ejaasaari/simplewiki-2025-04-01 huggingface dataset:
The Silk Road was a group of trade routes across Asia that connected China with the Mediterranean region. It allowed Chinese traders to exchange things with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean traders.  The Silk Road was extremely important in world history. For the first time, people in different areas - and on different continents - could trade. The Silk Road was the first-ever connection between China, other parts of Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. The silk trade. At the time, silk was only made in China, so it was extremely rare and expensive in Europe. For this reason, having silk was a sign of power, wealth, and importance for Europeans. Now, for the first time, it became much easier to get silk. The silk trade brought a lot of wealth to China - and also to cities and markets along the Silk Road (like Samarkand and Bukharal in modern-day Uzbekistan). Trade on the Silk Road also helped ancient cultures grow in China, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, India, and Rome. A German geographer first called the route the "Seidenstraße" ("The Silk Road") in 1877. He chose this name because traders used it to bring silk from west to east. Trade of other things. Of course, many other things were also traded, including: Traders also brought other things; for example, they brought chess pieces from northern India to China and Persia.  Most likely, no trader traveled the entire Silk Road alone. Instead, they traded goods at every stopping point along the Road. They sometimes made deals to get past difficult places. Path. Land routes. Over land, the Silk Road started in northern China and traveled west. Then it split into two branches. One went north of the Tibetan Plateau, and the other trail went south of it. Then the two trails rejoined. After that, the Silk Road traveled in almost a straight line to the Mediterranean. It passed through mountain ranges in Tabriz (now in northern Iran) and the north tip of the Syrian Desert. From there, it traveled to the Levant (Syria, Israel, and Palestine).  From the Levant, land routes traveled north (through the Byzant
Isis is a goddess in Egyptian mythology. She was known as the goddess of the moon. As the goddess of life and magic, Isis protected women and children, and healed the sick. Closely linked to the throne, she was one of the greatest goddesses of Ancient Egypt. Her symbols were the ankh, her wings, and her throne headdress. She was the sister and wife of Osiris. Isis and Osiris had a son named Horus. Name. The English pronunciation used, ), comes from the pronunciation of the Greek name, , which changed the Egyptian name by adding a final "-s" because of the grammatical requirements of Greek noun endings. The Egyptian name was recorded as or . It meant '(She of the Throne)'. However, the true Egyptian pronunciation is not known because their writing system left out vowels. Based on recent studies, the reconstructed pronunciation of her name is * (ooh-saht). Later, the name in Coptic dialects was "Ēse" or "Ēsi".  To make it easier to say, Egyptologists choose to say the word as "ee-set". Sometimes they may also say "ee-sa". This is because the last "t" in her name was a feminine (female) suffix which is known to have been dropped in speech in the last stages of the Egyptian language. Cults. Isis was perhaps the most important goddess of all Egyptian mythology. During the course of Egyptian history, Isis assumed the attributes and functions of virtually every other important goddess in the land. Her most important functions, however, were those of motherhood, marital devotion, healing the sick, and the working of magical spells and charms. She was believed to be the most powerful magician in the universe, because she had learned the Secret Name of Ra from the god himself. Isis was the sister and wife of Osiris, sister of Set, and twin sister of Nephthys. She was the mother of Horus the Child (Harpocrates), and was the protective goddess of Horus's son Amset, protector of the liver of the deceased.  Isis was responsible for protecting Horus from Set during his infancy; for helping Osiris to
In Egyptian mythology, Osiris is the god of life, death, the flooding of the Nile, and the afterlife. He was the brother and husband of Isis. They had a son named Horus. Osiris was murdered by his brother Set because Osiris was the pharaoh, which Set wanted to be. Osiris was killed when Set tricked him into getting into a box, then poured lead onto the box to close it so Osiris could not get out of it. However, Isis brought Osiris back to life for one night. After Horus was old enough, he defeated Set and became the pharaoh. Osiris' mother was the goddess Nut, father Geb, sister Nephthys, and sister as well as wife Isis. Osiris and Dionysus. By the Hellenic era, Greek awareness of Osiris had grown, and attempts had been made to merge Greek philosophy, such as Platonism, and the cult of Osiris (especially the myth of his resurrection), resulting in a new mystery religion. Gradually, this became more popular, and was exported to other parts of the Greek sphere of influence. However, these mystery religions valued the change in wisdom, personality, and knowledge of truth, rather than the exact details of the accepted myths on which their teachings were overlayed. Thus in each region that it was exported to, the myth was changed to be about a similar local god, resulting in a series of gods, who had originally been quite distinct, but who were now synonymous with Osiris. These gods became known as Osiris-Dionysus. Why Egypt loved Osiris. Egyptian civilization loved Osiris because he was a wise and gentle king. He taught them law and order and led them away from savage practices like cannibalism and human sacrifice. Osiris also taught them the art of agriculture and the appropriate rites for worshipping the gods. When he was done civilizing the people in Egypt, he left the country to his wife Isis and made peace in many other places. When he finished his job he then returned to Egypt. Purpose. Osiris was the god of the Underworld. He was also one of the Nine Gods. One of his duties
His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council is a group of advisors to the British Monarch. Most of its important work is done by two committees, Some laws need to be made by the "King-in-Council", that is at a meeting of the King and the Privy Council. Some jobs are filled by the King in Council too. For example, when the King appoints a new Bishop or Lord-lieutenant he announces his choice at a meeting of the Privy Council. Meetings of the Privy Council. Once someone is made a member of the Privy Council they are a member for life, but only members of the government are asked to meetings, except for special occasions such as when a new monarch takes the "Accession Oath", a promise to do their best, at a meeting when the Privy Council called the "Accession Council"  In the past some kings and queens were bored by long meetings of the Privy Council, so they made everyone stand instead of sitting comfortably. The tradition carries on today. Privy Council Terms. Sometimes the Prime Minister shares information with other politicians on "Privy Council Terms". This means that the information must stay secret. Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. The Law Lords, and retired Law Lords, also form the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. It is the final court of appeal from British colonies an dependent territories, and some commonwealth realms. These countries call it an appeal to "The King in Council". Republics in the Commonwealth. Four republics in the commonwealth also use the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as a court of appeal. Brunei. From the Court of Appeal of Brunei the only appeal is to the Sultan of Brunei. The Queen and the Sultan have agreed that the cases are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council who then advise the Sultan, directly. Domestic Jurisdiction. The committee hears Appeals to His Majesty in Council: Very rarely the Committee hears: The committee must also report to the King about anything he ask. For example, investigating which members of the House of Lords supported the enemy in World War I.
The Virginia Tech massacre was a school shooting on April 16, 2007, which took place at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, a college in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. Seung-Hui Cho, a senior English major at Virginia Tech, who had been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder and selective mutism killed 32 people before killing himself. The killings occurred in two separate attacks on the campus. The first at around 7:15 a.m., when two students were shot and killed at West Ambler Johnston Hall, a co-ed residence hall that houses 894 students. More than two and a half hours later, 31 others, including Cho, were shot and killed across Norris Hall, which houses the Engineering Science and Mechanics program among others, where three main doors had been chained. Victims were found in different locations around the building. Among the victims the most notable was that of Professor and Holocaust survivor Liviu Librescu who died while shielding his students from the gunman. Librescu was killed after being shot five times. Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger and U.S. President George W. Bush attended vigils to honor the victims at the institution. The number of people that died was more than any other mass shooting in modern U.S. history up until the 2017 Las Vegas shooting. Before then, the deadliest campus shooting in United States history was in 1966 at the University of Texas, where Charles Whitman climbed to the 28th-floor observation deck of a clock tower and opened fire, killing 16 people before he was gunned down by police. In the Columbine High attack in 1999, two teenagers killed 12 fellow students and a teacher before killing themselves.
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, or more simply known as Shakira (born 2 February 1977 in Barranquilla, Colombia), is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Her famous songs include "Hips Don't Lie" (2006) and "Whenever, Wherever" (2001). Noted to be a "global phenom" whose impact has "reached every corner of the world", Shakira has been described as an "artistic link between the west and the east" for popularizing Middle Eastern sounds in the West, and western sounds in the East (mainly the Middle East). Due to her heritage as a Colombian of Lebanese descent, she is perceived as particularly influential for Latino and Middle-Eastern musicians, and has been noted for introducing musical genres, instruments, and techniques from across Latin America, the Middle East, and other regions to a wider audience. Shakira is also credited with popularising music in the Spanish language on a global level. Career. In 1991, Shakira's first album "Magia" was released. Her second album "Pies Descalzos" was released in 1993. Her first hit in Colombia was her third record, “¿Dónde Estás Corazón?" from 1995. In 2001, she released her first English album "Laundry Service". The album's first single "Whenever, Wherever" was the best selling single of 2001. In 2005, she released her second English album "Oral Fixation, Vol.2". In 2009, "She Wolf" was released. The first single "She Wolf" reached number four in the UK Singles Chart. On 14 January 2014, Shakira released a single with Rihanna, "Can't Remember to Forget You". Personal life. Shakira's first language is Spanish. She also speaks Portuguese and English. In addition she can speak some Italian, French, Catalan, Arabic, and Japanese. Accordingly, she records songs in both English and Spanish, as well as having covered Francis Cabrel's song "Je l'aime à mourir" in French and Fairuz's "Aat
Joe Louis (born Joseph Louis Barrow, May 13, 1914 - April 12, 1981) was an American boxer. He was the world heavyweight champion from 1937 to 1949. Louis won the title from James Braddock. He made a record twenty-five title defenses before giving up the title in 1949.  Career. Perhaps his most famous fight was his one-round knockout of Max Schmeling, the German former heavyweight champion, in 1938. Schmeling had given Louis his only loss up to that point, and was widely seen at that time as a representative of Nazi Germany. The buildup to the fight was wrapped up in the politics of the United States versus Nazi Germany. When World War II began, Louis signed up for the U.S. Army. While in the army, he boxed 100 exhibition bouts. Death. Louis died of a heart attack in Paradise, Nevada on April 12, 1981. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Legacy. He has an arena named after him, the Joe Louis Arena where the Detroit Red Wings play.
Larry Holmes (born on November 3, 1949) was an American boxer. He held the World Heavyweight Championship from 1978 to 1985. Holmes fought out of Easton, Pennsylvania. He was nicknamed the "Easton Assassin." Holmes won the vacant World Boxing Council championship from Ken Norton in 1979. He defended that title, and later the International Boxing Federation title, twenty times. Some notable fighters he beat in defense of his championship were Muhammad Ali, Leon Spinks, Gerry Cooney, and Tim Witherspoon. He lost his championship to Michael Spinks in 1985. Holmes later fought Mike Tyson and then Evander Holyfield to try and win back the championship. Tyson knocked him out in the fourth round and Holyfield beat him by a twelve-round decision. Holmes continued to fight until 2002.
Skiing is either sportive or recreational activity using "skis" for sliding over snow. Skis are used with special boots connected to them with a "binding". There are two different types of skiing: downhill skiing and cross country skiing. Downhill skiing. Downhill skiing is a sport. Skiers ski down a trail (also called a "run") on the side of a mountain or hill. Each trail is marked with a sign that shows how difficult that particular run will be. Three different colors are used to rate the difficulty of the trail. They are: green, blue, and black. Green trails are easiest, blue trails are more difficult, and black trails are rated most difficult. The colors which represent a trail will also be seen in a shape.  The most common ratings for trails are: Trail ratings are often relative to the rest of the terrain at the ski resort- for example, the difficulty of a black diamond trail at a small ski area may be a rated as a blue square at a bigger resort with harder trails. Cross country skiing. Cross country skiing is a sport of endurance. Skiers ski anywhere where there is snow. This is usually through a scenic forest or town. Alpine skiing. Alpine skiing is a contest of speed. Racers go through the course with red and blue gates and go down to the goal as fast as they can. There are four disciplines in alpine skiing: downhill, super giant slalom, giant slalom and slalom.  Ski gate. A ski gate is two sticks on a skiing race course that a skier needs to pass between. Ski gates are used in alpine skiing in downhill, Slalom, Giant Slalom and Super-G races. Downhill races have not many ski gates so skiers can be safe when they are going very fast. If a skier does not go between a ski gate, the judges say they are removed from the race. First in the 1980s and now a lot of the time, ski gates have hinges near the snow. Some ski gates have flags at the top of the stick.
The 1966 FIFA World Cup was the eighth FIFA World Cup. It was held in England from 11 to 30 July. England was chosen as hosts by FIFA to celebrate 100 years of football in England. England won the final beating West Germany 4-2. This was England's first (and so far only) World Cup win. England also became the first host to win since Italy won it in 1934. Later Germany, Argentina and France won it at their homes. With Bobby Endrick to help win the World Cup Participants. The following 16 teams qualified for the final tournament. AFC (1) CAF (0) OFC (0) CONCACAF (1) CONMEBOL (4) UEFA (10) Results. Round 2. Final. England won the championship.
Princess Taiping was a princess of Tang dynasty China. She was the daughter of Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu Zetian. She became an important figure during her mother's rule as Empress in the second Zhou dynasty 690-705 AD. Princess Taiping supported saving the Tang dynasty and the Li family. After the death of Empress Wu Zetian in 705, Princess Taiping joined with her nephew Li Longji (later Emperor Xuanzong) to get power for the Tang dynasty again. In 710, she and Li Longji stopped Empress Wei's plan to gain power. Relationship with Li Longji. Princess Taiping was also known for her beauty. In the Chinese history (mishi/秘史), it has been said that, after losing two marriages, Princess Taiping loved Li Longji. Mishi said that Emperor Xuanzong told of his love for his aunt in his autobiography. Li Longji confessed that he had fallen in love with Princess Taiping at first sight. He thought of her as a goddess-like figure. However, the truth is still unknown. After Emperor Xuanzong became ruler in 712 AD, Princess Taiping's old age and power was seen as a threat to the young emperor, and she was given a death sentence to kill herself in 713 AD.
Horus was the Egyptian god of the Sky, Sun , Weather, Storms , Health , Healing, Kingship, Loyalty, War and Protection of mankind. He was the son of Isis and Osiris. After fighting his uncle, Set (Osiris and Isis' brother) he became the king of Egypt. During this fight, he lost his eye. The "Eye of Horus" became one of the most important symbols in ancient Egypt and Egyptian civilization. When Horus lost his eye, his eye set out on a journey of its own. When the other Gods tried to catch the eye, his eye began to cry. These tears became the first people of Egypt in Egyptian belief. The Eye of Horus. The Eye of Horus, also known as wadjet eye, wedjat eye or udjat eye, is an ancient Egyptian symbol of protection, royal power, and good health. The Eye of Horus is similar to the Eye of Ra, which belongs to a different god, Ra, but represents many of the same concepts. According to Egyptian myth, Horus lost his left eye in a struggle with Set. The eye was magically restored by Hathor, and this restoration came to symbolize the process of making whole and healing. For this reason, the symbol was often used in amulets. Worship. Horus, was worshiped all over Egypt, especially in Pe, Bendet and Khem. There were many falcon gods before Horus, but eventually Horus represented all of them. He was worshiped until the end of the Pre-Dynastic period. In Upper Egypt (south), in the town of Edfu, was Ptolemaic, a temple for Horus. In Kom Ombo, there was another temple for Horus called the Kom Ombo temple. Horus was a good friend of Sobek. He was also worshipped as a guide to the pharaohs. Physical appearance. Horus was considered handsome and usually appeared as a falcon or a falcon headed man, although sometimes he appeared as a falcon headed crocodile. Sometimes he would take the form of a celestial falcon with his left eye the moon and
In Egyptian mythology, "Set"' (also spelled Sutekh, Setesh, Seteh, Seth) was a god of the desert (including desert storms), thunder, cunning, wit, trickery, evil, pain and suffering.  The word 'Seth' was first said as 'Set'. Because of changes in the Egyptian language over the 3,000 years that Seth was worshiped, the 't' in Set was pronounced so similarly from 'th' that the Greeks wrote it as Seth during the Ptolemaic period. Set was originally responsible for protecting Ra during his journey in the afterlife, personally slaying the great serpent Apep. Late period Set killed his brother Osiris, who had succeeded Ra as pharaoh, out of jealousy. Horus (Osiris and Isis' son) eventually defeated Set and claimed the throne.  Set had three siblings: his brother Osiris and his sisters Isis and Nephthys (who was also his wife). He also had a nephew called Horus. Nephthys married Set and Isis married Osiris. Set and Nephthys had a son named Anubis. His father and mother were Geb and Nut respectively. His color is red which represented evil in Egypt. He also possessed people when he wanted to. Set's consort was Nephthys. Set also had foreign wives Anat and Astarte. Set was unified with the key of trouble and death towards Ancient Egypt which made him deadly. Appearance. Set is often shown as a mysterious and unknown creature called the Set Animal. The Set Animal had a curved snout, square ears, dog-like body, forked tail, red eyes and red hair. Set could control this animal and would use it to destroy his enemies.
Shaka Sankofa (born Gary Lee Graham; September 5, 1963 – June 22, 2000) was an American criminal. Sankofa was put to death for the alleged murder of fifty-three year-old Bobby Lambert in Houston, Texas on May 13, 1981. The murder happened when Sankofa was seventeen. Sankofa was found guilty of shooting Lambert in the parking lot of a Houston supermarket. He told police that he had done ten robberies that week, but did not kill Lambert. The government believed he has done as many as 22 robberies which had happened in that area during that time. One of these included Graham using a shotgun to rob a man who Graham gave a ride to when the man's car stopped working on the highway. During that robbery, the man tried to escape and was shot by Graham but he did live. While there was no physical evidence to link Graham to the murder, one woman was in the parking lot at the time and saw him do it. She said she heard the gunshot and turned on the lights of her car. She saw Graham as he started running and followed him out of the parking lot with her car. There were several other people inside the store but none of them saw the shooting. Sankofa's supporters brought his case international attention, aruging that his conviction was based on the testimony of a single eyewitness who said she saw him for a few seconds in the dark parking lot committing the murder  and she was 30 feet away from the murder scene. The jury did not hear testimony from six other apparent eyewitnesses who believed that Sankofa was not the killer. Sankofa put to death after many legal tries by his lawyers to stop it. These including an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. By a vote of 5 to 4, the Supreme Court refused to stop the execution. Sankofa's lawyers also filed a civil suit saying the execution was against his civil rights. District Court Judge James Nowlin rejected that claim. Controversy. Many people believe that Sankofa did not kill Lambert. They believe that his lawyers did not
Juliusz Slowacki (September 4, 1809 - April 3, 1849) was a Polish poet. He was born on August 23, 1809, according to the Old Calendar. September 4 is often given as his birthday but the calculation between days was wrong by one day. Slowacki is thought of as being as good a poet as most of the famous Polish writers. These include Mickiewicz, Norwid, Reymont (author of "Chlopi"), Wybicki, Krasinski and Sienkiewicz. He is buried in Wawel Cathedral in Krakow. This is the same crypt as Mickiewicz. He is considred third most important Polish poet. Works. His work included romantic poems, plays and sonnets included "Balladyna", "My Testament", "King Ghost", "Fantazy", "Kordian", "Beniowski", "Agamemnon’s Tomb", "Silver Dream of Salomea", "Hymn", "Lilia Weneda" and "Anhelli".  Burial. Slowacki was first buried on April 5 1849 in Paris's famous Montmartre cemetery. Because he was not popular at the time, only about 30 people went to his funeral. In 1927, General Joseph Pilsudski ordered his body be dug up. It was taken back to Poland and honorably reburied on June 28 1927 in Krakow in the famous Wawel crypt for Polish nobles. He was buried with full military honors as a Polish hero. Pilsudski said: "Time to forget Slowacki is over, as long as there is Polish language, Slowacki will live on forever!" Other websites. Prominent Poles