. Director: a list of 35 titles created 24 Oct 2013 a list of 21 titles created 19 Mar 2014 a list of 29 titles created 13 Jun 2015 a list of 46 titles created 11 Dec 2015 a list of 30 titles created 1 month ago Title: The Blue Dahlia (1946) 7.2/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for 1 Oscar. See more awards » Photos A crooked politician finds himself being accused of murder by a gangster from whom he refused help during a re-election campaign. Director: Stuart Heisler When assassin Philip Raven shoots a blackmailer and his beautiful female companion dead, he is paid off in marked bills by his treasonous employer who is working with foreign spies. Director: Frank Tuttle After being hired to find an ex-con's former girlfriend, Philip Marlowe is drawn into a deeply complex web of mystery and deceit. Director: Edward Dmytryk An armored truck driver and his lovely ex-wife conspire with a gang to have his own truck robbed on the route. Director: Robert Siodmak When powerful publishing tycoon Earl Janouth commits an act of murder at the height of passion, he cleverly begins to cover his tracks and frame an innocent man, whose identity he doesn't ... See full summary » Director: John Farrow A man is murdered, apparently by one of a group of soldiers just out of the army. But which one? And why? Director: Edward Dmytryk Hit men kill an unresisting victim, and investigator Reardon uncovers his past involvement with beautiful, deadly Kitty Collins. Director: Robert Siodmak A beautiful secretary risks her life to try to find the elusive woman who may prove her boss didn't murder his selfish wife. Director: Robert Siodmak Frank Bigelow, told he's been poisoned and has only a few days to live, tries to find out who killed him and why. Director: Rudolph Maté With his law-breaking lifestyle in the past, an ex-con, along with his family, attempt to start a new life, knowing a betrayed someone from the past is bound to see otherwise. Director: Henry Hathaway A married woman and a drifter fall in love, then plot to murder her husband. Once the deed is done, they must live with the consequences of their actions. Director: Tay Garnett When Kirk Bennett is convicted of a singer's murder, his wife tries to prove him innocent...aided by the victim's ex-husband. Director: Roy William Neill Edit Storyline When Johnny comes home from the navy he finds his wife Helen kissing her substitute boyfriend Eddie, the owner of the Blue Dahlia nightclub. Helen admits her drunkenness caused their son's death. He pulls a gun on her but decides she's not worth it. Later, Helen is found dead and Johnny is the prime suspect. Written by Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu> Tamed by a brunette - framed by a blonde - blamed by the cops! See more » Genres: 1 June 1946 (UK) See more » Also Known As: La dalia azul See more » Filming Locations: Did You Know? Trivia Raymond Chandler almost walked off the film when George Marshall improvised dialogue. " . . . it is ludicrous to suggest that any writer in Hollywood, however obstreperous, has a 'free hand' with a script;" said Chandler, "He may have a free hand with the first draft, but after that they start moving in on him. Also what happens on the set is beyond the writer's control. In this case I threatened to walk off the picture, not yet finished, unless they stopped the director putting in fresh dialogue out of his own head." See more » Goofs During the scene in the Blue Dahlia manager's office between Leo and Eddie, moving shadow of boom mic is visible on wall above Eddie while he is seated in the armchair. See more » Quotes Joyce Harwood : [sitting with Johnny in a convertible in |
"Which French fashion designer created the ""Little black dress""?" | Who Invented the Little Black Dress? | Mental Floss Who Invented the Little Black Dress? ThinkStock Like us on Facebook The “little black dress,” quintessential staple of any woman’s wardrobe, isn’t as timeless as most people think. An LBD is a classic in that it’s neither a trend nor is it ever out of fashion, but its history is a surprisingly short one, dating back only about a century to the early 1900s. While history tends to credit French designer Coco Chanel with popularizing the design, the question of who came up with the little black dress first is a little more complicated than that. As hard as it is to believe today—when black clothing is the neutral, flattering norm, and the latest fashion is credited as “the new black”—dark-colored garments were hardly a stylish society woman’s first choice years ago. Through the 1800s, black clothing was associated with mourning dress; in previous centuries, it was a symbol of luxury, as only the wealthy could afford costly black dye for their garments. Public perception gradually changed as history’s fashionistas realized that black was not only a practical choice that did not show stains or spills, but also a stylish one that offset their expensive accessories to good advantage. By the time Coco Chanel came into the equation in the 1920s, black dresses of all shapes and sizes were already quite popular all on their own. The specific little black dress so famously associated with Chanel appeared in a 1926 issue of Vogue, a simple, calf-length design shown with a plain string of pearls that was distinct in its contrast to the heavily embellished flapper styles that were popular at the time. The magazine called it “Chanel’s Ford”—referring to Henry Ford’s Model T car, the standard for all automobiles to come—and predicted its role as “a sort of uniform for all women of taste.” A 1930 issue of Vogue later featured another black Chanel dress, made of sheer black lace with a matching capelet, which served to double down on the public perception of Coco Chanel having invented the fashion. However, designers like Edward Molyneux were simultaneously promoting their own, similar fashions, just without Vogue’s endorsement. Perhaps the most iconic little black dress of all is a work of the 1960s: Audrey Hepburn famously wore a little black Givenchy dress as Holly Golightly in the opening scene of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the movie that spawned a million Halloween costumes. That level of exposure may have truly cemented the little black dress as a cultural touchstone, so much so that we’ve turned it into an acronym: LBD, which has been included in the official Oxford Dictionary of English since 2010. |
What is the sticky wax obtained from sheep? | The Origin of WAX | WAX 's Story of Origin | WAX 's History | The origin of Daily Use Products | TheOriginOf.com February 7, 2008 – 9:11 pm WAX Bees busily buzz around making fantastic honeycombs with their own wax. Later on Man copied them. The term ‘wax’ is a substance whose properties are akin to beeswax – plastic and malleable, with a melting point of 45 °C, having low viscosity when melted. It is not soluble in water. There are two types of waxes – natural and artificial. The natural group can be segmented into animal wax, vegetable wax and mineral wax. Humans too produce wax and that is the earwax which is a sticky substance found inside human ears. Artificial wax is a chemical substance which is a combination of ester and two acids (fatty) – a sort of lipid. Apart from these natural varieties there are many synthetic waxes – polythene waxes, chemically waxes etc. Thus wax is a very general term used to point to a long list of polar lipids. The wax is a protective covering on leaves of plants, fruits or animals. Some have mineral origins and can be found in lignite. Lignite is a stage in the transformation of vegetable matter into hydrocarbons. Waxes however cannot be bracketed into one chemical group that is homogenous. Beeswax is a secretion oozing from the abdomens of bees. The flowers from which it is gathered determine the vibrant range of subtle colour. It has been in use from ancient times as found in Egyptian historical remains. They used it in shipbuilding as an adhesive and coating agent. The Romans used its waterproof material to treat paint on walls. During the Middle Ages it was a valuable form of currency exchange. Today its use is multifarious and indispensable. About 7000 tons is produced in the world annually. 60% of this is gobbled up by the cosmetic and pharmaceutical world. Chinese wax is secreted from insects on branches. It requires 1500 insects to give 1g of insect wax. It is used in candle making and polishes. Shellac is also from another kind insect and used in varnish manufacturing. Wax is collected from the tissues and head cavity of the sperm whale. 3 tons is got from a 15 meter animal. From the 15th century it is being used as medicine and in the manufacture of cosmetics. But strong conservation action has put a stop to this form of animal torture. It has been replaced by synthetic wax. Lanolin or wool wax secretes from the glands of sheep. Crude wool is collected and diluted with alkali to obtain the wax. It has been in use since ancient times as a cure for skin diseases. Today it is in great demand in industries connected with fabrics, ink and lubricants. The ‘queen of waxes’ is carnauba – a kind of vegetable wax. Leaves of a plant found in Brazil secrete it – 100g coming from a single tree per year. It is the hardest in the wax family. Mixed with beeswax it is used for making polishes and cosmetics as well as in food production. It adds the glaze to candies, gums, fruits. It is also used for coating paper. Ouricouri wax used to be exported from Brazil since 1937 but recently it has been discontinued. It was squeezed out from a particular Brazilian plant. Jojoba oil made its entry as an alternative to the wax obtained from whales It is fluid and extracted by pressing the seeds of jojoba tree cultivated in Mexico, Arizona and California. Experiments are also going on in Israel, Africa, Australia and China. Small shrubs of Mexico produce candelilla wax. When the plant is boiled the wax floats on top and it is then skimmed and processed. It is mixed with other waxes to harden them. It is a major ingredient as a fixing agent in chewing gum industry. Esparto wax comes from a type of reed or grass found in North Africa and Southern Spain. It is a by-product from the stuff left over after making paper. Japan wax is more akin to tallow and is found in kernels and outer skins of berries belonging to the rhus and toxicondendron group. It is largely used in the Japanese cosmetic industry and becomes rancid after some time. Wax is also extracted from rice bran and is used for coating li |
What is the trade name for the non-stick material used for coating cooking pans? | Toxic Cookware, Whats Cooking America Article by Dr. Linda Posch MS SLP ND Since its debut, Teflon coated cookware has increased in popularity in kitchens worldwide. With good reason – this handy non-stick coating is simply a dream. Easy to cook on and easy to clean! Teflon has literally revolutionized the manufacture of cookware. Even the worst of kitchen disasters cleans up in a jiffy when cooking on Teflon. One would be hard pressed to find any kitchen that did not have at least one Teflon coated piece of cookware. Teflon has become the way of the world. Like many scientific breakthroughs, Teflon was accidentally discovered over 70 years ago by a scientist employed by DuPont. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asserts that DuPont has purposely withheld health hazardous information regarding Teflon since the early 1980’s. Peflourooanoic acid (PFOA), a chemical used to produce Teflon, has been appearing in blood samples of people world wide. DuPont, slapped with approximately 300 million dollars in fines, has agreed to pay a 108 million dollar lawsuit brought about by residents near one of its company plants as elevated levels of PFOA’s have been found in surrounding drinking water supplies. According to risk assessments by the EPA, PFOA’s present significant developmental and reproductive risks in humans with the use of Teflon: An increased rate of birth defects has been found in mothers working at DuPont. The company’s response was to move female employees to other sections of the plant in an effort to reduce their exposure to PFOA’s. The chemical coating that we have all come to benignly cook on is also used in fire fighting foam and phone cables. Variants of FPOA’s are used to make the coating on stain resistant carpets and flame retardants for clothing and computers. Teflon can also be found in nail polish removers, eyeglasses, and as lining in pizza boxes. PFOA’s do not break down in the environment anytime soon, causing forever pollution. According to Tim Kropp, a toxicologist with the Environmental Working Group, if all future exposure is cut off, it would take the body at least 20 years to detoxify Teflon chemicals. Finally, the EPA has recommended that PFOA be classified as a human carcinogen. Be advised that Teflon is the trade name for a line of cookware. Other lines of non stick cookware that use the Teflon coating includes Greblon, Silverstone, Supra, and Excaliber. This is not a comprehensive list. Check before you buy. Careful as we try to be, it inevitable that our Teflon pots and pans will endure scratches at some point. In fact, many are certain to have an old, bruised, battered, and scratched Teflon pan that has been part of the kitchen arsenal for years and years. Hardly a utensil that should be used for cooking. A utensil that delivers a dangerous toxic load with each meal it helps prepare. Given the fact that Teflon is typically used to cover aluminum pots and pans, we are experiencing yet a double chemical assault as explained below. The bottom line – Teflon and its associated by-products are dangerous and pose a significant health hazard to all. Other Cookware: Aluminum Cookware – Aluminum cookware is not desirable due to the Alzheimer’s and aluminum toxicity connection. If you will notice, your aluminum foil has a dull side and a shiny side. The dull side is a protective coating that separates the aluminum foil from contact with your food. The shiny side is unprotected. Thus, the dull side should always surround food items. On the toxic cookware page [1] you have a statement about aluminum foil that says the dull side of the foil contains a coating and that side should surround food items. This is wrong. The dull and shinny sides are due to the manufacturing process where in the last pass in making the foil thinner, where two sheets of foil are passed between 2 rollers to make them thinner. The sides that touch the rollers become shinny and the sides in the middle of the 2 sheets become the dull side. There is no protection coating. However, there are some aluminum |
What name is given to the brittle kind of iron used for making engine blocks and manhole covers? | Ferrous & Non-Ferrous Metals and their Uses | Castle Metals Ferrous & Non-Ferrous Metals and their Uses Castle Metals Put in the simplest terms, ferrous metals are those which contain iron, whilst non ferrous metals don’t have any iron content. There are, however, other differences between the two types of metal which have a strong bearing upon the tasks which they are usually called upon to perform. Ferrous Metals The following are ferrous metals and the kind of uses to which they are usually put: Mild Steel – Carbon content of 0.1 to 0.3% and Iron content of 99.7 – 99.9%. Used for engineering purposes and in general, none specialised metal products. Carbon steel – Carbon content of 0.6 to 1.4% and Iron content of 98.6 to 99.4 %. Used to make cutting tools such as drill bits. Stainless Steel – Made up of Iron, nickel and chromium. Resists staining and corrosion and is therefore used for the likes of cutlery and surgical instrumentation. See our infographic celebrating 100 years of stainless steel usage in buildings or the different types of stainless steel . Cast Iron – carbon 2 – 6% and Iron at 94 to 98%. Very strong but brittle. Used to manufacture items such as engine blocks and manhole covers. Wrought Iron – Composed of almost 100% iron. Used to make items such as ornamental gates and fencing. Has fallen out of use somewhat. Non Ferrous Metals These are the non ferrous metals and their uses: Aluminium – An alloy of aluminium, copper and manganese. Very lightweight and easily worked. Used in aircraft manufacture, window frames and some kitchen ware. Copper – Copper is a natural occurring substance. The fact that it conducts heat and electricity means that it is used for wiring, tubing and pipe work. Brass – A combination of copper and zinc, usually in the proportions of 65% to 35% respectively. Is used for ornamental purposes and within electrical fittings. Silver – Mainly a natural substance, but mixing with copper creates sterling silver. Used for decorative impact in jewellery and ornaments, and also to solder different metals together. Lead – Lead is a naturally occurring substance. It is heavy and very soft and is often used in roofing, in batteries and to make pipes. |
Which scientific unit gives a measure of loudness? | Measurement and Loudness of Sound Measurement and Loudness of Sound Add Remove Pick a specific sound , give the decibels of the sound, and explain what this measurement means? Example of the sound: Loud car horn on http://home.new.rr.com/trumpetb/audio/dBexamp.html Can you explain this to me? Solution Preview Please note the following quote from http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/HBASE/sound/db.html#c1 "Decibels provide a relative measure of sound intensity. The unit is based on powers of 10 to give a manageable range of numbers to encompass the wide range of the human hearing response, ... Solution Summary Measurement and Loudness of Sound are investigated. $2.19 ... the other person walked away from it until he the loudness dropped to zero. This distance was measured using a tape measure. We found that the sound level was ... ... 2)The loudness of sound is based on intensity level measured in ... sound, give me the decibels of the sound, and please explain what this measurement means ... ... Why are they used? 7. Most environmental noise measurements are made using a Type II meter. ... 9. How is loudness related to sound energy? ... ... One way to study the relationship between sound frequency and ... were asked to perform such loudness judgments for ... The data give the sone measurements for each ... ... listening level (c) very soft (d) slightly loud (e) none ... 6. Two sound waves of angular frequencies 900.0 rad/s and ... the fall of each, will be a measure of speed ... ... fines to the perpetrators) is what the experiment wants to measure. ... if an experiment measures a reaction of subjects to the loudness of a sound, the levels ... ... sound heard by the piano tuner fluctuates in loudness with a ... the piano and the frequency of the sound heard by ... the same, up to the units of measurement, and as ... ... 7. At the Indianapolis 500, you can measure the speed of ... Suppose the sound of a certain car drops by a ... is tuned to the same note to provide extra loudness. ... ... as loud as the conversation they were having. What did Jacob say in response to Anderson's claim? The decibel measure of the intensity of the sound follows the ... ... intensity as differences in volume, scientists use the decibel (dB) to measure the intensity ... To your ears, it sounds twice as loud" (National Institute ... View More |
The behavior of sound in rooms and concert halls is a separate science. what is its name? | Behavior of Sound Waves - Sound | HowStuffWorks Behavior of Sound Waves Like light waves and other waves, sound waves are reflected, refracted, and diffracted, and exhibit interference. Reflection Sound is constantly being reflected off many different surfaces. Most of the time the reflected sound is not noticed, because two identical sounds that reach the human ear less than 1/15 of a second apart cannot be distinguished as separate sounds. When the reflected sound is heard separately, it is called an echo. Sound is reflected from a surface at the same angle at which it strikes the surface. This fact makes it possible to focus sound by means of curved reflecting surfaces in the same way that curved mirrors can be used to focus light. It also accounts for the effects of so-called whispering galleries, rooms in which a word whispered at one point can be heard distinctly at some other point fairly far away, though it cannot be heard anywhere else in the room. (Statuary Hall of the United States Capitol is an example.) Reflection is also used to focus sound in a megaphone and when calling through cupped hands. The reflection of sound can pose a serious problem in concert halls and auditoriums. In a poorly designed hall, a speaker's first word may reverberate (echo repeatedly) for several seconds, so that the listeners may hear all the words of a sentence echoing at the same time. Music can be similarly distorted. Such problems can usually be corrected by covering reflecting surfaces with sound-absorbing materials such as draperies or acoustical tile. Clothing also absorbs sound; for this reason reverberation is greater in an empty hall than in one filled with people. All these sound-absorbing materials are porous; sound waves entering the tiny air-filled spaces bounce around in them until their energy is spent. They are, in effect, trapped. The reflection of sound is used by some animals, notably bats and toothed whales, for echolocation—locating, and in some cases identifying, objects through the sense of hearing rather than the sense of sight. Bats and toothed whales emit bursts of sound of frequencies far beyond the upper limits of human hearing, as high as 200,000 Hz in the case of whales. Sounds with short wavelengths are reflected even from very small objects. A bat can unerringly locate and catch even a mosquito in total darkness. Sonar is an artificial form of echolocation. Refraction When a wave passes from one material to another at an angle, it usually changes speed, causing the wave front to bend. The refraction of sound can be demonstrated in a physics laboratory by using a lens-shaped balloon filled with carbon dioxide to bring sound waves to a focus. Diffraction When sound waves pass around an obstacle or through an opening in an obstacle, the edge of the obstacle or the opening acts as a secondary sound source, sending out waves of the same frequency and wavelength (but of lower intensity) as the original source. The spreading out of sound waves from the secondary source is called diffraction. Because of this phenomenon, sound can be heard around corners despite the fact that sound waves generally travel in a straight line. Interference Whenever waves interact, interference occurs. For sound waves the phenomenon is perhaps best understood by thinking in terms of the compressions and rarefactions of the two waves as they arrive at some point. When the waves are in phase so that their compressions and rarefactions coincide, they reinforce each other (constructive interference). When they are out of phase, so that the compressions of one coincide with the rarefactions of the other, they tend to weaken or even cancel each other (destructive interference). The interaction between the two waves produces a resultant wave. In auditoriums, destructive interference between sound from the stage and sound reflected from other parts of the hall can create dead spots in which both volume and clarity of sound are poor. Such interference can be reduced by use of sound-absorbing materials on reflecting surfaces. On the other |
What kind of animal is an iguana? | Iguana (Iguana Iguana) - Animals - A-Z Animals Five groups that classify all living things Animalia A group of animals within the animal kingdom Chordata A group of animals within a pylum Reptilia A group of animals within a class Squamata A group of animals within an order Iguanidae A group of animals within a family Iguana Comprised of the genus followed by the species Iguana Iguana The animal group that the species belongs to Reptile What kind of foods the animal eats Omnivore How long (L) or tall (H) the animal is 0.91-1.83m (3-6ft) The measurement of how heavy the animal is 4-8kg (8.8-17.6lbs) The fastest recorded speed of the animal 35km/h (21mph) How long the animal lives for 15-20 years Whether the animal is solitary or sociable Solitary The likelihood of the animal becoming extinct Threatened The colour of the animal's coat or markings Green, Brown, Yellow The protective layer of the animal Scales The specific area where the animal lives Lowland tropical rainforest near water The average number of babies born at once 3 Other animals that hunt and eat the animal Hawk, Eagle, Snakes Long tongue and change skin colour with mood Iguana Location Map of South America Iguana Iguanas are native to the jungles of central and south America, and the Caribbean. The iguana is a large docile species of lizard , meaning that iguanas are often a popular choice when keeping exotic pets. Iguanas have excellent sight allowing the iguana to detect movement from incredibly long distances. The iguana can use this skill to seek out prey and be aware of approaching predators often before the predators has even noticed the iguana. It is said that the iguana uses visual signals to communicate with other iguanas . The iguanas do this through a series a rapid eye movements that other iguanas are able to pick up on easily due to the excellent sight of the iguana. Green Iguanas are forest dwelling lizards that live high in the tree canopy of the South American rainforest . Young iguanas get to grips with tree top living by staying in areas lower in the canopies while older mature adult iguanas reside higher up in the tree tops. This tree dwelling habit allows the iguana to bask in the sun, with little need to go down to the forest floor below. The only real exception to this is when the female iguanas must come down from their sky high home in order to dig burrows in which the female iguanas lay their eggs. Although iguanas tend to prefer the forest environment , iguanas can adjust well to a more open areas. However, wherever the iguanas inhabit, iguanas prefer to have water around them as iguanas are excellent swimmers and will often dive beneath the water to avoid oncoming predators. Although iguanas are classed as omnivores , most iguana individuals in the wild, tend to enjoy a very herbivorous diet , with ripened fruit being one of the iguanas favourite foods along with leafy green plants. Most mature adult iguanas weigh around 4 kg, but it is not uncommon for large, healthy iguanas where food is in good supply, to weigh up to 8 kg and grow to over 2 meters in length. Due to the natural green and brown colours of the scales of the iguana , iguanas are easily able to make themselves invisible to predators . Iguanas do this well as the iguana blends extremely effectively into the surrounding forest and the iguana will then remain extremely still until the predator has passed. Iguanas will often chose basking spots on those tree branches that hang over water so that if the iguana does feel threated, the iguana can leap from the tree into the water and therefore the iguana can quickly escape oncoming danger. Share This Article |
What is the name given to the molten rock beneath the surface of the Earth? | What name is given to the molten rock below the Earth's surface? | Reference.com What name is given to the molten rock below the Earth's surface? A: Quick Answer The molten rock below the Earth’s surface is known as magma. Magma is a combination of a molten and semi-molten rock mixture that is extremely hot. Magma is between 1,292 and 2,372 degrees Fahrenheit, or 700 and 1,300 degrees Celsius. Full Answer Magma is a dynamic and fluid substance that is capable of creating new landforms. This molten rock starts in the upper part of the mantle and the lower portion of the crust. When magma erupts from a volcano or other vent, the molten rock is referred to as lava. When lava cools on the Earth’s surface and forms a solid structure, it is called igneous rock. |
Which disease is spread in minute water drops? | Achievements in Public Health, 1900-1999: Control of Infectious Diseases mmwrq@cdc.gov . Type 508 Accommodation and the title of the report in the subject line of e-mail. Achievements in Public Health, 1900-1999: Control of Infectious Diseases Deaths from infectious diseases have declined markedly in the United States during the 20th century ( Figure 1 ). This decline contributed to a sharp drop in infant and child mortality (1,2) and to the 29.2-year increase in life expectancy (2). In 1900, 30.4% of all deaths occurred among children aged less than 5 years; in 1997, that percentage was only 1.4%. In 1900, the three leading causes of death were pneumonia, tuberculosis (TB), and diarrhea and enteritis, which (together with diphtheria) caused one third of all deaths ( Figure 2 ). Of these deaths, 40% were among children aged less than 5 years (1). In 1997, heart disease and cancers accounted for 54.7% of all deaths, with 4.5% attributable to pneumonia, influenza, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (2). Despite this overall progress, one of the most devastating epidemics in human history occurred during the 20th century: the 1918 influenza pandemic that resulted in 20 million deaths, including 500,000 in the United States, in less than 1 year--more than have died in as short a time during any war or famine in the world (3). HIV infection, first recognized in 1981, has caused a pandemic that is still in progress, affecting 33 million people and causing an estimated 13.9 million deaths (4). These episodes illustrate the volatility of infectious disease death rates and the unpredictability of disease emergence. Public health action to control infectious diseases in the 20th century is based on the 19th century discovery of microorganisms as the cause of many serious diseases (e.g., cholera and TB). Disease control resulted from improvements in sanitation and hygiene, the discovery of antibiotics, and the implementation of universal childhood vaccination programs. Scientific and technologic advances played a major role in each of these areas and are the foundation for today's disease surveillance and control systems. Scientific findings also have contributed to a new understanding of the evolving relation between humans and microbes (5). CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES Sanitation and Hygiene The 19th century shift in population from country to city that accompanied industrialization and immigration led to overcrowding in poor housing served by inadequate or nonexistent public water supplies and waste-disposal systems. These conditions resulted in repeated outbreaks of cholera, dysentery, TB, typhoid fever, influenza, yellow fever, and malaria. By 1900, however, the incidence of many of these diseases had begun to decline because of public health improvements, implementation of which continued into the 20th century. Local, state, and federal efforts to improve sanitation and hygiene reinforced the concept of collective "public health" action (e.g., to prevent infection by providing clean drinking water). By 1900, 40 of the 45 states had established health departments. The first county health departments were established in 1908 (6). From the 1930s through the 1950s, state and local health departments made substantial progress in disease prevention activities, including sewage disposal, water treatment, food safety, organized solid waste disposal, and public education about hygienic practices (e.g., foodhandling and handwashing). Chlorination and other treatments of drinking water began in the early 1900s and became widespread public health practices, further decreasing the incidence of waterborne diseases. The incidence of TB also declined as improvements in housing reduced crowding and TB-control programs were initiated. In 1900, 194 of every 100,000 U.S. residents died from TB; most were residents of urban areas. In 1940 (before the introduction of antibiotic therapy), TB remained a leading cause of death, but the crude death rate had decreased to 46 per 100,000 persons (7). Animal and pest control also contrib |