A detailed survey of a World War I tunnel system is underway in northern France. From 1914 to 1916, French, German, and British miners dug tunnels in order to place charges beneath enemy lines. La Boisselle is at the heart of the Somme battlefield of 1916. Digging will start next year on the private land [...]
Monday, November 29, 2010
The president of Peru recently announced that Yale University will return thousands of artifacts taken from the ruins of Machu Picchu nearly a century ago. American scholar Hiram Bingham excavated at the site between 1911 and 1915. Peru filed suit against Yale two years ago, arguing that the university violated Peruvian law by exporting the [...]
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
According to some, the automobile age started 125 years ago this week when a patent was filed in Germany for a two-wheeled machine driven by an internal combustion engine. Gottlieb Daimler had helped develop a single-cylinder four-stroke engine in 1884, notable for its relatively light weight. To test the engine, Daimler built a “riding car” —a [...]
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
A team of archaeologists has discovered the remains of an extensive three-story building on the island of Ithaca, in the Ionian Sea off the northwest coast of Greece. The complex also features a well from the 8th century BC, roughly the period in which Odysseus, the hero of Homer’s Odyssey, is believed to have been king [...]
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Marooned in an African village in 1871, most of his expedition deserting him or dead, explorer David Livingstone penned a despairing letter to a friend in England. Written with improvised ink on pages from newspapers and books, the letter was indecipherable until now. 19th century journalism portrayed Livingstone as a fearless hero, an intrepid icon [...]
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Nicolaus Copernicus, 16th century Polish astronomer and Catholic priest, was given a hero’s burial on May 22nd in the cathedral where he served as canon. His remains, kept in an unmarked grave for nearly 500 years, were recently authenticated through DNA testing. A local bishop had spearheaded the efforts to honor Copernicus, a man little [...]
Monday, January 25, 2010
In an effort to solve the mystery of who inspired the Mona Lisa, Italian researchers have reached an agreement in principle with French cultural authorities to exhume the body of Leonardo da Vinci. His remains are interred at a chateau in the Loire Valley. If Leonardo’s skull is found, experts can recreate his face, and compare it [...]
Monday, January 25, 2010
For some inspiration– and reading material– take a look at the book display cart adjacent to the circulation desk at the Peninsula Center Library. You’ll find books about people who’ve made a difference in our world, who became the change they wanted to see in life, to paraphrase Gandhi.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
An Australian sculptor has planned and supervised the building of 32 “land art” projects on five continents over the past ten years. The geoglyphs are formed from tens of thousands of tons of stones. Andrew Rogers was inspired by ancient America’s mound-builders, and by Peru’s Nazca lines. Rogers involves as many as 5,000 local people [...]
Monday, September 22, 2008
The New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 7-3 in the final game at Yankee Stadium on Sunday. “The House that Ruth Built” was dedicated 85 years ago, with Babe Ruth hitting the first home run on opening day. Yankee Stadium will be demolished next year, as a new $1.3-billion stadium opens across the street. Since [...]
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
0 Comments