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Prize amphora showing a chariot race
Chariot-racing was the only Olympic sport in which women could take part, as owners of teams of horses. Kyniska, a princess of Sparta, was the first woman to win the Olympic crown in this sport. British Museum curator Judith Swaddling describes...
Article
Harrison's Marine Chronometer
John Harrison (1693-1776) invented an accurate marine chronometer after several decades of research and development. While the pendulum clock had already been invented in the 17th century, a clock that could withstand the vagaries of the...
Definition
Ancient Olympic Games
The ancient Olympic Games were a sporting event held every four years at the sacred site of Olympia, in the western Peloponnese, in honour of Zeus, the supreme god of the Greek religion. The games, held from 776 BCE to 393 CE, involved participants...
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Stephenson's Rocket
The Rocket was a pioneering steam-powered locomotive invented in 1829 by the British engineer Robert Stephenson (1803-1859). For a cash prize, extensive competition trials were held to find the best locomotive in the Rainhill Trials. Rocket...
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Edward England
Edward England was an Irish pirate who operated in the Caribbean, the Eastern Atlantic, and the Indian Ocean between 1717 and 1720 during the Golden Age of Piracy (1690-1730). Captain England’s successful but brief pirate career came to an...
Article
Treasure & Booty in the Golden Age of Piracy
During the Golden Age of Piracy (1690-1730), pirates were first and foremost after gold, silver, and jewels, but if these could not be grabbed, then a ship’s cargo would be taken for resale at a pirate haven. Shared amongst the crew, the...
Image
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
One of the most famous images of the Second World War, Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, by Joe Rosenthal of the Associated Press, was taken 23 February 1945 on the Japanese Island of Iwo Jima in the late stages of the Pacific War. The image...
Video
Islamic Art Spots - Geometry
Written and presented by D. Fairchild Ruggles A production of Twin Cities Public Television A presentation of the National Endowment for the Humanities in cooperation with the American Library Association Producer: Jeffrey Weihe Music...
Video
Noah in the Bible and the Qur'an | Jack Miles
CC: Cultures are often revealed through the stories they hand down through generations. Every civilization has foundational ones. Among the stories many cultures tell, we find tales of a great flood, but the story of Noah’s flood captured...
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Captain Kidd
Captain William Kidd (c. 1645-1701) was a Scottish privateer turned pirate who, despite only ever capturing one significant prize ship, has become legendary thanks to the persistent rumour he buried a fantastic treasure that nobody has yet...