Voltaire was also a writer. He wrote many books, poems and plays, some of which are still liked today. A lot of his work was against France and the Church. This meant that he was unpopular at first but became more popular towards the time of the French Revolution. He also studied science and wrote a lot about people and places he knew. His writings later led to the Terror of the French revolution, where there was no liberty and the population was condemned on a whim of the political leaders.
Voltaire believed in a God but did not believe in a God personally involved in people's lives, like the Christian God. This is called Deism. When he died in Paris, Voltaire was not allowed to be buried in a church because he did not believe in the Christian God.
Missouri
Missouri is one of the 50 states in the United States. Its capital is Jefferson City. Its largest cities are Kansas City and Saint Louis. Some other cities are Columbia (which is where the University of Missouri is), and Springfield.
Missouri officially became a state on August 10, 1821.
Missouri's edges touch a total of eight states: Iowa lies to the north; to the east, across the Mississippi River, are Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee; Arkansas lies to the south; and on the west are Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska (Kansas and Nebraska are across the Missouri River).
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state in the United States. South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. Its capital is Pierre and largest city is Sioux Falls. Other important cities are Rapid City and Aberdeen. Famous attractions include Mount Rushmore, the Black Hills, and the Wall Drug Store. The Corn Palace is also famous, and it is in Mitchell.
South Dakota is bordered to the north by North Dakota, to the south by Nebraska, to the east by Iowa and Minnesota, and to the west by Wyoming and Montana.
Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a suburb in the London Borough of Merton, in the south west of London, England. The Wimbledon Championships, a tennis competition, is held there every summer. Also in Wimbledon are New Wimbledon Theatre, and Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas of common land in London. Wimbledon F.C., a famous football club, started in Wimbledon, then moved to Milton Keynes and changed their name to Milton Keynes Dons F.C. however after this move AFC Wimbledon was created and now plays at Kings medow in Kingston. People live in two different areas. The High Street area is called the "village", and the area near the railway station is called the "town". The High Street area is part of the original Middle Ages village, and the "town" area is modern - houses were first built there in 1838.
People are known to have lived in Wimbledon since the Iron Age when the hill fort on Wimbledon Common was built. At the time the Domesday Book was written (about 1087), Wimbledon belonged to the lord of the manor of Mortlake. The ownership of the manor of Wimbledon changed between various rich families many times during its history, and the area also attracted other wealthy families who built large houses such as Eagle House, Wimbledon House and Warren House. The people in the village were either poor people who worked on the land or they were rich and important people. The rich and poor people lived together happily. In the 18th century the Dog and Fox public house became a stop on the stagecoach run from London to Portsmouth, then in 1838 the London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) opened a station to the south east of the village at the bottom of Wimbledon hill. After the station was built, new houses were built near to it, and many people began living near the station. In the second half of the 19th century the number of people living in Wimbledon grew quickly. At the start of the 19th century there were about 1,000 people living in Wimbledon; then in 1911 there were about 55,000 people. During this time large numbers of villas and terraced houses were built out along the roads from the centre towards neighbouring Putney, Merton Park and Raynes Park.
Wimbledon lies in the south west area of London, south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames on the outskirts of Greater London. It is south-west of the centre of London at Charing Cross. It is considered an rich suburb with a mix of grand Victorian houses, modern housing and low rise apartments. The residential area is split into two sections known as the village and the town, with the village around the High Street being part of the original medieval village, and now a prime residential area of London commanding high prices, and the "town" being part of the modern development since the building of the railway station in 1838.
The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.
The population consists around 57,000 adults, the majority in the ABC1 social group. The population grew from around 1,000 at the start of the 19th century to around 55,000 in 1911, a figure which has remained reasonably stable since.
Originally Wimbledon had its own borough of Wimbledon and was within the county of Surrey; it was absorbed into the London Borough of Merton as part of the creation of Greater London in 1965. It is in the Parliamentary constituency of Wimbledon, and since 2005 it has been represented by Conservative MP Stephen Hammond.
Wimbledon Football Club was began in Wimbledon in 1889. In 2002 it moved to Milton Keynes and it 2004 it changed its name to Milton Keynes Dons F.C. Many football fans in Wimbledon did not agree with the move. They decided to start a new club there, which is called AFC Wimbledon.
The club played in the English Football League and won the FA Cup in 1988. It was a professional football club, which means that the players get paid to play.
Mersey Beat
The Mersey Beat or Mersey Sound or Liverpool Sound is the name for a type of music that came out in the city of Liverpool, England in the early 1960s.
Maybe the first group to be thought of as a part of genre were Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes. The most famous group of this genre were The Beatles. Other important groups include Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Searchers and the female singer Cilla Black.
1078
Year 1078 (MLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.
1766
The Adventures of Pete and Pete
The Adventures of Pete and Pete was an American television show on the Nickelodeon network in the early 1990s. It was about two brothers with the same first name who grow up together.
427 BC
Year 427 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar.
Motorcycle
A motorcycle (or motorbike) is a vehicle used to transport people from one place to another. It does not have 4 wheels like a car. It has 2 wheels like a bicycle. But it has a motor like a car. A motorcycle is normally driven by one person. A passenger can also ride on the back of the motorcycle. Some motorcycles have a sidecar that can carry another passenger.
In 1901, the first successful motorcycle was made by "Indian motorcycles" in Springfield, Massachusetts. Since then, many other companies have made them. Major manufacturers include Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha. A well known American manufacturer of motorcycles is Harley-Davidson.
Since motorcycles can be lighter than cars, they can accelerate more quickly. But it also makes them not as safe as cars, because they do not have a protecting chassis around them like cars. Very often motorcycle riders are injured heavily in accidents. A motorcycle rider can wear a helmet and clothing that has armor. This special clothing may reduce the rider's injuries in an accident. Motorcycles also do not protect riders against wind and rain. That makes it difficult to drive in winter or during bad weather.
In poor countries, motorcycles are used by many as a cheap method of transportation. Many people who do not have the money to buy a car can afford a small motorcycle. In rich countries, large powerful motorcycles are used more as a hobby or sport.