History

September 12, 2024

Fascinating Lifespan Map Reveals Which Famous Figures Overlapped in Time

If youโ€™ve ever pondered which famous person, alive or dead, youโ€™d like to have dinner with, youโ€™ve likely dreamed of connecting your life with the legends who shaped history. A fascinating data visualization called The Big Map of Who Lived When, created by Redditor profound_whatever, brings this idea to life. It displays the lifespans of historical and contemporary figures in a timeline, revealing surprising connections and overlaps of people who lived during the same time.

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August 28, 2024

How One Japanese Company Has Survived For 1,400 Years

Japan is home to some of the longest-running businesses in the world. But none have run longer than Kongล Gumi. This construction company was founded in 578 CE. At the time, Japan's Prince Shลtoku was looking to build a Buddhist temple, but as the country was mainly Shinto, there were no carpenters with that skill set. So, he called upon miyadaiku (carpenters with training in building Buddhist temples) from a Buddhist kingdom that is now Korea.

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August 19, 2024

Scientists Discover Where the Asteroid That Killed the Dinosaurs Came From

Once upon a time, dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Then, 66 million years ago, a gigantic chunk of space rock hurtled into the planet, creating a massive crater and raising clouds of dust and debris. Now known as the Chicxulub impactor, this asteroid obliterated thousands of species, including the massive land-roaming dinosaurs of yore. Yet much mystery still surrounds this event despite ample geological and paleontological research.

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July 11, 2024

Oldest Known Photo of a First Lady Is Acquired by the Smithsonian for $456K

An exciting piece of history in American photography has just found its new home. A daguerreotype of Dolley Madison, wife of James Madison, was recently acquired by the Smithsonian after being sold by Sotheby's. It is believed to be the oldest image of a First Lady of the United States. The picture from 1846 features Madison, then in her late 70s, wearing a crocheted shawl with her curls peeking out from under her famous turban.

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