|
The Stars and Stripes (also 'Old Glory') is a popular name for the flag of the USA. The original flag was based upon the Grand Union Flag which had thirteen stripes of red and white representing the colonies and the British flag in the top left corner. Following American independence, the British flag was removed and replaced with a blue canton containing thirteen stars, twelve in a circle surrounding one in the centre which represented the thirteen states seceding from the British crown. In 1795, after two more states joined the Union the flag was altered to comprise fifteen stars and fifteen stripes and was known as the 'Star Spangled Banner'. The arrangement of the stars was later changed to form diagonal lines, and in 1817 Congress decreed that the flag should revert to the original thirteen stripes, but that new stars should be added as the union grew, and in 1818 the stars were grouped to form a large star of five points. In 1819 the stars were moved to a perpendicular arrangement. After 1960 when Hawaii joined the union the flag comprised fifty stars.
 Research Stars And Stripes
Sir Anthony Hoskins was a British admiral. He was born in 1828 and died in 1901. He took part in the capture of Canton and the Taku forts in China in 1857. He served as rear-admiral in the Egyptian war of 1882 and was commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean station from 1889 to 1891, and afterwards a lord of the Admiralty.
Research Anthony Hoskins
Francis Cadell was an Australian explorer. He was born in 1822 at Cockenzie in Scotland and died in 1879. He took part in the Chinese War of 1840-1841, being present at the siege of Canton and the capture of Amoy and Ningpo. In 1848 he visited Australia, where a series of expeditions culminated in the successful navigation of the Murray, Edward and Darlington rivers. He was murdered during a trading voyage to the Spice Islands by his crew.
Research Francis Cadell
Samuel Wells Williams was an American Orientalist. He was born in 1812 at Utica, New York and died in 1884. He went to China in 1833 as. a printer for the missionary board at Canton. He learned Japanese, and made a version of Genesis and St. Matthew into that language. He wrote 'Easy Lessons in Chinese' in 1841, 'An English and Chinese Vocabulary' in 1843, 'A Chinese Commercial Guide' in 1844, 'The Middle Kingdom' in 1848, and ' Tonic Dictionary of the Chinese Language' in 1856. In 1858 he assisted in the negotiations at Tientsin.
Research Samuel Williams
Sun Yat Sen was the founder and first president of the Chinese Republic. He was born in 1867 near Canton and died in 1925. Educated at the American university at Hawaii, while studying medicine in Hong Kong he abandoned medicine to become a politician and took part in a revolutionary plot in 1895 and upon its discovery fled to England. He was captured in 1896 by the Chinese Legation in London and held prisoner until his release was demanded by the Prime Minister. In 1905 he founded the China Revolutionary League in Europe and Japan and played a large part in the revolution of 1911.
Research Sun Yat Sen
Ian Wolfe was an American actor. He was born in 1896 at Canton, Illinois and died in 1992.
Research Ian Wolfe
Jean Peters was an American actress. She was born in 1926 at Canton, Ohio and died in 2000 of leukaemia.
Research Jean Peters
The first opium war was the war between Britain and China, lasting from 1839 to 1842, brought on by the confiscation by the Chinese Government of British opium stores in Canton and the murder of a Chinese by British sailors. The British victory led to five Chinese ports being opened to British trade and residence. A second opium war occurred from 1856 to 1860 between Britain and France, on one side, and China on the other. The allied victory opened further ports to western trade.
Research Opium Wars
Kaiserspiel is a card game and direct descendant of Karnoffel, one of the oldest card games known. Karnoffel was referred to as early as 1426 and was the subject of a many sermons and satirical writings in the following centuries. It may appear that most of its dreadfulness lies in the level of anarchy of the play - you can play any card you like to each trick, and can talk as much as you like about what cards you have and what you want your partner to do. In the 15th century what was apparently more shocking was the anarchic card order, taken as symbolising a disruption of the status quo, with the king being beaten by low cards, the Pope (6) beaten by the Under-knave, and special privileges given to the Devil (7).
The modern game of Kaiserspiel (often known as Kaiserjass, though it is not really has nothing to do with Jass games) is played in a small area around Stans and in the Engelberg valley, in Canton Nidwalden, south of Luzern in Switzerland. Of the surviving members of the Karnoffel family, this is the closest to the original game. The cards used are similar to the standard Swiss Jass pack, but the suits contain 3, 4, and 5 and not 8 or 9 (all the 8's and 9's should be removed from the pack before playing).
Research Kaiserspiel
The National Football League (NFL) is an American professional football organisation. It was founded at Canton, Ohio in 1919 with teams in twelve Midwestern cities.
Research National Football League
|
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
©1993 - 2009 The Probert Encyclopaedia
Southampton, United Kingdom
|
|
|
Abbreviations
