Posts

Aaliyah, singer and actress Ira Aldridge, American actor Debbie Allen, dancer-choreographer, actress Angela Bassett, actress Harry Belafonte, singer and actor Shari Belafonte-Harper, model and actress Halle Berry, actress and model Brandy, singer and actress Andre Braugher, actor Avery Brooks, American actor LeVar Burton, American actor Diahann Carroll, singer and actress Bill Cosby, actor and comedian Scatman Crothers, actor Dorothy Dandridge, singer, actor Ossie Davis, actor, director, writer Sammy Davis Jr....

Circa A.D. 30 he was executed on a cross in Jerusalem, a brutal form of punishment for those considered a political threat to the Roman Empire. After his death his followers came to believe in him as the Christ, the Messiah. The Gospels report his resurrection, and the risen Jesus was witnessed by many of his followers. The apostle Paul helped spread the new faith in his missionary travels. Historically, Christianity arose out of Judaism and claims that Jesus fulfilled many of the promises of the Hebrew Scripture (referred to by Christians as the Old Testament)....

The modern Christmas tree was likely born in the 8th century, when St. Boniface was converting the Germanic tribes. The tribes worshipped oak trees, decorating them for the winter solstice. St. Boniface cut down an enormous oak tree, that was central to the worship of a particular tribe, but a fir tree grew in its place. The evergreen was offered as a symbol of Christianity, which the newly converted Germans began decorating for Christmas....

Related Links Earth Day Global Warming World’s Worst Pollution Problems Climate Vulnerable Forum United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change The nations most vulnerable to climate change are threatened by flooding, rising sea levels, crop loss, and the ravaging effects of coastal storms. These countries face the added curse of being poor and therefore lack the infrastructure to protect their residents. Maplecroft, a British risk analysis firm, published the Climate Change Vulnerability Index in 2014....

Go Fly a Kite If you put a kite aloft in the trade winds it would fly west, directed by the Earth’s rotation. The trade winds blow just north and south of the equator. Watch out for the doldrums, an area between the two belts of trade winds which has long periods with no wind. Send a Message in a Bottle Throw a bottle into the Gulf Stream off the coast of Florida....

Chinese New Year Çocuk Bayrami Day of the Dead Diwali Esala Perahera Hina Matsuri Eid al-Fitr Holi May Day N’cwala Purim Raksha Bandhan St. Lucia Trung Thu

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, the 2006 fire season was the worst on record in terms of the number of fires and acres burned. There were 96,385 fires and 9,873,429 acres affected by fire in a year that was 125% more destructive than the 10-year average. These fires cost the federal government $1.5 billion to fight, and this figure does not include the money spent by local and state governments as part of the effort....

Explorer I’s small package of instruments produced the first major discovery of the Space Age—The Van Allen radiation belts surrounding the Earth. Explorer I burned up in the atmosphere on March 30, 1970.

Photo by: Gage Skidmore Visit Barack Obama: Campaign Issues More from Campaign 2012

Related Links The Large Hadron Collider (LHC): Fiction vs. Fact CERN Forces Energy Atoms Of course, scientists had pretty specific ideas about what the Higgs boson might be like. Like many long-awaited and possibly idealized expectations, the elusive particle produced at the large hadron collider (LHC) isn’t perfect. While the boson is, as anticipated, 125-126 times the mass of a proton, its process of production and decay is 1 ½-2 times too big....

How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less by Sarah Glidden (2010) Sarah Glidden’s graphic novel is an autobiographical account of her struggle to come to terms with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on her Birthright tour. Birthright tours, also known as Taglit-Birthright Israel, are free 10-day trips to Israel where participants explore their Jewish history and culture. In this honest account, Glidden shares her doubts and questions about experiences she encounters while traveling through Israel for the first time....

Related Links Marco Rubio BiographyMarco Rubio Website Closest Presidential Races Presidential Gallery

Related Links Olympics Overview 2008Track & Field PreviewEncyclopedia: Track & Field Between 1935 and 1968, the world long jump record increased exactly eight and one-half inches. Coming into the Olympics, the world record was 27 feet, 4¾ inches, shared by American Ralph Boston and Soviet Igor Ter-Ovanesyan. In six seconds, that all changed. Bob Beamon, a 22-year-old New York native, barely qualified for the Olympic long jump finals after fouling in two of his qualifying runs....

—from “Eating Poetry” by Mark Strand Special Features Learn all about Shakespeare, other notable poets, as well as the world’s largest teen poetry festival, recommended sites, and a list of kids’ books. Poetry & Quotations See what poets say about poetry, love, the seasons of the year, and other topics. Quizzes, Crosswords & Fun Stuff Test your knowledge with poetry terms hangman, name the poet, and other fun activities....