By the start of the 1900s, the star of China seemed to be fading. The Qing Dynasty stood as one of the wealthiest and most advanced civilizations. At its peak, the Qing contained 10% of the world’s landmass and almost a third of the world’s economy. A century later, the Qing was overtaken by the… Read More »The Hundred Days Reform
June 10 marks a dark day in American history, particularly in Salem, Massachusetts as it began the infamous Salem Witch Trials in 1692. The first victim of these trials was a local businesswoman named Bridget Bishop who was charged with practicing witchcraft and sorcery. Despite professing innocence, she would be found guilty and executed by hanging.… Read More »The First of the Salem Witch Trials
On this day, Spain and Portugal met in the village of Tordesillas to sign a treaty that would reshape the world. With the discovery of entirely new continents, excitement was high about the potential resources and territories these landmasses had to offer. However, at the same time, it also caused tension between the ruling maritime… Read More »The Treaty Which Divided The World
On this day, during the Six-Day War, the nation of Israel was tested as it fought for its survival against a coalition of its neighbors. These Arab countries sought to prevent the formal creation of a Jewish state in the region. Rather than accept this threat, the Israelis bravely resisted for almost a week and… Read More »Fight for Survival: The Six-Day War
On this day, the Allies concluded the famous Dunkirk evacuation, a daring operation that ended up rescuing hundreds of thousands of soldiers from Nazi Europe. This shining moment was a bright spot in a period, otherwise marked by defeat. But while not as dramatic as Stalingrad or the Battle of Britain, the evacuation of Dunkirk… Read More »Dunkirk Evacuation – Miracle & The Fight for Survival
When we think of samurai, we often think of Japanese warriors in ornate armor, but the tale of Yasuke, the African samurai warrior, is a remarkable exception. While most of these warriors are Japanese as this is where the term comes from, there are a few exceptional cases where the notoriously insular Japanese shogunates bestow… Read More »Yasuke | The Real Legacy of a Heroic Samurai Warrior
Mid-19th century America was marked by intense conflict and division. Even before the bloody American Civil War, the country was already rife with division that set the stage for the war. One of the most prominent events leading up to this great national schism was “Bleeding Kansas,” a series of violent confrontations in the newly… Read More »Bleeding Kansas History of Proslavery & Antislavery
On this day, in 1959, playwright and author Lorraine Hansberry produced her famous work, “A Raisin in the Sun”. This would become the first play produced on Broadway by an African-American woman. This work would follow the Younger family as they try to escape poverty after receiving a $10,000 insurance check. This play would become… Read More »A Raisin in The Sun – Summary, Analysis, and Themes by Lorraine
On this day, the Jewish Resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was crushed by the Nazi regime. This was a resistance movement organized by the Jews of Warsaw in a desperate attempt to stop the Nazis from exterminating the Jewish inhabitants of the city. Despite being badly outnumbered and having only a handful of weapons,… Read More »Jewish Resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto: A Battle for Survival
On this day in 1948, Israel officially declared statehood, becoming an official Jewish state within the Middle East. This move was met with controversy globally back then and remains a contentious issue today. This is due to many countries still not recognizing Israel’s legitimacy today and its use of statehood as a way to block… Read More »The Creation of Israel
