ejaasaari/simplewiki-2025-04-01 huggingface dataset:
California in the American Civil War was involved in sending gold east, recruiting volunteer soldiers to replace regular army forces in the Western United States and in maintaining and building numerous camps and fortifications. The State of California did not send its units east, but many citizens traveled east and joined the Union Army. California's Volunteers also conducted many operations against the Native American peoples within the state and in the other Western territories of the Departments of the Pacific and New Mexico. Following the Gold Rush, California was settled primarily by Midwestern and Southern farmers, miners and businessmen. Democrats dominated the state from its foundation. Southern Democrats were sympathetic to the Confederate States of America who seceded, but they were a minority group in the state. California businessmen played a significant role in Californian politics through their control of mines, shipping, finance, and the Republican Party. But they were a minority party until the secession crisis. From statehood to the Civil War. When California was admitted as a state under the Compromise of 1850, Californians had already decided it was to be a free state. The constitutional convention of 1849 unanimously abolished slavery. As a result, Southerners in Congress voted against admission in 1850 while Northerners pushed it through, pointing to its population of 93,000 and its vast wealth in gold. Northern California, which was dominated by mining, shipping, and commercial elites of San Francisco, favored becoming a state. In the United States presidential election, 1856, California gave its electoral votes to the winner, James Buchanan. Southern California's attempts at secession. Following California's admission to the Union, Californios and pro-slavery Southerners in lightly populated, rural Southern California attempted three times in the 1850s to achieve a separate statehood or territorial status. The last attempt, the "Pico Act" of 1859, was passed by the California State Legislature. It was signed by the State governor John B. Weller and approved overwhelmingly by voters in the proposed "Territory of Colorado". The proposal was sent to Washington, D.C. with a strong advocate in Senator Milton Latham. However the secession crisis following the election of Abraham Lincoln in 186
Palisade cells are special cells in the leaves of plants. They are the main place where photosynthesis takes place. They absorb light so photosynthesis can take place.  They have the largest number of chloroplasts per cell of any plant tissue. They convert the light to chemical energy in the form of carbohydrates. The cells are just below the epidermis and cuticle.
Extermination through labour is a way of torturing and killing prisoners. In a system of extermination by labour, prisoners are forced to do very heavy work without enough food or medical care. Eventually, prisoners die from malnutrition, illness, or injury. Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union both had systems of extermination through labor. Some people describe North Korea's prison system as a system of extermination through labor. Use as a term. The term "extermination through labor" was first used during World War II. Most of the Nazi SS did not use the term ("Vernichtung durch Arbeit" in German). However, Albert Bormann, Joseph Goebels, Otto Georg Thierack, and Heinrich Himmler used the term during the fall of 1942, while talking about moving prisoners to concentration camps. Thierack and Goebbels specifically used the term. The phrase was used again during the Nuremberg Trials after World War II ended. In the 1980s and 1990s, historians have argued over whether this term is appropriate. For example, Falk Pingel believed the phrase should not be applied to all Nazi prisoners. On the other hand, Hermann Kaienburg and Miroslav Kárný believed "extermination through labour" was one of the SS's specific goals. More recently, Jens-Christian Wagner has also argued that not all Nazi prisoners were targeted with death, so "extermination through labor" might not be the best way to describe the Nazis' goals for those prisoners. In Nazi Germany. Victims. During the Holocaust, the Nazis, led by Adolf Hitler, persecuted, tortured, and killed millions of people because of differences in race, ethnicity, politics, religion, sexual orientation, and disability. The Nazis also persecuted people who were "German-blooded," but who the Nazis thought of as "social misfits" ("aisoziale"). The Nazis said these people led useless "ballast-lives" ("Ballastexiltenzen"). These people included: The Nazis lists of these people and persecuted them in many ways. For example, some were forced to be sterilized. Many were eventually sent to prison camps for "exter
The Lagerordnung (the "Disciplinary and Penal Code") was a set of rules for punishing prisoners at Dachau concentration camp in Nazi Germany. On January 1, 1934, the Lagerordnung became the official rules of every concentration camp in Nazi Germany. Also known as the "Strafkatalog" (Punishment Catalogue), it set out the rules the prisoners had to follow. SS guards were told to report to the camp commandant when a prisoner broke a rule. The Concentration Camps Inspectorate was in charge of carrying out punishment. They did this without making sure the prisoner had actually broken the rule. Once they were accused, prisoners had no way of proving themselves innocent. Evolution of a new penal system. At first, the Nazis had built temporary concentration camps, like Kemna concentration camp. These earlier camps did not have common, agreed-upon rules. Instead, they took the "Lagerordnung" from rules that were often used in police departments and prisons at the time. There was not much difference between the rules at the early concentration camps. Some did not allow smoking; others allowed prisoners to receive food parcels or visits from family members. The rules were still based on existing laws, and the camps were patterned after ordinary prisons. The early camps had penalties like having privileges taken away, or for more severe cases, solitary confinement, a hard bed, not being given food, or being left in solitary confinement in a darkened cell. However, there was no corporal punishment. The early camps were primarily controlled by the SA or the Gestapo. However, Dachau was under the control of the SS. Sometime in May 1933, SS camp commandant Hilmar Wäckerle wrote the first "Lagerordnung" for a concentration camp. It gave all legal powers to the camp commandant. The Dachau Lagerordnung allowed prisoners to be executed based on a decision from two SS men who had been chosen by the commandant. The accused prisoner would no longer have a defense. The executive, judicial, and legislative parts of government were all placed together under the camp commandant's power. There would be no system of checks and
Guanacaste ("Enterolobium cyclocarpum") also known as elephant-ear tree or devil's ear is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae. It is native to tropical regions of the Americas. It is the national tree of Costa Rica. Common names in some other languages are: "Enterolobium cyclocarpum", the scientific name of the guanacaste tree was given by August Grisebach to this plant in 1864. Description. The guanacaste is a large tree, growing to tall, with a trunk up to in diameter. The bark is light gray. The crown (the upper part of tree) is broad and widely spreading. Leaves are long, alternate and compound. The guanacaste is evergreen, or briefly deciduous for 1–2 months during the dry season (without rains). Most leaves fall in December, at the start of the dry season. In late February, leaves start to appear and produce a fresh, thick crown by April. Flowers are hermaphrodite; the pollination is by insects like bees. The fruit is a legume (also known as a pod) with the shape of a human ear. Where it grows. The guanacaste tree is native to tropical America. It grows from southern Mexico through Central America to northern South America. It is found also in the West Indies. It has been introduced in other tropical regions. It grows normally at an elevation from sea level to , usually along the coast and rivers. Uses. The wood is reddish-brown, lightweight and water-resistant; it is used to make objects like doors, windows, furniture, cabinets, and for shipbuilding. It is used also as firewood.
Rex Wayne Tillerson (born March 23, 1952) is an American businessman and the 69th United States Secretary of State. He served from February 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018. He was the chairman and CEO of Exxon Mobil Corporation, the fifth largest company by market capitalization until his resignation in 2017. In December 2016, President-elect of the United States Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Tillerson to be the Secretary of State. The United States Senate approved of his nomination on February 1, 2017 and shortly assumed the office. On March 13, 2018, Trump fired Tillerson and said he would nominate Mike Pompeo to succeed him as Secretary of State. Tillerson's term officially ended on March 31, 2018. Early life. Tillerson was born on March 23, 1952, in Wichita Falls, Texas. Tillerson received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1975. Business career. Tillerson joined Exxon in 1975, and by 1989 had become general manager of the Exxon USA central production division. In 1995 he became president of Exxon Yemen Inc. and Esso Exploration and Production Khorat Inc. In 2006, Tillerson was elected chairman and chief executive officer of Exxon, the world's 6th largest company by revenue. Tillerson retired from Exxon effective December 31, 2016, and was succeeded by Darren Woods. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He resigned his position from Exxon to pursue his nomination of United States Secretary of State. United States Secretary of State. On the evening of December 10, the BBC cited NBC reports that "sources close to Mr Trump [were] ... saying that Mr Tillerson is likely to be named next week" and that former UN ambassador John Bolton "will serve as his deputy". On December 12, "The New York Times" reported that he had been chosen. On December 13, 2016, President-elect Donald Trump announced that Tillerson would be his nominee for Secretary of State. On January 11, 2017, Tillerson's congressional confirmation hearing was held
John Francis Kelly (born May 11, 1950) is a retired United States Marine Corps General. He was the 28th White House Chief of Staff from July 31, 2017 to January 2, 2019. Kelly was the 5th United States Secretary of Homeland Security, serving from January through July 2017. He is the former Commander of United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM). Kelly last served as the commanding general of the Multi-National Force—West in Iraq from February 2008 to February 2009, and as the commander of Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces North in October 2009. Early life. Kelly was born on May 11, 1950 in Boston, Massachusetts, into an Irish Catholic family. He served for one year as a United States Merchant Marine. Kelly initially enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1970, and was discharged from active duty as a sergeant in 1972. Kelly received a Master of Science degree in National Security Studies from the Georgetown School of Foreign Service in 1984. He also studied at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. United States Secretary of Homeland Security (2017). On December 7, 2016, it was reported that then-President-elect Donald Trump nominated Kelly to be the fifth United States Secretary of Homeland Security. On January 20, 2017, Kelly was confirmed as Secretary of Homeland Security by the United States Senate with a vote of 88-11. On that evening he was sworn in by Vice-President Pence. White House Chief of Staff (2017–2019). On July 28 2017, he was appointed to replace Reince Priebus as White House Chief of Staff. Early into his tenure, media outlets such as "The New York Times", "The Washington Post" and FiveThirtyEight speculated that Kelly would bring moderation and discipline to the White House. In August 2017, early into Kelly's tenure, the "Washington Post" wrote that Kelly had "left no discernible imprint on the White House's philosophy" and that it was unclear if he would bring calm and rigor to the White House. On December 8,
Edward Scott Pruitt (born May 9, 1968) is an American lawyer and Republican politician from the state of Oklahoma. Scott was the 14th Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from February 17, 2017 until his resignation on July 6, 2018. He was the Oklahoma Attorney General serving from 2011 through 2017. Pruitt was a State Senator, representing Tulsa and Wagoner counties from 1998 until 2006.  On December 7, 2016, President-elect Donald Trump selected Pruitt to be his nominee as the next Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. On February 17, 2017, the Senate confirmed Pruitt's nomination, by a vote of 52-46. While critics, such as Senator Bernie Sanders, described him as a climate change denier, he believes that the climate is changing and human activity is responsible to climate change. Pruitt ran for the United States Senate in the 2022 special election to replace Senator Jim Inhofe. Early life. Pruitt was born in 1968 in Danville, Kentucky, but moved to Lexington, Kentucky when he was young. He studied at Georgetown College earning his Bachelor of Arts degree and at the University of Tulsa earning his Juris Doctor degree. Early political career. Pruitt represented Tulsa and Wagoner Counties in the Oklahoma Senate from 1998 until 2006. In 2006, Pruitt launched an unsuccessful campaign to receive the Republican nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma. Attorney General of Oklahoma (2011–2017). In 2010 Pruitt was elected Attorney General of Oklahoma. In that role, he supported religious freedom laws and fought against abortion rights, same-sex marriage, the Affordable Care Act, and environmental regulations as a self-described "leading advocate against the EPA’s activist agenda". On September 9, 2014, in "Pruitt v. Burwell", the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma ruled against the IRS. On December 7, 2014, The New York Times published a front-page story highlighting that Pruitt had used his office's stationery to send form letters written by energy industry lobbyists to federal agencies during public comment.
Linda Marie McMahon (née Edwards; born October 4, 1948) is an American professional wrestling magnate and politician who has been the 13th United States Secretary of Education since 2025. She was the 25th Administrator of the Small Business Administration from February 14, 2017 to April 12, 2019. McMahon was active with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE, known as the World Wrestling Federation, short WWF, until 2002) from 1980 to 2009. She is married to WWE businessman Vince McMahon. In November 2024, Donald Trump picked McMahon to be his secretary of education. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in March 2025. Early life. McMahon was born Linda Marie Edwards in New Bern, North Carolina, the daughter of Evelyn and Henry Edwards. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from East Carolina University. WWE business career. McMahon was active with the WWE from 1980 to 2009. During this time, the company grew from a small regional business in the North East to a large multinational corporation. As President and later CEO of the company, she created the company's civic programs, "Get REAL" and "Smackdown Your Vote". She occasionally made on-screen appearances, most notably in a wrestling "feud" with her husband which climaxed at WrestleMania X-Seven. McMahon and her husband became wealthy through WWE's success, and the McMahon family name is now synonymous with the professional wrestling industry. In July 2008, WWE changed its TV parental guidelines rating from TV-14 to TV-PG. In December 2008, at a UBS Media Conference, McMahon described the new rating as a marketing strategy to attract a young generation of wrestling fans and create loyalty to the brand. Due to the TV-PG rating, chair shots to the head were banned, as well as sex scenes, blood, and vulgar language. United States senate campaigns. In 2009, McMahon left the WWE to run as a Republican for a seat in the United States Senate from Connecticut, but lost to Democratic Party nominee Richard Blumenthal in the general election of 2010. McMahon
The Hajibeyov Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra (Azeri: "Hacıbəyov adına Azərbaycan Dövlət Simfonik Orkestri") was formed in 1920, at the request of composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov after whom it was later named. It was one of the first orchestras in the Soviet Union. It is part of the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Society. Composers such as Rhené-Baton and Otto Klemperer were invited from abroad to help in establishing and training the orchestra. From 1938 to 1984, Hajibeyov's nephew Niyazi was conducting the orchestra. After his death, the conducting has been performed by "People's Artist" of Azerbaijan, Professor Rauf Abdullayev. The orchestra has toured a number of countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Turkey, and Egypt.
Diana Lynn (July 5, 1926 – December 18, 1971) was an American actress of the stage, cinema and television.  Early years. Lynn was born Dolores Marie Loehr on July 5, 1926, in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Louis Loehr, was an oil supply executive. Her mother, Martha Loehr, was a concert pianist. She was considered a child prodigy. She began taking piano lessons when she was 4 years old, and by the age of 12, she played with the "Los Angeles Junior Symphony Orchestra". Career. In 1939, she made her movie debut playing the piano in "They Shall Have Music". She played again, with Susanna Foster, in "There's Magic in Music", when it was decided that she had more potential than she had been allowed to show. Later, Paramount Pictures changed her name to "Diana Lynn". They began casting her in movies that allowed her to show her personality and developed her skills as an actress. As a solo pianist, she released at least one single on Capitol Records, accompanied by the Paul Weston orchestra. In 1964, Lynn had a six-month stint on Broadway, replacing Barbara Bel Geddes in "Mary, Mary". In the early 1950s, she starred with Maurice Evans in "The Wild Duck" on Broadway. Death. Before filming started on "Play It as It Lays", Lynn suffered a stroke and died on December 18, 1971. She was 45.
Jason Kander (born May 4, 1981) is an American lawyer and Democratic Party politician. He was elected Secretary of State of Missouri in 2012, serving from January 2013 through January 9, 2017. He served as a state representative before becoming secretary of state. He was an intelligence officer in the Army National Guard, achieving the rank of Captain.  Career. He was the Democratic nominee for the United States Senate, losing the 2016 Senate election to Republican incumbent Roy Blunt. On June 25, 2018, Kander announced that he will run for mayor of Kansas City in 2019 to replace term-limited incumbent Sly James. He dropped out on October 2, 2018, after revealing that he suffered from PTSD and depression.
John Neely Kennedy (born November 21, 1951) is an American politician. He is the United States Senator from Louisiana. Before becoming a senator, he was the State Treasurer of Louisiana. He is a member of the Republican Party.  He served five terms as Treasurer of Louisiana. He took office in the United States Senate on January 3, 2017, after defeating Democratic candidate Foster Campbell in the Senate election runoff by over 21 percentage points.
Peter van Straaten (25 March 1935 – 8 December 2016) was a Dutch cartoonist and comics artist. He was best known for his political cartoons as well as his satirical observations of everyday people. He also had a newspaper comic strip "Vader &amp; Zoon", which ran in "Het Parool" for almost two decades. Van Straaten announced his retirement on 2 August 2016. He died four months later on 8 December in Amsterdam, at the age of 81.
Alan Willis Thicke (born Alan Willis Jeffery; March 1, 1947 – December 13, 2016) was a Canadian actor, songwriter, and game and talk show host. He was known for his role as Jason Seaver, the father on the ABC television series "Growing Pains."  He was the father of singer Robin Thicke. Thicke died at his home in Burbank, California on December 13, 2016 from a sudden Aortic dissection, aged 69.
The Jewish diaspora () or exile ( ; Yiddish: ) was a time formally described as "the scattering of the Jews". A time after the Babylonian captivity when Jews settled in different places, eventually settling together. Different groups of Jews had different names. These varied based on where they lived. For example:
Shirley Hazzard (30 January 1931 – 12 December 2016) was an Australian-born American author of fiction and non-fiction. She was born in Australia, but held citizenship of the United States. Her 1970 novel, "The Bay of Noon", was shortlisted for the Lost Man Booker Prize in 2010 and her 2003 novel "The Great Fire" won the U.S. National Book Award for Fiction. Hazzard died in New York City on 12 December 2016 from complications of dementia, aged 85.
Frederick Wiseman (born January 1, 1930) is an American filmmaker, documentarian, and theatrical director. In 2016, he was a recipient of an Academy Honorary Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Anne Voase Coates (12 December 1925 – 8 May 2018) was a British movie editor with a more than 60-year-long career. She was best known as the editor of David Lean's epic movie "Lawrence of Arabia" in 1962.  Personal life. Coates was born in Surrey, England. She studied at Bartrum Gables College. Coates worked as a nurse in East Grinstead. She was married to Douglas Hickox until his death in 1988. Together, they had two sons and one daughter. Awards. Coates has been nominated five times for the Academy Award for Film Editing for the movies "Lawrence of Arabia", "Becket" (1963), "The Elephant Man" (1980), "In the Line of Fire" (1993), and "Out of Sight" (1998). She was awarded BAFTA's highest honour, a BAFTA Fellowship, in February 2007 and was given an Academy Honorary Award, which are popularly known as a Lifetime Achievement Oscar, in November 2016 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Death. Coates died on 8 May 2018, at a retirement center in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California.
David Robert Somerset, 11th Duke of Beaufort (23 February 1928 – 16 August 2017), known as Mr David Somerset until 1984, was a British peer. He served as a member of the House of Lords from 5 February 1984 to 11 November 1999. He was President of the British Horse Society between 1988 and 1990, and was chairman of Marlborough Fine Art. Somerset died on 16 August 2017 at his home in Badminton, Gloucestershire, South West England at the age of 89.
Lester Lionel Wolff (January 4, 1919 – May 11, 2021) was an American politician. He was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from New York. He served as a representative from 1973 through 1981. He was president of the International Trade and Development Agency. In 2014, Wolff received the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award in the United States. Wolff was also the chair of the Touro College Pacific Community Institute, the author of numerous books on foreign policy, and the host of weekly PBS show "Ask Congress". Wolff died on May 11, 2021 at a hospital in Syosset, New York at the age of 102. He was the last living former U.S. representative born in the 1910s.
The men's field hockey tournament at the 2012 Summer Olympics was the 22nd edition of the field hockey event for men at the Summer Olympic Games. It was held over a thirteen-day period beginning on 30 July. The medal finals were on 11 August. All games were played at the Riverbank Arena within the Olympic Park in London, United Kingdom. Defending champions Germany won the gold medal for the fourth time. They defeated the Netherlands 2–1 in the final. Australia won the bronze medal by defeating Great Britain 3–1.