New Year’s Day Moves Ancient cultures, including those of the Romans and Hindus, celebrated New Year’s Day on or around April 1. It closely follows the vernal equinox (March 20th or March 21st.) In medieval times, much of Europe celebrated March 25, the Feast of Annunciation, as the beginning of the new year. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII ordered a new calendar (the Gregorian Calendar) to replace the old Julian Calendar....

Common ingredients: goat, pork, mutton, chicken, buffalo, potatoes, barley, vegetables, potatoes Popular dishes: tsampa (roated barley flour); momo (steamed or fried dumplings); stir-fried meats; thukpa (noodle soup with meat and sometimes vegetables); carrot cake; banana porridge; lamb with radish; caramel tea; soja (butter tea); barley ale More Information: Encyclopedia: Tibet

Apogee: see Orbit. Black hole: the theoretical end-product of the total gravitational collapse of a massive star or group of stars. Crushed even smaller than the incredibly dense neutron star, the black hole may become so dense that not even light can escape its gravitational field. In 1996, astronomers found strong evidence for a massive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. Recent evidence suggests that black holes are so common that they probably exist at the core of nearly all galaxies....

One of the earliest major battles of the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Bunker Hill was an important event in the quest for American independence. Even though the British defeated colonial troops, the gallant American defense heightened colonial morale and resistance. The Bunker Hill Monument was built to commemorate the heroic battle. Construction of the 221-foot granite obelisk took place between 1827 and 1843. The Bunker Hill Monument stands at the top of Breed’s Hill in Charlestown, Mass....

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Related Links North KoreaThe Korean War2018 Winter Olympics Tensions with North Korea Rise Political unrest appeared in Pyeongchang roughly a year ago; however, the true security concern is in regards to the tension with North Korea. The security concerns intensified in September when North Korea’s Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho alleged that US President Donald Trump had declared war on the country. Such a declaration would be grounds for North Korea to defend itself by any means necessary....

1: Make Room at the Inn They may be small, but guinea pigs require ample space to move about. Make sure their living quarters are at least 18 inches wide, 14 inches high, and 25 inches deep. Guinea pigs housed in larger cages are more likely to be active. Do not use aquariums, as they provide poor ventilation, and mesh or wire-floor cages hurt guinea pigs’ tender feet. When choosing floor linings and cage furnishings, keep in mind that guinea pigs will chew on just about anything to wear down their constantly growing teeth, so everything placed in the cage must be nontoxic....

Related Links U.S. GovernmentFacts About SenatorsBiography of Sarah Palin Boston Tea Party A Televised Birth of a Movement CNBC’s Rick Santelli is widely credited with launching the grassroots movement. While standing on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on February 19, 2009, he unleashed what can only be called a rant against the Obama Administration’s proposal to help homeowners facing foreclosure refinance their mortgages. “Do we really want to subsidize the losers’ mortgages?...

Although January 1, 2000, has a millennial ring to it, the new age actually begins on a less resounding date: January 1, 2001. Common sense might suggest that the year 2000 is the dawning of the third millennium, but it is in fact the waning of the second. The first millennium began in C.E. 1. There is no year zero in our calendar: the sequence of years passes directly from 1 B....

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City—Containing the greatest collection of art in the U.S., it was founded in 1870. In addition to American and European paintings, it displays medieval art and armor, masks from Africa, mummies from Egypt, Aztec gold sculpture, as well as treasures from Asia, the Middle East and ancient Greece and Rome. Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia—It looks like a palace—because it was. Started in the 18th century as a private collection of Empress Catherine II, it contains artwork collected by the Russian czars....

Photosynthesis happens when water is absorbed by the roots of green plants and is carried to the leaves by the xylem, and carbon dioxide is obtained from air that enters the leaves through the stomata and diffuses to the cells containing chlorophyll. The green pigment chlorophyll is uniquely capable of converting the active energy of light into a latent form that can be stored (in food) and used when needed....

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