Spain History

                         About Spain

                          Spain History ...

By 1100 b.C. Phoenicians arrived to the peninsula andfounded colonies, the most important of which was Gadir (today's Cadiz), Malaca (today's Malaga) and Abdera (today's Adra, in Almeria). Also Greeks founded colonies in southern Spain and along the Mediterranean coast

From about 900 BC a seafaring people called the Phoenicians who came from what is now Lebanon traded with what is now Spain. They founded a chain of trading settlements along the coast on islands and peninsulas. The Iberians gave the Phoenicians silver in return for wine and olive oil as well as jewelry. The people of Spain were heavily influenced by the Phoenician culture. The Greeks also traded with Spain the Iberians were also influenced by Greek culture.

A Phoenician colony in North Africa called Carthage rose to be powerful and important. After the Romans defeated them in 241 BC the Carthaginians increased their influence in Spain. In 227 BC they founded New Carthage (modern Cartagena). However, in 226 the Carthaginians made a treaty with Spain. They agreed not to expand north of the River Ebro.

Yet in 119 BC the Carthaginians took the town of Saguntum. It was south of the Ebro but the Romans claimed Saguntum was their ally and they ordered the Carthaginian general, Hannibal to withdraw. He refused and war ensued. The Romans sent an army to Spain in 218 BC and they gradually pushed back the Carthaginians. By 206 BC the Carthaginians were gone from Spain. In 197 BC the Romans divided the Iberian peninsula into 2 areas, Hispania Citerior (east of the River Iberius) and Hispania Ulterior.

However the Iberians wanted independence and they rebelled against the Romans. Rome sent a man named Cato who regained control of most of Spain. Nevertheless, the Iberians continued to resist and fighting continued for nearly 200 years. Resistance finally ended when the Cantabrians were defeated in 19 BC. Afterward, Spain was gradually integrated into the Roman Empire. The Romans built a network of roads and founded towns and Spain became highly civilized.

Under Roman rule Spain became prosperous. Mining was an important industry. Gold and silver were exported. So were olives, grapes, and grain. Roman Spain also exported a fish sauce called garum. However, in 171-173 raiders from North Africa swept into Spain. There were further attacks at the beginning of the 3rd century. In any case from the mid-3rd century, the Roman Empire gradually declined. Meanwhile, the people of Roman Spain were gradually converted to Christianity

Cricket History

                About Cricket
             Introduction of Cricket
Cricket was introduced to North America via the English colonies as early as the 17th century, and in the 18th century it arrived in other parts of the globe. It was introduced to the West Indies by colonists and to India by British East India Company mariners

The British brought cricket to India in the early 1700s, with the first cricket match played in 1721. In 1848, the Parsi community in Bombay formed the Oriental Cricket Club, the first cricket club to be established by Indians. After slow beginnings, the Europeans eventually invited the Parsis to play a match in 1877

W. G. Grace is considered to be the father of cricket. He played an vital role in developing cricket across the world. He is born in England. The most important thing is he is an all-rounder

William Gilbert Grace, (born July 18, 1848, Down end, Gloucestershire, Eng.—died Oct. 23, 1915, 

Official Cricket Rules

Cricket is a game played between two teams made up of eleven players each. There is also a reserve player called a “twelfth man” who is used should a player be injured during play.

The twelfth man is not allowed to bowl, bat, wicket keep or captain the team. His sole duty is to act as a substitute fielder.

The original player is free to return to the game as soon as they have recovered from their injury.

To apply the law and make sure the cricket rules are upheld throughout the game there are two umpires in place during games. Umpires are responsible for making decisions and notifying the scorers of these decisions.

Two umpires are in place on the playing field while there is also a third umpire off the field who is in charge of video decisions.

This is where the call is too close for the on field umpires and they refer it to the third umpire who reviews slow motion video replays to make a decision

However, in cricket the batting team bat in pairs, and they continue batting until 10 of the 11 team members are ‘out’.
The fielding team must continue fielding until 10 of the batting team are ‘out’ (i.e. there is only one batter left – no pair).

A game of cricket is divided into ‘Overs’ and ‘Innings’. One ‘over’ is made up of 6 balls. After 6 balls have been bowled, the bowler must change. Anyone on the fielding team can bowl, but most teams usually have 4 or 5 specialist bowlers and 5 or 6 specialist batsmen

The batting team must score as many ‘runs’ as possible, by hitting the ball and running to the other end of the pitch. If the batsman can reach the other end of the pitch successfully, he scores 1 ‘run’. If he can reach the other end of the pitch and return, he scores 2 runs etc.
If he hits the ball to the edge of the field, he scores 4 runs. If he can hit the ball to the edge of the field without bouncing, he scores 6 runs.
The batsman can continue to bat until he is ‘out’ – and then he will be replaced by his next teammate.
Sometimes the first batsman is never out, and he scores 100 or 200+ runs in the game.

The International Cricket Council is the global governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from Australia, England and South Africa. It was renamed as the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989

PM.Imran Khan Kamayab Jawan scheme form

Prime Minister Imran Khan
Kamayab Jawan Program

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About Japan

                                Japan                                                                                           

日本....     

There are various era divisions in Japanese history, and there is nothing that can be called an established theory. Historical research is widely accepted as a method of dividing the period between (primitive), ancient, medieval, early modern, and modern. Even in this case, when to set the epoch of each era varies greatly depending on the controversy.

Regarding the beginning of ancient times, there are different views over the time of the formation of the ancient state. For the medieval period, the manor public territory system, which was a socio-economic system throughout the middle ages, was regarded as an indicator of the era. Each is required for the Dazai site in the second half of the 16th century. The modern times began before and after the Dazai site,

It is supposed to end before and after. The beginning of modern times is generally considered to be from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji Restoration period, but there is also an idea that the rise of the household machinery industry in the first half of the 18th century is the beginning of modern times. Furthermore, the modern world and the present day may be distinguished by the defeat in the Second World War, but recently, in the history of Japan, the cold war structure has collapsed at the boundary between the modern and the modern, and the economy has risen due to the collapse of the bubble. Some argue that it should be changed around 1990 when growth is over.

The above-mentioned period division theory is influenced by the developmental history view, and it is pointed out that there is a limit to not paying much attention to the stratification and continuity of history. For this reason, some researchers have begun to advocate “the transition theory”, which is regarded as a transition rather than a subject to distinguish the times.

A well-known era division is an era division that focuses mainly on the location of the political center. This period division does not have a clear division standard and is not suitable as a period division in historical research. It is an age division that is merely used for convenience. The period when the archaeological historical material remains without the historical material is according to the archaeological period classification, the Paleolithic period, Jomon period, Yayoi period

Distinguished from the Kofun period. From the period when historical documents remain to some extent, according to the location of the political center, Asuka period (Asoka village), Nara period (Nara city), Heian period (Kyoto city), Kamakura period (Kamakura city), Murom chi period (Kyoto city)・ Azuchi-Momoyama period (Azuchi-cho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto) and Edo period (Tokyo). However, this is not always enough, so we set up the divisions of the North and South Dynasty in the early Murom chi period, the Sengoku period in the late Murom chi period, and the end of the Edo period in the late Edo period. is there. After the Edo period, the Emperor ’s reign period

Naya Pakistan Housing scheme

Naya Pakistan Housing scheme
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About Marco polo

                            Marco Polo 
The story and biography of Marco Polo which contains interesting information, facts & the history about the life of this Medieval person of historical importance

Marco Polo travels to Cathay (China)Marco Polo lived from 1254-1324. Some years before St. Louis led his last Crusade there was born in Venice a boy named Marco Polo. His father was a wealthy merchant who often went on trading journeys to distant lands. In 1271, when Marco Polo was seventeen years old, he accompanied his father and uncle on a journey through the Holy Land, Persia and Tartary, and at length to the Empire of China, then called Cathay. It took the travellers three years to reach Cathay.

Marco Polo meets Kublai Khan in PekingThe emperor of Cathay was a monarch named Kublai Khan who lived in Peking. Marco Polo's father and uncle had been in Cathay once before and had entertained Kublai Khan by telling him about the manners and customs of Europe. So when the two Venetian merchants again appeared in Peking, Kublai Khan was glad to see them. He was also greatly pleased with the young Marco Polo, whom he invited to the palace. Important positions at the Chinese court were given to Marco Polo's father and uncle, and so they and Marco Polo lived in the country for some years. Marco Polo studied the Chinese language, and it was not very long before he could speak it.

Marco Polo works as an envoy for Kublai Khan When Marco Polo was about twenty-one Kublai Khan sent him on very important business to a distant part of China. He did the work well and from that time was often employed as an envoy of the Chinese monarch. His travels were sometimes in lands never before visited by Europeans and Marco Polo had many strange adventures among the almost unknown tribes of Asia. Step by step he was promoted. For several years he was governor of a great Chinese city. Finally Marco Polo, his father and his uncle desired to return to Venice. They had all served Kublai Khan faithfully and he had appreciated it and given them rich rewards; but he did not wish to let them go.

Marco Polo leaves China While the matter was being talked over an embassy arrived in Peking from the king of Persia. This monarch desired to marry the daughter of Kublai Khan, the Princess Cocachin, and he had sent to ask her father for her hand. Consent was given, and Kublai Khan fitted out a fleet of fourteen ships to carry the wedding party to Persia. The Princess Cocachin was a great friend of Marco Polo, and urged her father to allow him to go with the party. Finally Kublai Khan gave his consent. Marco Polo's father and uncle were also allowed to go, and the three Venetians left China.

Marco Polo escorts the daughter of the Kublai Khan to Persia The fleet with the wedding party on board sailed southward on the China Sea. It was a long and perilous voyage. Stops were made at Borneo, Sumatra, Ceylon and other places, until the ships entered the Persian Gulf and the princess was safely landed. After they reached the capital of Persia the party, including the three Venetians, was entertained by the Persians for weeks in a magnificent manner and costly presents were given to all. At last the Venetians left their friends, went to the Black Sea and took ship for Venice.

Marco Polo returns to Venice They had been away so long and were so much changed in appearance that none of their relations and old friends knew them when they arrived in Venice. As they were dressed in Tatar costume and sometimes spoke the Chinese language to one another, they found it hard to convince people that they were members of the Polo family. At length, on order to show that they were the men that they declared themselves to be, they gave a dinner to all their relations and old friends. When the guests arrived they were greeted by the travelers, arrayed in gorgeous Chinese robes of crimson satin. After the first course they appeared in crimson damask; after the second, they changed their costumes to crimson velvet; while at the end of the dinner they appeared in the usual garb of wealthy Venetians. "Now, my friends," said Marco Polo , "I will show you something that will please you." He then brought into the room the rough Tatar coats which he and his father and uncle had worn when they reached Venice. Cutting open the seams, he took from inside the lining packets filled with rubies, emeralds and diamonds. It was the finest collection of jewels ever seen in Venice. The guests were now persuaded that their hosts were indeed what they claimed to be.

Marco Polo is captured by the Genoese Eight hundred years before Marco Polo's birth, some of the people of North Italy had fled before the Attila to the muddy islands of the Adriatic and founded Venice upon them. Since then the little settlement had become the most wealthy and powerful city of Europe. Venice was the queen of the Adriatic and her merchants were princes. They had vessels to bring the costly wares of the East to their wharves; they had warships to protect their rich cargoes from the pirates of the Mediterranean; they carried on wars. At the time when Marco Polo returned from Cathay they were at war with Genoa . The two cities were fighting for the trade of the world. In a great naval battle the Venetians were completely defeated. Marco Polo was in the battle and with many of his countrymen was captured by the enemy.

Marco Polo dictates an account of his travels For a year he was confined in a Genoese prison. One of his fellow-prisoners was a skilful penman and Marco Polo dictated to him an account of his experiences in China, Japan, and other Eastern countries. This account was carefully written out. Copies of the manuscript exist to this day. One of these is in a library in Paris. It was carried into France in the year 1307. Another copy is preserved in the city of Berne. It is said that the book was translated into many languages, so that people in all parts of Europe learned about the adventures. of Marco Polo.

The Legacy of Marco Polo - The Travels of Marco Polo  About a hundred and seventy-five years after the book was written, the famous Genoese, Christopher Columbus, planned his voyage across the Atlantic. It is believed that he had read the description by Marco Polo of Java, Sumatra and other East India Islands, which he thought he had reached when he discovered Haiti and Cuba. So Marco Polo may have suggested to Columbus the voyage which led to the discovery of America

About Philippines

                           Philippines

• Spanish expedition claims the islands and names them the Philippines after the heir to the Spanish throne
• Civil and armed campaign for independence from Spanish rule begins
•  Revolutionary forces under Emilio Aguinaldo proclaim independence

• During brief Spanish-American War, US Navy destroys Spanish fleet in Manila Bay. Spain cedes Philippines to US, which proclaims military rule.
• Revolutionaries refuse to recognise US takeover, proclaim First Philippine Republic with General Aguinaldo as president, launch armed struggle against US forces known as Philippine-American War
• Philippine-American War formally ends as US civil government replaces military rule. Some independence forces fight on until defeat of Moro resistance in south in 1913

• Elected Philippine assembly inaugurated under US rule. 1916 - US government promises Philippines greater autonomy, leading to independence
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A plebiscite approves establishment of Commonwealth of Philippines. Manuel Quezon is its first president. Philippines promised full independence within 10 years.

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The written record of the Philippine Islands starts with the coming of the Spaniards. Not that the country had not had a history and a culture and a literature before! But the Spaniards, in their religious zeal, destroyed the earlier records as completely as possible. Therefore much of what is known about pre-Spanish days—and there is still much to be uncovered—comes from the records of other countries which were in touch with the islands.

Centuries before the influence of the West was felt in the Philippines, the culture of India, China, and southeastern Asia had reached that country through the early settlers. From the eighth to the fifteenth centuries, the Philippine Islands were part of a great Hindu-Malayan empire ruled from Java and Sumatra in the neighboring islands to the southwest.

Mohammedanism swept over this area of the world in the latter part of the fifteenth century. Moslems came into the Sulu Archipelago and Mindanao and converted the people. Their descendants, the Mores, have remained devout Mohammedans to this day.

By the time the Spaniards came to the islands, therefore, the Filipinos had developed a way of life and a distinct culture that were suitable and satisfactory to them. They had a calendar, weights and measures, a system of writing, some elements of law, some religious ideas showing both Hindu and Mohammedan influences, and had some skill in metalworking, pottery making, and weaving.

Magellan, on his voyage around the world, “discovered” the islands in 1521, nearly a half century before the first permanent settlement (St. Augustine, Florida) was established by Spain in the United States. Numerous other Spanish expeditions followed, and one of them gave to the islands the name “Las Filipinas” in honor of Philip II of Spain.

The islanders were no match for the armed men from the West. They were divided both geographically and politically. Their government was a simple system, made up of many barangays (originally family groups each with a headman). There was little unity among these clans.

By the end of the sixteenth century, most of the country except the southern islands had been conquered. The subject peoples were converted to the Catholic faith and for the next three hundred years came under the direct rule of Spanish governors and the all-pervading influence of Spanish priests.

Before our own American Revolution, the Filipinos had risen a half-dozen times against their Spanish overlords, and there were numerous lesser rebellions. Because the Filipinos had been unable during the nineteenth century to secure reforms peaceably, a secret society of the common people, the Katipunan, was formed in 1892. Revolution finally broke out in August 1896, and it was inflamed still further by the execution of Jose Rizal, the Filipino leader and national hero.

There are many heroes in Philippine history, but none stands out like Rizal. He was the embodiment of the people’s pride and of their desire for freedom. One of the small number of Filipinos able to secure a good education and to study abroad, he came back to his native land anxious to improve the condition of his people and the government which Spain imposed upon them. His books, such as The Social Cancer and Filibusterism, were not only outstanding for their social and political significance when they were written, but are still classed among the world’s great literature.

For having formed an illegal organization—the Philippine League—and for “inciting his people to rebellion” by his writings, Rizal was condemned to death by a military court. He was executed in December 1896, at the age of 35.

For a year thereafter the uneven struggle between the Filipinos and their Spanish overlords continued. Then a peace was arranged, the revolutionary leaders having been led to believe that Spain would make the desired reforms in government. 

About Mohammed Ali Jinnah

            My Hero Quaid-e-Azam 

Every person in this world has a hero. People have heroes because they really admire that person and they really look up to that person. They want to do what they have done and they have achieved in their life. Like every person, I also have a hero. My hero had a great personality and a great heart. His name is Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

I choose him as my hero because I really admire him. I admire his style, his personality and what he did for the Muslims of our country. He gave Muslims their freedom from the British Empire that was ruling at that time.

Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was born on Dec. 25th, 1876, to a prominent mercantile family in Karachi. He was educated at the Sindh Madrassat-ul-Islam and the Christian Mission School. Jinnah joined the Lincoln's Inn in 1893 to become the youngest Indian to be called to the Bar. Three years later, he became Bombay's most famous lawyer. He formally entered politics in 1905 from the platform of the Indian National Congress. He went to England in that year as a member of a congress delegation to plead the cause of Indian self-governemnt during the British elections.

He got us, the Muslims, freedom by forming a political group called the Muslim League. When he talked to all the Muslims around in the sub-continent at that time, he said, "We are a nation with our own distinctive culture and civilization, language and literature, art and architecture, names and nomenclature, sense of values and proportion, legal laws and moral code, customs and calandar, history and tradition, aptitudes and ambitions; in short, we have our own distinctive outlook on life and of life. By all canons of international law, we are a nation."

The Muslim league had a great impact on the nature of the Indian politics. By making the Muslim League, it shattered forever Hindu dreams of a pseudo-India. The British and the Indians were shocked at how all the Muslims came up together, asking for them to give them their own free country, which is now Pakistan.

To get the Muslim people freedom, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah played a big role. He was the only Muslim to stand up and rally all the Muslims together so they could have their freedom on Aug. 14, 1947. Before dying on Sept. 11th, 1948, he gave the Pakistanis a last message: "The foundations of your state have been laid and it is now for you to build and build as quickly and as well as you can."

Most people also admired him and one even said, "Gandhi died by the hands of an assassin; Jinnah died by his devotion to Pakistan".

That's why I really admire him. He is like a hero to everyone in my country. This is because of what he did for our country and for the Muslims. He fought so much for us and he did so much for us that no one can ever forget. You always hear about Gandhi and how he did so much for India, but you never hear about Quaid-e-Azam who did everything to get us at the point that we are right now. He is a great freedom hero for me.

History OF U.S.A

                          About United State Of America 

The discovery of the United States of America The famous Spanish traveler (Christopher Columbus) began in 1492 on an expedition at the request of the then Queen of Spain, and on October 12 of the same year, and was accompanied by the Spanish crew to reach the Bahamas islands within The Southeastern Shore, an area now known as the United States of America, was not empty at the time, but was inhabited by indigenous people, who were called (Indians), and then Columbus began on many trips on In fact, Columbus did not believe that he had arrived in America, and that he was touring Central America; he thought he was still within the limits of the shores of the Asian continent, and continued this belief until he died, and then began many trips The most important trip was the famous Italian (American Vespucci) who arrived on the south shore, noting that there is no similarity between him, and the Indian shores in Asia, and then realized that he arrived on a new continent called (America). [1] Settlement of the United States after they were discovered In America, attention began to turn to the newly discovered continent, the beginnings of the Spanish who settled in St. Augustine in Florida, specifically in 1565 AD, the French also settled in the area of ​​Saint Laurent in the north, followed by the Dutch who settled the island today known as the island of Manhattan, located In New York City, in addition to the English annexation of the colonial lands to their empire in 1664, the Swedes annexed a large swath of the indigenous population, dubbed New Sweden. The Swedes were able to colonize, settle, and the British, with their great power, annexed all the colonies, controlled the borders of the eastern shore of North America, and divided the region into thirteen colonies belonging to them. [1] Independence of the United States The English rule of America was characterized by injustice, and the impoverishment of other peoples. This led the Americans to come out in revolts against the rule of the English; in order to get rid of British colonialism and achieve the independence of the country, and revolutionary movements continued to escalate until he included the spokesman for democracy (Thomas J. Pearson, his official document addressed to the Continental Congress, demands the American people and a number of natural rights, such as the right to equality, where they voted for the country's independence, and was announced on July 4, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-six. [2] After the independence, the conflict between the Americans and the British did not stop even after the independence of America. A battle between the two parties, known as the Battle of Yorktown, which ended in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-one, ended with the victory of the United States. The Paris Convention in 1972, which called for the end of the American Revolution, then the new state's landmarks began to emerge gradually, and the American Constitution was promulgated, in 1987, in addition to the writing of the national anthem and the establishment of political parties. In the early twentieth century, the United States participated in the First World War and in 1941 in the second word war]

About Wrestling

       Wrestling is one of the oldest forms of combat, referenced in the Iliad and depicted in 15,000-year-old cave drawings in France. Early Egyptian and Babylonian reliefs show moves still used today.

Always popular in ancient Greece, wrestling held a prominent place in the Olympic Games. It was developed by ancient Greeks as a way to train soldiers in hand-to-hand combat. After defeating the Greeks, the Roman Empire borrowed from Greek wrestling but eliminated much of the brutality. The Greeks feared the true history of the sport would be lost, and so Greco-Roman wrestling was born.

During the Middle Ages wrestling was popular, including in royal houses in France, Japan, and England. Much later, American settlers brought wresting traditions with them from England and discovered wrestling to be popular among the Native American tribes. During the early years of America’s development, amateur wresting was very popular, making appearances at county fairs, carnivals, holiday celebrations, and military exercises. Of the many styles practiced during that time, however, only the catch-as-catch-can survived, evolving into the style used today at the collegiate level.

1888: New York City, NY, is host to the first organized national wrestling tournament
1904: Saint Louis, MO, is host to the first wrestling competition of our modern Olympic Games
1912: The International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA) is founded in Antwerp, Belgium
1912: Ames, IA, is host to the first NCAA Wrestling Championships
1983: USA Wrestling becomes the national governing body of amateur wrestling
1987: Lorenskog, Norway, is host to the first world women’s wrestling championship
2004: the Olympic Games now includes women’s wrestling

China: a wrestling style called Shuai Jiao originated from China and has over 4,000 years of history
Egypt: documentation of wrestling appears on tombs (2300 BC) and Egyptian artwork (2000–1085 BC)
Greece: wrestling was a popular form of martial art (1100–146 BC)
Rome: Greek wrestling was adapted into Roman wrestling after the Romans conquered the Greeks (510 BC–AD 500)
Arabia: according to Arabic literature, Muhammed defeated a skeptic in a famous wrestling match
France: King Francis I beat King Henry VIII of England in a wrestling match in 1520, at the Field of the Cloth of Gold
Scotland: a variation on catch wrestling, or catch-as-catch-can, was developed by the Scots
Ireland: the collar-and-elbow style, which was eventually introduced in the United States, was developed by the Irish

About Magic

                

Magic is undoubtedly an ancient art. The earliest reported magic trick (the ‘cup and balls’ trick) is almost 5,000 years old (2,700 BC) by Dedi in ancient Egypt. The same trick was performed over 2,000 years ago in ancient Rome.

The cup and ball trick has been used for centuries since by street hustlers to con people out of money. In fact, throughout time magic has often been used to trick people into believing that the magician held some other kind of ‘power’, such as great gambling skill, the ability to make mechanical objects that are ‘alive’, or the possession of almost miraculous skills at lock-picking, psychic abilities or psychological ‘mind-reading’.

Another example of an ancient magic trick is the ‘Indian rope trick’. This trick has been reported to be performed in India for hundreds of years. The trick is performed outside. The magician throws a rope up into the air. The rope surprising stays standing up, reaching up into the air. The Magician’s boy assistant then climbs up the rope and apparently disappears into thin air at the top. The magician then climbs up the rope and also disappears. The audience hear them argue, then the limbs of the boy all fall down to the ground. The magician comes back down, places the boy’s limbs into a basket, and the live boy climbs back out.

Recent researchers have claimed that the whole story may be a myth. But others have claimed it was a genuine trick, and have explained it by the idea that the magician hypnotised all the audience at once, and performed the trick at dusk, with the low sun in the eyes, near a tree with low-hanging branches, which could have held the top of the rope up.

A lot of ancient magic came out of tricks used to cheat people at gambling. Playing cards have long been used in magic tricks. Although their exact origin is a mystery, it’s widely believed that playing cards were invented in China, where they may have originally been a form of money. They would have been both the tools of gambling and the prize to be won. They then arrived in Europe, via Egypt, around the late 13th Century. The four suits of this pack were different to the ones we have today, they were polo sticks, coins, swords, and cups. The modern design originated in France in 1480.

During the sixteenth Century onwards, magic techniques began to be used to trick people into believing that amazing mechanical beings had been created. The most famous of these was the Mechanical Chess playing Turk. This was a ‘clockwork’ life-sized figure dressed in Eastern costume seated at a very large box with a chess board and pieces on top of it. When it was first publicly displayed in 1770, in the imperial court of Vienna, people were shocked and amazed. The ‘clockwork’ man could move his arms and play chess against a Human opponent. So well, in fact, that he could play it to world-class standards. The mechanical Turk was taken all over the world and played before large audiences, it even played against Napoleon and Benjamin Franklin. Of course, the Turk was really an elaborate trick, a real man was cleverly hidden inside the box, and controlled the mechanical arms.

It was, however, only in the 19th Century that magic really took off. The inventor of the magic stage show, in the modern sense, was a French clockmaker called Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin (1805-1871), who opened a theatre in which he would display mechanical animals he had created that appeared to be alive. A similar magic theatre, called the ‘Egyptian Hall’ was opened in London soon afterwards. Then came possibly the best known magician of all time, the escapologist Harry Houdini (1874-1926). Whilst Houdini had a range of genuine skills, such as lock-picking, that helped his performances, they were undoubtedly also employing magic techniques for their effects

About Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln, by name Honest Abe, the Rail-Splitter, or the Great Emancipator, (born February 12, 1809, near Hodgenville, Kentucky, U.S.—died April 15, 1865, Washington, D.C.), 16th president of the United States (1861–65), who preserved the Union during the American Civil war and brought about the emancipation of the Slaves. (For a discussion of the history and nature of the presidency, 

Among American heroes, Lincoln continues to have a unique appeal for his fellow countrymen and also for people of other lands. This charm derives from his remarkable life story—the rise from humble origins, the dramatic death—and from his distinctively human and humane personality as well as from his historical role as saviour of the Union and emancipator of the slaves. His relevance endures and grows especially because of his eloquence as a spokesman for democracy. In his view, the Union was worth saving not only for its own sake but because it embodied an ideal, the ideal of self-government. In recent years, the political side to Lincoln’s character, and his racial views in particular, have come under close scrutiny, as scholars continue to find him a rich subject for research. The Lincon Memorial in Washington.D.C was dedicated to him on May 30, 1922
and pumpkin seeds he had helped his father plant. His father, Thomas Lincoln, was the descendant of a weaver’s apprentice who had migrated from England to Massachusetts in 1637. Though much less prosperous than some of his Lincoln forebears, Thomas was a sturdy pioneer. On June 12, 1806, he married Nancy Hanks. The Hanks genealogy is difficult to trace, but Nancy appears to have been of illegitimate birth. She has been described as “stoop-shouldered, thin-breasted, sad,” and fervently religious. Thomas and Nancy Lincoln had three children: Sarah, Abraham, and Thomas, who died in infancy