"46 " Amazing Facts About New York
1. The first American chess tournament was held in New York in 1843.
2. The 641 mile transportation network known as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway is the longest toll road in the United States.
3. A brewer named Matthew Vassar founded Vassar College in Poughkeepsie in 1861.
4. In 1979 Vassar students were the first from a private college to be granted permission to study in the People's Republic of China.
5. The Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan is the only school in the world offering a Bachelor of Science Degree with a Major in Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing.
6.Union College in Schenectady is regarded as the Mother of Fraternities because Delta Phi is the oldest continually operating fraternity and Kappa Alpha and Sigma Phi Societies were started on the campus.
7. The Woodstock Music and Arts Fair was actually held in Bethel.
8. Dairying is New York's most important farming activity with over 18,000 cattle and or calves farms.
9. In 1807 The Clermont made its maiden voyage from New York City to Albany making the vessel the first successful steamboat.
10. Sam Schapiro began the Kosher wine industry on New York's Lower East side with their famous extra heavy original concord wine in 1899.
11. New York City has 722 miles of subway track.
12. Power Mill Park situated outside Rochester has a house on Park Road shaped like a group of mushrooms.
13. Chittenago is the home of L. Frank Baum, author of the "Wizard of Oz". It features a yellow brick inlaid sidewalks leading to Aunti Em's and other Oz-themed businesses. Chittenago is the location of an annual Munchkins parade.
14. Oneida has the world's smallest church with the dimensions of 3.5' X 6'.
15. The first daily Yiddish newspaper appeared in 1885 in New York City.
16. The first international sports hero, boxer Bill Richmond of Staten Island, was born August 5, 1763.
17. The "New York Post" established in 1803 by Alexander Hamilton is the oldest running newspaper in the United States.
18.John Babcock invented both the indoor rowing machine and the sliding seat during the winter of 1869/1870.
19. The first railroad in America ran a distance of 11 miles between Albany and Schenectady.
20. The first capital of the United States was New York City. In 1789 George Washington took his oath as president on the balcony at Federal Hall.
21. Hartsdale has a pet cemetery established in 1896 and containing 12,000 plots.
22. In November for Boy Scouts and in March for Girl Scouts the annual Urban Camp-Outs are hosted at the Empire State Building.
23. The Catskills are the home of the legend of Rip Van Winkle, brown trout and flycasting.
24. The first presentation of 3D films before a paying audience took place at Manhattan's Astor Theater on June 10, 1915.
25. Sam Wilson, a meatpacker from Troy who's caricature Uncle Sam came to personify the United States is buried at Troy's Oakwood Cemetery. During the War of 1812, he stamped "U.S. Beef" on his products which soldiers interpreted the U.S. abbreviation as meaning Uncle Sam.
26. The Genesee River is one of the few rivers in the world that flows south to north.
27. Rochester is known as both the Flour City and the Flower City. The community is home to the first abolitionist group, bloomers, marshmallows, Jell-O, French's Mustard, baby shoes, gold teeth and the mail chute.
28. Gennaro Lombardi opened the first United States pizzeria in 1895 in New York City.
29. On July 28, 1945 an Army Air Corps B-25 crashed into the Empire State Building at the 79th floor level.
30. New York's largest lake in Oneida measures 79.8 square miles.
31. New York's highest waterfall is the 215 foot Taughannock.
32. The Erie Canal, built across New York State in the 1820s, opened the Midwest to development and helped New York City become a worldwide trading center.
33. The first Boy's Club was established in New York City in 1876.
34. European settlers who brought seeds to New York introduced apples in the 1600s.
35. The Big Apple is a term coined by musicians meaning to play the big time.
36. The first Eagle Scout was Arthur R. Eldred from Troop 1 in Oceanside. He was bestowed the honor in May 1912.
37. Ten Mile River Boy Scout Camp in Narrowsburg is the largest council owned camp in the country.
38. Joseph C. Gayetty of New York City invented toilet paper in 1857.
39. Wade Boggs and Cal Ripken Jr. played against each other in Rochester vs. Pawtucket Red Sox in the longest game in baseball history. The game went a total of 33 innings.
40. The oldest cattle ranch in the US was started in 1747 at Montauk on Long Island.
41. Adirondack Park is larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, and Olympic Parks combined.
42. New York was the first state to require license plates on cars.
43. Niagara Reservation became the first state park in the United States.
44. Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site in Newburgh was the first publicly owned historic site.
45. New York State is home to 58 species of wild orchids.
46. New York has over 70,000 miles of rivers and streams.
Weird, Strange but true facts about the Earth
In 1783 an Icelandic eruption threw up enough dust to temporarily block out the sun over Europe.
About 20 to 30 volcanoes erupt each year, mostly under the sea.
A huge underground river runs underneath the Nile, with six times more water than the river above.
Lake Bosumtwi in Ghana formed in a hollow made by a meteorite.
Beaver Lake, in Yellowstone Park, USA, was artificially created by beaver damming.
Off the coast of Florida there is an underwater hotel. Guests have to dive to the entrance.
Venice in Italy is built on 118 sea islets joined by 400 bridges. It is gradually sinking into the water.
The Ancient Egyptians worshipped a sky goddess called Nut.
The world's windiest place is Commonwealth Bay, Antartica.
In 1934, a gust of wind reached 371 km/h on Mount Washington in New Hampshire, USA.
American Roy Sullivan has been struck by lighting a record seven times.
The desert baobab tree can store up to 1000 litres of water in its trunk.
The oldest living tree is a California bristlecone pine name 'Methuselah'. It is about 4600 years old. The largest tree in the world is a giant sequoia growing in California. It is 84 meters tall and measures 29 meters round the trunk. The fastest growing tree is the eucalyptus. It can grow 10 meters a year.
The Antartic notothenia fish has a protein in its blood that acts like antifreeze and stops the fish freezing in icy sea.
The USA uses 29% of the world's petrol and 33% of the world's electricity.
The industrial complex of Cubatao in Brazil is known as the Valley of Death because its pollution has destroyed the trees and rivers nearby.
Tibet is the highest country in the world. Its average height above sea level is 4500 meters.
Some of the oldest mountains in the world are the Highlands in Scotland. They are estimated to be about 400 million years old.
Fresh water from the River Amazon can be found up to 180 km out to sea.
The White Sea, in Russia, has the lowest temperature, only -2 degrees centigrade. The Persian Gulf is the warmest sea. In the summer its temperature reaches 35.6 degrees centigrade.
There is no land at all at the North Pole, only ice on top of sea. The Arctic Ocean has about 12 million sq km of floating ice and has the coldest winter temperature of -34 degrees centigrade.
The Antarctic ice sheet is 3-4 km thick, covers 13 million sq km and has temperatures as low as -70 degrees centigrade.
Over 4 million cars in Brazil are now running on gasohol instead of petrol. Gasohol is a fuel made from sugar cane.
Statue of Liberty (U DID NOT KNOW)
Event at which a gift from France to the US was conceived: Dinner Party Date: 1865 Location: Glatigny, France (near Versailles) Host: Edouard-Rene Lefebvre de Laboulaye (1811-83) Honored Guest: Frederic Auguste Bartholdi (As accounted by Bartholdi in 1885 - ref: Trachtenberg)
Date Construction of the Statue began in France: 1875 Title of Statue: "Liberty Enlightening the World"
Sculptor: Frederic Auguste Bartholdi Bartholdi's Military Rank: Quartermaster to a force of five thousand soldiers Bartholdi's Commander at Autun during Franco-Prussian War in 1870: Giuseppe Garibaldi (FS1986)
Structural Engineer: Gustave Eiffel Method of Fabrication: Repousse Process
Statue completed in Paris: June 1884 Statue presented to America by the people of France: July 4, 1884 Statue dismantled and shipped to US: Early 1885
Number of individual pieces shipped to US: 350 Number of crates required: 214 Location of Statue: Liberty Island, formerly Bedloe's Island and Fort Wood (fortress for protection of New York Harbor 1811) Reaction in Paris to Liberty leaving for New York: On July 4, 1889 the American community in Paris offered the French people a gift of a bronze replica of the Statue of Liberty, 1/4 scale, about 35 feet high. It still stands now, on Ile des Cygnes an island in the Seine River, next to the Pont de Grenelle, a bridge crossing the Seine, 1.5 km downstrean (South) of the Eiffel Tower.
Hinduism Facts...
The term ‘Hinduism’ is really a term used by travellers to India in the 18th and 19th centuries to describe the different but related religious ideas, cultures and philosophies which they found there.
It has been suggested that it is more accurate to speak of “Hinduisms” rather than a single tradition. Hindu religious leaders prefer to use the term Sanatana Dharma (the universal law of order – unity in diversity) instead of Hinduism. (The word ‘Hindu’ stems from the Sanskrit term to describe India – Sapta Sindhu [pronounced Hapta Hindu] – the land of seven great rivers: Ganges, Yamuna, Sarasvati, Godavari, Indus, Narmada, and Cauvery.)
The Hindu traditions are believed to have come to India through the arrival in India of the Aryans. They came from the west around 1700-1500 BCE, though some dispute this and point to earlier traditions native to the Indus Valley.
The oldest of the Hindu scriptures, the Vedas, were written in the period between 1500 and 500 BCE, known as the Vedic Period.
The origins of the Om (sometimes given as Aum) symbol are obscure but the sound is believed to be an aspect of the creation of the cosmos.
Another significant Hindu symbol is the swastika, which is found all over Hindu temples, signs, altars, pictures and iconography in India and Nepal. It is seen as pointing in all four directions (North, East, South and West) and thus signifies stability and groundedness. The swastika is considered extremely holy and auspicious by all Hindus and is regularly used to decorate all sorts of items to do with Hindu culture. (The symbol is found widely in the ancient world but was taken over by the Nazis in the 1920s as a symbol of white supremacy.
Since the Second World War (and following Indian independence) many have also migrated to Britain, Ireland and North America, where there are now substantial Hindu communities.
Hindu temples range from the small and simple to the very grand and elaborately decorated, outside as well as inside. Each temple has at least one priest who looks after the images of the gods and leads the prayers.
People may come to worship individually or in groups. Group worship normally involves the singing of hymns from the Vedas, saying prayers and lighting a small fire, and waving a live flame over the images of the gods.
The popular festival of Diwali, which is also celebrated by Sikhs, marks the start of the New Year (in October or November) for many Hindus.
The Gayatri Mantra from the Rig Veda (which altogether contains over one thousand poems) is used by many Hindus in morning worship:
“We meditate on the most excellent splendour of the Creator.
May we be guided and inspired by his wisdom.”
The Upanishads (meaning ‘sit down near’ or ‘lessons’) are the last part of each Veda. They were written around 600 BCE and introduced the idea of reincarnation. People used to sit down near wise teachers and learn from them.
The Sutras (meaning ‘threads’) are short sayings and verses based on the Vedas and were written between 500 and 100 BCE.
There are also several famous epic spiritual poems, best known of which are the Ramayana which tells the story of Prince Rama (written around 100 BCE and 100 CE) and the Bhagavad-gita (the Song of God) written around 250 CE.
Britney Spears Trivia - Britney Spears Facts - Britney Spears Information
Full Name: Britney Jean Spears
- Birth Date: December 2, 1982
- Born: Kentwood, Louisiana
- Hair: Naturally brown. Blonde with brown.
- Eyes: Brown
- Favorite actor: Ben Affleck
- Favorite cereal: Captain Crunch
- Favorite City: Chicago (1999) - London (2004) - Marid (2004)
- Favorite color: Baby blue
- Favorite food: Mom's home cooking!
- Favorite movie: Steel Magnolias
- Favorite song: Purple Rain by Prince
- Favorite sport: Basketball
- Favorite TV Show: Friends, Sex & The City
- Favourite Song from "...Baby One More Time" Album: "From the Bottom Of My Broken Heart"
- Favourite Song from "Britney": "Slave 4 U"
- Favourite Song from "In The Zone": "Everytime" and "Boom Boom"
- Favourite Song From "Oops!... I Did It Again" Album: "Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know"
- First Hit Single: (debut) "...Baby One More Time" on late 1998
- At age seven Britney won $50,000 in a singing contest.
- Biggest Influence: Madonna
- Britney auditioned to play Allie Nelson in The Notebook, but lost the part to Rachel McAdams.
- Britney confirmed that her 5th studio album will be coming out in 2007.
- Britney has a song with her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake called "What is like to be me" on her album "Britney."
- Britney has one Grammy award (won in 2005) and has six nominations: two nominations each in the 2000, 2001 and 2003 ceremonies. She also has had a total of 16 MTV Video Music Award nominations.
- Britney has taken to signing autographs "Britney Federline," rather than "Britney Spears."
- Britney hates flying on airplanes.
- Britney performed on Star Search when she was eight years old. She also first auditioned for The Mickey Mouse Club when she was eight but was turned down because she was too young.
- Britney was voted the female star internet surfers are hungry to read about by the Pipex survey of 16-24-year olds.
- Contract with Jive Records: signed at age 15
- Crush: Brad Pitt
- Dislikes: Her feet
- Ex-Boyfriends: Reg, Justin Timberlake
- Ex-Husband: Jason Allen Alexander
- Hobbies: singing, dancing, shopping, watching tv and going to the movies, travelling, spending the day at a spa, long baths, going to the beach, reading romantic novels
- Husband: Kevin Federline
- She sang "New York, New York" (Frank Sinatra) on her "Broadway" phase, performing in NY.
- She sang "Open Arms" (Mariah Carey) at her neighboard's wedding and send the tape to Jive when she was trying to get a record deal.
- She'd like to duet with Robbie Williams.
- She'd like to work on a movie with George Clooney.
- In the film "Seed of Chucky", Chucky runs 'Britney Spears' off the side of the road, causing her car to explode. Britney was portrayed by a look-alike, and TV spots displayed a cautionary bumper: "Britney Spears Does Not Appear In This Movie". Britney was concerned movie-goers might think she had actually died.
- Nicknames: Brit, Bit-Bit, Pinky
- On May 9, 2006, Brittany announced on The David Letterman Show that she was pregnant with her second child.
- Parents' jobs: her father worked at construction, has owned a gym, and now owns a fast food restaurant JJ Chill at LA, and her mum used to be a primary school teacher.
- Parents: Jamie & Lynne Spears
- Pets: 3 dogs from childhood n up to 2004 + 3 new dogs
- She appeared on Star Search twice and won once.
- She sang "I'm a brass band" in one of the tapes she used for 'promoting' herself wen she was little.
- She sang "Lavender's blue" in some kind of small event, with a blue shirt and a bow on her head, very cute.
- Siblings: Jamie Lynn and Bryan
- Tattoos: Fairy on her lower back, Chinese symbol on her lower tummy, Daisy on her toe
- TV Break: The New Micky Mouse Club (11 yrs old)
- When Britney first started in 1999, she was often compared to fellow mouseketeer, Christina Aguilera. There were many rumors of them feuding, while none were true.
- When Britney gets angry and yells, Britney calls this alter-ego 'Mona Lisa'. Mona Lisa is credited as director for the music video 'Do Somethin'.
- Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
Eco-car more efficient than light bulb
An eco-car that can travel the world using a fraction of the electricity it takes to power a light bulb has been unveiled by its British creators.
The hydrogen-powered Ech2o needs just 25 Watts -- the equivalent of less than two gallons of petrol -- to complete the 25,000-mile global trip, while emitting nothing more hazardous than water.
But with a top speed of 30mph, the journey would take more than a month to complete. Ech2o, built by British gas firm BOC, will bid to smash the world fuel efficiency record of over 10,000 miles per gallon at the Shell Eco Marathon.
The record is currently ... 5,385 km/per liter [12,900 mpg!]. John Carolin, BOC global director sustainable energy: "It sounds unbelievable how little power is used to keep the BOC Ech2o moving, but it demonstrates the impact of careful design and is a valuable lesson for car makers in the future.
Note: If these small test cars get over 10,000 miles per gallon, why aren't new cars getting at least 100 mpg?
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/07/04/eco.car
Vietnam War Facts
While many aspects about the Vietnam War are debatable, the facts and figures of the war have a voice of their own and are indisputable.
On these pages we list some of the commonly accepted facts about the Vietnam War.
58,148 Americans were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.59 million who served.
The average age of those killed in Vietnam was 23.11 years.
50,274 were enlisted, average age 22.37.
The average infantryman in the South Pacific during World War II saw about 40 days of combat in four years. The average infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year, thanks to the mobility of the helicopter.
After Vietnam the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand managed to stay free of communism. The Indonesians expelled the Soviets in 1966.
During the Vietnam War the national debt increased by $146 billion (1967-1973). Adjusted for inflation, the debt in 1992 dollars was $500 billion.
6,598 were officers, average age 28.43.
91 percent of Vietnam veterans say they are glad they served.
74 percent said they would serve again even knowing the outcome.
1,276 were warrant officers (NCOs), average age 24.73 years.
11,465 were less than 20 years old.
From 1957 to 1973 the National Liberation Front assassinated 36,725 South Vietnamese and abducted 58,499. Death squads focused on leaders that included schoolteachers and minor officials.
The number of North Vietnamese killed was approximately 500,000 to 600,000. Casualties: 15 million.
One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. Although the percentage who died is similar to other wars, amputations or crippling wounds were 300 percent higher than in World War II. 75,000 Vietnam veterans are severely disabled.
The Tet '68 offensive was a major defeat for the VC and the NVA.
Two-thirds of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers, two-thirds who served in World War II were draftees.
Space Facts
Isaac Newton was the first man to give the space laws.
The first artificial satellite to be launched was the Russian Sputnik.
The first living being sent up to space was Laika, the dog.
The first manned space flight was Vostok 1.
The first space shuttle was the Colombia (US-1981).
The first woman cosmonaught was Valentina Tereshkova(1963).
Some facts about mercury
ALTHOUGH best known as the silver liquid in thermometers, mercury has over 3,000 industrial uses. It occurs in nature mostly as mercuric sulphide, known as cinnabar, which has been refined for its mercury content since the 16th century. Mercury is present in numerous compounds and is toxic even in its elementary form.
A blob of the silver liquid, which is toxic even in its elementary form.
Properties such as the ability to alloy with most metals, liquefy at room temperature, vapourise and freeze with ease and conduct electricity make mercury an important industrial metal. Mercury in elemental or inorganic form is transformed into organic forms (especially the methylated form) by biological systems when it comes into contact with micro-organisms in the soil and water.
Humans come into contact with mercury through environmental, occupational or accidental exposure. Methylated mercury compounds are toxic and can accumulate in the environment and in the food chain.
Mercury magnifies up to 100,000 times in predatory fish. In the 1950s, the consumption of fish contaminated by methylated mercury led to the poisoning of thousands of fishing families in Minimata, Japan. The pollution, caused by an acetaldehyde manufacturing unit owned by the Chisso industrial group, affected over 10,000 people over a period of three decades.
Occupational exposure to mercury occurs through the inhalation of contaminated air, skin contact with liquid mercury, or oral exposure through contaminated hands or food. Mercury can cause acute or chronic health problems. It accumulates in the kidney, the brain and the blood. The amount of mercury absorbed by the body - and thus the degree of toxicity - depends upon its chemical form. Elemental mercury, the form workers are exposed to, is the most hazardous when inhaled. Only about 25 per cent of the inhaled dose is exhaled.
Very high exposure to mercury vapour can cause acute poisoning. This may lead to pneumonia and can be fatal. People with chronic mercury poisoning experience wide mood swings and become irritable, depressed or excited for no apparent reason. The earliest symptom is tremor of the hand, tongue and eyelids, which can progress to problems with balancing and walking.
Over 40 States in the United States and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have issued at least 2,000 public health warnings about mercury contamination. Several States and municipal administrations have begun to check the amount of mercury in the environment by banning mercury thermometers, as "even if one thermometer contaminates a drinking water supply source, it can be permanently unusable".
NOKIA Phones - Known , Unknown Facts
1. Unlike other modern day handsets, Nokia phones do not automatically start the call timer when the call is connected, but start it when the call is initiated. (Except for Series 60 based handsets like the Nokia 6600)
2. The name of the town of Nokia originated from the river which flowed through the town. The river itself, Nokianvirta, was named after the old Finnish word originally meaning sable, later pine marten. A species of this small, black-furred predatory animal was once found in the region, but it is now extinct.
3. The native Finnish pronunciation of “Nokia” is [’no.ki.a], i.e. stress on the first syllable and all vowels short. English speakers often pronounce the name approximately [nou.ki.É™] (adapting the Finnish short ‘o’ [o] to the English “long O” [əυ]) or [nak’kii.É™] (postponing stress and replacing the short ‘i’ [i] with a “tense I” [ii]).
4. The “Special” tone available to users of Nokia phones when receiving SMS (text messages) is actually Morse code for “SMS”. Similarly, the “Ascending” SMS tone is Morse code for “Connecting People,” Nokia’s slogan. The “Standard” SMS tone is Morse code for “M” (Message).
5. The ringtone “Nokia tune” is actually based on a 19th century guitar work named “Gran Vals” by Spanish musician Francisco Tárrega. The Nokia Tune was originally named “Grande Valse” on Nokia phones but was changed to “Nokia Tune” around 1998 when it became so well known that people referred to it as the “Nokia Tune.”
6. Nokia is sometimes called aikon (Nokia backwards) by non-Nokia mobile phone users and by mobile software developers, because “aikon” is used in various SDK software packages, including Nokia’s own Symbian S60 SDK.
7. Nokia sponsored several pan-European Alternate Reality Games from 1999 to 2005, under the name Nokia Game. These were used to promote their latest phones, as well as introducing the ARG format to Europe.
8. Nokia was listed as the 20th most admirable company worldwide in Fortune’s list of 2006 (1st in network communications, 4th non-US company).[6]
9. Nokia is currently the world’s largest digital camera manufacturer, as the sales of its camera-equipped mobile phones have exceeded those of any conventional camera manufacturer.
10. In the mobile phone market, Nokia is in direct competition with Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Samsung Electronics, LG, Philips, Kyocera, SAGEM, among others.
11. In Asia, the digit 4 never appears in any handset model number, because 4 is considered unlucky in many parts of Southeast/East Asia.
12. The Nokia corporate font (typeface) is the AgfaMonotype Nokia Sans font, originally designed by Eric Spiekermann. Previously in advertising and in its mobile phone User’s Guides Nokia mostly used the Agfa Rotis Sans font.
Important Facts About Alexander the Great
- Born around July 20, 356 B.C.
- Son of King Philip II of Macedon and Olympias, daughter of King Neoptolemus I of Epirus. Olympias was not the only wife of Philip and there was much conflict between Alexander's parents.
- Tutored by Leonidas (possibly his uncle) and the great Greek philosopher Aristotle.
- During his youth, Alexander tamed the wild horse Bucephalus. Later, when his beloved horse died, Alexander renamed a city in India for Bucephalus.
- In 340 B.C., while father Philip went off to fight rebels, Alexander was made regent in Macedonia. During Alexander's regency, the Maedi of northen Macedonia revolted. Alexander put down the revolt and renamed their city Alexandroupolis.
- In 336 B.C. his father Philip was assassinated, and Alexander the Great became ruler of Macedonia.
- Had several rivals executed in order to secure the throne.
- Alexander the Great had three wives: Roxane, Statiera, and Parysatis.
- Children: Herakles, son of Alexander's mistress Barsine, and Alexander IV, son of Roxane. Both children were killed before they reached adulthood.
- One of the legends about Alexander the Great is that when he was in Gordium, in Turkey, in 333 B.C., he undid the Gordian Knot which had been tied by the legendary King Midas. The prophecy about the Gordian knot was that the person who untied it would rule all of Asia. Alexander the Great is said to have undone the knot by slashing through it wilth a sword.
- In 323 B.C. Alexander the Great returned to Babylonia where he became ill suddenly, and died at age 33. The cause of his death is unknown. It could have been disease or posion.
Further Reading:
Kohinoor, World's Best Diamond
Information about the famous Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)
Discover some fascinating information about the famous Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)
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Facts and Information about the Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)
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The Curse of the Koh-i-Noor diamond
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History & Timeline of the Kohinoor Diamond
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Kohinoor Diamond - one of the World's most famous diamonds the Koh-i-Noor diamonds
Description of the Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)
The Kohinoor Diamond is one of the most famous diamonds in the world. The Kohinoor diamond was first mentioned in 1306 when it was taken from a Rajah of Malwa, whose family had held the diamond for centuries. It was described as weighing 186 carats and was an oval cut white diamond - the shape and size of a small hen's egg. The Kohinoor diamond belonged to various Indian and Persian rulers but it became part of the Crown Jewels of England at the time that Queen Victoria was proclaimed empress of India. The Kohinoor was re-cut at this time and now weighs 108.93 carats and is kept in the Tower of London.
Origin / Meaning of the name Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)
The Kohinoor (Koh-i-Noor) originated from India in Golconda at the Kollur mine and was specifically mined from the *Rayalaseema diamond mine (meaning *Land of Stones) during the rule of the Kakatiya dynasty. The Kohinoor was then passed from one ruling dynasty to the next. The original name of the diamond was ‘Samantik Mani’ (Prince and leader among diamonds). In 1739 Nadir Shah, the King of Persia, invaded India and was said to refer to the diamond as the "Mountain of Light". The Persian-Arabic words for "Mountain of Light" were Koh-i-Noor. The magnificence of the diamond and its value symbolized the power of an Empire. It was said that "He who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes." Possession of the Kohinoor led to murder, torture, mutilation and treachery and stories of the Curse of the Kohinoor Diamond...
The Curse of the Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)
The Curse of Kohinoor Diamond dates back to a Hindu text from the time of the first authenticated appearance of the diamond in 1306. The Curse of the Kohinoor Diamond reads:
"He who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all
its misfortunes. Only God, or a woman, can wear it with impunity."
The history and lives of the rulers who owned the Koh-i-Noor diamond were filled with violence, murders, mutilations, torture and treachery. Whether or not people believe in the Curse of the Kohinoor Diamond, the history of the stone is undeniable - and the threat of the Koh-i-Noor curse is enough to make people cautious. The British Royal family were obviously aware of the Curse of the Kohinoor and from the reign of Queen Victoria, when the Kohinoor diamond came into their possession, it has always gone to the wife of the male heir to the British throne. The History Timeline details the story of the Kohinoor diamond.
History of the Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)
Myths and legends surround the stone. It was of incredible value and described by one of its owners, the Emperor Babur, the Great Mogul, as "Worth the value of one day's food for all the people in the world". The men who fought for it, and the Kingdoms and great Empires that were won and lost, produced many stories of ill-luck that plagued the owners and became part of the history of the Kohinoor diamond.
The History Timeline of the Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)
The following timeline & history of the Kohinoor details important historical events and dates:
Dates in History of the Kohinoor Timeline & History of Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)
1200 - 1300's
There were many dynasties who owned the Kohinoor diamond including the Slave dynasty (1206-90), the Khilji dynasty (1290-1320), the Tughlaq dynasty (1320-1413), the Sayyid dynasty (1414-51), and the Lodi dynasty (1451-1526)These were all brief reigns ending with war and violence
1306 In 1306 the Rajah of Malwa was forced to give the diamond to the rulers of the Kakatiya Empire
1323
Soon after, in 1323, the Kakatiya Empire fell after a rule stretching from 1083 to 1323. The diamond was taken by Muhammad bin Tughluq who became the Sultan of Delhi from 1325 to 1351
1323 - 1526
The diamond came into the possession of the Delhi Sultanate which consisted of many Muslim dynasties that ruled in India to 1526. During the Delhi Sultanate Muslim armies consisting of Mongol, Turkic, Persian, and Afghan warriors invaded India
1526
In 1526 the Kohinoor Diamond passed to the Mughal Empire when the Timurid Prince Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans, at the First Battle of Panipat. Mughal is the Persian word for Mongol
Babur mentions in his memoirs, the Baburnama, that the diamond had belonged to an un-named Rajah of Malwa
The Mughal Empire ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for two hundred years and the Kohinoor passed from one Mughal Emperor to the next. Violence and bloodshed followed these years often marked by the sons of the Emperors rebelling and overtaking their fathers
The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (1592 – 1666), who was famous for building the Taj Mahal, had the Kohinoor Diamond placed into his ornate Peacock Throne
1639
The Koh-i-Noor changed ownership several more times until the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan took the throne. In 1639 a struggle for the Empire started between his four sons - Dara Shikoh, Shah Shuja, Aurangzeb and Murad Baksh when brother killed brother. Shah Shuja executed his brother Dara Shikoh and in then 1658 Aurangzeb defeated Shuja and Shuja who was tortured to death together with all his family
1665
In 1665 Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1605 – 1689), French traveller and pioneer of jewelry and diamond trade with India, recorded his experiences in which he describes a great Mughal diamond said to be the biggest in the world. It was called the "Great Mogul" by Tavernier
1739
In 1739 the Persian King Nadir Shah invaded the Mughal Empire defeating their Emperor and stole the great Koh-i-Noor diamond (Nadir Shah is credited with giving the diamond the name it is known by today). The Koh-i-Noor Diamond was taken to Persia
1747
In 1747 the empire of Nadir Shah quickly disintegrated after he was assassinated - the Curse of the Kohinoor strikes again? After Nadir Shah's assassination, the diamond passed to his successors, each were dethroned and ritually blinded (Blinding was used to render an enemy powerless and make him a burden on his community.)
1800
1800 - Ranjit Singh took the Empire and possession of the Kohinoor diamond. Rajah Ranjit Singh died in 1839 and his successors lacked his bravery and vision
The Sikh kingdom became weak and the British conquered India which became part of the British Empire and the British Raj or rule gained control of India from 1858 - 1947
The British Governor-General of India, Lord Dalhousie, was responsible for the British acquiring the Koh-i-Noor
1851
1851 - Dalhousie arranged that the Kohinoor diamond should be presented by Ranjit Singh's successor, Duleep Singh, to Queen Victoria, the Empress of India
1851
1851 - The Great Exhibition was staged in Hyde Park in London when the Koh-i-Noor was put on view by the British public
1852
In 1852 Prince Albert ordered that the Koh-i-Noor diamond to be re-cut from 186 carats to its current 105 carats thus increasing its brilliance. The Koh-i-Noor diamond was mounted in a tiara with more than two thousand other diamonds
The Koh-i-Noor diamond was then used as the centre piece of the crowns of the Queen consorts to the British Kings. The Queen Consorts Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary wore the crowns
1936
In 1936, the stone was set into the crown of the wife of King George VI, Queen Elizabeth (later known as the Queen Mother), wife of King George VI
The British Royal family were obviously aware of the Curse of the Kohinoor - "He who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes. Only God, or a woman, can wear it with impunity." And from the reign of Queen Victoria the Kohinoor diamond has always gone to the wife of the male heir to the British throne
In 1850, it was given to Queen Victoria in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Oriental India Company. The Queen asked for the stone to be cut again, its 186ct then became 108,93. In 1911, a new crown was made for Queen Mary with the Koh-I-Noor as central stone. In 1937, it was transferred to the crown of Queen Elizabeth for her Crowning.
The diamond is now, along with other famous diamonds, part of the Imperial State Crown of Great Britain. The government of India has repeatedly lobbied the British Government and the British monarchy for the return of this diamond, claiming legitimate ownership. As of 2003, nothing has come of these requests.
Origin of Vastu
Origin of Vastu
These days, the concept of consulting Vastu expert for creating peaceful settings at home and workplace, has gained popularity. This architectural scientific study of directions, more popularly known as Vastu is not new. In fact it has its origin in the Stapatya Veda, a part of the Atharva Veda. Thus, the origin of vastu study can be said to have taken place thousands of years ago. It is interesting to explore facts about Vaasthu origin. Read further to know about Vaastu shastra history…
The early principles of Vastu were framed on the basis of observation of the sunrays at different durations during the day. Vastu study has incorporated the principles of sculptures, construction and architecture, as were described in the epics. One can find its mention in different epics like Mataysya Purana, Skanda Purana, Agni Purana, Garuda Purana, and Vishnu Purana.
References can also be found in the Mahabharata; of different houses built for the kings, which were constructed following Vaastu guidelines. Even Buddhist literature makes numerous mentions of different buildings based on Vaasthu. It has become a tradition of passing the knowledge of Vastu shashtra from one generation to another.
India Facts
India is the world's largest, oldest, continuous civilization.
2. India never invaded any country in her last 10000 years of history.
3. India is the world's largest democracy.
4. Varanasi, also known as Benares, was called "the ancient city" when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C.E, and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today.
5. India invented the Number System. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta.
6. The World's first university was established in Takshashila in 700BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century BC was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
7. Sanskrit is the mother of all the European languages. Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software - a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987.
8. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans. Charaka, the father of medicine consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. Today Ayurveda is fast regaining its rightful place in our civilization.
9. Although modern images of India often show poverty and lack of development, India was the richest country on earth until the time of British invasion in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by India's wealth.
10. The art of Navigation was bornin the river Sindhu 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. The word navy is also derived from Sanskrit 'Nou'.
11. Bhaskaracharya calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. Time taken by earth to orbit the sun: (5th century) 365.258756484 days.
12. The value of pi was first calculated by Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century long before the European mathematicians.
13. Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India. Quadratic equations were by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10**53(10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 BCE during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest used number is Tera 10**12(10 to the power of 12).
14. IEEE has proved what has been a century old suspicion in the world scientific community that the pioneer of wireless communication was Prof. Jagdish Bose and not Marconi.
15. The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra.
16. According to Saka King Rudradaman I of 150 CE a beautiful lake called Sudarshana was constructed on the hills of Raivataka during Chandragupta Maurya's time.
17. Chess (Shataranja or AshtaPada) was invented in India.
18. Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted complicated surgeries like cesareans, cataract, artificial limbs, fractures, urinary stones and even plastic surgery and brain surgery. Usage of anesthesia was well known in ancient India. Over 125 surgical equipment were used. Deep knowledge of anatomy, physiology, etiology, embryology, digestion, metabolism, genetics and immunity is also found in many texts.
19. When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization).
20. The four religions born in India, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population.
21. The place value system, the decimal system was developed in India in 100 BC.
22. India is one of the few countries in the World, which gained independence without violence.
23. India has the second largest pool of Scientists and Engineers in the World.
24. India is the largest English speaking nation in the world.
25. India is the only country other than US and Japan, to have built a super computer indigenously.
Famous Quotes on India (by non-Indians)
- Albert Einstein said: We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made.
- Mark Twain said: India is, the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grand mother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.
- French scholar Romain Rolland said: If there is one place on the face of earth where all the dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India.
partial source: http://india.gov.in/myindia/facts.php
Dinosaur Fact Book....
The study of dinosaurs stretches our imaginations, gives us new perspectives on time and space, and invites us to discover worlds very different from our modern Earth.
When did the dinosaurs first appear on Earth?
The oldest dinosaur types are known from rocks in Argentina and Brazil and are about 230 million years old. The most primitive of these types, Eoraptor, was a small meat-eating dinosaur. Because Eoraptor's skeleton shows some advanced skeletal features, older dinosaurs may yet be found.
OTHER FACTS:
Some dinosaurs were as small as a hen, but the typical dinosaur weighed about as much as a hippopotamus or an elephant.
Dinosaur eggs are smaller than those of modern birds (relative to the weight of the mother). In fact, the largest known dinosaur eggs are much smaller than those of the extinct elephant bird of Madagascar.
Instead of chewing their food, some sauropods ground their food between stones in a portion of the digestive tract, much like the gizzard of a modern bird.
How fast could dinosaurs walk or run?
Estimates of dinosaur speeds vary because several different methods are used to calculate them. One recent estimate suggests that an average person might have been able to to outrun an adult Tyrannosaurus (although you probably would not volunteer to try). The two basic approaches for estimating dinosaur speed are comparing to recorded speeds of modern animals of similar body size and build, and measuring distances between fossil footprints in a trackway and using these distances to calculate estimated speed. Walking-speed estimates for medium-sized bipedal (two-legged) dinosaurs vary from 4 kph to 6 kph, and peak running-speed estimates vary from 37 kph to 88 kph. The highest figure (88.6 kph) is the same as the peak speed of the currently fastest land animals, such as the North American pronghorn "antelope" (Antilocapra americana), and very probably is too high.
OTHER FACTS:
The earliest dinosaurs resembled two-legged, short-headed crocodiles, but later dinosaurs were oddly reminiscent of giant mammals and birds.
Some dinosaurs spent time in the water, but no dinosaur could swim very well.
Dinosaur bones have been found on all of the continents, but the fossil record is most complete in North America and Asia.
Dinosaurs had tiny (or completely absent) outside fingers and toes.
It's easy to tell a dinosaur skeleton from that of a modern reptile because dinosaur skeletons have a strong joint between the backbone and hips.
Small, two-legged dinosaurs could turn rapidly by swinging their tail abruptly in a direction opposite to where they wished to turn.
Some dinosaurs had feathers.
Dinosaurs generally are named after a characteristic body feature, after the place where they were found, or after a person involved in the discovery. Usually the name consists of two Greek or Latin words (or combinations); in order, these are the genus (plural, genera) and the species name. For example, the Greek and Latin combination (binomen) Tyrannosaurus rex means "king of the tyrant lizards." Biologists name modern animals exactly the same way. Some examples include humans (Homo sapiens), domestic dogs (Canis familiaris), golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), box turtles (Terrapene carolina), and rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus).
More Info at:
Farlow, J.O., 1993, The dinosaurs of Dinosaur Valley State Park -- Somervell County, Texas: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Austin
Glut, D.F., 1982, The New Dinosaur Dictionary: Secaucus. Citadel Press
Lambert, D., and the Diagram Group, 1990, Dinosaur Data Book: New York, Avon Books
Norman, D., 1985, Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: New York, Crescent Books
Russell, D.A., 1989, An Odyssey in Time, the Dinosaurs of North America: Minocqua, North Word Press,
Thulborn, T., 1990, Dinosaus Tracks: London, Chapman and Hall
Children Books:
Tyrannosaurus Drip by Julia Donaldson and David Roberts (Macmillan)
Astrosaurs: Riddle of the Raptors by Steve Cole (Random House)
Dinosaur Chase by Benedict Blathwayt ( Red Fox)
Rotten and Rascal! by Paul Geraghty (Red Fox)
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