ejaasaari/simplewiki-2025-04-01 huggingface dataset:
The Christmas Raid or "Magazine fort raid" happened on the 23 December 1939. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) stole a lot of weapons and ammunitions ("bullets") from the Irish Army. Although the theft from the Magazine Fort building in Phoenix Park was successful, most of what was stolen was recovered by the Irish Army a few days later. Several IRA volunteers were arrested. Reasons for raid. The reason for the raid was that the IRA had many Thompson submachine guns. They found it hard to get the .45 ACP bullets used in these guns in Europe. Because the Irish Army also used the Thompson and had large supplies of bullets, the IRA decided to steal some. The raid. Around 2030, the gate bell rang, and the Military Police officer on guard opened the gate a little for a civilian who said he had a parcel to deliver to the officer-in-charge. The unidentified man told the MP to open the gate fully and put his hands up. At this point, the IRA team appeared from both inside and outside the fort, confiscating the weapons of the sentry and MP. The two hostages were then forced to act as human shields for the two intruders to the guardroom where the remaining soldiers were caught by surprise and gave up without a fight. The captives heard 'many' heavy lorries coming and going from the depot. At 2210 hrs the IRA locked the prisoners in the so-called 'C' Magazine area which the raiders had completely emptied. It was 2250, by the time a party of soldiers was sent from Portobello Barracks to find out what was happening at the fort. They managed to catch two of the raiders. A total of 1,084,000 rounds of ammunition had been taken and removed in thirteen lorries with no casualties. Over the next three to four days a large, nationwide hunt was organised to find the stolen items. On 1 January 1940, it was reported that almost three-quarters of the ammunition had been found, a total of 850,000 rounds;  In addition, some IRA volunteers who were caught storing the ammunition were arrested. What happened after the raid.
Vestigial organs are organs of the body which are smaller and simpler than those in related species. They have lost, or almost lost, their original feature. Vestigiality is evidence for evolution, since they only make sense if evolution has occurred. They were one of the puzzles of pre-Darwinian natural history. The puzzle vanished once biologists realised they once were working adaptations, in the ancestors of present-day animals. They occur in animals (and plants) which have changed their style of life from their ancestors. Thus snakes lost their legs as their system of movement changed. But one type of snake – the boas – have vestigial rear legs and pelvis. The human vermiform appendix is another example. That was much larger, and stored microbes which produced cellulase to break down plant cell walls. Leaves are the main diet of apes, but they are not a main part of man's diet. Cellulose cannot be digested by our species. An unused organ usually degenerates, and becomes smaller or vanishes altogether. Thus amphibia living in dark caves lose their sight and their body colour. Mutations pile up. All structures need energy for their development, maintenance, and weight. This, and the risk of disease in the part (e.g., infection, cancer), provide some selection for the removal of parts which no longer help an organism's fitness. The human appendix had selection against it because of deaths from appendicitis. Appendicitis was untreatable until modern times. The selection pressure was probably weak, because most cases occur after the age of peak fertility. Observations on the cave-dwelling amphipod "Gammarus minus" showed active selection against their vestigial eyes. When mating, the males remain on their females for a week or so after fertilisation, guarding them against other males. The eye sizes of paired males were compared with those of unpaired males. The eye sizes of paired males were smaller than the unpaired ones. Obviously, on average, the paired males would have higher fertility than the unpaired males. The selection gradient was estimated as –0.30, which means the selection for small eyes was quite strong. The
Boscastle is a village and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom, and 14 miles (23 km) south of Bude and 5 miles (8 km) north-east of Tintagel. The name of the village comes from Bottreaux Castle, a 12th-century fortress, of which little survives. There is no church in Boscastle but there are churches at Forrabury and Minster. Boscastle harbour is a natural inlet protected by two stone harbour walls built in 1584 by Sir Richard Grenville. The oldest part of Boscastle surrounds the harbour; more modern residential building extends up the valleys of the Rivers Valency and Jordan. A flash flood on 16 August 2004, caused extensive damage to the village. Residents were trapped in houses and elsewhere as the roads turned into rivers. In the largest peacetime rescue operation ever launched in the UK, 91 people were rescued and there were no deaths.
Sir Richard Grenville (1542 – 1591) was an English sailor, sea captain and explorer. He took part in the early English attempts to settle the New World. He was in the fight against the Spanish Armada. He died in 1591 at the Battle of Flores, fighting against overwhelming odds, and refusing to surrender his ship, the "Revenge", to the far more numerous Spanish. Sir Richard Grenville was a British naval commander. He was born of an old Cornish family in about 1541.  His grandfather, Sir Richard, was a marshal of Calais during the time of Henry VIII. Richard Grenville's father commanded and lost his life in the "Mary Rose" in 1545.  At an early age Richard Grenville served in Hungary under the emperor Maximilian against the Turks.
Tintagel, formerly Trevena, is a civil parish and village on the Atlantic coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is about 5 miles from Boscastle and 6 miles from Camelford. The population of the parish is 1,820 people. The village and nearby Tintagel Castle are associated with the legends surrounding King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. The village has, in recent times, become attractive to tourists from many parts of the world and is one of the most-visited places in Britain. The modern-day village of Tintagel was known as Trevena until the Post Office decided to call it 'Tintagel' in the mid 19th century (until then Tintagel had always been the name of the headland and of the parish). In the village is the 'Old Post Office', which dates from the 14th century. It became a post office during the 19th century, and is now owned by the National Trust. There are three churches in Tintagel, the Anglican church of St Materiana on the cliffs, and Methodist and Roman Catholic churches in the village. Scholars have found it hard to explain the origin of 'Tintagel' as a name: the most likely one to be correct is from Norman French, rather than from Cornish.
Camelford is a small town in north Cornwall, United Kingdom, in the River Camel valley northwest of Bodmin Moor. The town is about ten miles (16 km) north of Bodmin and is governed by a town council. Lanteglos-by-Camelford is the ecclesiastical parish which includes the town. The A39 road goes through the town centre. Camelford railway station on the line to Padstow was some distance from the town and closed in 1966. In July 1988, the water supply to the town and the surrounding area was contaminated when 20 tons of aluminium sulphate was poured into the wrong tank at the nearby Lowermoor Water Treatment Works on Bodmin Moor. An independent inquiry into the incident (the worst of its kind in British history) was started in 2002, and a draft report issued in January 2005, but there is still concern about long-term effects on the health of local people.
Luke Boyd (born December 13, 1977), whose stage name is Classified, is a Canadian hip hop artist and producer from Enfield, Nova Scotia. References. Notes
Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and the oldest university in Sweden, founded in 1477. The university rose to importance during the rise of Sweden as a great power at the end of the 16th century and was then given relative financial stability by the large gift from King Gustavus Adolphus in the early 17th century. Uppsala also has an important historical place in Swedish national culture, identity and for the Swedish establishment. Uppsala belongs to the Coimbra Group of European universities. The university has nine faculties in three 'disciplinary domains'. It has about 20,000 full-time students, and about 2,000 doctoral students. It has a teaching staff of 4,000 (part-time and full-time) out of a total of 6,000 employees.
Algeria was first at the Olympic Games in 1964. The International Olympic Committee's official abbreviation for Algeria is ALG. History. Since 1964, there has been an Algerian team in every Summer Olympic Games since, except for the boycotted 1976 Summer Olympics. Algeria has also sent athletes to the Winter Olympic Games three times. The National Olympic Committee for Algeria is the "Comité Olympique Algérien" started in 1963.
Auguste Chabaud (born 3 October 1882 in Nîmes, Gard, died 23 May 1955 in Graveson, Bouches-du-Rhône) was a French artist and sculptor. Chabaud was born in Nîmes. He started to study arts in Avignon, when he was 14 years old. In 1899, he went to Paris and continued studying arts. In the beginning, his paintings were fauvistic. In 1919, he moved to the Graveson village and stayed there for the rest of his life. Since 1920, he only used Prussian blue color for his paintings. In 1955, he died in the Graveson village. The "Musée Auguste Chabaud" was opened in this village in 1992.
Kee Thuan Chye (born May 25, 1954; age ) is a well-known Malaysian actor, journalist and author. He has acted in theatre, movies and on television for more than 30 years and still do so. movie roles include: (1) "Entrapment"; (2) "Anna and the King"; (3) "Marco Polo", a Hallmark TV-movie; and (4) "Secrets of the Forbidden City" for the BBC and the History Channel.  Kee Thuan Chye received his Master's degree in drama from Essex University in 1988. He was given a British Council Fellowship to study in England. He wrote many plays and poems. Two of his plays have been shown at UK Festivals: His play, "1984 Here and Now", is included in an international collection of poems called "Postcolonial Plays". It was published by Routledge, United Kingdom. Kee's short story, "A Sense of Home", is included in "New Writing 10". This short story was published by Picador, also in the United Kingdom.  Kee Thuan Chye is also a well-known civil rights fighter. Because the Malaysian government does not allow newspapers to criticize her, Kee would write what he wants to say in his plays when he cannot write them in newspapers. And because he dares to speak out, Kee was named as one of the "The Annexe Heroes" when The Annexe Heroes Freedom of Expression Awards was started in 2008. In 2010, he was named the 34th Most Trusted Malaysian by Reader's Digest.
Altarnun is a village and parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom, on the north-eastern edge of Bodmin Moor at . The parish of Altarnun includes the village of Fivelanes and the hamlets of Bolventor, Treween and Trewint, and had a population of 976 according to the 2001 census. The moorland area of the parish is large and lies west of the village towards Rough Tor and southwards towards Dozmary Pool. The village is in the valley of the Penpont Water and the parish is divided by the A30 trunk road which passes through Fivelanes.
A bachelor's degree is the certificate given to a university student after they have succeeded in an end of course examination. In England and Wales the degree requires three years of study; in North America and some other countries four years are required.  In many countries there are other qualifications after school attendance is ended. Most of these are below degree level, and based on practical skills, but details vary according to the country.  In the British tradition there is a distinction between general degrees, and honour degrees or special degrees. In Scotland, for example, a general degree takes three years, while an honours degree takes four years. The content of a bachelor's degree varies according to the Faculty, the part of the University which does the teaching. In a Faculty of Arts or Humanities a student studies for the Bachelor of Arts. Other traditional Faculties are those of Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and so on. Honours degrees are always labelled by their content, so BSc is a Bachelor of Science, BA a Bachelor of Arts, and so on. Medical degrees are labelled variously. London University awards MB, ChB (bachelor of medicine and surgery) as the basic degree; Edinburgh University awards the MD as the basic qualification. Higher degrees than the bachelor are possible. Again, regulations vary, but often the next two steps are usually the Master's degree and the PhD degree.
Benin has been in every Summer Olympic Games held since 1980. Benin has never won an Olympic medal. No athletes from Benin have been in any Winter Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee's official abbreviation for Benin is BEN. In 1964, it was DAY for Dahomey.
The University of Essex is a university in Essex, England. It was started in 1963. The university's main campus is at Wivenhoe Park in Essex. It is less than one mile (1.6 km) from the town of Wivenhoe and 2 miles (3.2 km) from the city of Colchester.  Apart from this main campus, there are also branch campuses in Southend, Loughton (home of the East 15 Acting School), and Ipswich. The University of Essex has 18 main teaching departments and 36 centres and institutes, teaching a wide range of subjects. Its motto is "Thought the harder, heart the keener". The motto comes from the East Saxon poem, "The Battle of Maldon".
Botswana has been in 11 Summer Olympics. The first time was in 1980. They have never been in the Winter Olympics. Botswana's first medal was won by Nijel Amos in 2012 in London. It earned a second medal in the 4 x 400 relay in 2020.
Burkina Faso has been in every Summer Olympic Games held since 1988. Under its old name of Upper Volta, the country also was at the 1972 Summer Olympics. Burkina Faso won their first Olympic medal in 2020. That year, Hugues Fabrice Zango earned a bronze medal in the triple jump. No athletes from Burkina Faso have been at the Winter Olympic Games.
Burundi was first at the Olympic Games in 1996. They have been in every Summer Olympic Games since then. The nation has never been in the Winter Olympic Games. The National Olympic Committee for Burundi was started in 1990 and recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1993.
Cameroon was first at the Olympic Games in 1964. The International Olympic Committee's official abbreviation for Cameroon is CAM. History. There have been competitors from Cameroon in every Summer Olympic Games since then. The nation left the 1976 Summer Olympics after three days. Cameroon has also been at the Winter Olympic Games one time in 2002. The National Olympic Committee for Cameroon was formed in 1963.
The British Council is an organization in the United Kingdom which specializes in international educational and cultural opportunities. Its main activities are 'Learning/Teaching, the Arts, Science and Society'. Its headquarters is in Spring Gardens near Whitehall in Central London. There are other branch offices in Belfast, Cardiff, Manchester and Edinburgh. Its overseas network covers 233 locations in over 100 countries. The British Council is registered as a charity, both in England and Wales, and in Scotland. It receives grants from the British government. The rest is earned from teaching English to individuals and organizations, conducting examinations, and providing consultancy. Aims. The British Council was founded in 1934 as the "British Committee for Relations with Other Countries". The idea came from Sir Reginald ("Rex") Leeper who recognizes the importance of "cultural propaganda" in promoting British interests. He was encouraged by the success of the official cultural organizations of France, Germany and Italy. The British Council's 'sponsoring department' is the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the British government, although it runs its day-to-day activities independently. In September 2009, its Director of Arts, Rebecca Walton, said: "We want people to become more inclined towards the UK and more sensitive to the positive benefits of the UK in the world".
Routledge is a British publisher. It has changed names and owners many times since it was first formed by George Routledge (1812–1888) in 1836. The firm continued to grow until 1902 when it almost became bankrupt. However, it managed to recover after refinancing and began to buy up and merge with other publishing companies. From 1912 onwards, it increasingly focuses on academic publishing. It soon became well known for its books in humanities and social sciences. Taylor &amp; Francis bought Routledge in 1998.
Cut Bank is a city in Glacier County, Montana, United States. The population of Cut Bank was 3,056 in 2020. The Cut Bank Creek flows past the city. The Cherokee Trail, which was a historic overland trail, ended in Cut Bank. The Blackfeet Indian Reservation is located just west of the city. The city of Cut Bank turned 100 years old on May 11, 2011.
American Pie is a 1999 American teen sex comedy movie that was produced by Chris Moore, Chris Weitz, Warren Zide and Craig Perry and was the directorial debut for directors Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz. "American Pie" is set in Michigan. It deals with a group of teenage boys deciding to try to lose their virginity before graduation from high school. It was released on July 9, 1999 in North America. The movie is the first in the "American Pie" movie series. It gained mixed reviews with a 58% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 58 out of 100 from Metacritic. It was followed by American Pie 2.
Entrapment is a 1999 American crime thriller movie, starring Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones. It is directed by Jon Amiel. Zeta-Jones plays a character who works for an insurance company. She is sent to help capture an art thief. The art thief is played by Sean Connery. But she herself is also a thief. Soon, the two of them worked together to pull off the biggest theft of the millennium.
San Diego County is a large county in the southwest area of California. The county borders Mexico. The population of San Diego County was 3,298,634 in 2020, which makes San Diego County the second most populated county in California. San Diego County has about 70 miles (110 km) of coastline. Most people live near the coast, for example in San Diego, California. Also in this county there are 16 military locations of the United States Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Coast Guard, including Naval Base San Diego, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, and Naval Air Station North Island. 1. Per capita income (meaning the added up income of all residents divided by the population.) 1. Per 1,000 people (as of 2012)
Anna and the King is a 1999 movie, loosely based on "Anna and the King of Siam". The movie was directed by Andy Tennant and stars Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-fat. It was mostly shot in Malaysia. It was an Academy Award nominee in 2000 for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. The movie tells the story of the romance between the King of Siam (now Thailand) and the widowed English schoolteacher, Anna Leonowens, during the 1860s. It is based on the true story of Anna Leonowens' experiences. References.
History is an international satellite and cable TV channel that broadcasts historical programs, both fictional and non-fictional. The TV channel is available in many countries. It is seen by more than 80 million households.  Because it shows a lot of programs on World War II, it has been jokingly called "The Hitler Channel". It also broadcast programs that try to foretell the future. The History Channel was started by A&amp;E Television Networks on January 1, 1995. A&amp;E Television Networks is a joint-venture between:  On March 20, 2008, The History Channel dropped "The" and "Channel" from its name to become simply "History".
Niort is a "commune" in the Deux-Sèvres department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. It is a prefecture of the Deux-Sèvres department. It is also the capital of the "arrondissement" of Niort. Geography. Niort is to the southwest of the Deux-Sèvres department on the left side of the Sèvre Niortaise river. The city is the main place to get into the Marais Poitevin, a large area of marshland in western France. Niort is at about from Parthenay and about from Bressuire, the two subprefectures of the department. The city is also at about from Bordeaux, from Paris, from Marseille and from Toulouse. The "commune" has an area of . Its average altitude is ; at the city hall, the altitude is . The "commune" of Niort is surrounded by the "communes": Climate. The climate of Niort is an oceanic climate with template summers, Cfb (Marine West Coast Climate) in the Köppen climate classification. The average amount of precipitation for the year in Niort is . The month with the most precipitation on average is September with of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is July with an average of . The average temperature for the year in Niort is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of . Population. The inhabitants of Niort are known, in French, as "Niortais" (women: "Niortaises"). With a population of 58,311, Niort has a population density of inhabitants/km2. Evolution of the population in Niort Niort forms, with other 3 "communes", the urban area of Niort with a population of 71,127 inhabitants (2013) and an area of . This urban area is the centre of the metropolitan area of Niort, formed by 76 "communes" with a population of 154,160 inhabitants (2013) and an area of
Blisland is a village and parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is about five miles northeast of Bodmin. According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 565. The parish is rural in character, the northeast being moorland and the southwest lower lying farmland. The parish is bordered to the north by St Breward parish; to the west by St Mabyn and Helland parishes; to the south by Cardinham, Warleggan, and St Neot parishes; and to the northeast by Altarnun parish.
St Breward is a parish and village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is on the western side of Bodmin Moor about 6 miles (10 km) north of Bodmin. The parish name derives from Saint Branwalader. In the 17th century St Breward was two separate villages, Churchtown (higher) and St. Breward (lower). More houses were built and slowly the villages merged into one. There are several main parts to the village: Churchtown, Rylands, Limehead, Wenford, Penvorder, Higher Penquite and Lower Penquite. The parish includes a moorland area which contains Rough Tor and Brown Willy, which is the highest point in Cornwall.