History
General history issues, although a lot will be about WW2
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Gilles de Rais was probably born in late 1405 to Guy II de Montmorency-Laval and Marie de Craon in the family castle at Champtocé-sur-Loire. He was an intelligent child, speaking fluent Latin, illuminating manuscripts, and dividing his education between military discipline and moral and intellectual development.Following the deaths of his father and mother in 1415, Gilles and his younger…
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It is often believed that the Austrians accepted the annexation lying down. For a big part that was true, however, not everyone was so enthusiastic about the “Anschluss.” Of Czech descent, Sindelar was born Matěj Šindelář in Kozlov, Moravia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the son of Jan Šindelář, a blacksmith, and his wife Marie (née Švengrová). Despite occasional claims that…
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My shoes are touching the promenade on “Poor Man’s Kilkee”Rain is falling on my head , and drops are slowly reaching my face.A man in a coffee shop is putting up a Christmas tree.Undisturbed the Shannon flows, in so much splendor and grace. The town with its magical and festive lights makes me smile.Children gaze…
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Bing Crosby sang “I am dreaming of a white Christmas” and made it sound like a magical event. However for the men stuck in the Belgian Ardennes, a white Christmas was probably the last thing they wanted.But they did get the snow, in fact it was one the coldest and harshest winters on record. Following…
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Pardon the pun in the title but I couldn’t resist. On December 23 1888, Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, suffering from severe depression, cut off the lower part of his left ear with a razor while staying in Arles, France.He later documented the event in a painting titled Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear. Van Gogh and…
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Mohandas Gandhi, frequently known by the honorific Mahatma (meaning “great soul”), was famous for advocating civil disobedience and nonviolence to achieve his goals. Starting in 1921, Gandhi led the Indian independence movement through such methods, finally achieving freedom from the British empire in 1947, just six months before his death. Less known is Gandhi’s efforts…
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Despite all the death and the destruction during WWII and the uncertainty of what the future would hold, so many people were still putting up a brave face and continued their daily lives as best as they could.Or defy the enemy even after being captured. The picture above was taken after a German bombing raid…
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Flying a plane in normal circumstances is difficult enough, and flying that plane during bad weather—is bad. However, flying a plane while being shot at is like hell in the sky. Especially during World War II when there were no sophisticated systems on board like they have nowadays. The following are a few examples where…
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In this PC world these ads will not be shown anymore and probably rightfully so. However you’d have to admire the humor in them. For example the poster above .Every story of true love begins in the kitchen. Why wait to put your new wife to work until after she’s out of her wedding dress?…
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The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members. The American Catholic missionaries in Tapaz,Philippines probably could not be specified as vulnerable but the people they cared for were. additionally the missionaries themselves did not pose any threat themselves to the Japanese occupiers. The Hopevale Martyrs were Christian martyrs who…
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