Author: Ms. R.

On the evening of February 26, 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte and 1,028 of his loyal men snuck onto seven ships and escaped the Mediterranean island of Elba. It had been almost a year since he abdicated the throne and was exiled by the restored Bourbon Monarchy, and he refused to wait any longer. It was time to take back his empire.  In order to do so, Napoleon would have to get from France’s southern coast all the way up to……

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While it may not yet have a reputation as famous as Hollywood, Budapest and its surrounding areas have played host to countless high-profile, big-budget movie shoots in the last few years. The city provides a wide range of European street backdrops that could easily pass for Paris, Berlin, or Prague, at a fraction of the cost. Furthermore, the Buda side of the river boasts impressive nature on its doorstep that allows for forest scenes, downtown city shots, and studio……

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Although Lake Ohrid receives the lion’s share of tourists in North Macedonia, Lake Prespa is a stone’s throw away, and it packs some historical sites for those who are willing to go off the beaten path. Marshal Tito was quite fond of Prespa Lake, which was the place where the borders of Southeast Europe were drawn in the aftermath of World War II. These were the borders that remained in place until the end of the Cold War.  If……

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On January 17, 1995, a massive M7 earthquake hit Japan’s Hyogo prefecture. This event, which became known as Great Hanshin or Kobe Earthquake, caused catastrophic damage to buildings and infrastructure in the city of Kobe and surrounding areas and caused the deaths of approximately 6,400 people. The earthquake caused severe damage to the Hanshin Expressway route #3, the major highway running through the city of Kobe, including the complete collapse of 635 meters of viaduct, with images of the……

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The boomtown of Bodie is located in a high, cold, treeless area, where wood was in great demand both for lumber and fuel. The largest stand of Jeffrey pine in the world occurs southeast of Mono Lake, about 30 miles from Bodie, and was a relatively accessible timber resource. The Bodie Railway & Lumber Co. was formed in February 1881, and a narrow gauge (3 feet) line from Bodie to the timber stand was finished by that November. The……

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The mining camp of Gold Hill sits on the southern extension of the Comstock Lode and was always overshadowed by Virginia City to the north. Even so, it had its share of top-producing mines, and some mining even continues today. Gold Hill is also the site of the eponymous hotel, the oldest hotel in Nevada. The oldest part of the hotel, a brick and stone structure, dates to the early 1860s and is still in use. It now holds……

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The Stockholm Observatory dates back to the 18th century, when it was established on a hill outside of the city that is now considered central Stockholm. In the 1930s, astronomers moved even further to a peninsula on the Baltic Sea called Saltsjöbaden.  The observatory was funded by a donation from the Wallenberg family, which allowed for a much bigger building and instruments, launching Swedish astronomy to the forefront. The crown jewels of the observatory were a 40-inch (102-centimeter) Grubb reflector and……

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On August 4, 2020, about a month before Nadine Panayot was set to take over as the curator of the Archeological Museum at the American University of Beirut (AUB), the capital city of Lebanon was rocked by a devastating explosion of ammonium nitrate at the Port of Beirut. The catastrophic event caused an estimated 218 deaths, 7,000 injuries, and billions of dollars in property damages. The blast was so powerful that it was felt as far as Cyprus, and……

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Bratislava is chock full of quirky statues, many of which don’t depict the usual historical or famous figures. Napoleon’s Army Soldier is one of these more playful sculptures.  The statue was made by Juraj Melis and commemorates two occasions when Napoleon’s army entered the city. The statue was produced as the local town government wanted to create interesting features that would move the town away from its austere appearance. Napoleon and his army came to Bratislava in December 1805,……

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