ejaasaari/simplewiki-2025-04-01 huggingface dataset:
Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was the King of England from 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry VIII increased the power of the monarchy and government over the country. Many people he did not like were executed under his orders, including two of his own wives. He was easily led by whoever his favourite advisor was: Thomas Wolsey, Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, Thomas Cranmer and Richard Rich. More and Cromwell were also executed. He passed laws to merge Wales into England and was the first English monarch to be King of Ireland. His government was able to raise more money because they stopped paying money to the Roman Catholic Church and because they closed down the monasteries. But he also spent far more money on his own enjoyment and on wars with France and Scotland. These wars did not achieve much. He made the Royal Navy much bigger and made other improvements to the armed forces. Early in his reign he was seen as a very handsome young man who had studied a lot and enjoyed sports, music and writing. Later in his reign he became weak, ill and hugely obese. He also became unpredictable, bad-tempered and unable to admit to making mistakes. He died at the age of 55 in 1547. The next king was his son Edward VI. Early Days. Henry was born at Greenwich Palace on 28 June 1491, and was the son of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York. He was one of their seven children. Four of them survived infancy  – Arthur, Prince of Wales; Margaret; Henry; and Mary . He had his own servants and minstrels, including a fool named John Goose. He even had a whipping boy who was punished for Henry when he did something wrong. Prince Henry enjoyed music and jousting was very good at both of them. At the age of 10, he could play many instruments, including the fife, harp, viola and drums. Henry was a scholar, linguist, musician and athlete at his early age. He could speak fluent Latin, French and Spanish. He had the best tutors and he also had to learn jousting
An orchestra is a group of musicians playing instruments together. They make music. A large orchestra is sometimes called a "symphony orchestra" and a small orchestra is called a "chamber orchestra". A symphony orchestra may have about 100 players, while a chamber orchestra may have 30 or 40 players. The number of players will depend on what music they are playing and the size of the place where they are playing. The word "orchestra" originally meant the semi-circular space in front of a stage in a Greek theatre which is where the singers and instruments used to play. Gradually the word came to mean the musicians themselves. The conductor. The orchestra is directed by a conductor. He/she helps the players to play together, to get the right balance so that everything can be heard clearly, and to encourage the orchestra to play with the same kind of feeling. Some small chamber orchestras may play without a conductor. This was usual until the 19th century when the orchestras got very big and needed a conductor who made decisions and stood in front so that all the players could see him. The instruments. he instruments of the orchestra are divided into districts: the strings, woodwind, brass and percussion. Each section (group of instruments) will have a player who is the "Boss". The principals will make decisions about seating arrangements, and about technical ways of playing the music: for example the principal of the string sections will make sure all the players move their bows up and down in the same direction. The violins are divided into first and second violins. The first violins usually have the tune while the seconds, most of the time, are part of the accompaniment. The principal of the first violin is the leader (or concertmaster) of the orchestra. In a professional orchestra they will be the most highly paid member of the orchestra. The string family. The strings are the biggest section, although there are only five kinds of instruments: violin, viola, cello, double bass, and harp. This is because they are playing most of the time and usually form the basis of the music. If they are not playing the tune they will probably be accompanying
Homosexuality is a sexual orientation. A homosexual person is romantically or sexually attracted to people of their own gender. Men who are romantically or sexually attracted to other men are called gay. Women who are romantically or sexually attracted to other women can be called gay as well, but are usually called lesbians. People who are romantically or sexually attracted to men "and" women are called bisexual. Together, homosexual, bisexual, and transgender people make up the LGBT community, which stands for "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender". It is difficult to say how many people are homosexual. Homosexuality is known to exist in all cultures and countries. Other titles for homosexuality. Definition. One may say that homosexuality is the term used for people that feel romantically or sexually attracted to their own sex, but other definitions also exist. When one views homosexuality as the term for people that feel romantically or sexually attracted to their own sex, more people are gay than when one might view homosexuality as only a term for people who do "have" sexual relationships with their own sex. Usually, the term is used to view all the people who are romantically or sexually attracted to their own sex, as well as those with such attractions who have not had a sexual relationship with their own sex yet. Nonetheless, the most visible form of homosexuality is the actual relationship. Most 'evidence' of homosexuality in ancient cultures comes from drawings of the men in an intimate relationship or sex, because it's the most obvious. The word "homosexual" comes from the Ancient Greek word "homo", meaning "same", and the Latin word for "gender". People in the LGBT community usually say "gay" instead of "homosexual." Some people also use the term "homophile" (from Greek ' ("homos", meaning "the same") and ' ("philein"; meaning "to love"). This term emphasizes romantic interest in the same sex, rather than sexual attraction. Other names. There are many different words to describe homosexual people. Some of these are used to insult homosexual people. However, the LGBT community sometimes uses these words to describe themselves because the word "homosexual" can sound too clinical.
Dwight David Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American politician and military officer who was the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe and achieved the five-star rank as General of the Army. Early life. Dwight David Eisenhower was born on October 14, 1890, at 609 S. Lamar Avenue in Denison, Texas. He was the third of seven sons. His mother originally named him David Dwight, but she switched two names after his birth so that there wouldn't be two Davids in the family. In 1892, the family moved to Abilene, Kansas, which Eisenhower considered his hometown. Dwight became very interested in exploring the outdoors. He learned about hunting and fishing, cooking, and card playing from a man named Bob Davis who camped on the Smoky Hill River. Eisenhower went to Abilene High School. He graduated with the class of 1909. He and brother Edgar both wanted to go to college, but they did not have enough money. They decided to take different years at college while the other worked to earn money to pay the tuitions. Edgar took the first turn at school, and Dwight was working a job as a night supervisor at the Belle Springs Creamery. When Edgar asked for a second year, Dwight accepted and worked for a second year. At that time, a friend named "Swede" Hazlett was applying to the Naval Academy. He wanted Dwight to apply to the school, since there was no tuition. Eisenhower asked for consideration for either Annapolis or West Point with his U.S. Senator, Joseph L. Bristow. Though Eisenhower was one of the winners of the entrance-exam competition, he was too old for the Naval Academy. He then accepted an appointment to West Point in 1911. At West point, Eisenhower liked the traditions and the sports. In sports, Eisenhower later said that "not making the baseball team at West Point was one of the greatest disappointments of my life, maybe my greatest
A ball is a round object (usually spherical, but can sometimes be ovoid) with several uses. A ball can be either hollow, such as a basketball, or solid, such as a ball bearing. Ball is used metaphorically sometimes to denote something spherical or spheroid, e.g., armadillos and human beings curl up into a ball, making a fist into a ball. A ball also can be described in certain sports, such as baseball and basketball.
A camera lens is the part of a camera that directs light to the film or, in a digital camera, to a computer chip that can sense the light. Many cheap lenses are plastic but better ones are made from glass. The lens makes an image by focusing the light. The majority of cameras only have one lens that users cannot change or take out. This is called a "fixed lens" design. More expensive cameras usually have lenses that come off, so anyone can take out one lens and put in another. A lens may be simple, or may actually be made of several lenses. Photographers can use different lenses (objectives) to make different kinds of pictures. For example, a telephoto lens can take a picture of something far away. A wide-angle lens is the opposite. A zoom lens is more versatile; it can do both. There are many kinds of lenses. The study of lenses and how they work is called optics. Lenses for large sheet film cameras are especially difficult to design. Cameras and their lenses have been made since the 19th century. Some from before World War II, are still usable today. Computers now let engineers make better lenses, though, because they can calculate the way that light goes through the lens and find the best design for each task. Together with lenses, filters, macro lenses, teleconverters, wide-angle and tele attachments are used.
A boy is a young male human, either a child or teenager. Little boys still have the body of a child. It is not until they reach puberty (adolescence) that their bodies start to mature and they become a man. The word “boy” was used a long time ago in Anglo-Saxon English. The opposite of a boy is a girl. Culture. The way boys are brought up will vary a lot between different cultures. Boys are supposed to be tougher than girls. It is their job to do work that is physically hard, including fighting in the army when they are grown up. However, people’s attitudes are changing and nowadays many girls like to do the same things as boys. In Western cultures boys traditionally wear trousers (pants) while girls wear dresses or skirts. However, many girls also wear trousers these days, like boys, especially when dressed informally. Boys often have shorter hair than girls, although this can vary a lot according to quickly changing fashions. Traditionally boys like rough games (such as soccer or rugby) and enjoy playing with mechanical things such as toy cars and trains. People today have long discussions about whether this is because they are born like that, or because that is the way society expects them to behave. The traditional color for a boy is blue. For girls, it is pink. When a baby is born in a hospital it usually gets a blue or pink tag on its wrist or ankle, according to whether it is a boy or a girl. Names. Some names are boys’ names, others are girls’ names. There are some names that can be for boys and girls (although they may be spelled differently, e.g. “Lesley” for a boy and “Leslie” for a girl). In some countries such as Britain an “old boy” means a grown-up who used to be a pupil at a particular school (e.g. “He is an old boy of Cransbury High School”). The expression can also be used in a very informal, friendly way, e.g. “Nice to see you, old boy!”.
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and composer. He is internationally known as a singer and bassist of the Beatles. With singer and guitarist John Lennon, he contributed music and lyrics to a lot of the band's songs. Early Life. Paul was born at Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery (Past is Walton Hospital) in Walton, Liverpool, England. His parents are Jim and Mary McCartney, he has a brother, Michael McCartney and a stepsister, Ruth. He was born James Paul McCartney, but goes by his middle name. His mother died of Breast Cancer in 1956. The Quarrymen (1957–1962). Paul first met John Lennon in 1957, after Paul saw John's band, The Quarrymen, playing a live performance. Paul auditioned for the band and joined instantly. A year later, Paul asked the band to have George Harrison audition, at first, they did not want George because he was 15 years old and was considered "too young". However, Paul convinced them to have George in the band. In 1960, the Quarrymen would change their name a lot, having names such as "Johnny and the Moondogs" and "The Silver Beetles". The Beatles (1962–1970). In 1962, The Beatles signed to Parlophone Records. They were found and managed by Brian Epstein from 1962, until Brian's death from an overdose of drugs in 1967.  Their first song released was Love Me Do. One year later, their first album, Please Please Me was made. McCartney began writing songs before he was sixteen, and has written well over two hundred. His most famous song is "Yesterday", recorded by the Beatles in 1965. Since then around 2000 artists have recorded the song and currently holds the world record for the song that has been covered the most times.  Other songs written by McCartney for The Beatles include "Can't Buy Me Love", "Hey Jude", "Penny Lane", "Eleanor Rigby" and "Let It Be".  Often, Beatles songs would have "Lennon/McCart
Afrikaners are white South Africans who speak Afrikaans as mother tongue and follow the Afrikaans culture. Most of them have Dutch, German, or French Huguenot ancestors. They are also called Boers, Voortrekkers and Burghers, although under slightly different contexts. In South Africa there are about three million white people with Afrikaans as mother tongue. They are assumed to be Afrikaners if they chose to follow the Afrikaans culture. They began arriving at the Cape of Good Hope when the Dutch East India Company started Cape Town in 1652. Until 1994, they dominated South Africa's politics as well as the country's commercial agricultural sector.
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English singer and songwriter. He became famous as a singer and guitarist of the English rock band The Beatles. After the Beatles stopped making records in 1970, he lived in the United States with his wife Yoko Ono. He continued his music career up until his murder in New York City in 1980. Biography. John Winston Lennon was born on 9 October 1940 at Liverpool Women's Hospital in Liverpool. He was the son of Alfred Lennon and Julia Lennon.  He started the Beatles in his hometown of Liverpool, with Paul McCartney and George Harrison. After Ringo Starr joined the band, they started to be very successful. People were excited by their music, and their live performances always pleased audiences. Manager Brian Epstein and record producer George Martin helped the Beatles become the most popular act in entertainment. Lennon played the guitar, and later learned to play the piano. Most of the songs the Beatles recorded were written by Lennon and McCartney. Their songs were always credited as by "Lennon/McCartney" on Beatles records, but in fact they usually wrote their songs on their own. The two men often helped to make each other's songs better, so they liked to share writing credit. Famous songs written by Lennon for the Beatles are "A Hard Day's Night", "Help!", "Strawberry Fields Forever", "A Day In The Life" and many others.  The Beatles grew apart as the members got older. Lennon divorced his first wife, Cynthia Powell, and married Yoko Ono, while McCartney married Linda Eastman. Each wife had different ideas, and encouraged their husbands to depend less on each other. Later, some fans blamed Yoko and Linda for breaking the Beatles up. Lennon loved his wife so much that he added her surname Ono to his own name, since she became Yoko Ono Lennon when she married him. He had never liked his middle name Winston (given him by his mother after Winston Churchill) and wanted to change it, but was told he could not under British law. He could add a new name though, so
An invention is a new thing that someone has made. The computer was an invention when it was first made. We say when it was "invented". New things that are made or created are called inventions. Cars and plastics are inventions that everyone knows. Inventions are made by inventors. Many inventions are patented. Ideas are also called inventions. Writers can invent characters, and then invent a story about them. Inventing. Over time, humans have invented objects which make life easier for themselves. Because of this, a quote "necessity is the mother of invention", was written. The quote means that a lack of something should inspire someone to create something to fill that empty space. However, not all people believe that this is true. They think that too much of something can lead to an invention. Many inventions are just a variation of something that already exists.
During a genocide, a group (often a government, army, or paramilitary) tries to destroy another group because of their ethnicity, race, nationality, and/or or religion. Genocide is always an intentional act - never an accident. In a genocide, the targeted (victim) group is killed in large numbers. However, genocide also involves other methods. These include preventing the group from being able to survive (for example, by starving them); forcing them to assimilate; destroying their culture; and/or stopping them from having children. Genocide is often motivated by hatred or fear of the targeted group, like racism or antisemitism. Other genocides happen for political reasons. Etymology. The word "genocide" was created by Raphael Lemkin, a Polish Jew, in 1944. It combined the words "genos" (Greek for "family, tribe or race") and "-cide" (from the Latin "occidere", "to kill").  In 1933 Lemkin spoke at a League of Nations conference on international criminal law in Madrid. He delivered an essay called the "Crime of Barbarity." On 11 August 1933, a group of Assyrians were massacred in Iraq. This reminded Lemkin of the Armenian Genocide during World War I. In his essay, Lemkin described genocide and called it a crime against international law. Examples of genocide. Early 20th century. Several major genocides happened in the early 20th century. In the Herero and Namaqua Genocide (1904-1907), soldiers of the German Empire killed thousands of indigenous people in German South West Africa (now Namibia). Between 1915-1917, the Young Turks in the Ottoman Empire committed the Armenian Genocide. During this genocide, most Armenians were deported, assimilated, forced to convert to Islam, and/or killed. World War II. The word "genocide" was first used to describe the Holocaust, when Nazis killed 6 million Jews and millions of others during World War II. The Ustase of Croatia also committed genocide during World War II. They killed about a million Serbs in death camps, especially Jas
is a Japanese musician and artist. She is the widow of John Lennon. Before she married Lennon she was married to Toshi Ichiyanagi from 1956 to 1963 and Anthony Cox from 1963 to 1969. She has two children, Kyoko Chan Cox (with Cox) and Sean Lennon (with Lennon). Early life. Both of her parents came from wealthy families. Her father, who was a descendant of a former Emperor of Japan, had been a concert pianist before giving up music to become a banker. Ono was tutored privately, then sent to exclusive private schools, studying classical music and art, and also learning English. She visited the United States before World War II with her family. Her father was on a business trip to the U.S. when the war began, and was detained with many other Japanese in the country. He was not able to communicate with his family for many years. Ono's mother took her, her brother and sister away from Tokyo, and they stayed in a rural area. After the war ended, the family was reunited, and moved to New York for her father's job. Ono enrolled in Sarah Lawrence College, but quit during her third year. She became interested in avant-garde art and music, and began writing poetry. Many of her poems were instructions, for creating pieces of art. She later published some of these in a book, titled "Grapefruit". Her parents were not happy that Ono chose to make her own way, rather than following her family's wishes for her life. When she married Toshi Ichiyanagi, a young pianist, her parents disowned her. The marriage did not work out, and Ono rented a loft apartment of her own. She became friends with local artists in New York, including Andy Warhol and a group called Fluxus. She hosted small parties and "happenings" for her artist friends, and began to do artwork of her own. This brought her some notoriety in time, but not fame. She remarried, to Tony (Anthony) Cox, and they had a daughter, named Kyoko. Marriage to Lennon. Ono went to London with
The coast is wherever land meets the sea.  The coast also means the land next to the sea, which can also be called the shore, or sea-shore. However, coast is not used to describe where rivers or lakes meet the land - it is only used to describe the sea meeting the land.  If a house is near to the coast we say it is "on the coast". When we talk about a long part of the coast we call it "the coast-line".  Sometimes, 'coast' can be part of a place name or the description of a large area. For instance, the East Coast of the United States describes the all of the Eastern side of the United States that is next to the Atlantic Ocean.  In some countries like England or Australia the people sometimes use the word sea-side for the coast. Coasts often have many living things living there and provide habitat for many animals and plants. An example of a coast in Great Britain is the Holderness Coast near Bridlington. This is one of Europe's fast eroding coasts.