ejaasaari/simplewiki-2025-04-01 huggingface dataset:
The Middle Ages were a period of about 1000 years in European history that started around the year 476 , when the Western Roman Empire ended. Some historians prefer 337, when Constantine the Great became a Christian. The Middle Ages continued until around the time that Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World in 1492. Sometimes, 1453 is used instead for the end since the Fall of Constantinople happened that year, which ended the Byzantine Empire. The period is called the "Middle Ages" because it took place between the fall of Rome and the rise of early modern Europe, and it is often separated into the Early Middle Ages, the High Middle Ages, and the Late Middle Ages. People also use other names like the "Medieval Age” to describe the Middle Ages. Another term is “the Age of Faith” because Christianity and Islam became much more popular. The Early Middle Ages have also been called the “Dark Ages” because past scholars wrongly believed that there was very little culture, good literature, art, or progress during the period. Very few people in the Middle Ages could read and so there are not many records from the period. Historians, therefore, do not know as much about the Middle Ages as about other times. During the Middle Ages, many people’s lives were short, difficult, and poor. The fall of the Western Roman Empire and the invasions of barbarian tribes devastated Europe. The Romans had made progress in science, technology, engineering, medicine and literature, but during the Middle Ages, much of their knowledge was lost. There were mass migrations, wars, and plagues. For around 300 years, there was continuous violence. Then, the development of feudalism decreased some of the violence. In 800, Charlemagne became Emperor of the Romans. He promoted order, education, and civilization. Slowly, Europe began to regain what it had lost. Still, the Late Middle Ages were a difficult time. Wars and the bubonic plague killed millions of people in Europe and Asia. Europe greatly changed during the Middle Ages. Independent unified nation-states formed across the old Western Roman Empire. The new nations included England, Scotland, Hungary, Spain, Portugal, Poland,
Louis Bonaparte ("Lodewijk Napoleon" in Dutch) (1779-1846), was the younger brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, who made him the King of the Kingdom of Holland in 1806. When Louis disagreed with Napoleon's policies, he dispatched troops against Holland. Louis abdicated in 1810 and lived most of the remainder of his life in Italy. He served with his brother in the Italian campaign of 1796–97 and in Egypt in 1798–99. Early Life. Louis was born Luigi Buonaparte in Ajaccio, Corsica to Carlo Bonaparte and Letizia Ramolino. He was the younger brother of Joseph, Napoleon, Lucien and Elisa, and the older brother of Pauline, Caroline and Jérôme. His early career was spent in the army and he served with Napoleon in Egypt. Thanks to Napoleon, he was a general by the age of 25, although he himself felt that he had risen too far in too short a time. Upon his return to France, he was involved in Napoleon's plot to overthrow the Directory. After becoming first consul, Napoleon arranged a marriage for Louis to Hortense de Beauharnais, the daughter of Empress Josephine and Napoleon's stepdaughter. Hortense, who was opposed to the marriage, was convinced by her mother to marry Louis for the sake of the family. King of Holland. Napoleon made him king of Holland on June 5, 1806. He took his duties as king seriously, calling himself Koning Lodewijk I (adopting the Dutch form of his name). He practiced speaking the Dutch language and tried to be a responsible, independent ruler of Holland. His attempt at speaking the language earned him some respect from his subjects. He declared that he was Dutch and renounced his French citizenship. He also forced his court and ministers (mostly supplied by Napoleon) to speak only the Dutch language. This was too much for his wife Hortense who refused his request and left Holland. Two major tragedies occurred during his reign: the explosion of a ship filled with gunpowder in the heart of the city of Leiden in 1807, and
Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter (1607 – 1676) was a famous Dutch admiral.  De Ruyter was born in Vlissingen. He fought the English in the three Anglo-Dutch Wars and scored several huge victories. He won amongst others the Four Days Battle and the Raid on Medway, close to London, the English capital. He also fought battles against Sweden and France. He died because of injuries he got on a battle against France, he is buried in Amsterdam.
Johan Rudolf Thorbecke (14 January 1798 - 4 June 1872) was an important Dutch politician. In 1848, he wrote a constitution almost on his own. This constitution gave the king less power and the people more, so it made the Netherlands a democracy. Thorbecke was a liberal. Several times he was prime minister, and internal affairs minister. Thorbecke was a Lutheran and had German roots. He was born in Zwolle and died in The Hague, aged 74.
Karel Willem Frederik Marie Doorman (April 23, 1889 in Utrecht - February 28, 1942) was a Dutch admiral (Dutch: "schout-bij-nacht") during World War II. In 1942 he was made commander of the combined American, British, Dutch and Australian fleet in the Dutch East Indies. In February 1942, he led his fleet against a much stronger Japanese fleet in the Java Sea. This battle became a disaster for the Allies. Doorman became a hero in the Netherlands, partly of his last words to the fleet: "Ik val aan, volg mij!" (I am attacking, follow me).  Karel Doorman died when his ship "De Ruyter" (named after the famous Dutch Admiral Michiel de Ruyter) was hit by a torpedo and sank. There was enough time to escape, but Doorman rather went under with his ship, according to old tradition.
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. Francis Scott Key wrote the words to it in 1814, after seeing British ships attacking Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland during the War of 1812. The words are set to the music of a British drinking song called "To Anacreon in Heaven". The song has 4 stanzas, but only the first one is usually sung.  Lyrics. Although the United States does not have an official language, English is the most used language in everyday life; thus, the official lyrics are in English. However, through the years, "The Star-Spangled Banner" has been translated into other languages. These languages are spoken by people living in the United States, who trace their roots to other parts of the globe. These languages include Spanish, German, Yiddish, Czech, Polish, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Arabic. It has also been translated into languages spoken by native Americans, such as Navajo. A fairly well-known Navajo version called "Dah Naatʼaʼí Sǫʼ bił Sinil" was translated by singer and former beauty pageant titleholder Radmilla Cody. English original. The full poem consists of four stanzas with a total of thirty-two lines. But usually, just the first stanza is sung and is the most well-known among Americans. &lt;poem&gt;O say can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming, Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there; O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep, Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes, What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep, As it fit
Abdou Diouf (born 7 September 1935) was president of Senegal from 1981 to 2000. He was the second president since the country became independent. Diouf was the Secretary General of "La Francophonie" from 2003 to 2014.
A needle is a small tool used to push or pull a thread through a small hole. It is most often used to make clothing and footwear. The needle consists of a short stick with a sharp point and hole for the thread. Needles are now mostly made of steel, but in ancient or Stone Age times they would have been made of small bones or twigs. Once the thread is put through the hole in the needle and "doubled-back" so that it cannot fall out, then the whole needle and its thread can be put through the material. The term needle may also be used to refer to other sharp objects used for different purposes, such as the needles doctors use to give a shot.
A province is a subdivision of a country. It is a kind of local government. Some countries are divided into provinces. The word "province" comes from the Latin word "provincia". South Africa, Canada, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Spain, Indonesia, and Denmark are examples of countries that are divided into provinces. In some countries, provinces have different names: Departments usually have less power than provinces. States, Bundesländer and autonomous communities have more power than provinces. Small countries like Singapore or Monaco are not divided.
Jade is a kind of stone. We use the name "jade" for two different sorts of mineral. The first sort is nephrite. This is a form of actinolite (asbestos is a sort of actinolite, too). The second sort is the mineral jadeite, and it is a pyroxene. The first sort (nephrite) is harder than the second sort (jadeite). The first sort (jadeite) has more colors that the second sort (nephrite). Nephrite is Ca2(Mg, Fe)5Si8O22(OH)2.  Jadeite is NaAlSi2O6.  The two sorts of jade look nearly the same. People only found that they were two different sorts in 1863. The nephrite form of jade is very hard. In the past, Chinese people and the Maori used it to make knives and weapons. Later, when people could use metals, they liked jade because it looked nice and they thought it had special powers. Today people also use jade for jewelry. Jade was found about 7000 years ago. The Chinese later made jewelry out of it. Only the rich could have jade because it was so rare and expensive. It was said that jade had healing powers and it was regarded as very lucky.
Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko () (born February 23, 1954) is a previous President of Ukraine. On November 26, 2004, he lost the Ukrainian presidential election. However, he and his followers argued that the election had been corrupted. They argued that the election results had been falsified by the Ukrainian government, in support of the opposing candidate Viktor Yanukovych. They organized political demonstrations in the autumn and winter of 2004 that gathered millions of people all over the country. They called the demonstrations "The Orange Revolution". The Constitutional Court ordered a second round of elections, which Yuschenko won. Yushchenko claimed to have been poisoned by political enemies. He was hospitalized and his appearance showed signs of a serious illness. Yulia Tymoshenko and Yushchenko were once strong allies (during the Orange Revolution). Today there is a lot of political misunderstanding between Tymoshenko and Yushchenko. In February 2010, Yushchenko lost the presidential election to Viktor Yanukovych.  From December 1999 till May 2001, Yushchenko was the Ukrainian prime minister. From January 1993 till December 1999, he was head of the national bank of Ukraine.
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych (; born July 9, 1950, Yenakiieve, Stalin Region, Ukrainian SSR) is a Ukrainian politician who was the 4th President of Ukraine from 2010 to 2014; found guilty of treason. On January 12, 2015, he was declared wanted by Interpol Political career. He was Prime Minister of Ukraine from November 2002 until December 2004 (he was forced to resign (leave office early) on 31 December 2004). He again was Prime Minister of Ukraine from 4 August 2006 until 18 December 2007. He is the former leader of the Party of Regions the biggest political party of Ukraine. The party was formerly part of the Ukrainian government. In November 2004, he won the presidential election. Viktor Yushchenko, his opponent, said the result was false. Large daily demonstrations supporting Viktor Yushchenko followed. They were named "The Orange Revolution". Ukrainian Judges decided that there would be new elections in December 2004. Victor Yuschenko won those elections and became president of Ukraine. Yanukovych was supported by Vladimir Putin of Russia and by the former Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma. In February 2010, he won the presidential election; Yulia Tymoshenko, who lost the election with a 3.48% difference, said he won because of fraud. Yanukovych was a victim of poverty in his childhood and was twice put in prison for violent crimes in his youth. After mass protest in Ukraine during February 2014, Yanukovych was forced-out of office on 22 February 2014. Oleksandr Turchynov became acting president. Convictions. On December 15, 1967, at the age of 17, Viktor Yanukovych was first sentenced to 3 years in prison for participating in a robbery. For the second time, Viktor Yanukovych was prosecuted for inflicting moderate bodily injuries under Art. 102 of the Criminal Code of the Ukrainian SSR and sentenced on June 8, 1970 to 2 years of imprisonment
In chemistry, a salt is any neutral chemical compound made of cations (positive ions) attached to anions (negative ions). The main kind of salt is sodium chloride with the chemical formula NaCl. It is formed when hydrochloric acid is added to sodium hydroxide. The reaction is as follows HCl+NaOH2 gives NaCl+H20+heat Mixtures of salts in water are called electrolytes. Electricity is able to pass through electrolytes, as well as molten salts. Salts can melt ice, because salts lower the temperature needed for liquid to freeze. Because of that, streets are sometimes treated with salt in winter, if the temperature is only a little below freezing. A salt can also be explained as an ionic compound which dissociates, forming a positive ion other than hydrogen ion, and a negative ion other than hydroxyl ion. History. Because many germs cannot live in salt, it has been used to preserve food. Its use as a food preservative helped large amounts of food to be stored, sent a long way, and eaten all through the year. This helped populations to grow, cities to develop, and soldiers in wars to be fed. Salt was probably used in Egypt as long ago as 4000 BC. In ancient times, salt was more valuable than it is now, because it was hard to get in many places, and could be used not only to give foods flavour, but also to make them last longer. It allowed food to be kept past its season, and taken on long trips. People often traded salt for other things. It was of high value in China, Turkey, the Middle East, and Africa. In the Mediterranean area, including Ancient Rome, salt was even used for money. The word "salary" comes from the Latin word for salt, because they paid people in salt. After people learned how to get salt from the ocean, salt became cheaper. The Phoenicians were some of the first to figure out how to do this, by pouring seawater on dry land. Then when it dried, they collected the salt and sold it. Another use of salt was in war, as a way to punish a city by ruining its
A business is a place where people work together. In a business, people work to make and sell products or services. Other people buy the products and services. The business owner is the person who hires people for work. A business can earn a profit for the products and services it offers. The word "business" comes from the word "busy", and means doing things. It works on regular basis. Originally, individual trades people were qualified, and they hired assistants. The invention of the joint-stock company meant a new era in business. By this means, some people put up the money as capital, and others used it to run the business. There is a law which says this kind of company is a "legal entity": it has a legal life separate from its owners or shareholders. In this way, a company can outlive the people who started it. This idea was invented in medieval times, but really flowered in the 19th century. It has spread around the world since then. Most businesses are created for commerce. There are big and small businesses. For example, one person can open a small barber-shop. A big business, like Microsoft, employs thousands of people all over the world. Some businesses need fixed locations. Examples are an office, store, or farm. For some businesses the worker goes to different locations. Examples are carpenters or electricians. They usually bring everything they need for work in their truck. "Business" can also mean the work or current state of a business. A business owner might say: "I am doing a lot of business" or "My business is good" or "Business is bad". The term can also be used in a more general way. As a noun, it can be used, for example, to speak about a broad area of activity.
Winter is one of the four season and it is the coldest time of the year. The days are shorter, and the nights are longer. Winter comes after autumn and before spring. Overview. Winter begins at the winter solstice. In the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice is usually December 21 or December 22. In the southern hemisphere, the winter solstice is usually June 21 or June 22. Some animals hibernate in this season. In temperate climates there are no leaves on deciduous trees. People wear warm clothing, and eat food that was grown earlier. Many regions have snow in winter. Holidays. Christmas. Holidays in winter for many countries include Christmas and New Year's Day. The name comes from an old Germanic word that means the "time of water" in reference to the rain and snow of winter in middle and high latitudes. Some nations do not have a time of the year which has temperatures too different than in other seasons. There is no snowing in many regions during winter.
A junta is a Spanish word that is used for military dictatorships.  Often juntas got their power because of a coup d'état. Juntas are different from other dictatorships because they are ruled by a group of military officers instead of one person. Greece, Chile, Mauritania, Guatemala, Brazil, South Vietnam, and El Salvador are examples of countries that were once ruled by juntas. The most famous junta nowadays is that of Myanmar. Some autonomous regional governments in Spain are also called junta.
Nezahualcoyotl (1402 - 1472) was king of Texcoco, a part of the Aztec empire. He was also a famous poet. The name Nezahualcoyotl is Nahuatl, it means "hungry coyote".
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (8 May, 1753 – 30 July, 1811) was a Mexican priest. He started Mexico's war of independence against Spain. Hidalgo made a speech in 1810 now called the Grito de Dolores. He called on the people to support the King of Spain against the rebellious Viceroy of Mexico. After a few months he was taken prisoner and executed by firing squad. After he died, several other people, such as Vicente Guerrero, kept fighting against the Spanish until 1821, when Mexico became an independent country. Hidalgo is remembered today as a great liberator in Mexico. The Mexican state of Hidalgo is named after him.
Death penalty, also called capital punishment, is when a government or state executes (kills) someone, usually but not always because they have committed a serious crime. A crime that can be punished with the death penalty is called a capital crime or a capital offense. Executions in most countries have become rarer in recent centuries. The death penalty is a disputed and controversial topic. Generally, right-wing parties are supportive of the death penalty: centrist and left-wing parties are opposed to it.  However, Far-left parties like Communist and Soviet Parties also support the Death Penalty. About one third of the countries in the world have laws that allow the death penalty. The United States, the People's Republic of China, Japan, Indonesia and Iran are examples of countries that have a death penalty. Canada, Australia, Mexico and all members of Council of Europe are examples of countries that have abolished the death penalty. 109 countries have gotten rid of the capital punishment for all crimes. Another 28 can be considered abolitionist in practice. Countries are considered abolitionist in practice if they retain the death penalty in law but have not carried out any executions for the past 10 years or more.  Most of the countries that have a death penalty use it on murderers, and for other serious crimes such as rape or terrorism. Other countries especially ones with Authoritarian or Totalitarian governments, however, also use it for smaller crimes like theft, drugs, or for saying bad things about the government. Which countries execute the most people? A study by Amnesty International found that the following countries did the most executions in 2012:  Here's the list for 1998: A total of 557 people were executed in the United States between 1977, when the death penalty was reintroduced after a 10-year break, and 2000. During this period, 20 states did not carry out any executions. Here are the states with the most executions during this time: Common reasons for execution. It is common to have people executed for crimes including murder, manslaughter and attempted murder, but there are also other crimes that carry the death penalty. Some of these are: During war time, the following crimes are punished by death: Who may
Kofi Atta Annan (8 April 1938 – 18 August 2018) was a Ghanaian diplomat. He served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations. He did this from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006. Annan and the United Nations were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. They were awarded the prize "for their work for a better organized and more peaceful world". Early life. Annan was born in Kumasi, Ghana, to an elite family. His parents, Henry Reginald and Madam Rose Eshun are from the two major ethnic groups that make up the Akan – one of the groups of indigenous people of Ghana. His father was half Asante and half Fante; his mother was Fante. The Asante were gold merchants while the Fante tribe were the middlemen in the gold trade between the Asante and the British. Annan, whose first name means "born on a Friday", also had a twin sister, who died in 1991 from a still yet unknown disease. In Ghanaian culture, twins are considered special and are adored. Annan probably got his first lessons in politics and diplomacy early on from his family. Both of Annan's grandfathers and his uncle were tribal chiefs. Upon his retirement, Annan's father, who worked as an export manager for the cocoa exporter Lever Brothers, was elected governor of Ghana's Asante province. Education. In 1954, Annan attended Mfantsipim School, a Methodist boarding school in central Ghana. The Secretary-General says that the school taught him "that suffering anywhere concerns people everywhere". Annan went to Macalaster College in St. Paul, Minnesota and graduating in 1961. He was a Sloan Fellow at MIT in 1971–72, getting a master's degree in management. His work at the United Nations. Annan became Secretary-General of the United Nations in January 1997, succeeding Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt. Annan was a U.N. veteran who took his first job with the organization in 1962 and worked his way up through
The United Nations General Assembly is made up of all United Nations member states. The Assembly meets once a year, which usually begins on the third Tuesday in September and ends in mid-December. The first meeting was held on 10 January 1946. Voting in the General Assembly on important questions, for example suggestions on world peace, human rights and security, is by two-thirds of those present and voting. Other questions are decided by popular vote. Each member country has one vote. At present, the Holy See (Vatican City) and Palestine are the only two observer states at the United Nations. Switzerland also had that status until it became a member state. The current President of the United Nations General Assembly is Philémon Yang since 10 September 2024. United nations general assembly observers have the right to speak in the assembly. The observers have no rights to vote in the assembly.