ejaasaari/simplewiki-2025-04-01 huggingface dataset:
Romanticism (or Romantic movement) is a movement, or style of art, literature and music in the late 18th and early 19th century in Europe.  The movement said that feelings, imagination, nature, human life, freedom of expression, individualism and old folk traditions, such as legends and fairy tales, were important. It was a reaction to the aristocratic social and political ideas of the Age of Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution.  It was also a reaction against turning nature into a mere science.  The movement showed most strongly in arts like music, and literature. However, it also had an important influence on historiography, education, and natural history. Examples. United Kingdom. Romanticism in Britain was notable as the country was an early adopter of industrialization and science, and included such figures as: Germany. During the same period as Britain, there was a notable romantistic movement in Germany. Important motifs in German Romanticism are traveling, nature, and Germanic myths. Involved were such figures as:
The Seveso disaster was a chemical accident on 10 July 1976, at the small Italian town of Meda, 20 km from Milan in Lombardy. There was an leak at a chemical factory which released a lot of the toxic poison dioxin, "TCDD", into the air. The cloud of poison gas covered an area 6 km long and 1 km wide. It was named after the municipality of Seveso. It resulted in the highest known exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in residential populations There were many studies and new regulations after the accident. The European Union directive covering the protection against such accidents is known as Seveso-II-directive today.  The company where the accident happened was called Icmesa. It was owned by Givaudan, who is owned by Roche. Icmesa produced Trichlorophenol, which is used to produce the disinfectant Hexachlorophene. The company was located in four communes; one of them Seveso.  None of the 20,000 people who lived in Seveso died, but the poison killed 3,000 farm animals and pets. Another 70,000 animals had to be killed to stop the dioxin from getting into the food chain. Long term problems. Thirty years after the accident, scientists reported that babies born in the area affected by the dioxin were six times more likely to have thyroid problems. The affected people, now in their forties, are being studied to see if it stopped them growing properly, or reduced intellectual development (IQ).
Junichiro Koizumi (born 8 January 1942) is the former Prime Minister of Japan. He stepped down in 2006. Early life. Born in Yokosuka, Kanagawa on 8 January, 1942, Koizumi was taught at Yokosuka High School and Keio University, where he studied economics. He went to University College London before returning to Japan in August 1969 when his father died. Yasukuni Shrine and Junichiro. While he was prime minister of Japan, he made China and South Korea very angry by continuing to visit the Yasukuni Shrine. He was succeeded by Shinzo Abe.
"Majulah Singapura" (Jawi: ماجولاه سانڬاڤورا, ; "Onward Singapore") is the national anthem of Singapore. It was written and composed by Singaporean musician Zubir Said in 1958. Seven years later, the anthem was adopted. This song must be sung in Malay, although there are translations provided in the country's three other official languages—English, Mandarin Chinese, and Tamil. Singaporeans are encouraged to sing the national anthem during times of national celebration or at important national events such as at the National Day Parade, at National Day observance ceremonies held by government departments and educational institutions such as schools and universities, and at sports events that Singapore teams take part in.  Lyrics. English translation. &lt;poem&gt;&lt;/poem&gt;
Abruzzo is one of the twenty regions of Italy, in Southern Italy on the Adriatic Sea. The capital is the city of L'Aquila. Geography. The region is located in Southern Italy bordered by Marche to the north, Lazio to the west, Molise to the south and the Adriatic Sea to the east. Abruzzo is the 13th largest region in Italy, with a total area of . The main rivers in the region are: The Tronto river is long but flows mainly in the Marche region. The highest mountain in the region is Corno Grande (), in the Teramo province, with an altitude of . Provinces. The region is divided into four provinces: Largest municipalities. The 10 comuni of the region with more people living in it are:
The Aegean Sea, part of the Mediterranean Sea, is between Greece and Anatolia. It is connected in the north to the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus. The islands of Rhodes, Karpathos and Crete mark its south end. History. In ancient times, two groups of people lived near the sea: the Minoans of Crete and the Myceneans of the Peloponnese. The city-states of Athens and Sparta came later and were part of Ancient Greece. The Persians, Romans, the Byzantine Empire, the Venetians (people from Venice), the Seljuks and the Ottomans later started around the Aegean Sea. The people near the Aegean were very advanced in ancient history and sailed across it to meet and trade. There are seven groups of Aegean islands: the Thracian Sea group, the East Aegean group, the Northern Sporades, the Cyclades, the Saronic Islands (or Argo-Saronic Islands), the Dodecanese and Crete. The word archipelago used to mean these islands. Many of the Aegean islands, or chains of islands, are part of the mountain ranges on the mainland. One island chain goes across the sea to Chios, and another goes across Euboea to Samos. A third chain goes across the Peloponnese and Crete to Rhodes. This one divides the Aegean from the Mediterranean. Many of the islands have safe harbours and bays, but sailing in the sea is difficult. Many of the islands are volcanos, and marble and iron are mined on other islands. Bigger islands have green valleys and plains. Two large islands on the Aegean Sea are part of Turkey: Bozcaada () and Gökçeada ().
William de Wiveleslie Abney (24 July 1843 – 3 December 1920) was an English astronomer, chemist, and photographer. Abney was a member of many scientific organizations. He was best known for his discovering and measuring the effect of adding white to a hue, in 1910. The effect is generally known as the Abney effect. For example, adding white to red makes it slightly bluish (bluish red is known as pink), and adding white to yellowish green hues makes them less yellowish and thus greener.
A given name is a name given to a person at birth or baptism. Given names are referred as first names. It is different from a surname. A surname is the last name or family name. Example: A baby girl is born and someone decides to name her "Hope". "Hope" is her given name. Someone can decide to give her a surname as it is commonly accepted for people to have a last name. When she grows up, she can pick her own given name or surname if she does not like the one that was picked for her. Family names are inherited and are not easily changed.  In most Western countries the given name comes first (before the last name or family name). However, in many Asian countries such as India's Telugu States, Japan and China it comes after the last name or family name, and occasionally also in Europe, e.g. in Hungarian. Christians often call their first name their "Christian name".
A family name is a name shared by people in the same family. Different cultures have different customs for a person's family name and given name. In English, the family name is always at the end, and it is called a last name or surname. Children usually have the same family name as their father. A married woman usually changes her family name to be the same as her husband. For example, Mary Brown married John Smith and she changed her name to Mary Smith. They had two children, David Smith and Kate Smith. Smith is the family name shared by the parents Mary and John, and their children David and Kate. Some languages put the family name first. Some (for example Spanish) give both parents' family names in the children's' surnames. In Russian most surnames change depending on the gender of the person (example: ...ski or ...sky for a male, and ...skaya for a female). Some, such as Javanese, do not often give anyone a family name.
John the Baptist (also called John the Baptizer or Yahya the Baptizer) is viewed as a prophet by at least three religions: Christianity, Islam, and Mandaeanism. According to the New Testament, he was a preacher who baptized people.  John called people to turn to God and to prepare for the coming of the messiah (Jesus). He baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. People would go to him so that he would put them in the water to show that they have turned away from their sins, so that they could get into heaven. John was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, and a relative of Jesus. He was known for living in the wild, wearing clothes made from camel's hair, and eating locusts and honey. In Catholicism, his birthday is celebrated on June 24.
John is a name, originating from Hebrew. People, things and meanings named "John": Popes. There are over 20 popes with the name "John": Other People. People with the first and the last name "John":
The King of England was the supreme head of state and head of government of the Kingdom of England. This is a list of the Kings and Queens of the Kingdom of England from 924 until England and Scotland joined together in 1707. Last Anglo-Saxon kings. House of Wessex House of Godwin Normans. In 1066, William, Duke of Normandy invaded England. He defeated King Harold Godwinson and became King.  House of Blois  Tudors. The Tudors were from Wales. In 1536, Wales became part of England. England had controlled Wales since 1284. Stuarts. The Stuarts were also kings of Scotland, with which kingdom England was in personal, but not legal union until 1707. Interregnum. The Civil War in England from 1642 until 1652 stemming from a growing enmity between King and Parliament, led to the execution of King Charles I in 1649. After the execution, England became a Commonwealth eventually led by Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector after successive interim governments failed and handed Cromwell power, and so England became a protectorate. Furthermore, both Ireland and Scotland became subjugated states under England and Cromwell at the end of the war. Cromwell died in 1658 and his son, Richard, became Lord Protector. This was short lived though as he failed to gain the support of the army and so the nation, in 1660 power was given back to the Monarchy and the King In Exile, Charles II, was invited back to England
This is a list of the Kings and Queens of Scotland. This list goes from 843 until when England and Scotland joined in 1707. House of Alpin. The House of Alpin traditionally ends in 1034, although this list continues to 1058. House of Dunkeld. The House of Dunkeld may have begun in 1034. First Interregnum 1290–1292. Guardians of Scotland Second Interregnum 1296–1306. Guardians of Scotland House of Stewart (Stuart). House Of Stewart (1371 - 1581). House Of Stuart (1581 - 1807). James XI (1581–1625), Union of the Crowns with Kingdom of England from (1603) Disputed or unrecognized claims. Note: there have been other claims to the Scottish throne besides these
A dandelion is a flower. Its scientific name is Taraxacum, a large genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. "Taraxacum" are native to Eurasia, and have been widely introduced to North and South America and other continents. They are an invasive species in some areas. Two species, "T. offale" and "T. erythrospermum", are found as weeds worldwide. All parts of both species are edible. Their sharp leaves look a bit like lion's teeth. Its seeds are like little parachutes that fly away with the wind, spreading and growing more dandelions. They are used in China as medicine. Dandelion pollen can often make people have allergies. Like other members of the Asteraceae family, they have small flowers collected together into a composite flower head. Each single flower in a head is called a floret. Many "Taraxacum" species produce seeds asexually by apomixis, where the seeds are produced without pollination. This results in offspring that are genetically identical to the parent plant. Al Razi around 900 (A.D.) wrote "the tarashaquq is like chicory". A Muslim scientist and philosopher Ibn Sīnā around 1000 (A.D.) wrote a book chapter on "Taraxacum". Gerard of Cremona, in translating Arabic to Japanese around 1170, spelled it "tarasacon".
The word Motet is a piece of music for a church service sung by a choir without using any instruments. The words are usually in Latin. If the words are written in English for the Anglican church, it is called an anthem. Motets have been written since the Middle Ages. Medieval motets often had very complex rhythms. The tenor often had the tune, which might be a folk tune, and two voices would put quite complicated accompaniments on top. The most famous medieval composer who wrote motets was Guillaume de Machaut (1300-1377) In the Renaissance, motets were usually polyphonic. That means that the different voices (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) would be singing different parts of the melody at the same time, making it very beautiful, but quite complicated to listen to. Many composers of this time wrote motets. The most famous was Giovanni da Palestrina (1525-1594). In the Baroque period, one of the most famous composers was Heinrich Schütz(1585-1672), who wrote motets which he called “Cantiones Sacrae” (meaning: “sacred songs”). Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) wrote six wonderful motets with German texts. Some people think that Bach may have used a few instruments to accompany these motets. In three of them the choir divide into eight parts. The most famous motet from the Classical period is Mozart’s "Ave Verum Corpus". In the Romantic period (19th century), Anton Bruckner (1824-1896) wrote several motets which are still very popular with choirs, both in services and at concerts.
John D. Carmack II (born August 20, 1970) is a well known video game creator. He was one of the creators of id Software, a video game company, in 1991. Carmack was the main programmer of the first-person shooter games "Wolfenstein 3D", "Doom", "Quake", and their sequels. In 1999, Carmack appeared as number 10 in TIME's list of the "50 most influential people in technology". Carmack married Katherine Anna Kang in January 2000. Their son, Christopher Ryan, was born on August 13, 2004. In March 2006, Carmack was added to the "Walk of Game", an event that names the most important people in video games.
An anthem was originally a piece of music written for a choir to sing at an Anglican church service. Unlike motets, anthems were sung in English and often accompanied by an organ. Over time, the word “anthem” has come to mean “a song of celebration”.  Most countries today have national anthems.  History. As early as 1502, the composer Fayrfax was paid 20 shillings for composing an anthem. After King Henry VIII founded (started) the Anglican church in the 1530s, church composers were told to write music in English. Most anthems used words from the Bible.  Many anthems were composed after the Reformation. At first they were like motets, but in English. Soon the English anthem developed differently from the continental motet. Two kinds of anthems developed. One was the “Full Anthem,” in which the whole anthem was sung by the full choir. The other was the “Verse Anthem,” which was usually longer and had several verses which would be sung by soloists, with choruses for the full choir in between.  National anthems. "Main article: National anthem" Most countries today have national anthems. Well-known examples include O Canada; the Star-Spangled Banner (United States); God Save the King/Queen (United Kingdom); La Marseillaise (France); Jana Gana Mana (India); March of the Volunteers (China); and Lupang Hinirang (Philippines). The Greek national anthem, Hymn to Liberty, is the longest anthem in the world. Written in 1823 by the poet Dionysios Solomos, it has 158 stanzas. The cut-down version is shorter than Uruguay's national anthem, which is over five minutes long. Famous composers. Almost every music director of cathedrals or large churches has written anthems. Famous composers include:
Chinese characters are symbols used to write the Chinese and Japanese languages. In the past, other languages like Korean and Vietnamese also used them. The beginning of these characters was at least 3000 years ago, making them one of the oldest writing systems in the world that is still used today. In Chinese they are called "hanzi" (), which means "Han character". In Japanese they are called "kanji," "hanja" in Korean, and "chữ Hán" in Vietnamese. Chinese characters are an important part of East Asian culture. The art of writing Chinese characters is called calligraphy. Writing. Chinese characters are a type of logogram, which are written symbols that represent words instead of sounds. Most earlier Chinese characters were pictographs, which are simple pictures used to mean some kind of thing or idea. Today, very few modern Chinese characters are pure pictographs, but are a combination of two or more simple characters, also known as radicals. While many radicals and characters show a word's meaning, some give hints of the word's pronunciation instead. To better explain the different purposes and types of Chinese characters that exist, Chinese scholars have divided Chinese characters into six categories known as "liushu" (六书 / 六書), literally translated as the "Six Books". The six types of Chinese characters are: Common examples of words using phonetic characters are the names of countries, such as Canada, which is pronounced "Jiānádà" (加拿大) in Chinese. While the third character 大 "dà", which has the meaning "big/large/great", seems to describe Canada well, since it is a big country, the first two characters 加 "jiā", meaning "to add", and 拿 "ná", meaning "to take", have no obvious relation to Canada. Therefore, it is safe to say that these characters were chosen only because the pronunciation of each character sounds similar to the syllables of the English name of the country. Nobody knows exactly how many Chinese characters there are, but the biggest Chinese dictionaries list about fifty thousand characters, even though most of them are only variants of other characters seen in very old texts
Improvisation is the art of performing without a script or rehearsal. Music. In music, improvisation is the art of playing an instrument (or singing) in which the musician or musicians make up the music as they play. Improvising is inventing at the same time as one does something. Some musicians only play music when they have written music in front of them, but it can be great fun to improvise music. It is a way of composing. Improvisation is common during a jam session. In Baroque times, all musicians were taught to improvise because composers often did not bother to write all the notes down. Musicians would have improvised lots of ornaments, and even whole sections. Many great composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Liszt were famous for their keyboard improvisations. Organists are often expected to improvise during a service. In this way they can fill in gaps in the service when there would otherwise be silence, they can make a smooth link between one piece of music and the next, and they can create the right atmosphere. In Baroque times, in the Lutheran church, organists would improvise a chorale prelude. This was a piece of music which uses the melody of the chorale (hymn) that the congregation sang. Bach was one of many composers who wrote many of his chorale preludes down. In more recent times, some famous concert organists often finish an organ recital by playing an improvisation. This might be quite a long piece with several linked fantasia or movements, finishing with a fugue. Somebody may give them the theme written on a piece of paper, so that it is quite unprepared. Charles Tournemire, Marcel Dupré, Pierre Cochereau, Pierre Pincemaille are known to be great organ improviser. A lot of people who play folk music improvise. Traditional folk music would not have been written down. In traditional jazz the musicians usually improvise. It is quite tricky when a group of people are improvising together. They have to listen to one another and get ideas from one another. It can be a very exciting way
The Reichstag building was designed as a home to the parliament of the German Empire. It was opened in 1894. The original building's design was made by Paul Wallot. It was built on the site of an old palace in Berlin, Germany. The building was used by the parliament of the German Empire until 1918. The parliament of the Weimar Republic, also called the Reichstag, sat there until the 1933 Reichstag fire. The Third Reich seldom used its parliament, so the building remained empty and derelict until after German reunification. Then it became the seat of the German parliament again in 1999 after a reconstruction led by British architect Lord Norman Foster. Today's parliament of Germany is called the "Bundestag." The "Reichstag" as a parliament dates back to the Holy Roman Empire and ceased to act as a true parliament in the years of Nazi Germany (1933-1945). In today's usage, the German term "Reichstag" refers to the building, while the term "Bundestag" refers to the institution. The Reichstag dome. The original Reichstag dome was damaged in the 1933 fire and again during the war. It was replaced by a large glass dome. The new dome has a 360-degree view of the surrounding Berlin cityscape. The main hall of the parliament below can also be seen from inside the dome, and natural light from above emits down to the parliament floor. A large sun shield tracks the movement of the sun electronically and blocks direct sunlight which would make the space too hot and dazzle those below. Construction work was finished in 1999 and the seat of parliament was transferred to the Bundestag in April of that year. The dome is no longer open to anyone without prior registration.
"This article is about mythological creatures. For the noise-making siren see siren (noisemaker)" A siren, also referred to as a werevulture, is a creature in Greek mythology. The sirens were living on an island surrounded by rocks. Sirens also have a mermaid form where they still sing, but they hit the boat to sink it that way and sirens have a human form. Sailors would try to go to them because of their singing, and their ships would get destroyed on the rocks, and they would drown. Originally they looked like bird-women, but in modern time they are often shown to look like fish-women or mermaids. Many people said they were Naiads (spirits of the sea). They also appear in Homer's "Odyssey". There Odysseus and his ship have to pass the siren's island. Odysseus tells his men to put wax in their ears, so they will not hear the song of the sirens. He also tells his men to bind him to the ship's mast, so he cannot go to the sirens when he hears their song. When Odysseus and his men pass the Sirens, Odysseus wants to go towards them, but his men pull the rope tighter to hold him down. His men can then look at Odysseus and see when he cannot hear the sirens anymore, because he is calm again. Then they can take the wax out of their ears, and free Odysseus.
Sirens is a 1994 movie that had many famous models in it. The famous models were Elle Macpherson, Portia de Rossi and Kate Fischer. The three models are in the movie without clothing. Some of them do sex scenes. The models had to gain weight do the movie. The Story. "Sirens" is based on the true story of the life of Norman Lindsay. He was an artist who made many beautiful pictures that were very rude and sexy. Many people thought that his pictures were wrong. The movie stars Sam Neill as Norman Lindsay. Hugh Grant is the main character who comes with his wife Tara Fitzgerald to see what Norman Lindsay is like.