The olm is a cave-dwelling aquatic salamander, the only European member of the family Proteidae, the other members being the North American mudpuppies.
Olms are found in underground caves along the Adriaticseaboard in Italy, Croatia, and Yugoslavia. The adult is permanently larval in form, about 25cm long, almost blind, with external gills and under-developed limbs. Research Olm
The Fantees' are a people of West Africa inhabiting the coastal district of what is now Ghana, between the Ashantees and the sea. They were at one time the most numerous and powerful people situated immediately on the Gold Coastseaboard; but their power was almost entirely broken after 1811 by repeated invasions of the Ashantees and finally the colonisation by the British. Research Fantees
James Monroe was the fifth president of the USA. He was born in 1758 at Westmoreland County, Virginia and died in 1831. He entered William and Mary College, but left it in 1776 to enter the army. He was present at Trenton, Brandywine, Monmouth, etc., and in 1782 was already a member of the Virginia Assembly. He was soon a member of the State Council, and a delegate to the Continental Congress. In the Ratifying Convention of 1788, he ardently upheld the Anti-Federalist side. As US Senator from 1790 to 1794, envoy to France from 1794 to 1796, and Governor of Virginia from 1799 to 1802, he was naturally a Republican and an exponent of Jefferson's views. President Jefferson sent him in 1803 as additional envoy to France, where he helped Livingston to negotiate the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Thence he was sent as Minister to London, where he remained until 1807.
He had just commenced another term as Governor in 1811, when he was appointed Secretary of State. This office he held until 1817, combining with it in 1814 to 1815 the War portfolio. As Republican candidate for President in 1816, Monroe received 183 electoral votes, and in 1820 he had almost no opposition; the eight years of his administrations are in fact embalmed in American history as the so-called 'era of good feeling'. His Cabinet included John Quincy Adams in the State Department, Crawford Treasury, John Calhoun War, and WirtAttorney-General. The period is marked by the acquisition of Florida, the Seminole War, Missouri Compromise, seaboard defence policy, the visit of Lafayette, and the Monroe Doctrine. Research James Monroe
John Paul Jones was an American sailor, pirate and notorious British traitor. He was born in 1747 at Scotland and died in 1792. He had been engaged in the merchant marine previous to his settlement in Virginia, shortly before the beginning of the American War of Independence. On the opening of hostilities he volunteered with enthusiasm in the service of America, was appointed first lieutenant, and made a number of successful cruises.
In 1777 he sailed to France. From Brest as a headquarters he conducted in his ship, the Ranger, a remarkable expedition to the British coasts, for which his old acquaintance with the localities had well fitted him. In St George's Channel he took prizes, landed at Whitehaven and terrorized the seaboard for a short time. He captured the British ship Drake, and his success led him in 1779 to start in command of a small fleet against the eastern shore of the island; his own vessel was the Bon Homme Richard. With this fleet he encountered off Scarborough a British convoy and ships of war. A fierce naval battle followed between Jones' vessel and the British ship Serapis on the evening of September the 23rd, 1779. The Serapis finally struck, but the American ship was completely disabled, and the losses in the close-range struggle were great. Jones received the thanks of Congress and a gold sword from Louis XVI of France. After the war he was a rear-admiral in the Russian navy, and died in Paris. Research John Paul Jones
The Thlinkits are a group of North American Indians. They originally lived on the Pacificseaboard between the Atna River and the Queen Charlotte Archipelago. They are comprised of several distinct groups, the Sitkas, Stahkins, Chilcats and the inland Tagishes all speaking dialects of the same stock language which is noted for its extremely harsh phonetic system. Research Thlinkits
Sir Walter Raleigh was an English soldier, explorer and author. He was born in 1552 at Hayes Barton and died in 1618. He saw his first battles at Jarnac in 1569 and Montcontour, fighting as a volunteer. In 1577 a patent of colonization was given to his half-brother, Sir Humphrey Gilbert; but the expedition in which Raleigh took part in 1578 was a failure. In 1580 he helped Lord Grey de Wilton, Irish deputy, in putting down an insurrection. He then saw service in the Netherlands with the French Huguenots under Coligny. During the next few years he sent out expeditions to America, explored the seaboard from Florida to Newfoundland, and christened Virginia, which he endeavoured, though in vain, to plant with colonists. At the same time he attempted to introduce settlers into Ireland. A friend of the poet Spenser, Raleigh represented the influence of the renaissance movement among the Upper classes in Elizabeth I' s reign. His influence at court was often great, and he devoted all his energies to crippling the power of Spain.
In 1592 he prepared an expedition, which sailed under Frobisher, but the same year was himself sent to the Tower as a punishment for a court intrigue. In 1595 he went with Keymis to help to find gold in Guiana. he sailed up the Orinoco, but was unable to establish any permanent settlement. In 1596 he took part in an expedition against Spain under Lord Howard of Effingham and Robert Devereux, second Earl of Essex. Cadiz was attacked and stormed, and a Spanish fleet destroyed. In 1597 Raleigh, Essex, and Sir Thomas Howard equipped another fleet to attackSpain, but little was achieved due to arguments and stormy weather. In 1600 Raleigh was made governor of Jersey in America, and started a trade between Jersey and Newfoundland, and did much to promote the prosperity of the island. James I did not like Raleigh, and deprived him of his office of captain of the guard. Raleigh's advocacy of war with Spain increased James' dislike, and in 1603, being suspected of complicity with Cobham in a plot against the king he was sent to the Tower and tried for high treason. Though condemned to death, he was reprieved.
At length, James' being in great need of money, listened to Villiers who urged him to release Raleigh and allow him to make an expedition to Guiana to look for gold. Accordingly, on March the 16th 1616, Raleigh was allowed to leave the Tower. Though not pardoned, Raleigh was full of hope, and started in April 1617. The expedition was a failure, and Raleigh's son was killed. He arrived at Plymouth on June the 21st 1618 and was executed on October the 29th. Research Walter Raleigh
The Republic of Ireland is a country and island west of Wales. It has a total area of 70,280 km2. The climate is temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current with mild winters, and cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time. The terrain is mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast Natural resources are zinc, lead, natural gas, crude oil, barite, copper, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, peat, silver. The religion is 94% Roman Catholic, 4% Anglican, 2% other. The language is Irish (Gaelic) and English; English is the language generally used, with Gaelic spoken in a few areas, mostly along the western seaboard. Ireland was first invaded by the British in 1167 who embarked on a policy of confiscation of Irish lands and creation of plantations. In 1916 a revolution occurred overthrowing the British invaders who had occupied the country for so long, and a republic was declared, being finally recognised in 1921 though the British retained control of a small part of contested northern Ireland. Research Ireland
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