France
History of Bastille Day: Its Relation to the French Revolution
Reading Time: 4 minutesHISTORY OF BASTILLE DAY ach year on July 14, Bastille Day commemorates the Storming of the Bastille in Paris in 1789, an important date in the French Revolution. Also known as French National Day, it features feasting, fireworks, public dancing, and an address by the French President. However, the center of this celebration is the…
Read MoreHistory of French Fries: Are They Really French?
Reading Time: 3 minutesHISTORY OF FRENCH FRIES: NATIONAL FRENCH FRY DAY uly 13th is National French Fry Day. While no one knows who began this celebration, placing it on July 13 is significant in that the important French holiday is the next day, July 14, Bastille Day. Did they originate in France, why are they called that,…
Read MoreHistory of the Left vs. the Right
Reading Time: 6 minutesHistory of the Left vs. the Right Podcast What is the history behind the political terms “left” and “right”? What are the values important to each side? Are they pejorative political terms? Is one right correct and the other wrong?
Read MoreHistory of The Olympics: Ancient and Modern
Reading Time: 8 minutesHISTORY OF THE OLYMPICS: ANCIENT AND MODERN The Summer Olympic Games open on July 26, 2024, in Paris, France. While the modern Olympic Games date back to 1896, the ancient Olympic Games date back as far as 776 B.C. and before. We will examine the Olympics in terms of religion, politics, war, nationalism, and internationalism.…
Read MoreHistory of Military Stalemates: Why We Have Proxy Wars
Reading Time: 7 minutesHistory of Military Stalemates: Why We Have Proxy Wars In recent weeks, the U.S. Congress has been considering bills for funding military support in Israel, Ukraine, and the Indo-Pacific (code for Taiwan). What is the historical perspective behind funding wars that are not “directly” in a country or on its borders? Why do nations use proxy…
Read MoreParis Tour: Paris in a Day, part 3 – Monuments
Reading Time: 3 minutesParis in a Day – Monuments: Day Three While you can’t do all of Paris in a day, you can visit a few Museums, Cathedrals, or Monuments. The two most famous monuments in Paris are within walking distance of each other. First: The Eiffel Tower La Tour Eiffel is France’s most popular tourist destination…
Read MoreParis Tour: Paris in a Day, part 2 – Cathedrals
Reading Time: 3 minutesParis in a Day – Cathedrals: Day Two You can’t do all of Paris in a day, but you can see a few cathedrals. Notre-Dame de Paris This is the most famous cathedral in Paris, reopened in 2024 following a 2019 fire. It is an 800-year-old medieval Catholic cathedral. Known for its rib vault,…
Read MoreParis Tour: Paris in a Day, part 1 – Museums
Reading Time: 3 minutesParis in a Day – part 1 For Summer vacation, you may be interested in visiting Paris. Can you do it in a day? Other than visiting a few museums and a couple of fabulous meals, you can’t really see Paris in a day. But if you only have a day in Paris, here are…
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