Monthly Archives: March 2013

Cleopatra. VII Philopator 69BC-30BC Cleopatra last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt was only 38 when she died in 30 B.C., but in her short life she became one of the great romantic heroines of all time, her name still synonymous with … Continue reading →

Italian words in English. The contributions of Italian to English are vast, including three-quarters of our musical terms. Examples are: alarm, million, ducat, form, brigand, bark (ship), tunnyfish), race, nuncio, artisan, doge, magnifico, mountebank, umbrella, gondola, carnival, mustachio, attack, cavalier, … Continue reading →

BLAISE PASCAL , 1623-1662 age(39) He was born at Clermont in Auvergne, France the son of the president of the Court of Aids of Clermont. He showed amassing mathematical talent. His early training was scientific rather than literary or theological, … Continue reading →

Pocahontas. Mostly everyone in North America knows one or another story about Pocahontas, among the most famous Native American women in history. But few know that Pocahontas was not her real name. Some American Indians at the time believed that … Continue reading →

Craps. Dice have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs and in the ruins of Babylon, but the game of dice as we know it today dates to the early 19th century and may owe its name, craps, to a Frenchman. … Continue reading →

The Coming Population Crash and our planets surprising future They may be having seven children in Mali, and six in Afghanistan, but half of the world’s women are now having two children or fewer—not just in rich countries, but in … Continue reading →

MICHEL EYQUEM DE MONTAIGNE, 1533-1592 The founder of the modern Essay, was born in the Aquitaine region of France at the château of Montaigne in Pèrigord in a town now called Saint-Michel-de-Montaigne,. He came of a family of wealthy merchants … Continue reading →