Author: Ms. R.

Seegi Maja Restaurant is housed in what is arguably the oldest surviving building in the old town of Pärnu. The foundation of the property dates back to between 1250 to 1350, when Pärnu was growing prosperous as a Hanseatic trading town. The first recorded mention of the property can be traced back to 1658, when town authorities ordered the construction of an almshouse. Over time and as a result of the tumultuous history of the region, the building fell……

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On July 5, 1973, workers at the Doxol Gas Distribution Plant in Kingman, Arizona, began what should have been a routine job: transferring propane gas from a railway car into storage tanks. A series of small events and errors, however, snowballed into a massive tragedy that is still used as a warning in training material for industrial workers and fire departments across the country, and led to changes in industrial regulations. Tank Car #38214, filled with 33,000 gallons of……

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The arrival of a paved road can be a joyous event for isolated communities. In the case of the town of Tilaco in Mexico‘s Sierra Gorda region, the arrival of a paved road was considered nothing short of a miracle. Father Francisco Piñol Miracle, born and ordained in Spain, arrived at the Franciscan Mission of Tilaco in 1963, finding the 18th-century mission in a state of disrepair. Miracle spearheaded efforts to restore the mission, especially its highly elaborate Churrigueresque……

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Despite often looking like a scree slope of very large stones, this Felsenmeer (or Blockfield) has a unique history. These stones did not come from the mountain but were generated by a weathering process that occurred below the ground. As the surface began to erode, these massive rocks were exposed. The most popular theory behind their creation is that they are the result of frost weathering, however, it has also been suggested that subsurface chemical weathering played a role…….

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While the precious Blood Cemetery has many modest headstones, there are a handful that rivals some of the greatest works of granite artwork created. One of the most notable burial sites inside the cemetery is the Aram Pothier’s family mausoleum. Pothier was a six-time governor of Rhode Island and served numerous terms until his death in 1928. He was once the town’s most notable resident. Also buried in the cemetery is Canadian-American Roman Catholic mystic and stigmatist Marie Rose Ferron…….

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The town of Sivakasi, near the southern tip of India, is known as a firecracker- and matchbox-making hub. Located more than 300 miles inland from the state capital of Chennai, Sivakasi is not a particularly literary place. But printing presses are a big part of the local economy, and with their help, the town has become an unexpected comic-book capital of India. Half a century ago, a man named M. Soundrapandian completed an apprenticeship with a company that printed……

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