99 Words

Bermuda Triangle has earned its moniker the Devil’s Triangle after a number of ships and airplanes disappeared without a trace over the its waters on the Strait of Florida, Bahamas and the Caribbean islands. The area is one of the world’s busiest nautical highway. Likewise, numerous flights from North America to the Caribbean fly over it daily. Strong currents up to six knots have been known to capsize vessels. It might have been human error that have caused the disappearances but most sailors claim that the Triangle posses paranormal forces unexplainable by science. Famous myths are that the legendary city of Atlantis is underneath the Bermuda Triangle while others say that the phenomenon of disappearances are credited to aliens or UFOs. Famous incidences include the disappearance of USS Cyclops, one of the largest loss of life in the US Navy during peace time.

Ferdinand Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the world as he sailed westwards to find the Spice Islands. However, his successful attempt in his journey to cross the meridian ended with a tragedy as he was killed in a battle with the natives in an island in the Philippines. Thus, he was unable to complete his voyage.

Although born in Portugal, Magellan embarked on the journey under the Spanish flag. On August 10, 1519 Magellan set out with five ships. With him is another Basque, Juan Sebastian Elcano, who took command on the fleet after Magellan’s fall. The expedition was also the first to traverse the strait of South America connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Many other navigators followed Magellan’s route but their attempts were futile until Sir Frances Drake’s voyage in 1577.

Machu Picchu is known as the “Lost City of the Incas”. The sacred city sits on a mountain ridge overlooking Peru’s Urubamba Valley. Built in the 1400s by the Incans, the city became deserted after its residents were afflicted with a lethal disease, probably the smallpox, that eventually banished the civilization. The city is divided into three zones. Separate areas are designated for the nobles and the commoners. Another zone is dedicated to the Incan sun god, Inti. The walls of the city were made of irregularly-shaped polished stones held together without mortar.

In 1911, Machu Picchu was rediscovered by an American professor, Hiram Bingham. Since then, Machu Picchu became one of the prime archaeological sites in South America. It is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and was name UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

Birka was an important trading center on the island of Björkö in Sweden during the Viking Age, which handled goods from Scandinavia as well as Central and Eastern Europe and the Orient. It was established during the 8^th century and became an important international port for visitors from different places. It’s name was said to be derived from an old Norse word “birk” which means a market place. Birka, together with Hovgården has been considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993 and has been regarded as Sweden’s oldest town. Today. Birka and Hovgården are owned by the Swedish government and managed by the Swedish National Heritage Board.

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engine heavy bomber aircraft that was developed for the United States Army Air Corps. It was world war II’s most famous heavy bomber plane that first flew on July 28, 1935. It’s nickname “Flying Fortress”was given by the members of the press who were present during the aircraft’s first take off because of it’s heavy defensive armament.The aircraft had five machine guns, room for 4,800 pounds of bombs, had electrically retractable landing gear and could accommodate a crew of nine. The B-17 Flying Fortress has become an icon of American power for many reasons and a symbol of its Air Force and has achieved a lasting fame in the general public.

The Battle of Cheat Mountain took place on September 12-15, 1861 in Pocahontas County and Randolph County, Virgina. This Civil war battle is also known as the Battle of Cheat Summit Fort and was part of the operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War. It was General Joseph Reynolds from the US who led the troops to victory against Confederacy’s army led by General Robert E. Lee. There were approximately 80 casualties and 90 losses throughout the battle.

It’s formal name is Liberty Enlightening the World but its more known as the Statue of Liberty. the copper-clad statue was presented to the United States by the people of France in 1866 as a commemoration of the centennial celebration of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence and a gesture of friendship form France to the United States. It stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbor and it serves to welcome visitors, immigrants and returning Americans. The monument consists of two small islands, Liberty Island and Ellis Island that lie in Upper New York Bay. It was Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi who sculpted the statue and it’s internal structure was engineered by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, the designer of the Eiffel Tower. The statue shows a woman escaping the chains of tyranny, which lies on her feet and her right hand holds aloft a burning torch that symbolizes liberty. On the left hand of the woman is a tablet inscribed with the date July 4, 1776 in Roman numerals, the day United States declared its independence. She wears flowing robes and the seven rays of her spiked crown represents the seven seas and continents. The statue is 46 m in high.

Emperor Xuande is was an emperor of China during the Ming dynasty and ruled between 1425 to 1935. He was the son of Emperor Hongxi and was given the birth name, Zhu Zhanji. He was the emperor who decided to keep Beijing the capital of China. During his reign, he attempted to eradicate the irregularities and corruption of the revenue collectors and often ordered the retrials that released thousands of innocent people. He ruled during a peaceful time and later was considered by historians that his reign is to be the dynasty’s golden age. The emperor was fond of poetry and literature. He died of illness after a 10 year rule.

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was a British politician and prime minister of the United Kingdom. He was a widely known as Britain’s greatest leader of the 20^th century. His decisiveness, courage, vitality and political experience enabled him to lead his country through World War II, one of the most desperate struggles in British history. Churchill led Britain’s victory over the AXIS powers. A noted statesman and orator, He was also an officer of the army, a historian, an artist and a Nobel Prize-winning writer. Throughout his political career, Churchill held every important cabinet office except for foreign minister.

He was born in Blenheim Palace on November 30,1874, the eldest among the siblings of Randolph Henry Spencer Churchill and Jennie Jerome. Chuchill, during his younger years, had a speech impediment which he constantly worked to overcome. He was married to Clementine Hozler and had four children. He died with stroke at 90 years old; upon his death the Queen granted him the honour of a state funeral which was attended by large assemblies of statesmen in the world

Henry Pu Yi was the last emperor of China and the twelfth emperor under the Qing Dynasty. His regal name is Xuantong, nephew of the prior emperor, Pu Yi was chosen to succeed the throne in 1908 by Empress Dowager Cixi. During the 1911 Republican Revolution that ended imperial power in China, he was subjected to compulsory surrender in 1912 but was allowed to remain in the Imperial Palace in Beijing even though he was considered a virtual prisoner under the new ruling government. His abdication was a symbol of conclusion to the long imperial era in China; Pu Yi was therefore named as the Last Emperor.

When he was forced to leave the palace in 1924, he moved to Tianjin, an area in the city under the Japanese rule and accepted the offer to become a chief executive of Manchujuo, a Japanese puppet state. He was hailed emperor K’ang Te in 1934. Pu Yi spent the last eight years of his life gardening.