The Washington Monument is an obelisk (stone pillar used as a monument or landmark) that is located in Washington D.C in the United States of America. It is there to commemorate the first president of the United States, General George Washington. It is the world’s tallest obelisk standing at just over 169m (555 feet). It is also the world’s largest stone structure. The monument is made of marble, granite and bluestone gneiss and is topped with an aluminum pyramid shaped spire. Construction began on the monument in 1848, but it was not until 1884 that the obelisk was completed. The monument was dedicated on February 21, 1885. For many years it was the world’s tallest structure until the completion of the Eiffel Tower in Paris in 1889.
The Nile River is a famous river that is located in Northeastern Africa. It is mentioned extensively in research and literature related to Egypt and the Egyptian empire. It is 6,650 km (4,130 miles) long and runs through a total of ten countries. It is approximately 8 km (5 miles) wide. The northern section of the Nile runs almost entirely through the desert and many of the towns and cities of countries such as Egypt and Sudan are located along it.
Down syndrome, also called Trisomy 21, is a medical condition which causes delays in the development and growth of a child. Named after the first doctor to document it, Dr John Langdon Down, it is the most common abnormality in humans with 1 in every 800 babies born in the US having Down syndrome. The extent to which Down syndrome affects the child varies from person to person. Some people with Down syndrome require a lot of medical attention whilst others live a mostly healthy life. Whilst Down syndrome itself cannot be cured many of the medical problems associated with the syndrome can be treated.
Elephants are a large land mammal best known for their long trunk. There are two species of elephants: the African elephant (sometimes separated into two species) and the Asian elephant. These two species of elephants share many similarities, but are not found in the same regions. Unfortunately, both of these species are listed as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Asian elephant is listed as endangered and the African elephant is listed as vulnerable. Let’s find out what makes these animals endangered and what is being done to protect them.
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional football team that compete in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League (NFL). The team was founded in 1960 as the Dallas Texans and was a founding member of the American Football League. The team relocated to Kansas in 1963 and adopted their current name. The team had the most success while members of the AFL and won three championships and one Super Bowl title in 1969. However, major success has alluded the team since they joined the NFL following the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. Let’s find out where the Chiefs play their home games.
Bismuth is a silvery-white brittle metal that often has a pink tinge after exposure to air. It is one of the elements that can be found in its natural state (free form) on Earth. it is a chemical element represented by the symbol Bi and the atomic number 83. It is mostly mined from ores, but native bismuth is also found in commercial quantities in a few countries. Bismuth is similar to lead and tin, which caused confusion about the identity of this element throughout history. Let’s find out the first to identify this element.
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by a subspecies of the bacteria Treponema pallidum. This bacteria is passed on via sexual contact (usually oral, anal and virginal sex) or via mother to fetus during pregnancy or birth. Syphilis has four different stages known as; primary, secondary, latent and tertiary, and these stages have different symptoms. The initial symptom is usually a painless skin ulcer that occurs at the point of contact with the bacteria. As the disease progresses a rash may occur on the trunk and extremities of the body, which sometimes forms lesions. Other symptoms at this stage may include fever, sore throat, weight loss, headache, hair loss and fatigue. Without treatment the disease can also cause later problems such as infection of the central nervous system, which can cause a number of serious problems. These later problems usually occur 4-46 years after initial infection. Let’s take a look at the most common ways of preventing and treating this potentially serious condition.
A cucumber is a long, thin vegetable with a cylindrical shape. There are three main varieties known as; burpless, pickling and slicing, which are used in different ways. Cucumbers can be eaten raw, pickled or used in a variety of recipes. All varieties of cucumbers grow on a creeping vine, which are usually grown commercially with supporting frames to allow the vine to grow upwards. The cucumber vine has large leaves, which grow over the top of the vegetable which help to protect it from being eaten by animals as it grows. Let’s find out where the cucumber originated from and where it is grown today.
The French Revolution was a time of turbulent social and political unrest in France lasting from 1789 to 1799. In three years the country changed from being ruled by an absolute monarchy to a country which embraced the new enlightenment principles of equality, citizenship and personal rights. The people of France wanted their society to change and spent ten years to achieve it. The changes they made not only impacted their country, but much of the continent of Europe as well.
The Continental Army was an army formed during the American Revolutionary War in 1775. It was established by the Continental Congress in an attempt to coordinate military efforts throughout the thirteen colonies that would later form the United States of America. The army was mobilized to fight in the revolt against the rule of Great Britain. Most the army was disbanded after the Treaty of Paris ended the conflict. The remaining units were the basis for the United States Army.