Category: World History
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October 26: Alfred the Great
In the traditions of the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox churches, October 26 is the feast of St. Alfred the Great, King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886 and then of a unified Anglo-Saxon kingdom until his death on October 26, 899. He is remembered largely for his success in warding off Viking…
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Exploring the Unknown
The Untold Story of Exploration This is a book by Lowell Thomas, published in 1937. Its various chapters outline the stories of explorers who are not the most widely known. One chapter traces the career of Ulrich Schmiedel von Straubing (aka Ulrico Schmidl) who accompanied the Spanish expedition headed by Pedro de Mendoza to South…
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The Politics of Perplexity in Twenty-First Century America
In the context of twenty-first century America, “politics” is perhaps one of the most curiously irritating words in the English language. I know from personal experience – whether from observing others, or from paying attention to myself – that there is a visceral reflex to feel something between annoyance and disgust upon hearing the word.…