AcharyaChanakya/simple-wikipedia huggingface dataset:
The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a war initially fought between the forces of the Afghanistan government and Afghan assistance fighters, supporter from abroad. Without proper equipment and training, the Afghanistan government was unable to resist the opposition, called the Mujahideen, eventually seeking the aid of the Soviet Union. The entry of the Soviet Union into the country caused an immediate increase in the presence of foreign involvement. Massive military campaigns against the Mujahideen, who blended in with the local population, caused extensive destruction of local infrastructure and death, causing the local population to side with the Mujahideen. This change, among the local population, caused a loss of support for the Soviet military presence, creating nationwide resistance, and eventually a conflict. The war began in December 1979, and lasted until February 1989. About 15,000 Soviet soldiers were killed, and about 35,000 were wounded. About two million Afghan civilians were killed. The anti-government forces had support from many countries, mainly the United States and Pakistan.
The war started when the Soviet Union sent its 40th Army to fight in Afghanistan. They reached Afghanistan on 25 December 1979. The fighting continued for about ten years. Then, from 15 May 1988, the Soviet troops started to leave Afghanistan. This continued until 2 February 1989. On 15 February 1989, the Soviet Union announced that all its troops had left Afghanistan.
Arabs moved into what is currently Afghanistan in 731, and they were Muslim. Almost all the people of Afghanistan also started to follow Islam after that. The country has many mountains and deserts that make movement difficult. The population is made up mainly of Pashtun people, along with Tajiks, Hazara, Aimak, Uzbeks, Turkmen people, and some other small groups.
In 1979, Hafizullah Amin was the ruler of Afghanistan. The Soviets were told by its KGB spies that Amin's rule was a threat to the part of Central Asia that was Soviet. They also suspected that Amin was not loyal to the Soviet Union. They found some information about Amin's attempt to be friendlier with Pakistan and China. The Soviets also suspected that Amin was behind the death of president Nur Muhammad Taraki. Finally, the Soviets decided to remove Amin.
On 22 December 1979, Soviet advisers to the Army of Afghanistan took many steps. They stopped all telecommunication links in Kabul. No message could come inside the city, or go outside the city. Troops of the Soviet Air force also reached Kabul. Amin saw danger and moved to the Presidential palace for better safety. The palace was named Tajbeg Palace.
On 27 December 1979, about 700 Soviet troops took over major government and military buildings at Kabul. The troops wore uniforms similar to the army of Afghanistan. At 7:00 pm, the Soviet troops destroyed Kabul's communication. This stopped all communication among Afghan troops. At 7:15 pm, Soviet troops entered Tajbeg Palace. By morning of 28 December, the first part of the military action was over. Amin and his two sons were killed in the fighting by this time. The Soviets announced freedom of Afghanistan from the rule of President Amin. They also said that all the Soviet soldiers were there to fulfill their duty as stated in the "Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Good Neighborliness of 1978."
An announcement came from the Kabul radio station about the killing of Hafizullah Amin. The Pro-Soviet Afghan Revolutionary Central Committee (ARCC) took the responsibility for this killing. Then, the ARCC chose Babrak Karmal as the head of government of Afghanistan. He asked the Soviet Union for military assistance.
The government of Afghanistan asked the Soviet Union many times to send troops. Despite the Soviet Union's treaty with Afghanistan to assist, and fearing a Vietnam-style quagmire, the Soviet Union resisted, instead telling the Afghanistan government to reach a compromise with the foreign mercenaries. The situation deteriorated between the Afghanistan government and foreign mercenaries, and the Soviet Union responded initially with only intelligence and advisors.
The Soviet soldiers did many things in Afghanistan, but they could never control the whole country. Soviet soldiers in Afghanistan lacked the proper military tactics for guerrilla warfare in Afghanistan's rugged mountainous terrain and many of the Soviet troops were young conscripts untested in combat. Several Afghan groups continued to attack and fight with the Soviet troops.
People in most countries around the world did not like what the Soviet Union was doing in Afghanistan. They liked the way the Afghan people were fighting them. Some reactions were very serious. US President Jimmy Carter said that the Soviet action was "the most serious threat to the peace since the Second World War". Carter threatened to boycott the 1980 Olympic Games in Russia unless the Soviet Union withdrew its forces by February 1980. It did not do this, and therefore the U.S. boycotted the Games.
By mid-1980s, many groups in Afghanistan had organized themselves to fight the Soviet troops. These groups received help from many countries like United States, United Kingdom, China, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan.
Pakistan thought that the Soviet war in Afghanistan was also a threat to them. Through its intelligence agency, the ISI, it also started bringing active support to Afghans fighting the Soviet troops.
The Soviet war in Afghanistan seemed like a war that would never end. The Soviet Union looked very bad in the eyes of the world for trying to control this country. Most people inside the Soviet Union did not support this war. As more and more Soviet soldiers were being killed or wounded as the war dragged on, Mikhail Gorbachev would refer to the Soviet war in Afghanistan as a "bleeding wound". Finally, after ten years of fighting with no end in sight, the Soviets decided to get out of Afghanistan.
The Soviet war in Afghanistan badly affected the rule of the Communist Party. Many thought that the war was against Islam. This created strong feelings among the Muslim population of Central Asian Soviet Republics. The Soviet army was really in very low spirits or "morale" because they were unable to control the people and were treated only as invaders everywhere they went. Andrei Sakharov openly said the action of Soviet Army in Afghanistan was wrong.
Over 15,000 Soviet troops were killed in Afghanistan from 1979 until 1989. In the war, the Soviet Army also lost hundreds of aircraft, and billions worth of other military machines. Around two million Afghan men, women and children died in the war.
Even after the Soviet Army left Afghanistan, civil war continued in Afghanistan. For about three years, the Communist government of Najibullah could not defend itself from the Mujahideen forces opposing it. Many groups had arisen within the government itself, and some of them supported the Mujahideen forces. In March 1992, General Abdul Rashid Dostam and his Uzbek militia stopped supporting the Najibullah’s government. Soon, Mujahideen forces won Kabul and started to rule most parts of Afghanistan.
During this war lasting for about ten years, Afghanistan's economy suffered badly. Grain production came down to 3.5% per year between 1978 and 1990. The Soviets also tried to bring commercial and industrial activities under state control. This also had a bad effect on the economy. With the break-up of the Soviet Union in many countries, Afghanistan’s traditional trade also suffered.
At the beginning, many people and countries had praised the USA for supporting groups fighting the Soviet forces. But after the September 11 attacks, people started to question the US policy of supporting and giving money to such groups. In 2001, the US occupied Afghanistan, in an effort to find Osama bin Laden. The occupation went on for almost two more years after Bin Laden was killed.
Emily Donelson
Emily Tennessee Donelson (June 1, 1807 - December 19, 1836) was the niece of President of the United States Andrew Jackson. She acted as an unofficial First Lady of the United States from 1829 to 1836.
Emily Tennessee Donelson was born in Donelson, Tennessee. Her father’s name was John Donelson. He was the brother of Rachel Donelson Jackson. Rachel Donelson Jackson later on married Andrew Jackson, the President. She studied at Nashville Female Academy in Nashville, Tennessee. She was a bright student and she got a very good education. At the age of seventeen, she married Andrew Jackson Donelson, called in short as A. J. Donelson.
With her husband, she came to the White House in 1829. At that time, she was just 21 years old. Her husband A. J. Donelson served as a secretary to the President Jackson. Her first months at the White House marked the mourning for the death of Rachel Donelson Jackson. The period of mourning ended when Emily gave a party at the White House on 1 January 1830.
She continued to act as the First Lady for few years. She left the White House for some time. But, she returned again on the 5th September 1831. On 26 November 1834 Sarah Yorke Jackson, the President's daughter in law arrived at the White House. She also started to act as the First lady. It was the only time in the history of USA that two women acted at the same time as the First Lady.
In 1836, Emily’s health became very weak. She was suffering from tuberculosis. In June 1836 she left the White House to recover and rest "Tulip Grove", her plantation. She could not recover and died on the 19 December 1836.
Letitia Christian Tyler
Letitia Christian Tyler (November 12, 1790 - September 10, 1842) was the first wife of John Tyler, the tenth President of the United States. She was the First Lady of the United States from 1841 until her death in 1842.
Letitia Christian Tyler was born at her family’s plantation in Virginia. She could not get any formal education. But she learned to manage the plantation and raise a family.
She married John Tyler on 29 March 1813. The day was the twenty-third birthday of John Tyler. The couple had eight children. Out of the eight, one died very young.
After 1839, she fell ill. When John Tyler became president, Letitia Tyler was very sick. She was confined to her invalid’s chair. She lived in a second-floor room of the White House. She could not take part in social activities, but she looked after other affairs of the household.
She died on 10 September 1842. She was the first President's wife to die in the White House. Her picture also appears on a postage stamp issued by the Isle of Man Post Office in her honor. After her death, Priscilla Cooper Tyler became the First Lady.
Julia Gardiner Tyler
Julia Gardiner Tyler (July 23, 1820 - July 10, 1889) was the second wife of John Tyler, the tenth President of the United States. She was the First Lady of the United States from June 26, 1844 to March 4, 1845.
Her parents were Juliana McLachlan and David Gardiner. Her parents belonged to a famous and wealthy family of New York. From her childhood, Juliana got training to move in high society. When she was just a girl of 15, she went to tour Europe with her family. There she saw a social life of much glamour. In late 1842, she along with her parents went to Washington DC. In Washington DC, she attracted the attention of several men. One of them was President Tyler, a widower since September 10 1842.
In 1843, Julia, her sister, and their father joined the President Tyler on a tour on a steam naval ship. During the tour a huge naval gun exploded, killing her father. The President Tyler comforted her. He also got her consent for a secret engagement. Marriage took place on 26th June 1844. When the news was announced, it attracted interest and publicity. Some people also criticized it as the President Tyler was 30 years older than Julia.
Her role as the First Lady was very decent and charming for the guests. After her husband’s term ended as the president, they retired to their home at Sherwood Forest Plantation in Virginia. The President got seven more children from her. He was already having eight children with his first wife. There her husband died on 18th January 1862. In the meanwhile, the American Civil War had broken out. She had to move to New York as a refugee. She also faced monetary problems.
In 1870, the US Congress granted a pension of US $ 1,200 a year to Mary Lincoln, widow of Abraham Lincoln. In 1880, Julia could also get a pension of the same amount. After Garfield's assassination, the US Congress granted a pension of same amount of US $ 5,000 a year to all the widows of the presidents. They were Lucretia Garfield, Mrs. Lincoln, Sarah Childress Polk, and Mrs. Tyler.
Mrs. Tyler spent her last years comfortably in Richmond, Virginia. She died there on 10th July 1889.
Newsround
Newsround is a television programme for children. It talks about the news and gives information about things that are happening at the moment. It is shown on the channels BBC One, CBBC channel and the BBC World News.
"Newsround" used to be called "John Craven's Newsround" before the presenter called John Craven left in 1989. "Newsround" started on 4 April 1972 and is still going on today.
Lancelot
Sir Lancelot is a legendary character in the legend of King Arthur, and was a Knight of the Round Table. Sir Lancelot of the Lake was one of the most trusted knights of King Arthur's Round Table, but this soon changed when he fell in love with the king's wife, Queen Guinevere. He was raised by the Lady of the Lake, hence his title Lancelot Du Lac. Sir Lancelot was the only knight known to defeat King Arthur during a jousting match. He is also known briefly as the father of Sir Galahad, the greatest knight of all Camelot. Sir Galahad's mother is also possibly Elaine Of Configure. Lancelot's affair with Elaine later caused him and Guinevere to part ways.
Lancelot was a Red Cross Knight, which meant that he was one of the knights in the quest to find the Holy Grail. He saw the ascension of Sir Galahad. His first appearance as a main character is in Chrétien de Troyes' Le Chevalier de la Charrette ("The Knight of the Cart"), written in the 12th century, where his exploits are recounted in the section known as the Prose Lancelot, often with conflicting background stories and chains of events.
The Pitcairn Islands are a group of islands in the southern Pacific. People only live on the second-largest of the four islands. That island is named "Pitcairn". It is governed by the United Kingdom. It has the smallest number of people of any country. In 2019, 50 people lived there.
The islands are best known as home of the descendants of the Bounty mutineers and the Tahitians (or Polynesians) who accompanied them, an event retold in numerous books and films. This history still shows in the surnames of many of the islanders. There are only four family names (as of 2010): Christian, Warren, Young and Brown.
Originally people from Polynesia lived on the Pitcairn Islands, but there was no one living on the islands when they were discovered (found) by Captain Philip Carteret of "H.M.S. Swallow" on 2 July 1767. The island was named after Robert Pitcairn, a 15 year old midshipman who was the first person on the "Swallow" to see it. Robert is believed to have been lost at sea in early 1770 when the ship he was on, "HMS Aurora," went missing in the Indian Ocean.
In 2004 charges were laid against seven men living on Pitcairn and six living abroad with sex-related offences dating back a number of years. On 25 October 2004, six men were convicted, including the island's mayor at the time. After the six men lost their final appeal, the British government set up a prison on the island at Bob's Valley. The men began serving their sentences in late 2006, as of 2010 all men have served their sentences or been granted home detention status (Pitcairn News, 2010).
In 2010 the island received a new and updated constitution.
The sun bear ("Ursus malayanus" or "Helarctos malayanus") is a bear living in Southeast Asia.
The sun bear is the smallest bear. It has short black fur, and a yellow spot on its chest. Its ears are small and round. It has big feet with naked soles and long claws, which help the sun bear climbing. It can climb very well. It cannot see very well, but its sense of smell is very good.
Sun bears mostly live in tropic rainforests. They are mostly active at night, and they stay in trees a lot of the time.
It eats a lot of different things: fruit and other plants, eggs, honey and insects. They also eat small vertebrate animals, like reptiles, birds and mammals.
After a pregnancy of 96 days the female gives birth to 1-2 babies. Young sun bears become mature when they are 3-4 years old. sun bears can become up to 28 years old when in captivity (held by humans, e.g. in zoos).
Sun bears do not hibernate.
Priscilla Cooper Tyler
Elizabeth Priscilla Cooper Tyler (June 14, 1816 – December 29, 1889) was the daughter-in-law of John Tyler. John Tyler was the tenth President of the United States. She acted as the First Lady of the United States from September 10, 1842 to June 26, 1844.
Elizabeth Priscilla Cooper was born in New York City. Her father’s name was Thomas Apthorpe Cooper. Cooper was a successful stage actor and producer. Priscilla Cooper’s mother was Mary Fairlee Cooper. At the age of 17 Elizabeth Priscilla Cooper started to work as an actress. Her father became very successful, and the family lived in a big house on Broadway theatre. But, in the Panic of 1837, the family suffered great losses. Sometimes, they only had radishes and strawberries to eat.
She met her future husband Robert Tyler while performing in a play in Richmond, Virginia. They became closer and their marriage took place on 12th September 1839. John Tyler, his father in law, was a US Senator. She received a nice welcome at her husband’s home. Her father in law became the Vice President after 1840 presidential election. But, the President William Henry Harrison dies just after one month of becoming the President of the United States. After this, John Tyler became the President.
Letitia Tyler, wife of the President John Tyler was a semi-invalid lady. Therefore, the President asked Priscilla to assist Letitia in her duties as the First Lady. Letitia died on 10th September 1842. After Letitia’s death, Priscilla became the First Lady. People of her time has described Priscilla as attractive and intelligent.
In 1844, Robert Tyler moved to Philadelphia along with his wife, Priscilla. Priscilla passed her duties to the President's daughter Letitia Tyler Semple.
Robert Tyler and Priscilla lived in Philadelphia for 16 years. Robert worked as a lawyer. In 1861, American Civil War broke out. They declared their loyalty to the Confederate States of America. They moved to Richmond. In Richmond, Robert worked as the register of the Confederate Treasury. After the American Civil War, Robert became the editor of the "Mail and Advertiser" newspaper in Montgomery, Alabama. He died in 1877. Priscilla remained in Montgomery after Robert's death. She died in Montgomery in 1889.
Eliza McCardle Johnson
Eliza McCardle Johnson (October 4, 1810 – January 15, 1876) was the First Lady of the United States and the wife of Andrew Johnson, the 17th President of the United States. She previously served as Second Lady in 1865.
She was born in Telford, Tennessee. She was the only child of John McCardle, a shoemaker, and Sarah Phillips-McCardle. Eliza lost her father when she was still a small child. She was raised by her widowed mother in Greeneville, Tennessee]. One day in September 1826, Eliza was chatting with classmates from Rhea Academy when she spotted Andrew Johnson and his family pull into town with all their belongings.
Andrew Johnson, aged 18, married Eliza McCardle, aged 16, on May 17, 1827, at the home of the bride's mother in Greeneville. Mordecai Lincoln, a distant relative of Abraham Lincoln, presided over the nuptials.
The Johnsons had three sons and two daughters, all born in Greeneville:
She supported her husband in his political career, but had tried to avoid public appearances. During the American Civil War, Confederate authorities ordered her to evacuate her home in Greeneville; she took refuge in Nashville, Tennessee.
A few months later after her husband became president, she joined him in the White House, but she was not able to serve as First Lady due to her poor health. She remained confined to a room on the second floor, leaving the social chores to her daughter (Martha Johnson Patterson). Mrs. Johnson appeared publicly as First Lady on only two occasions - at a reception for Queen Emma of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1866 and at the president's birthday party in 1867.
After episodes of "consumption" (tuberculosis), Eliza died on January 15, 1876, at the of age 65 in Greeneville, Tennessee. She survived her husband by five and a half months.
Rose Cleveland
Rose Elizabeth Cleveland (June 13, 1846 − November 22, 1918), was the First Lady of the United States from 1885 to 1886, during the first of her brother U.S. President Grover Cleveland's two administrations.
Rose Elizabeth Cleveland was born in Fayetteville, New York, on June 14, 1846. Known to her family as "Libby", Rose was the youngest of nine children born to Reverend Richard Falley Cleveland and Ann Neal Cleveland. In 1853 the family moved to Holland Patent, New York, where her father was settled as pastor of the Presbyterian church, and where he died that same year. Rose was 7 at the time of her father's death. She stayed in Holland Patent to care for her widowed mother. Grover Cleveland, Rose's elder brother, was 16 years old at the time.
When her elder brother, Grover Cleveland, won the election to the twenty-second presidency of the United States, Rose became First Lady and lived in the White House for two years, she stood by her brother as First Lady during his inauguration, and his two initial bachelor years in the White House.
During her early tenure as First Lady, Rose received front-page treatment from the New York Times about her appearance during her second reception at the White House. The Times reported that Miss Cleveland, Wore a dress of black satin, with entire overdress of Spanish lace. The satin bodice was cut low and sleeveless, and the transparent lace revealed the shoulders and arms. Rose Cleveland did not completely fit into Washington high society during her tenure as first lady. It is said that," Rose Cleveland was a bluestocking, more interested in pursuing scholarly endeavors than in entertaining cabinet wives and foreign dignitaries." Rose was an intellectual, and she preferred to lecture rather than entertain, but she made sure to perform her duties as First Lady as a favor to her brother.
Later on President Cleveland married Frances Cleveland. Rose resigned as the First Lady, and started her career in the field of education.
She died on November 22, 1918 in Bagni di Lucca, Italy, from the Spanish flu. She is buried in Bagni di Lucca.
Project Gutenberg (PG) is an online project that offers a digital archive of copyright-free e-books in the public domain. It was started in 1971 by Michael S. Hart. The purpose of the Project is to collect in and make available cultural work (like books) using computers. These are generally free and may be used on most computers. The project gets its name from Johannes Gutenberg, a German publisher who made the first European printing press in 1439.
As Project Gutenberg continued to grow, in 2000, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, Inc. was created. It is a non-profit organization with main office in Mississippi, United States.
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 - December 21, 1940) was an Irish American writer. He is remembered mostly for his novel The Great Gatsby, and for being one of the main members of the Lost Generation.
Fitzgerald was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He briefly went to the Nardin Academy– a private Roman Catholic school in Western New York. When his father lost his job, the Fitzgerald family returned to Minnesota. F. Scott Fitzgerald then went to the St. Paul Academy, but was thrown out of the school when he was aged 16 for not working hard enough. Fitzgerald went to another school in New Jersey and eventually went to Princeton University in 1913. While he was at Princeton, Fitzgerald wrote for a musical-comedy club at the University which led to him sending a novel off to a book publishing company, Charles Scribner’s Sons. The editor liked Fitzgerald’s writing, but did not publish the book. Fitzgerald left Princeton University to serve in the United States Navy in World War One, but the war ended shortly after he signed up.
Fitzgerald got engaged to Zelda Sayre in 1919. He moved into an apartment on Lexington Avenue in New York where he wrote short stories and worked in advertising. Zelda did not think that Fitzgerald’s job was good enough and she broke off their engagement. Fitzgerald went back to his parent’s home in St. Paul and worked on his first novel This Side of Paradise. "This Side of Paradise" was finally accepted by Charles Scriber’s Sons in late 1919 and Zelda and Fitzgerald got engaged again. "This Side of Paradise" was published in 1920 and was very popular. Scott and Zelda got married in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. On October 26, 1921, their daughter Frances Scott Fitzgerald was born.
Fitzgerald’s most famous book, "The Great Gatsby", was first sold in 1925. Fitzgerald travelled a lot at this time – mainly to France, where he met a number of other Americans who had left the United States. It was around this time that Fitzgerald first met Ernest Hemingway. They became good friends, but Hemingway did not like Fitzgerald’s wife, Zelda. Hemingway said that Zelda was insane, made Fitzgerald drink alcohol and that she did not allow him to do his best work. It is generally accepted, however, that Zelda had a big influence on Fitzgerald’s writing.
Fitzgerald’s other novels did not sell as well as his first novel while he was alive. He and Zelda spent a lot of money on parties and Fitzgerald had to try and make money by writing short stories. In the late 1920s, Fitzgerald started working on a fourth novel, but problems arose when Zelda’s mental health got worse. The fourth novel, "Tender is the Night", was not published until 1934. Some people say that the characters in the novel are very similar to Fitzgerald and Zelda themselves. "Tender is the Night" did not sell as well as "This Side of Paradise" in Fitzgerald’s lifetime, and a number of critics said it was poor. The book is now considered to be one of Fitzgerald’s better works, however.
Zelda’s mental health did not improve and she went to live in a mental hospital while her husband worked on more short stories and his fifth novel.
Fitzgerald’s health got worse; possibly due to the fact that he drank a lot of alcohol during his life. On December 21st 1940, he had a heart attack and died. The last words of "The Great Gatsby" are written on Fitzgerald’s gravestone. His fifth and last novel, "The Love of the Last Tycoon", was released after he died.
Cupertino, California
Cupertino is a small town in Silicon Valley in the U.S. state of California. According to the 2000 census, Cupertino has a population of 50,546. The headquarters of Apple Computer and Symantec are in Cupertino.
Philadelphia (movie)
Forrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance movie. It is based on the 1986 book of the same name by Winston Groom. Forrest Gump is the main character of both the movie and book. The movie earned much money in theaters. It earned $677 million worldwide during its theatrical run. It earned more money than any other movie in North America that year. The movie was nominated for a total of 13 Academy Awards. It won six of these, including Best Picture, Best Visual Effects, Best Director (Robert Zemeckis), and Best Actor (Tom Hanks).
The movie is set in Alabama. It tells the story of a man with an IQ of 75 and his epic journey through life. It tells about him meeting historical people, affecting popular culture and being a part of historic events. While all this happened, Forrest does not know the importance of the events were because of his naiveté and much lower than average intelligence. There are many differences between the story in the movie and the story in the novel.
The movie won six Academy Awards: Best Picture, Director, Actor, Visual Effects, Film Editing and Adapted Screenplay. The film was nominated for an additional six Academy Awards, including Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Gary Sinise as Lieutenant Dan. The other nominations were for Best Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound Editing, Makeup, Original Score and Sound Mixing. At the Golden Globes the film won for Best Motion Picture in the Drama Category, Best Direction of a Motion Picture and Best performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture and was nominated for Best Original Score, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Screenplay. The movie has a 71 percent rating on the website Rotten Tomatoes with 40 positive and 16 negative reviews. The audience gave the film a rating of 4.1 out of 5 on the website with 93% of the audience liking the film.
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy (February 22, 1932 - August 25, 2009) was the Senator for the U.S. state of Massachusetts from 1962 to 2009.
Ted Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, which is a neighborhood in Boston. He was the youngest son of Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. He was the younger brother of former President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, both of whom were assassinated, as well as Joe Kennedy, who was killed in World War II. A lot of other sad things happened in his life: he almost died in a plane crash, he was involved in a car crash that took the life of a campaign worker, and one of his sons had cancer as a child.
Ted Kennedy went to Harvard and served in the Army before entering politics. He ran for and won the seat given up by his brother when he became President. While in the Senate, he fought for the working class, mainly for health care and the minimum wage. In 1980, he ran for President, but lost in the primaries to Jimmy Carter.
On July 18, 1969, Senator Kennedy and passenger Mary Jo Kopechne were driving in Chappaquiddick Island where the car crashed over the bridge into the ocean. Kennedy left the scene leaving Kopechne to drown to death as she was trapped in the car. Kennedy plead guilty. Many believe this is why he decided not to run for President in 1972 or 1976.
In 2008, he found out he had glioblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer. Despite the cancer, he campaigned for Barack Obama and sometimes appeared in the Senate.
He died from the cancer at his home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts just before midnight on August 25, 2009.
The Flag of Singapore consists of two horizontal halves, red above white. Red symbolises universal brotherhood and equality of man; white stands for pervading and everlasting purity and virtue. In the upper left corner, a white crescent moon and five white stars form a circle. The five stars stand for the ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality.
For 140 years (1819-1959), the Union Jack flew over Singapore. Then, on 3 December 1959, the National Flag was unveiled at the installation of the new Head of State, the Yang di-Pertuan Negara, when Singapore was granted self-rule (but not complete independence) by the British Government. Also unveiled that day were the State Crest and the National Anthem. The flag was conceived and created by a committee headed by then Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Toh Chin Chye.
Guidelines for the use of the flag have been relaxed in recent years to encourage greater usage.
Singaporeans and non-governmental buildings may display or fly the national flag to identify with the nation. Singaporeans are encouraged to do this during occasions of national celebration or national significance.
Bess Truman
Elizabeth Virginia "Bess" Truman (née Wallace; February 13, 1885 — October 18, 1982) was the wife of Harry S. Truman and First Lady of the United States from 1945 to 1953. Before becoming First Lady, she was Second Lady of the United States in 1945.
Her birthplace was Independence, Missouri, and her birth name was Elizabeth Virginia. Her parents were Margaret ("Madge") Gates and David Wallace. Her nickname was "Bessie." Harry Truman’s family came to live in Independence, Missouri in 1890. Elizabeth Virginia and Harry Truman attended the same school from fifth grade through high school. Once Truman remembered her childhood days, and described her as a girl with “golden curls” and “the most beautiful blue eyes.”
After completing her schooling, she studied in Miss Barstow's Finishing School for Girls in Kansas City, Missouri. Her father died in 1903. She returned to Independence, Missouri to live with her mother.
By the outbreak of the First World War, Harry S Truman had become a Lieutenant. He proposed to her and she accepted. After their engagement, Lieutenant Truman left for the battlefields of France in 1918. After the War ended, they married on June 28, 1919. In 1924, their only daughter, Margaret Truman, was born. Before that she had many miscarriages.
By this time, Harry Truman had become active in politics. Mrs. Truman always traveled with her and shared the public platform with her husband. Harry Truman became a member of the United States Senate in 1934. The Truman couple came to live in Washington, DC. In 1944, Harry Truman became the Vice President of the United States of America. When President Franklin Delano Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945, Harry Truman became the President of the United States. Elizabeth Virginia Wallace Truman became the First Lady.
When Harry Truman became the President of the United States, Truman took the role of the First Lady. But, she felt the absence of privacy in the White House. She continued to attend to social functions, but to a minimum level.
Sometimes, people compare her with Eleanor Roosevelt, who was the First Lady before her. Mrs. Roosevelt was very active in press. But, Mrs. Truman did give only one press conference. She got the questions in advance. Her replies were written replies. When one reporter asked her whether she wanted her daughter, Margaret, to become President. Her reply was: "most definitely not". To a question, she replied that after her husband’s retirement as President, she wanted to "return to Independence". However, once she had thought of living in Washington after 1953.
After the President retired, the Truman couple returned to Independence, Missouri, in 1953. Truman spent his time building his library. In 1959, Mrs. Truman underwent an operation. In 1972, her husband died. Mrs Truman continued to live a quiet and private life. Her daughter and son-in-law, Clifton Daniel, and their four sons, often visited her.
She died in 1982. She lies buried beside her husband in the courtyard of Harry S Truman Library. She lived up to the age of 97 years, and at the time of her death, she was the longest-lived First Lady of the United States, setting a record, which still stands today.
Margaret Taylor
Margaret Mackall Smith Taylor (September 21, 1788 – August 14, 1852), wife of Zachary Taylor, the President of the United States. She was First Lady of the United States from 1849 to 1850. Some people called her Peggy Smith.
She was born in Calvert County, Maryland. Her mother’s name was Ann Mackall and her father’s name was Walter Smith. Her father was a major in the American Revolutionary War. When she was visiting her sister in Kentucky in 1809, she met Zachary Taylor. Taylor was a lieutenant at that time. They married in June 1810. For sometime, she stayed in a farm she had got as a marriage gift from her father. There she gave birth to her first baby. But, then she started to live with her husband. Taylor’s garrison moved from one location to other on the western front, and she also moved with him.
Their two small daughters died in 1820. As described by Taylor, the children had died of “a violent bilious fever.” They had three other girls and a boy. All four grew to adulthood. Taylor knew the difficult life of a military man. He was always against their daughters marrying military men, but all the three married military persons from the United States Army.
At the White House, Peggy Taylor participated in the household activities and personal functions. She did not participate in formal and official functions. Her youngest daughter, Mary Elizabeth Bliss, acted as the official hostess for her mother.
The Persian Gulf is the name of a geographical place. Its location is in the Middle East. It is an extension of the Gulf of Oman. It is between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula, and the Arabs prefer to call it the "Gulf of the Arabs".
During the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), the Persian Gulf came into news. Both sides attacked oil tankers of each other. Later, when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1991, the new war got the name of "Gulf War" but major fighting happened on land.
The water in the Persian Gulf is rich in fishes; it has long beautiful coral reefs. Deep inside the water of the Persian Gulf, there are many pearl oysters. Due to this, the area attracts a lot of activities.
In Persian language, the term khalīj-e-Fars means the Persian Gulf. On October 2018, the World Intellectual Property Organization of the United Nations registered Persian Gulf as a place of origin, based on the Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their International Registration.
The sea waters of the Persian Gulf covers an area of 233,000 km². On the east, it connects with the Gulf of Oman by Strait of Hormuz. On the west, it connects a major river delta of Shatt al-Arab. In this river delta, waters of two big rivers of the area flow into: the waters of the Euphrates and the Tigris rivers.
The length of the Persian Gulf is 989 kilometers, and the shortest distance between two land points are 56 kilometers. The waters are generally not very deep. The maximum depth is only 90 meters. The average depth is only 50 meters.
There are many countries with borders touching the Persian Gulf. If taken in a clockwise direction, these countries are from the north: Iran, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar on a peninsula off the Saudi coast; Bahrain on an island; and Kuwait and Iraq in the northwest. Many small islands lie within the Persian Gulf.
The area in and around the Persian Gulf has world’s largest crude oil. Industries relating to crude oil are the main industries in this area. Al-Safaniya, the world’s largest offshore oil field is in the Persian Gulf. Many countries with large crude oil are in this area. They are called Persian Gulf States, that is, the countries around the Persian Gulf. These countries are Iran, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Iraq (with its small portion touching the Persian Gulf) is not called a Persian Gulf State.
For about 200 years, from 1763 until 1971, the United Kingdom kept some control over some of the Persian Gulf countries. These countries were the Trucial States and at various times Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar. Upon independence most of the Trucial States made a new United Arab Emirates.
Khalistan movement
The Khalistan movement is a Sikh separatist movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing a sovereign state, called Khālistān ('Land of the Khalsa'), in the Punjab region. The proposed state would consist of land that currently forms Punjab, Chandigarh and some parts of Haryana.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is a large international organization to regulate trade that was established in 1995. As of 2018, there are 164 members and 23 observer nations. In the WTO, agreements are made on trade between countries. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) means that countries have to lower barriers to international trade, such as tariff on goods crossing borders. This lets businesses operate in many different countries.
There are about 30 such agreements. Based on these agreements, the member countries trade with each other. They sell items to each other and follow a set of rules. They have to give a special job to the other country. The phrase used (for such and many alike items) is to give the other country a special job – this is known as to give the other country "a most favored country job". From 2004, if a member sells any item to another member country, the same type of item should be offered to all other member countries.
While it is highly regarded, from its beginning the WTO has also received criticism.
Międzyrzec Podlaski is a city in the east of Poland, in Lublin Voivodeship. It is on the Krzna rivers. It has 17 283 people.
Qing dynasty
The Qing Dynasty () was a dynasty of rulers of China from 1644 to 1912. The dynasty was founded by the Manchus and so its other name is the Manchu dynasty. The surname of the Qing emperors was Aisin Gioro.
In 1580, Nurhaci became the Jian Zhou general of the Ming dynasty. He unified the Manchu tribe and organised the Eight Banners. In 1616, Nurhaci declared himself Khan (King) and founded the Jin dynasty in Liao Ling. In 1626, Nurhaci led armies to attack Ning Yuan. Unluckily, Nurhaci was wounded by Yuan Chonghuan's Portuguese cannon and he died 2 days later. Huang Taiji, the son of Nurhaci, then succeeded to the throne and became the Khan of the Manchu tribe. In 1643, Huang Taiji was dead, caused by apoplexy. Shunzhi Emperor inherited Huang Taiji's throne. Prince Dorgon became the regent. In 1644, the Manchu armies conquered the north of China. The capital was changed to Beijing. The Ming dynasty was overthrown, though fighting continued until 1683.
The self-strengthening movement ( or ; 1861 - 1895) was a reform organised during the late Qing. With the defeat in the Opium Wars and the outbreak of Taiping Rebellion, the emperor and the imperial officials realised that it was necessary to improve the country's state with a series of reforms. Therefore, the Self-Strengthening Movement was started.
The movement could be divided into three phases: the first phase (1861 - 1872), the second phase (1872 - 1885) and the third phase (1885 - 1895). The major leaders are Yixin, Prince Gong (Chinese: 恭親王), Wenxiang (Chinese: 文祥), Zeng Guofan (Chinese: 曾國藩), Li Hongzhang (Chinese: 李鴻章), Zuo Zongtang (Chinese: 左宗棠), Shen Baozhen (Chinese: 沈葆禎) and Zhang Zhidong (Chinese: 張之洞). However, owing to the conservatives opposition and the problems of modernization, it failed finally.
Reforms were:
With the failure of the Self-Strengthening Movenment, the defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War and the scramble for concessions, many Chinese leaders realised that reforms were urgently needed. Thus, the Hundred Day's Reform (Chinese: 戊戌變法; 11 June 1898 - 21 September 1898) was started in 1898. The leaders of the reform were Guangxu Emperor, Kang Youwei (Chinese: 康有為) and Liang Qichao (Chinese: 梁啟超). Eventually, it ended in a coup d'état led by Empress Dowager Cixi.
The main reforms were:
The Manchus changed their ways to be more like the Chinese in order to rule them better. The Manchus started wearing Chinese clothes and writing in Chinese. They began to enjoy Chinese food and art. One of the Manchu emperors, Qianlong Emperor, began to worry about how much like the Chinese the Manchus were becoming and he tried to get Manchus to be more Manchu. Qianlong Emperor made Manchus ride horses and shoot bows and arrows so that they would remember where they came from. The Chinese people used different types of clothes like maccukau, konaha, schinin and sakahn.
In the early Qing, Guangdong was a province. There were totally 79 counties. In 1911, it was checked that there were 5,041,780 households, approximately 28,001,564 people. The famous mountains in Guangdong were Lingchau, Huangling and Luofu. Dongjiang, Beijiang and Xijiang were the most important rivers in Guangdong. Guangzhou, Zhaoqing, Xiamen and Fujian were the major Guangdong cities.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a video game developed by BioWare. It was released in 2003. The game has a sequel, titled "".
The game, also known as "KotOR", is a role-playing game. Developed using BioWare's engine "Aurora", the game is set in the fictional universe of "Star Wars". The story takes place four thousand years before the Battle of Yavin, 40 years after the war with Exar Kun (circa 3,956 BBY).
Darth Revan has been killed by his apprentice, Darth Malak, who has taken the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith. Malak is continuing the war against the Old Republic, using numerous battleships. The Jedi Order sees its hope in Bastila Shan, a young female Jedi who is skilled in the art called "Battle Meditation". With that power, she can optimize the performance of the Jedi troops and the battleships. Also, an unnamed soldier (the player chooses the name) comes under attention of the Jedi Council.
Since it is a roleplaying game, the player can choose which class he wants to be. He can choose between soldier, scout, and scoundrel. The choice affects the statistics of the character (strength, agility, etc.). Also, the player can choose their character's gender and face.
The player must follow several main objectives, with many other minor missions. The player, while travelling on several planets, will meet some people who join him in his quest. A number up to 8 companions can join the player: Trask Ulgo, Carth Onasi, Bastila Shan, Mission Vao, Zaalbar, Canderous Ordo, Juhani, Jolee Bindo.
The main goal is to find the Star Forge, a powerful battle station that builds an endless fleet, which is used against the Republic. The player also has to kill Darth Malak.
The main character (the player) is entirely customizable. Face, gender and class can be chosen from a series of menus. One later discovers that they are Darth Reven, but still go by the original own name.
The player will meet some companions (playable characters, or PCs) during the adventure.
The player will also meet other minor characters (non-playable characters, or NPCs).
Hypnosis is "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination".
It is an altered state of consciousness.
Usually, one person (the "hypnotist") talks to another (the "subject") in a special way that puts the subject into a trance. While the subject is in this state, he can be influenced by suggestions. The hypnotist can tell him to forget his name, or that the room is hot (he will start sweating), or that he is someone else. Hypnotic suggestions may be delivered by a hypnotist in the presence of the subject, or may be self-administered ('self-suggestion' or 'autosuggestion'). The use of hypnotism for therapeutic purposes is referred to as 'hypnotherapy', while its use as a form of entertainment for an audience is known as 'stage hypnosis'.
Contrary to a popular misconception—that hypnosis is a form of unconsciousness resembling sleep—some contemporary research suggests that hypnotic subjects are fully awake and are focusing attention, with a corresponding decrease in their peripheral awareness. Subjects also show an increased response to suggestions. However, the behaviour of subjects under hypnotism goes so far beyond normal focused attention that the description of "altered state of consciousness" is more used.
Hypnotherapy is when a hypnotist uses hypnosis to help the subject heal emotionally, or to heal a sick mind. Hypnotherapy is hypnosis used for therapy.
Hypnosis can also be done by one person acting alone. Then he is acting as both hypnotist and subject. This is called "self-hypnosis," or sometimes "auto-suggestion." In some cases, this is simply a form of using trance.
Almost every pre-modern society had practices which were somewhat like hypnotism. Often a special person in a society (witchdoctor, shaman, priest...) would conduct a ceremony. The ceremony might use incantations (spells), chants, repetitive music, mind-altering substances, darkness, fire, and other settings. The purpose was to send a person or group into an altered state of mind like a trance. Even literate societies such as ancient Greece had phenomena suggestive of hypnosis. The Delphic oracle was in a trance of some kind as she uttered her famous predictions. Whether that was self-hypnosis or just the effects of volcanic gas will never be known.