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Why the spice trade is even more important for world history than you might have thought
a year ago

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Project Mercury

Project Mercury was America’s entry into the Space Race and was intended to put a human into space before the Soviet Union did. The Soviet launch of the Sputnik satellite in October 1957 caused a near-panic in the United States and led to desperate calls to “catch up”. President Eisenhower responded by establishing the National … Continue reading Project Mercury →

7 hours ago 2 votes
Andrei Tarkovsky’s Message to Young People: “Learn to Be Alone,” Enjoy Solitude

I remember the first time I sat down and watched Andrei Tarkovsky’s lyrical, meandering sci-fi epic Stalker. It was a long time ago, before the advent of smartphones and tablets. I watched a beat-up VHS copy on a non-“smart” TV, and had no ability to pause every few minutes and swing by Facebook, Twitter, or […]

14 hours ago 2 votes
Pompey’s Greatest Show on Earth

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12 hours ago 2 votes
How the Nazis Waged War on Modern Art: Inside the “Degenerate Art” Exhibition of 1937

Before his fateful entry into politics, Adolf Hitler wanted to be an artist. Even to the most neutral imaginable observer, the known examples of the estimated 2,000 to 3,000 paintings and other works of art he produced in his early adulthood would hardly evidence astonishing genius. They do show a certain technical competence, especially where […]

11 hours ago 2 votes
Harold Fisk Maps the History of the Mississippi River, 1944

In 1944, Harold Fisk was a geologist and cartographer working for the US Army Corps of Engineers when he made these 15 maps to illustrate the government’s “Geological Investigation of the Alluvial Valley of the Lower Mississippi River”. Fisk’s ingenious maps shows a different portion of the Mississippi and its various courses over time between … Continue reading "Harold Fisk Maps the History of the Mississippi River, 1944" The post Harold Fisk Maps the History of the Mississippi River, 1944 appeared first on Flashbak.

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