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William McKinley (January 29, 1843 – September 14, 1901) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 25th President of the United States from March 4, 1897 until his assassination in September 1901, six months into his second term.<br/><br/> McKinley led the nation to victory in the Spanish–American War, raised protective tariffs to promote American industry, and maintained the nation on the gold standard in a rejection of inflationary proposals.
The Great Fire of Rome was an urban fire started between 18-19 July, 64 CE, during the reign of Emperor Nero. It caused widespread destruction throughout the city, burning for over six days. Many accounts claim that Nero was responsible for initiating the fire, to create space to build his new palatial complex, the Domus Aurea.<br/><br/> In response to the accusations, Nero blamed the fire on Rome's Christian community, resulting in the first organised persecution against Christianity in the empire.
Shigeru Aoki (1882-1911) was a Japanese painter famed for his combining of Japanese mythology and legends with the Western-style art movement that could be found in some late 19th and early 20th century Japanese paintings.<br/><br/> Aoki was born into an ex-samurai household in northern Kyushu. He left his home in 1899 to pursue artistic studies in Tokyo, and soon began to accumulate critical acclaim for his artwork and its use of Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood techniques mixed with Kojiki themes. He died in March 1911 from tuberculosis, aged only 28.
Baron Roman Nikolai Maximilian von Ungern-Sternberg (December 29, 1885 – September 15, 1921) was a Baltic Swedish-Russian Yesaul (Cossack Captain), a Russian hero of World War I and Lieutenant-general at the time of civil war in Russia and Mongolia, who 'liberated' Mongolia from Chinese rule in February - March 1921. In June he invaded Southern Siberia trying to raise an anti-communist rebellion, but was defeated by the Red Army in August 1921.<br/><br/> An independent and brutal warlord in pursuit of pan-monarchist goals in Mongolia and territories east of Lake Baikal during the Russian Civil War that followed the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, Ungern von-Sternberg's goals included restoring the Russian monarchy under Michael Alexandrovich Romanov and the Great Mongol Empire, with Outer Mongolia under Bogd Khan as part of it. His opponents were mainly Communists.<br/><br/> Ungern-Sternberg often persecuted those who were helping his foes: all Reds and especially Jews. Following his Asiatic Cavalry Division collapse in Mongolia, Ungern-Sternberg was left by his Russian officers and taken prisoner by the Bolshevik's Red Army. He was tried and executed for his counter-revolutionary involvement in Novosibirsk.
The All Red Line was an informal name for the system of electrical telegraphs that linked much of the British Empire. It was inaugurated on 31 October 1902. The name derives from the common practice of colouring the territory of the British Empire red or pink on political maps.
Helene Bertha Amalie 'Leni' Riefenstahl (22 August 1902 – 8 September 2003) was a German film director, producer, screenwriter, editor, photographer, actress, dancer, and propagandist for the Nazis.
Princess Indrasakdi Sachi or former HM Queen Indrasakdi Sachi (10 June 1902 – 30 November 1975) nee Prabai Sucharitakul, was a queen of Thailand. She was daughter of Chao Praya Sudharm Montri, younger sister of Pra Sucharit Suda. Her name means 'Sachi wife of Indra'.<br/><br/> She became queen because of her pregnancy, making the King Vajiravudh extremely happy with the promise of a much anticipated heir. It was not to be, as the queen miscarried 2 or 3 times during her queenship. She was later demoted to a rank of Princess Consort.
Shigeru Aoki (1882-1911) was a Japanese painter famed for his combining of Japanese mythology and legends with the Western-style art movement that could be found in some late 19th and early 20th century Japanese paintings.<br/><br/> Aoki was born into an ex-samurai household in northern Kyushu. He left his home in 1899 to pursue artistic studies in Tokyo, and soon began to accumulate critical acclaim for his artwork and its use of Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood techniques mixed with Kojiki themes. He died in March 1911 from tuberculosis, aged only 28.
Helene Bertha Amalie 'Leni' Riefenstahl (22 August 1902 – 8 September 2003) was a German film director, producer, screenwriter, editor, photographer, actress, dancer, and propagandist for the Nazis.
Doumer was born in Aurillac, in the Cantal département, in France on 22 March 1857. He was Governor-General of French Indochina from 1897 to 1902. After returning from French Indochina, Doumer served as President of the Chamber of Deputies from 1902 to 1905.<br/><br/> He was elected President of the French Republic on 13 May 1931, defeating the better known Aristide Briand, and replacing Gaston Doumergue. On 6 May 1932, he was shot in Paris at the opening of a book fair by Paul Gorguloff, a mentally unstable Russian émigré. He died at 04:37 a.m. on 7 May.<br/><br/> The Long Bien Bridge in Hanoi was built during his term as Governor-General and was named for him. It became a well-known landmark and target for US pilots during the Second Indochina War.
Helen Hyde (April 6, 1868 - May 13, 1919) was an American engraver and etcher. Born in Lima, New York, she became well known for her colour etching process, as well as her woodblock prints of Japanese children and women.
Foot binding (pinyin: chanzu, literally 'bound feet') was a custom practiced on young girls and women for approximately one thousand years in China, beginning in the 10th century and ending in the first half of 20th century. There is little evidence for the custom prior to the court of the Southern Tang dynasty in Nanjing, which celebrated the fame of its dancing girls, renowned for their tiny feet and beautiful bow shoes.<br/><br/> What is clear is that foot binding was first practised among the elite and only in the wealthiest parts of China, which suggests that binding the feet of well-born girls represented their freedom from manual labor and, at the same time, the ability of their husbands to afford wives who did not need to work, who existed solely to serve their men and direct household servants while performing no labor themselves. Bound feet were considered intensely erotic in traditional Chinese culture. Qing Dynasty sex manuals listed 48 different ways of playing with women's bound feet.<br/><br/> Some men preferred never to see a woman's bound feet, so they were always concealed within tiny 'lotus shoes' and wrappings. Feng Xun is recorded as stating, 'If you remove the shoes and bindings, the aesthetic feeling will be destroyed forever' - an indication that men understood that the symbolic erotic fantasy of bound feet did not correspond to its unpleasant physical reality, which was therefore to be kept hidden. For men, the primary erotic effect was a function of the lotus gait, the tiny steps and swaying walk of a woman whose feet had been bound.
The Battle of Taku or Dagu Forts was a battle during the Boxer Rebellion between the Chinese military and allied Western and Japanese naval forces.<br/><br/> The Allies captured the forts after a brief but bloody battle.
Shigeru Aoki (1882-1911) was a Japanese painter famed for his combining of Japanese mythology and legends with the Western-style art movement that could be found in some late 19th and early 20th century Japanese paintings.<br/><br/> Aoki was born into an ex-samurai household in northern Kyushu. He left his home in 1899 to pursue artistic studies in Tokyo, and soon began to accumulate critical acclaim for his artwork and its use of Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood techniques mixed with Kojiki themes. He died in March 1911 from tuberculosis, aged only 28.
Helene Bertha Amalie 'Leni' Riefenstahl (22 August 1902 – 8 September 2003) was a German film director, producer, screenwriter, editor, photographer, actress, dancer, and propagandist for the Nazis.
Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. (July 5, 1902 – February 27, 1985), sometimes referred to as Henry Cabot Lodge II, was a Republican United States Senator from Massachusetts and a U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, South Vietnam, West Germany, and the Holy See (as Representative).<br/><br/> He was the Republican nominee for Vice President in the 1960 Presidential election.
Ebisu, also transliterated Yebisu, is the Japanese god of fishermen and luck. He is one of the Seven Gods of Fortune or Shichifukujin, and the only one of the seven to originate purely from Japan without any Hindu or Chinese influence.
In Japan, Jurojin is one of the Seven Gods of Fortune - or Shichifukujin - and is based on the Taoist deity of the Old Man of the South Pole. Jurojin was considered the god of longevity, and is the personification of the Southern Polar Star, and may have been based on a historical figure from the Northern Song Dynasty.<br/><br/> Jurojin is often depicted as an old man with a very tall, bald head and a long white beard, wielding a staff and a fan. Tied to his staff is a scroll, sometimes identified as a Buddhist sutra, with the lifespan of all living things written on it. He is sometimes accompanied by a deer, which is a symbol of longevity alongside other long-lived animals such as the crane and tortoise.<br/><br/> While there are many paintings and statues of him, which are considered auspicious, he never developed a strong independent following like some of the other Seven Gods of Fortune.
Helene Bertha Amalie 'Leni' Riefenstahl (22 August 1902 – 8 September 2003) was a German film director, producer, screenwriter, editor, photographer, actress, dancer, and propagandist for the Nazis.<br/><br/> Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was a German politician of Austrian origin who was the leader of the Nazi Party (NSDAP), Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and Fuhrer ('leader') of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945.<br/><br/> As dictator of Nazi Germany he initiated World War II in Europe and was a central figure of the Holocaust.
After the First Opium War (1839–42), Hong Kong became a British colony with the perpetual cession of Hong Kong Island, followed by Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and a 99-year lease of the New Territories in 1898. After it was occupied by Japan in the Second World War (1941–45), the British resumed control until 30 June 1997.<br/><br/> As a result of negotiations between China and Britain, Hong Kong was transferred to the People's Republic of China under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration. The territory became China's first provincial-level special administrative region with a high degree of autonomy on 1 July 1997 under the principle of one country, two systems.
Sayyid Ali bin Hamud Al-Busaid (June 7, 1884 – December 20, 1918) was the eighth Sultan of Zanzibar. Ali ruled Zanzibar from July 20, 1902 to December 9, 1911, having succeeded to the throne on the death of his father, the seventh Sultan.<br/><br/> He served only a few years as sultan because of illness. In 1911 he abdicated in favour of his brother-in-law Sayyid Khalifa bin Harub Al-Busaid.
Emile Edouard Charles Antoine Zola (2 April 1840 – 29 September 1902) was a French novelist, playwright, journalist, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism.<br/><br/> He was a major figure in the political liberalization of France and in the exoneration of the falsely accused and convicted army officer Alfred Dreyfus, which is encapsulated in the renowned newspaper headline <i>J'accuse</i>. Zola was nominated for the first and second Nobel Prize in Literature in 1901 and 1902.
Helene Bertha Amalie 'Leni' Riefenstahl (22 August 1902 – 8 September 2003) was a German film director, producer, screenwriter, editor, photographer, actress, dancer, and propagandist for the Nazis.
Hsipaw was a Shan state in what is today Burma / Myanmar. Its capital was Hsipaw town.<br/><br/> Hsipaw State was one of the most well known and powerful saopha Shan States
Kiến An is an urban district (quận) of Hai Phong, the third largest city of Vietnam and northern Vietnam's most important seaport with its deep-water anchorage and large maritime facilities.<br/><br/> The city's name means 'coastal defense' and it is named 'The City of Red Flame Trees' because of the many Delonix regia planted throughout it.
Kiến An is an urban district (quận) of Hai Phong, the third largest city of Vietnam and northern Vietnam's most important seaport with its deep-water anchorage and large maritime facilities.<br/><br/> The city's name means 'coastal defense' and it is named 'The City of Red Flame Trees' because of the many Delonix regia planted throughout it.
Huế originally rose to prominence as the capital of the Nguyá»…n Lords, a feudal dynasty which dominated much of southern Vietnam from the 17th to the 19th century. In 1775 when Trịnh Sâm captured it, it was known as Phú Xuân. In 1802, Nguyá»…n Phúc Ánh (later Emperor Gia Long) succeeded in establishing his control over the whole of Vietnam, thereby making Huế the national capital.<br/><br/> Huế was the national capital until 1945, when Emperor Bảo Äại abdicated and a communist government was established in Hà Ná»™i (Hanoi), in the north. While Bảo Äại was briefly proclaimed 'Head of State' with the help of the returning French colonialists in 1949 (although without recognition from the communists and the full acceptance of the Vietnamese people), his new capital was Sài Gòn (Saigon), in the south.
The Hurricane of 1900 made landfall on September 8, 1900, in the city of Galveston, Texas, in the United States. It had estimated winds of 145 miles per hour (233 km/h) at landfall, making it a Category 4 storm on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. It was the deadliest hurricane in US history.<br/><br/> The hurricane caused great loss of life with the estimated death toll between 6,000 and 12,000 individuals; the number most cited in official reports is 8,000, giving the storm the third-highest number of deaths or injuries of any Atlantic hurricane, after the Great Hurricane of 1780 and 1998's Hurricane Mitch. The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 is the deadliest natural disaster ever to strike the United States.<br/><br/> The hurricane occurred before the practice of assigning official code names to tropical storms was instituted, and thus it is commonly referred to under a variety of descriptive names. Typical names for the storm include the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, the Great Galveston Hurricane, and, especially in older documents, the Galveston Flood. It is often referred to by Galveston locals as The Great Storm or The 1900 Storm.
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (18 December 1878 – 5 March 1953) was the first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee from 1922 until his death in 1953. While formally the office of the General Secretary was elective and was not initially regarded as top position in the Soviet state, after Vladimir Lenin's death in 1924, Stalin managed to consolidate more and more power in his hands, gradually putting down all opposition groups within the party.<br/><br/> Stalin's idea of socialism in one country became the primary line of the Soviet politics. He dominated Soviet politics and the USSR through the Great Purges of the 1930s, then the catastrophic Second World War, remaining in power until his death in 1953.
Sayyid Ali bin Hamud Al-Busaid (June 7, 1884 – December 20, 1918) (Arabic: علي بن حمود البوسعيد‎) was the eighth Sultan of Zanzibar. Ali ruled Zanzibar from July 20, 1902 to December 9, 1911, having succeeded to the throne of the death of his father, the seventh Sultan.<br/><br/> He served only a few years as sultan because of illness. In 1911 he abdicated in favour of his brother-in-law Sayyid Khalifa bin Harub Al-Busaid.
Sayyid Ali bin Hamud Al-Busaid (June 7, 1884 – December 20, 1918) (Arabic: علي بن حمود البوسعيد‎) was the eighth Sultan of Zanzibar. Ali ruled Zanzibar from July 20, 1902 to December 9, 1911, having succeeded to the throne of the death of his father, the seventh Sultan.<br/><br/> He served only a few years as sultan because of illness. In 1911 he abdicated in favour of his brother-in-law Sayyid Khalifa bin Harub Al-Busaid.
Sayyid Ali bin Hamud Al-Busaid (June 7, 1884 – December 20, 1918) (Arabic: علي بن حمود البوسعيد‎) was the eighth Sultan of Zanzibar. Ali ruled Zanzibar from July 20, 1902 to December 9, 1911, having succeeded to the throne of the death of his father, the seventh Sultan.<br/><br/> He served only a few years as sultan because of illness. In 1911 he abdicated in favour of his brother-in-law Sayyid Khalifa bin Harub Al-Busaid.
Sayyid Ali bin Hamud Al-Busaid (June 7, 1884 – December 20, 1918) (Arabic: علي بن حمود البوسعيد‎) was the eighth Sultan of Zanzibar. Ali ruled Zanzibar from July 20, 1902 to December 9, 1911, having succeeded to the throne of the death of his father, the seventh Sultan.<br/><br/> He served only a few years as sultan because of illness. In 1911 he abdicated in favour of his brother-in-law Sayyid Khalifa bin Harub Al-Busaid.
Sayyid Ali bin Hamud Al-Busaid (June 7, 1884 – December 20, 1918) (Arabic: علي بن حمود البوسعيد‎) was the eighth Sultan of Zanzibar. Ali ruled Zanzibar from July 20, 1902 to December 9, 1911, having succeeded to the throne of the death of his father, the seventh Sultan.<br/><br/> He served only a few years as sultan because of illness. In 1911 he abdicated in favour of his brother-in-law Sayyid Khalifa bin Harub Al-Busaid.
Sayyid Ali bin Hamud Al-Busaid (June 7, 1884 – December 20, 1918) (Arabic: علي بن حمود البوسعيد‎) was the eighth Sultan of Zanzibar. Ali ruled Zanzibar from July 20, 1902 to December 9, 1911, having succeeded to the throne of the death of his father, the seventh Sultan.<br/><br/> He served only a few years as sultan because of illness. In 1911 he abdicated in favour of his brother-in-law Sayyid Khalifa bin Harub Al-Busaid.
Sayyid Sir Hamoud bin Mohammed Al-Said, GCSI, (1853 - July 18, 1902) (ruled August 27, 1896 - July 18, 1902) (Arabic: حمود بن محمد‎) was the British-controlled Omani sultan of the protectorate of Zanzibar, who outlawed slavery on the island.<br/><br/> Hamoud became sultan with the support of the British consul, Sir Basil Cave, upon the death of Hamad bin Thuwaini. Before he could enter the palace, another potential contender for the throne, Khalid bin Barghash, seized the palace and declared himself sultan. The British responded the next day, August 26, 1896, by issuing an ultimatum to Khalid and his entourage to evacuate the palace by 9:00 am on August 27. When he refused, British warships fired on the palace and other strategic locations in the city, destroying them and causing Khalid and his group to flee. According to the Guinness Book of World Records the resultant Anglo-Zanzibar War was the shortest war in history, and the same day Hamoud was able to assume the title of sultan, more indebted to the British than ever.<br/><br/> Hamoud demanded that slavery be banned in Zanzibar and that all the slaves be freed.
Sayyid Sir Hamoud bin Mohammed Al-Said, GCSI, (1853 - July 18, 1902) (ruled August 27, 1896 - July 18, 1902) (Arabic: حمود بن محمد‎) was the British-controlled Omani sultan of the protectorate of Zanzibar, who outlawed slavery on the island.<br/><br/> Hamoud became sultan with the support of the British consul, Sir Basil Cave, upon the death of Hamad bin Thuwaini. Before he could enter the palace, another potential contender for the throne, Khalid bin Barghash, seized the palace and declared himself sultan. The British responded the next day, August 26, 1896, by issuing an ultimatum to Khalid and his entourage to evacuate the palace by 9:00 am on August 27. When he refused, British warships fired on the palace and other strategic locations in the city, destroying them and causing Khalid and his group to flee. According to the Guinness Book of World Records the resultant Anglo-Zanzibar War was the shortest war in history, and the same day Hamoud was able to assume the title of sultan, more indebted to the British than ever.<br/><br/> Hamoud demanded that slavery be banned in Zanzibar and that all the slaves be freed.
Saopha, Chaofa, or Sawbwa (Thai: Chaofa, เจ้าฟ้า) was a royal title used by the rulers of the Shan States of Myanmar (Burma). The word means 'king' in the Shan and Tai languages. In some ancient Chinese literature it was recorded as è©” (pinyin: Zhào) for example Six Zhao and Nanzhao.
Jean Baptiste Paul Beau was Governor-General of French Indochina from October 1902 to February 1908.<br/><br/> Conquered by France in 1859, Saigon was influenced by the French during their colonial occupation of Vietnam, and a number of classical Western-style buildings and French villas in the city reflect this. Saigon had, in 1929, a population of 123,890, including 12,100 French.
Paul-Louis-Félix Philastre (born 7 February 1837 in Brussels, died 11 September 1902, Buyat-Beayeau, France) was a French colonial administrator, diplomat and scholar.<br/><br/> Philastre graduated from the French naval academy in 1857 and took service on the Avalanche, arriving in Cochinchina in 1861. In 1863, Philastre was appointed inspector of native affairs in a village in the Mekong river delta and two years later he obtained the position of director of native legal affairs. In 1868, he became ill and was forced to return to France.<br/><br/> In 1873, Philastre returned to the French colonial service in Indochina. Philastre played an important role in mediating between the French colonial authorities in Annam and the royal court in Huế. In 1874, Philastre negotiated the Second Treaty of Saigon with the Annamese court. He also served in Cambodia. He left Indochina in 1889.<br/><br/> Philastre authored a number of works on Chinese and Vietnamese studies, the most important of which are the first French translation of the Yijing and a complete translation of Emperor Gia Long's Code, which was based on the Qing Code.
Liu was a holder of the senior licentiate degree in the imperial examination system. He entered the Hunan army in 1855, and worked under Li Hongzhang during the suppression of the Taiping Rebellion. In recognition of his services, he was created a baron and awarded the position of governor of Jiangxi, a role in which he served from 1865 to 1874.<br/><br/> In 1875, he was given the position of Viceroy of Liangjiang, but was almost immediately transferred to the post of Viceroy of Liangguang, where he remained for the next four years. He was then returned to the former post, where he served until 1881.<br/><br/> In addition to his regular duties in this post, he was asked in 1880 to advise the emperor on Chinese diplomatic policy toward Russia and Japan. After the French invasion of Vietnam, he also advised the emperor on that matter. Liu spent the next several years in retirement, but was recalled to the same post in 1890.<br/><br/> He contained several anti-missionary movements for the next four years, until he was made Imperial Commissioner in charge of troops at Shanhaiguan, a strategic pass between Chihli and Manchuria.<br/><br/> Liu urged the imperial court to prolong the First Sino-Japanese War, hoping for a favorable outcome for the Chinese side, but returned to his post after the Treaty of Shimonoseki was signed in 1895.<br/><br/> In 1900, Liu gained distinction for controlling the Boxer Rebellion and not following the Imperial edict to exterminate all foreigners in China. Liu Kunyi died in 1902, shortly after submitting three joint reform memorials to the Emperor.
Lu Xun (or Lu Hsun), was the pen name of Zhou Shuren (Chou Shu-jen), September 25, 1881 – October 19, 1936. One of the major Chinese writers of the 20th century. Considered by many to be the founder of modern Chinese literature, he wrote in baihua (the vernacular) as well as classical Chinese. Lu Xun was a short story writer, editor, translator, critic, essayist and poet. In the 1930s he became the titular head of the Chinese League of the Left-Wing Writers in Shanghai.
Hanoi (Vietnamese: Hà Ná»™i), is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. It has an estimated population of nearly 6.5 million (2009), (but only 2.6 million (2009) in urban areas). From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam.<br/><br/> It was eclipsed by Huế during the Nguyá»…n dynasty as the capital of Vietnam, but Hanoi served as the capital of French Indochina from 1902 to 1954. From 1954 to 1976, it was the capital of North Vietnam.
Major Luang Khuang Abhaiwongse (May 17, 1902 - March 15, 1968) was Prime Minister of Thailand three times. During World War II he received the title Major after joining the guard of King Prajadhipok (Rama VII). In the governments of Phraya Phahol Pholphayuhasena and Plaek Phibunsongkhram he became a minister, and was elected as Prime Minister on August 1, 1944, after Plaek's plans to move the capital to Phetchabun and to create the Phutthamonthon park failed to get enough approval from Parliament. On August 17, 1945 he resigned to make way for a new administration.<br/><br/> In 1946 he was one of the founders of the Democrat Party, and became its first leader. The fourth national elections on January 6, 1946 were won by the Democrat Party, which gained him a second term as Prime Minister starting on January 31. Only 45 days later, on March 24, his government lost an election in Parliament and he resigned.<br/><br/> He became Prime Minister a third time on November 10, 1947 following a coup d'état led by Phin Chunhawan. However, the coup leaders were not pleased with the performance of Khuang's government and forced him to resign on April 8, 1948. This also ensured Plaek Phibunsongkhram would become Prime Minister again. Khuang continued in politics as the opposition leader and leader of the Democrat Party.
Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahison Phakdi, born Khaw Sim Bee, was a Thai provincial administrator. He was the youngest of the six sons of Khaw Soo Cheang, a trader from Zhangzhou in China.<br/><br/> As a member of the na Ranong family which held the governor's post in Ranong for generations, Khaw was assigned to become governour of Trang in 1890.<br/><br/> His most significant contribution was the introduction of the rubber tree to Thailand, which at his time was only grown in Malaysia. It has since become one of the major crops of Thailand. He also initiated the connection of Trang with Nakhon Si Thammarat and Phatthalung by road as well as the railroad connection to Nakhon Si Thammarat, one of the first railroads of Thailand.<br/><br/> In 1902 he was assigned to become the commissioner of Monthon Phuket, where he stayed till his death in 1916. A monument commemorating him was erected in the city of Trang.
Paul Gauguin was born in Paris in 1848 and spent some of his childhood in Peru. He worked as a stockbroker with little success, and suffered from bouts of severe depression. He also painted. In 1891, Gauguin, frustrated by lack of recognition at home and financially destitute, sailed to the tropics to escape European civilization and 'everything that is artificial and conventional'. His time there, particularly in Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands, was the subject of much interest both then and in modern times due to his alleged sexual exploits. He was known to have had trysts with several native girls, some of whom appear as subjects of his paintings. Gauguin died on 8 May 1903 and is buried in Calvary Cemetery (Cimetière Calvaire), Atuona, Hiva ‘Oa, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia.
Hiva Oa is the second largest island in the Marquesas Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. It is the largest island of the Southern Marquesas group. Its name means “long ridgepole” in South Marquesan. The island is likely so named because of its long central ridge.<br/><br/> Paul Gauguin was born in Paris in 1848 and spent some of his childhood in Peru. He worked as a stockbroker with little success, and suffered from bouts of severe depression. He also painted. In 1891, Gauguin, frustrated by lack of recognition at home and financially destitute, sailed to the tropics to escape European civilization and 'everything that is artificial and conventional'. His time there, particularly in Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands, was the subject of much interest both then and in modern times due to his alleged sexual exploits. He was known to have had trysts with several native girls, some of whom appear as subjects of his paintings. Gauguin died on 8 May 1903 and is buried in Calvary Cemetery (Cimetière Calvaire), Atuona, Hiva ‘Oa, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia.
ZenkÅ-ji is a Buddhist temple located in Nagano, Japan. The temple was built in the 7th century. Nagano City, established in 1897, was originally a town built around the temple. Historically, the ZenkÅ-ji is perhaps most famous for its involvement in the battles between Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen in the 16th century, when it served as one of Kenshin's bases of operations. Currently, the ZenkÅ-ji is one of the last few remaining pilgrimage sites in Japan.
ZenkÅ-ji is a Buddhist temple located in Nagano, Japan. The temple was built in the 7th century. Nagano City, established in 1897, was originally a town built around the temple. Historically, the ZenkÅ-ji is perhaps most famous for its involvement in the battles between Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen in the 16th century, when it served as one of Kenshin's bases of operations. Currently, the ZenkÅ-ji is one of the last few remaining pilgrimage sites in Japan.
ZenkÅ-ji is a Buddhist temple located in Nagano, Japan. The temple was built in the 7th century. Nagano City, established in 1897, was originally a town built around the temple. Historically, the ZenkÅ-ji is perhaps most famous for its involvement in the battles between Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen in the 16th century, when it served as one of Kenshin's bases of operations. Currently, the ZenkÅ-ji is one of the last few remaining pilgrimage sites in Japan.
Khaw Sim Bee, also known as Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahison Phakdi, was governor of Phuket from 1902 until his death in 1916. He is believed to have been the first man to introduce the rubber tree to Thailand.<br/><br/> Phuket, formerly known as Talang and, in Western sources, Junk Ceylon (a corruption of the Malay Tanjung Salang, i.e. 'Cape Salang'), is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are (from north clockwise) Phang Nga and Krabi, but as Phuket is an island there are no land boundaries.<br/><br/> Phuket, which is approximately the size of Singapore, is Thailand’s largest island. The island is connected to mainland Thailand by two bridges. It is situated off the west coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea.<br/><br/> Phuket formerly derived its wealth from tin and rubber, and enjoyed a rich and colorful history. The island was on one of the major trading routes between India and China, and was frequently mentioned in foreign ship logs of Portuguese, French, Dutch and English traders. The region now derives much of its income from tourism.
Pack oxen were the prime mode of transport at the time and facilitated trade around Laos, southern China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Burma. Each of the baskets on the packsaddles could carry 20 kg of paddy.
The First Indochina War (also known as the French Indochina War, Anti-French War, Franco-Vietnamese War, Franco-Vietminh War, Indochina War, Dirty War in France, and Anti-French Resistance War in contemporary Vietnam) was fought in French Indochina from December 19, 1946, until August 1, 1954, between the French Union's French Far East Expeditionary Corps, led by France and supported by Emperor Bảo Äại's Vietnamese National Army against the Việt Minh, led by Hồ Chí Minh and Võ Nguyên Giáp.<br/><br/> Most of the fighting took place in Tonkin in Northern Vietnam, although the conflict engulfed the entire country and also extended into the neighboring French Indochina protectorates of Laos and Cambodia. The war ended in French defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954.
The River Mekong is the world's 12th-longest river. From its Himalayan source on the Tibetan plateau, it flows some 4,350 km (2,703 miles) through China's Yunnan province, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, finally draining in the South China Sea. The recent construction of hydroelectric dams on the river and its tributaries has reduced the water flow dramatically during the dry season in Southeast Asia.
Zanzibar (from Arabic: زنجبار‎ ZanjibÄr, from Persian: زنگبار‎ ZangibÄr'Coast of Blacks'; zangi [black-skinned] + bÄr [coast]) is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania in East Africa. It is composed of the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 25–50 kilometres (16–31 mi) off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar), and Pemba.<br/><br/> The capital of Zanzibar, located on the island of Unguja, is Zanzibar City. Its historic centre, known as Stone Town, is a World Heritage Site and is claimed to be the only functioning ancient town in East Africa.<br/><br/> Zanzibar's main industries are spices, raffia, and tourism. In particular, the islands produce cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper. For this reason, the islands, together with Tanzania's Mafia Island, are sometimes called the Spice Islands (a term also associated with the Maluku Islands in Indonesia).
Mehmed II (March 30, 1432 – May 3, 1481) or, in modern Turkish, Fatih Sultan Mehmet; known as Mahomet or Mohammed II in early modern Europe) was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1444 to September 1446, and later from February 1451 to 1481.<br/><br/> In 1453, at the age of just 21, Mehmed led an Ottoman army in the siege of Constantinople with between 80,000 to 200,000 troops and a navy of 320 vessels, though the bulk of them were transport and store ships. The city was surrounded by sea and land; the fleet at the entrance of the Bosphorus was stretched from shore to shore in the form of a crescent, to intercept or repel any assistance from the sea for the besieged Byzantines.<br/><br/> In early April, the Siege of Constantinople began. After several fruitless assaults, the city's walls held off the Turks with great difficulty, even with the use of the new Orban's bombard, a cannon similar to the Dardanelles Gun. The harbor of the Golden Horn was blocked by a boom chain and defended by 28 warships.<br/><br/> On April 22, Mehmed transported his lighter warships overland, around the Genoese colony of Galata and into the Golden Horn's northern shore; 80 galleys were transported from the Bosphorus after paving a little over one-mile route with wood. Thus the Byzantines stretched their troops over a longer portion of the walls. A little over a month later, Constantinople fell on May 29 following a 57-day siege. It was the end of the Byzantine Empire.
The Hurricane of 1900 made landfall on September 8, 1900, in the city of Galveston, Texas, in the United States. It had estimated winds of 145 miles per hour (233 km/h) at landfall, making it a Category 4 storm on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. It was the deadliest hurricane in US history.<br/><br/> The hurricane caused great loss of life with the estimated death toll between 6,000 and 12,000 individuals; the number most cited in official reports is 8,000, giving the storm the third-highest number of deaths or injuries of any Atlantic hurricane, after the Great Hurricane of 1780 and 1998's Hurricane Mitch. The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 is the deadliest natural disaster ever to strike the United States.<br/><br/> The hurricane occurred before the practice of assigning official code names to tropical storms was instituted, and thus it is commonly referred to under a variety of descriptive names. Typical names for the storm include the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, the Great Galveston Hurricane, and, especially in older documents, the Galveston Flood. It is often referred to by Galveston locals as The Great Storm or The 1900 Storm.
The Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) was founded after the Manchus defeated the Ming, the last Han Chinese dynasty. The Manchus introduced a 'queue order', forcing the Han Chinese to adopt the Manchu queue hairstyle and Manchu-style clothing.<br/><br/> The Qing consolidated control of some areas originally under the Ming, including Yunnan. They also stretched their sphere of influence over Xinjiang, Tibet and Mongolia. But during the 19th century, Qing control weakened. Britain's desire to continue its opium trade with China collided with imperial edicts prohibiting the addictive drug, and the First Opium War erupted in 1840. Hong Kong was ceded to Britain in 1842 under the Treaty of Nanking.<br/><br/> At the start of the 20th century, the Boxer Rebellion threatened northern China. This was a conservative anti-imperialist movement that sought to return China to old ways. The Empress Dowager, probably seeking to ensure her continued grip on power, sided with the Boxers when they advanced on Beijing. But an Eight-Nation Alliance of foreign powers defeated the Boxers and demanded further concessions from the Qing government. A revolutionary military uprising, the Wuchang Uprising, began on October 10, 1911 in Wuhan against the Qing Dynasty. The provisional government of the Republic of China was formed in Nanjing on March 12, 1912, with Sun Yat-sen as President.
International attention to Shanghai grew in the 19th century due to its economic and trade potential at the Yangtze River. During the First Opium War (1839–1842), British forces temporarily held the city. The war ended with the 1842 Treaty of Nanjing, opening Shanghai and other ports to international trade. In 1863, the British settlement, located to the south of Suzhou creek (Huangpu district), and the American settlement, to the north of Suzhou creek (Hongkou district), joined in order to form the International Settlement.<br/><br/>The French opted out of the Shanghai Municipal Council, and maintained its own French Concession. Citizens of many countries and all continents came to Shanghai to live and work during the ensuing decades; those who stayed for long periods called themselves 'Shanghailanders'. In the 1920s and 30s, some 20,000 so-called White Russians and Russian Jews fled the newly established Soviet Union and took up residence in Shanghai. By 1932, Shanghai had become the world's fifth largest city and home to 70,000 foreigners.
Mehmed II (March 30, 1432 – May 3, 1481) or, in modern Turkish, Fatih Sultan Mehmet; known as Mahomet or Mohammed II in early modern Europe) was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1444 to September 1446, and later from February 1451 to 1481.<br/><br/> In 1453, at the age of just 21, Mehmed led an Ottoman army in the siege of Constantinople with between 80,000 to 200,000 troops and a navy of 320 vessels, though the bulk of them were transport and store ships. The city was surrounded by sea and land; the fleet at the entrance of the Bosphorus was stretched from shore to shore in the form of a crescent, to intercept or repel any assistance from the sea for the besieged Byzantines.<br/><br/> In early April, the Siege of Constantinople began. After several fruitless assaults, the city's walls held off the Turks with great difficulty, even with the use of the new Orban's bombard, a cannon similar to the Dardanelles Gun. The harbor of the Golden Horn was blocked by a boom chain and defended by 28 warships. On April 22, Mehmed transported his lighter warships overland, around the Genoese colony of Galata and into the Golden Horn's northern shore; 80 galleys were transported from the Bosphorus after paving a little over one-mile route with wood. Thus the Byzantines stretched their troops over a longer portion of the walls. A little over a month later, Constantinople fell on May 29 following a 57-day siege. It was the end of the Byzantine Empire.
The Nyahuen or Hyanon are a Mon-Khmer ethnic group of about 5,000 persons who inhabit about 30 villages in Champasak province in southern Laos. The Nyahuen are strongly animist with spirits and shamans being consulted for virtually every decision. The Nyahon believe each person has seven different souls. They especially revere a spirit called 'Brrah'. Other spirits of nature include the spirit of trees, water, rice fields, thunder and mountains. Shamans, or spirit priests, conduct regular ceremonies where they make sacrifices and offer up prayers to protective spirits. Offended spirits are identified by a ritual involving rice and the organs of a chicken. Special ceremonies are held in the event of a natural disaster or epidemic.
Samurai is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. By the end of the 12th century, samurai became almost entirely synonymous with bushi, and the word was closely associated with the middle and upper echelons of the warrior class.<br/><br/> The samurai followed a set of rules that came to be known as BushidÅ. While they numbered less than ten percent of Japan's population, samurai teachings can still be found today in both everyday life and in martial arts such as KendÅ, meaning the way of the sword.
The Haw people are a small subgroup of Han Chinese who live mostly in the mountainous border area between Simao in Yunnan province, Dien Bien in Vietnam and Phongsali in Laos.
Saopha, Chaofa, or Sawbwa (Thai: Chaofa, เจ้าฟ้า) was a royal title used by the rulers of the Shan States of Myanmar (Burma). The word means 'king' in the Shan and Tai languages. In some ancient Chinese literature it was recorded as è©” (pinyin: Zhào) for example Six Zhao and Nanzhao.
The Yang King Pan Canal ran between the French and International Concessions in Shanghai, and was the scene of much busy commerce and a crowded market.
The original Shanghai Club was a three-storey red-brick building constructed by the British in 1861. The original Club was torn down and rebuilt in 1910 with reinforced concrete in a neo-classical design. The large first floor dining room had black and white marble flooring, while the entrance staircase used imported white Sicilian marble.<br/><br/> The club was a British men's club and was the most exclusive club in Shanghai during the heyday of the 1920s and 1930s. The membership fee was $125 and monthly dues were $9. The second-floor was famous for the 'Long Bar.' This was an unpolished mahogany, L-shaped bar that measured 110.7 feet by 39 feet. On one side of the bar was a smoking room and library, while on the other side was a billiards room. It was famous for being the world's longest bar at one time. Noel Coward said, laying his cheek on it, that he could see the curvature of the earth.<br/><br/> There were also forty guest rooms on the second and third floors. It later became the Dongfeng Hotel, and even housed a KFC restaurant from 1990 to 1996. The restored building as of October 2010 is the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai, a luxury hotel.