Author: quannd
Historians aren’t pulling your leg when they say no one is quite sure about the origins of April Fools’ Day. April 1, the annual day of shenanigans, pranks, tricks and hoaxes, falls on Monday this year. While historians are unsure of the exact source of the tradition, they do know the custom goes back centuries, at least back to Renaissance Europe and possibly back to Roman times. Here’s a look at what the experts say.Theories, both real and false, tie April Fools’ Day to Roman times Some believe April Fools’ Day dates back to Hilaria festivals celebrated during classical Roman times. The…
The ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ rapper and his wife were seen going out to dinner and the movies with his four children. Image Credit: Swan Gallet/WWD via Getty Images Kanye West and his wife Bianca Censori spent some quality time with his four kids North, 10, Saint, 8, Chicago, 6, and Psalm, 4, for Easter Sunday on March 31. The rapper, 46, and his wife, 29, took the kids, whom Kanye shares with his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, out to dinner and the movies for the holiday. Earlier that day, they had reportedly spent Easter at Kris Jenner‘s Easter party with Kim, 43. Kanye could be holding hands with his…
This year’s Tour of Flanders may have had the most predictable of winners, but by his own admission, the rider who took the runner-up’s spot, Luca Mozzato (Arkea-B&B Hotels) was in no way anticipating his own dramatically successful race.“It’s a result that exceeds my expectations,” said Mozzato in a team statement. “If someone had said to me this morning, ‘you’re going to be in the top 20’, I’d have been happy, and ‘in the top 10’ I’d have signed up straight away. But on the podium…” The 26 year old headed toward Oudenaarde with a group of eight that swept up…
When I was in 8th grade, and my sister Valerie was a junior at Ballard High School. We arrived home about an hour prior to the 1974 tornado hitting our home.The birds stopped chirping and our family dog uncharacteristically didn’t want to go out in the yard. Our dad called home and warned of the news of storm damage in Brandenburg, it was heading our way. We saw a huge oak tree in our yard flapping in the wind like a twig .With Dick Gilbert on a radio, we hurried to the basement just in time to feel a dramatic…
The partially fossilised remains of a giant extinct crocodilian that could have been ritualistically beheaded explain how modern crocodilian species may have evolved. Discovered in southern China, the new species is estimated to have been 6 meters long and the top predator of its environment. Human migration into southern China and subsequent hunting might have driven it to extinction only a few hundred years ago. The discovery may impact knowledge of ancient Chinese civilization. In the ninth century, during China’s Tang dynasty, the people of the Han River delta in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong had a crocodilian problem…
The Elgin marbles are a collection of decorative marble sculptures taken from the temple of Athena (the Parthenon) on the Acropolis in Athens. Made between 447 BC and 432 BC, Lord Elgin (the British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire), was granted a permit (firman) between 1801 and 1805 to remove around half of the remaining sculptures at the Parthenon for transportation to Britain, a move that today is highly contested by Greek authorities who have formally requested for their return. Professor Amy Smith, Professor of Classical Archaeology at the University of Reading, comments on the cultural and historical significance of…
In 2020, the first ever scientific underwater excavation ever undertaken in the Black Sea was started. Now, the results of that expedition are coming to light, revealing millennia-old artifacts and an ancient harbor town that survived for 1,500 years. Kerpe is a small bay on the western coast of the Black Sea, around 100km (60 miles) as the crow flies from the great city of Istanbul. The Hellenic word for the bay was “Kalpe” which translates to “pot” or “jug” and hints at the importance of the bay in ancient times. Digging the Deep Blue: Challenges and Triumphs in Underwater…
Genesis will use this week’s 2024 New York auto show to present an electric full-size SUV concept called the Neolun. The automaker is known to be working on just such a vehicle, which is thought to carry the GV90 name into production, and the Neolun may be a taste of what’s to come. Prototypes have already been spotted ahead of a market launch likely sometime next year. The Neolun name is a portmanteau of the Greek neo and Latin luna, which translates to “new moon.” It’s meant to signify Genesis’ aim of delivering technological innovation in its future vehicles. The…
We’ve been reporting about BMW’s first production electric car for the past couple of years, but apart from an ambiguous teaser image there’s been few details released for BMW’s mysterious Megacity Vehicle, the carbon fiber infused i3. Well, all that has changed now as the German automaker has revealed today the first details and images for a new concept version of the upcoming i3 that will be making its official debut this September at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show. With its zero-emission electric drivetrain and a range of approximately 93 miles, the BMW i3 Concept has been specifically developed for…
Ferrari faces a lawsuit from some customers in the U.S., who allege the company neglected to address brake issues that they claim could lead to a partial or total loss of braking capability. The proposed class action, which is titled Nechev v. Ferrari North America Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of California, No. 24-00516, was first reported by Reuters. The main issue has to do with the brake fluid reservoir cap, a part sourced from Bosch, potentially leaking brake fluid, which in turn could lead to brake failure. Bosch is also a defendant. Ferrari issued a recall…