Tag Archives: Europe

White Poplar

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White Poplar

White poplars are very popular.

  • White poplars are deciduous trees from the poplar species and are native to central Europe and Asia.
  • White poplars were originally known as ‘abeles’ and are also known as ‘silverleaf poplars’ and ‘silver poplars’.
  • The scientific name for white poplars is ‘Populus alba’ and is from the family Salicaceae, the family of willows.
  • White poplars are quick growing trees and grow best in sunny areas and in moist soil.
  • White poplars grow to be a height of 16 to 27 metres (52.5 to 88.6 feet) and have leaves that are green on the top side, and are white and furry underneath, making it an eye-catching tree.

White poplar, plant, tree, Australia, Drive, Road, Park, Grass, Ten Random Facts

  • White poplars have greenish, greyish and whitish trunks that can have a notable pattern of dark coloured diamonds, although as the tree ages, the trunk can be quite rough and dark coloured.
  • White poplar flowers are up to 8 cm (3 inch) long cylindrical clusters known as ‘catkins’, with the female flowers being a yellow green colour, and the males are grey boasting a red stigma, and each tree only grows one gender of flower.
  • White poplars have been introduced into North America, South Africa and Australia, and in some states and countries have become invasive.
  • White poplar bark contains a chemical called salicylate, that can be used in aspirin medicine, and the bark can have yellow die extracted from it.
  • The inner bark and leaves of white poplars can be eaten, either made into a flour for bread or eaten raw, but they are not commonly used.

 

Bibliography:
Populus Alba – L, 2012, Plants for a Future, http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Populus+alba
Populus Alba, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populus_alba

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The Beatles

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The Beatles

The Beatles are not insects, they’re humans.

  • The Beatles was a rock and pop band from England, active in 1960 to 1970.
  • The Beatles were also known as the ‘Fab Four’ and have been said to be the greatest band in the modern era.
  • It is believed that more than 600 million records of The Beatles have been sold, and they are the record holders for the ‘most number one hits on the Hot 100 chart’.
  • The Beatles have won 10 Grammy Awards, 15 Ivor Novello Awards and a Best Original Score Academy Award.
  • The Beatles started as a skiffle group with John Lennon in 1957, at age 16, and some of his schoolmates from Quarry Bank High School, who called themselves the ‘Quarrymen’, and included Paul McCartney and George Harrison.
The Beatles, Four, Signed, Picture, Square, Ten Random facts, Rock, Flickr
The Beatles
Image courtesy of IBiAFoddoAbbarad/Flickr
  • The group became ‘The Beatles’ in 1960, and underwent a series of name changes until their final name was settled upon, with some of the school members moving on and eventually Ringo Starr joining the group in 1962.
  • The Beatles became very popular from 1963 to 1966, singing on many tours and releasing many albums, starting with the single and debut album ‘Please, Please, Me’.
  • The Beatles stopped touring in 1966 due to a number of factors, that possibly included the criticism they received from the non-deliberate offensive comments and actions they made towards the United States and Philippines earlier in that year.
  • The Beatles where influenced by singers Little Richard and Elvis Presley, among others, who helped developed the band’s music and style.
  • The Beatles used guitar, voice and drums with sound effects, loops, vari-speeds and double tracking techniques to produce their music.
Bibliography:
The Beatles, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles
The Beatles, n.d, Last.fn, http://www.last.fm/music/The+Beatles

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Coriander Seeds

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Coriander Seeds

Coriander seeds are actually fruit!

  • Coriander seeds are used as a spice to flavour cooking, and are also known as ‘dhania’ and ‘coriandi seeds’.
  • Coriander seeds are the fruit of an annual herb that grows up to 50 centimetre (20 inch) high.
  • Coriander seeds are believed to be native to the Mediterranean and Middle East areas.
  • Coriander seeds are from the family Apiaceae, the family of carrots and parsley, and come from the plant that has the scientific name of Coriandrum sativum or common names ‘cilantro’, ‘Chinese parsley’ and ‘Mexican parsley’.
  • Coriander seeds are often used in curries, as well as in the spice mix ‘garam masala’, and is commonly found in dishes particularly from Southeast Asia to Africa to the Middle East.

Coriander Seeds, white, spice, fruit, Ten Random Facts, Bowl,

  • Coriander seeds are high in manganese, calcium, magnesium and iron.
  • Coriander seeds have the flavour of lemon citrus and nuts, and they generally help thicken the sauces that they are usually found in.
  • Coriander seeds are commonly used ground or whole, roasted, dried or fresh.
  • There are different varieties of coriander that produce different sized coriander seeds, and they range from 1.5 to 5 millimetres (0.06 to 0.2 inches) in diameter.
  • Coriander seeds have been used traditionally for medicinal purposes to treat a wide variety of ailments and they are said to have anti-diabetic properties.
Bibliography:
Coriander, 2006, OzPolitic, http://www.ozpolitic.com/gardening/coriander.html
Coriander, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriander

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Seljalandsfoss

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Seljalandsfoss

The breathtaking Seljalandsfoss waterfall:

  • Seljalandsfoss, also known as ‘Seljalands waterfall’, is a splendid waterfall that can be found in Southern Iceland.
  • Seljalandsfoss is very popular in Icelandic photography, being one of Iceland’s most famous falls.
  • Seljalandsfoss was part of the American reality television race, ‘The Amazing Race (6)’ in 2004, as a waypoint in the first leg.
  • ‘Seljalandsfoss’, the Icelandic name of the waterfall, literally means ‘selling the land of waterfalls’ in English.
  • Seljalandsfoss, from the top to the bottom, measures about 60 metres (197 feet) in height.

Saljalandsfoss, Water, Waterfall, iceland, Picturesque, Ten Random Facts, Flickr,

Seljalandsfoss
Image courtesy of Borkur Sigurbjornsson/Flickr
  • Seljalandsfoss is formed by the Seljalandsá River, which runs over the edge of a volcanic cliff.
  • Seljalandsfoss can be viewed from all angles, as a walking trail passes behind the falls, and tours to the falls are also available.
  • Seljalandsfoss features a small cascade at the top of the falls, with smaller waterfalls surrounding it.
  • The cliff of the Seljalandsfoss is believed to have been once part of the coastline of Iceland.
  • Seljalandsfoss partially freezes in winter, and the surroundings are covered in snow and ice.
Bibliography:
Seljalandsfoss, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seljalandsfoss
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, 2013, Cancuk Abroad, http://www.canuckabroad.com/places/place/seljalandsfoss-waterfall/

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Nikola Tesla

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Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla was an inventor of many ideas and less inventions.

  • Nikola Tesla was a Serbian American who was a renowned inventor for his AC (alternating current) electrical system, and he was also an engineer, physicist, futurist and author.
  • Nikola Tesla was born on 10 July, 1856 in Smiljan in the Austrian Empire, now Croatia, in Europe, and died quietly on 7 January 1943 in America’s New York, but was not discovered dead until the next day, by a maid.
  • Nikola Tesla was to be a priest, like his father, but when Tesla caught life-threatening cholera; his father promised he could go to an engineering university.
  • Nikola Tesla spent much of his life in the United States, and became a citizen of the country in 1891 at age 35, originally working for future rival Thomas Edison in the 1880s, but later working for himself.
  • Nikola Tesla had at least 278 official patents for some of his inventions, with many being improvements to technology, in areas of radio, magnetism and, particularly electricity, and he also experimented significantly with x-rays.

Nikola Tesla, Greyscale, Painting, Ten Random Facts, Inventor, Flickr

Tesla
Image courtesy of Theirry Ehrmann/Flickr

  • The SI unit (System of Units) of measurement for the strength of a magnetic field was named after Nikola Tesla, and is known as a ‘tesla’.
  • Although Nikola Tesla earned much money from his patents, Tesla experienced bankruptcy and died in debt, since much of his money was spent on new experiments.
  • Nikola Tesla was primarily 1.88 metres (6 feet 2 inch) in height, 64 kilograms (142 pounds) in weight, had a liking for pigeons, did not generally sleep longer than two hours a night, is believed to have had obsessive-compulsive disorder and a photographic memory, and died unmarried.
  • Nikola Tesla has a planet, ‘2244 Tesla’, and a crater named after him, and he also a number of other honours and memorials, including a monument that was unveiled in September 2013 in New York.
  • Nikola Tesla Memorial Centre opened in 2006, in his hometown in Croatia, featuring Tesla’s inventions, innovations, statues and even his ashes.
Bibliography:Nikola Tesla, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla
Vujovic L, Tesla’s Biography, 1998, Tesla Memorial Society of New York, http://www.teslasociety.com/biography.htm

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Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

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Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

These facts are as grand as the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus.

  • The ‘Temple of Artemis at Ephesus’ is also known as the ‘Temple of Artemis’ and the ‘Temple of Artemis at Ephesos’, and it has also been referred to as the ‘Temple of Diana’.
  • The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was a temple built by the Ancient Greeks to honour and worship Artemis, the goddess of fertility, the hunt and moon.
  • The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus has a long history, and it is believed that in 700 BC a temple was erected on the site, and later, in approximately 550 BC, Chersiphron, an architect from Cretan, and his son Metagenes, designed and rebuilt a temple on the site, with the financial help of King Croesus (King Kroisos as he is also known) of Lydia.
  • The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was situated in the ancient city of Ephesus, which can be found near Selçuk, a town in modern Turkey.
  • The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was destroyed and rebuilt at least three times, notably damaged by a flood and by fire, and was finally torched by the Goths in 268 AD and was probably not fully rebuilt after that.

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Ruins, Site, Turkey, Pole, Remains, Ten Random Facts, Flickr

Ruins
Image courtesy of Dennis Jarvis/Flickr
  • The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was larger the last time it was believed to be rebuilt in 323 BC, with the final temple measuring approximately 137 by 69 metres (450 by 226 feet) and as high as 18 metres (59 feet), with at least 127 columns.
  • The third Temple of Artemis at Ephesus is noted among the Seven Wonders of the World.
  • The remains of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus were first discovered in 1869, on a deliberate search by John Turtle Wood, who was originally an architect and engineer from Britain.
  • The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was made mostly of marble, with many sculptures of high relief throughout the temple, as well as carved columns.
  • Not only was the temple used to worship Artemis, it is believed the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was also used as a marketplace.
Bibliography:
Temple of Artemis, 2011, Kusadasi.biz, http://www.kusadasi.biz/historical-places/temple-of-artemis.html
Temple of Artemis, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Artemis

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