History of the Diet of Worms: Martin Luther on Trial 500 Years Ago

Luther Memorial, Worms

HISTORY OF THE DIET OF WORMS: MARTIN LUTHER ON TRIAL OVER 500 YEARS AGO Over five hundred years ago today, April 17, 1521, Martin Luther appeared on trial before the most powerful ruler in Europe, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. While the name may sound unappetizing, the Diet of Worms was a formal imperial…

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History of St Joseph’s Day: Why not more popular?

St Joseph

HISTORY OF ST JOSEPH Today, March 19, is Saint Joseph’s Day, or the Feast of St Joseph. It is celebrated by the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran Churches worldwide. The terms feast and festival are often used interchangeably and often refer to a religious holiday. What is the history of the holiday and Joseph himself?…

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History of the Ides of March: Who should Beware?

Ides of March

HISTORY OF THE IDES OF MARCH According to the ancient Roman calendar, the ides fell on the 13th of the month except for March, May, July, and October, when it fell on the 15th of the month. Something epochal occurred in 44 B.C.   Et tu, Brute? On March 15, 44 B.C., the Roman dictator…

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History of Starkbier Festival

Munich Starkbierfest

HISTORY OF STARKBIER FESTIVAL Starkbierfest runs from March to April, with some biergartens as early as March 3. The heart of this festival is in Münich, Germany, specifically at Paulaner am Nockherberg Brewery, where it all began and lasts about two weeks.   This year, it begins on March 10 and runs through April 2. It…

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History of the Liberation of Auschwitz: January 27, 1945

Auschwitz

HISTORY OF THE LIBERATION OF AUSCHWITZ: JANUARY 27, 1945 January 27, 1945, was the liberation of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp, one of the most notorious camps of World War II, by the Soviet Red Army. This date is now known by the United Nations and the European Union as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. In America,…

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History of Christmas Eve and the Battle of the Bulge: 78 Years Ago

Snow Fighters

HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS EVE AND THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE: 78 YEARS AGO On Christmas Eve, 1944, my father, Staff Sergeant John Petro, arrived in Strasbourg with the 42nd “Rainbow” Infantry Division. Eight days earlier, the Battle of the Bulge had begun. The 42nd Division and others supplied much-needed reinforcements to the most extensive and…

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The Passing of Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II

THE PASSING OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II BALMORAL, Scotland, Sept 8 (Reuters) – Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, the nation’s figurehead and a towering presence on the world stage for seven decades, died peacefully at her home in Scotland on Thursday aged 96. “The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment…

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Italy Tour: Pisa in a Day

The_Leaning_Tower_of_Pisa_SB.jpeg

ITALY TOUR: PISA IN A DAY Can you visit Pisa on an Italy Tour in a single day? Yes, a day trip will do it quite easily. Cruise ships regularly dock at the nearby Port of Livorno.   Pisa is a Tuscan city passed through by the Arno River, which also passes through Florence further…

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Italy Tour: Naples in a Day? Pizza!

Pizza_Margherita

ITALY TOUR: NAPLES IN A DAY Can you visit Naples on an Italy Tour in a single day? Yes, but you are required by law to eat pizza while there.   I went to Naples by mistake (see my funny story here), but while there, I had some pizza; it was invented there. Very popular there…

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Italy Tour: Venice in a Day

Venice

ITALY TOUR: VENICE IN A DAY Can you visit the major sites of Venice on an Italy Tour in a single day? It is quite doable; “Venezia” is a smallish island.

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