France
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This day 225 years ago the last Queen of France was executed. Born in Vienna, Austria, in 1755, Marie Antoinette married the future French king Louis XVI when she was just 15 years old. The young couple soon came to symbolize all of the excesses of the reviled French monarchy, and Marie Antoinette herself became
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The English rock band, The Kinks once sang, “He is a dedicated follower of fashion” and I can assure you, I am not that. However, there are people working in the fashion industry, be it as designers, manufacturers or models, who often do not know the history of the brands they represent. On the other
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Noor Inayat Khan, a descendant of Indian royalty and a British special agent, is remembered for her extraordinary bravery during World War II. Born in 1914 in Moscow to an Indian Sufi mystic father, Hazrat Inayat Khan, and an American mother, Noor was raised in a spiritual and intellectual household. Her early life was marked
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The Vel’ d’Hiv Roundup (the Vélodrome d’Hiver roundup), known in French as “Rafle du Vel’ d’Hiv,” was a mass arrest of Jews in Paris by the French police under the orders of the Nazi German authorities during World War II. This event took place on July 16 and 17, 1942, and is one of the
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Josephine Baker is mainly remembered for her erotic and provocative dances, vaudeville routines, and appearances in films. However her efforts to fight the tyranny of Fascism have received very little attention. She was born as Freda Josephine McDonald in St. Louis, Missouri. Her mother, Carrie, was adopted in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1886 by Richard
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On Normandy’s shores ‘neath dawn’s pale light,Brave souls stormed forth to end the night.Steel met sand in thunder’s cry,While hopes and fears rode sea and sky. The tide of war began to turn,As freedom’s fire began to burn.Through blood and grit, the path was paved—By those who fought, the world was saved. Into the Jaws
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Paul Touvier was a French Nazi collaborator during World War II, known for his involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity. His actions during the war and subsequent legal proceedings have marked him as one of the most notorious figures associated with the Vichy regime’s collaboration with Nazi Germany. He was born on April
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It may be a naive notion, but I believe there are only two types of people in this world: good and bad. Bad people will always do bad and evil things. They may, on occasion, be charitable and do something good, but in the end, they only serve their own interests. On the other hand,
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Charles Aznavour, widely recognized as one of France’s greatest singer-songwriters, led a life that extended far beyond the stage and spotlight. Born Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian on May 22, 1924, in Paris to Armenian immigrant parents, Aznavour’s early life was marked by the struggle of displaced peoples and the complexities of identity. While his artistic legacy
History of Sorts 