Showing posts with label History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label History. Show all posts

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Where was the first roller coaster set up?

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The earliest roller coaster was the Russian winter sled ride, set up in specially constructed hills of ice around Petersburg. It was built in the 17th century. The slides were built to a height of 70 to 80 feet and consisted of a 50-degree drop duly reinforced by wooden supports. The first roller coaster per se was created in Paris in 1804 which was named ‘The Russian Mountains’.

What is special about University of Toulouse?



University of Toulouse is one of the oldest universities of France and is located in Toulouse, a city in Southern France on the banks of the Garonne river. It was found ed in 1229 AD as a result of the Paris Treaty marking the end of the battle between the Roman Catholic Church and its oppo nents. Foulques de Toulouse, the then bishop of Toulouse, played a major role in the setting up of the university. Now, the universi ty has an enrolment exceeding 1,00,000, and is the second largest university in France. The sixteenth century philosopher and astronomer Bruno and the Chemistry Nobel Laureate Sabatier, and the artist Dulac were some of its most illustrious faculty members.

Which is the oldest civilisation in the world?

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This has long been a subject of much debate and to this day no one is absolutely sure which is the oldest civilisation. This is mostly because people cannot agree on the definition of the word civilisation. The most common definition of the word is ‘an advanced state of development in human society, marked by progress in the arts and sciences, the extensive use of writing, and complex political and social institutions’. Mesopotamia is considered as the most likely answer to the question, based on archaeological evidence and the above definition. It is believed that Mesopotamian history starts from the emergence of urban societies in Southern Iraq in the 4th millennium.

When was the Battle of Los Angeles?

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The Battle of Los Angeles took place during the night of February 24/25, 1942 in Los Angeles, California. The battle involved heavy firing of anti-aircraft shells by the US forces aimed at several mysterious flying objects reportedly sighted in the sky over Los Angeles. These objects were thought to be Japanese military aircraft. However, even till today, their identity has not convincingly established. Even though six civilians lost their lives in the bombardment, there was no evidence that the firing destroyed any flying object. The firing was preceded by a blackout and sounding of air raid sirens. Now, many believe that the battle was the result of a false alarm, triggered by weather balloons, or Japanese blimps. Some even think the source of the alarm could be a flying object of extraterrestrial origin