In 1639 a group of Russian "promyshlenniki" (hunter-traders) sailed from Russia into the Pacific ocean, They were the first Europeans to sailed between Asia and North America. Peter the great, Czar of Russia, wanted to send an expedition to confirm the information. In 1724 he sent the first Kamchatka expedition (1725-30) led by Bering. One of their tasks was to see if Siberia was connected to North America. They sailed first to the Kamchatka Peninsula where a ship was built for the exploration. In 1728 Bering sailed north far enough to discover that Siberia and North America (Alaska) were not connected.
The Second Kamchatka Expedition (1733-43) was a very large scientific expedition. It was also led by Bering. The scientific expedition sent out smaller explorations to chart the coasts of Siberia, the Pacific, and several research expeditions. Ships were sent to Japan and America to promote Russian interests. Bering reached Alaska in 1741. On the return journey they had to stop at Bering Island. While there nearly half the crew, including Bering, died. In 1991, Danish archaeologists found his grave.
Ritornello
Ritornello is an Italian word meaning "little return". At first in music ritornello was used as an instruction to repeat a part. By the 1600's the word was used to describe a part of the music played by instruments in a vocal piece. These instrumental sections could be at the start (a prelude), in the middle (an interlude), or at the end (a postlude). In dramatic music, the ritornello provided an opportunity for dancing, or for a scene change. In the Baroque period, a common way to write a song, called an aria, was in da capo form. The aria would be written as two contrasting sections, A and B. By adding an instrumental ritornello (R), the aria could be developed further, forming the scheme R–A–R–B–R–A–R.
In the early 1700's composers began using the ritornello form in concertos, the solo instrument replacing the voice. This gave the composer the chance to develop music during the solos with new material and key changes, between repeated sections of full orchestra. Guiseppe Torelli began using this form, which was then developed and extended by Antonio Vivaldi. Vivaldi's way of using this form has the following features:
Later composers such as Bach and Telemann used Vivaldi's form in their works.
Dominant (music)
The dominant in music is the fifth note of a major or minor scale. In a C scale, the fifth and dominant note will be G. Chords built on this note are called dominant chords. In the key of C, the dominant chord will be G-B-D. Keys have the same relationship as notes, so the dominant key will be the key of the fifth note. So in C, the key of G is the dominant key. In musical theory, the dominant is written with the roman numeral "V".
National Medal of Science
The National Medal of Science is an honor given by the President of the United States. It is awarded to people in science and engineering who did important work in behavioral, social sciences, biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and physics.
The National Medal of Science was made on August 25, 1959, by an act of the Congress of the United States. The medal was to be to honor scientists in the fields of the "physical, biological, mathematical or engineering sciences".
Camcorder
Camcorder are electronic devices which combines a video camera and a video recorder. Most devices capable of recording video are camera phones and digital cameras primarily intended for still pictures. The term "camcorder" is used to describe a portable, self-contained device, with video capture and recording as its primary function.
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Marilyn Maxwell
Marilyn Maxwell (August 3, 1921 – March 20, 1972) was an American actress and entertainer. She was a sex symbol in the 1940s and 1950s. She appeared in several movies and radio programs. She played Hazel Moon in "Lost in a Harem" (1944). She also played Grace Diamond in "Champion" (1949).
Maxwell was born in Clarinda, Iowa. She died from a heart attack at age 50.
Silver birch
The silver birch ("Betula pendula"), also known as the warty birch, European white birch, or East Asian white birch, is a deciduous tree in the family Betulaceae. It grows in Europe, parts of Asia and North America.
The silver birch is a medium-sized tree, which has triangle-shaped leaves. In autumn the leaves turn yellow and fall. Trunk is shining white. The twigs are slender, and in an old tree the they often hang downwards. The flowers are grouped in an inflorescence called a catkin. The wind spreads the birch seed. The trees are monoecious, with both male and female catkins on the same tree.
Eisaku Satō
Eisaku Satō‏ (27 March 1901 – 3 June 1975) was a Japanese politician and the 39th Prime Minister of Japan. He was first elected in December 1964. He was the first Prime Minister to have been born in the 20th century. Satō shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Seán MacBride in 1974. He received the award for representing the Japanese people's will for peace, and for signing the nuclear weapons Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1970.
Satō‏ was born in Tabuse in Yamaguchi Prefecture. He suffered a stroke on May 23, 1975 and had fallen into a deep coma. He died on 3 June 1975 a Tokyo hospital.
Emperor Toba
Eddie Shore
Eddie Shore (November 25, 1902 – March 16, 1985) was a Canadian professional hockey player known for playing defense for the Boston Bruins. He was born in Fort Qu'Appelle, Canada.
Shore played for the Melville Millionaires, Regina Capitals, Edmonton Eskimos, New York Americans, Boston Bruins, Springfeild Indians and the Buffalo Bisons.
Armando Cossutta
Armando Cossutta (2 September 1926 – 14 December 2015) was an Italian communist politician. After World War II, he became one of the leading members of the party, representing the most pro-Soviet Union tendency. Cossutta was president of the Party of Italian Communists, and Member of Parliament. He also served as Member of the European Parliament during the 5th European term (1999-2004). In 1999, Cossutta appeared on a list of alleged Italian KGB spies. Cossutta has not been convicted.
Cossutta died on 14 December 2015 in Rome, Italy from bronchopneumonia, aged 89.
Evelyn S. Lieberman
Evelyn May Simonowitz Lieberman (July 9, 1944 – December 12, 2015) was an American public affairs professional. During the Bill Clinton administration, she became the first woman to serve as White House Deputy Chief of Staff serving for a few months in 1996.
She was the first United States Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. From 2002 until her death, Lieberman worked for the Smithsonian Institution, most recently as Senior Advisor and Assistant to the Secretary for external relations.
Lieberman died of pancreatic cancer in Washington, D.C., aged 71.
Jansila Majeed
Jansila Majeed is an activist in the Puttalam District of Sri Lanka. In 2010, she received an International Women of Courage Award from the U.S. Department of State.
Majeed was an internally displaced person (IDP) for 20 years. She works for the rights of Muslim and Tamil IDPs in Sri Lanka.
Majeed started her work in 1992 with a group of five people. She is the Managing Trustee of the Community Trust Fund in Puttalam. The group is an NGO that works for minority rights, women's rights, and peace. It also works with young people, and teaches about the dangers of mines in the north and east.
Majeed spoke at the beginning of the UNDP 2010 Asia-Pacific Human Development Report on Gender. In her report, she said that Sri Lanka must change its ideas about women's rights, women in politics, legal rights for women and working women.
Marie Claude Naddaf
Marie Claude Naddaf (Arabic: ماري كلود نداف ) is an activist and a nun from Syria. In 2010, she received an International Women of Courage Award.