Archive for the ‘History’ Category

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the British soldier who smuggled himself into Auschwitz

In History on November 29, 2009 by Craig Shaw

the British soldier who smuggled himself into Auschwitz – incredible story –

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8382457.stm

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Two advanced Japanese "samurai subs" have been found off Pearl Harbor – Nat Geo

In History, Military on November 13, 2009 by Craig Shaw

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American who fought for Soviet army in WWII to be remembered in Russia

In History, Military on November 13, 2009 by Craig Shaw

 

WASHINGTON, November 12 (RIA Novosti) – An exhibition dedicated to the only man known to have fought for both the U.S. and Soviet armies during WWII is due to open in Russia, the organizers told RIA Novosti.
Joe Beyrle, father of the current U.S. ambassador to Russia, was captured by German forces after parachuting into Normandy in June 1944. He tried to escape two times, but only his third attempt was a success.
After escaping, he made contact with a Russian tank division and, despite only knowing only two words of Russian ("Amerikanskii tovarishch" or "American comrade"), he became a valuable member of the outfit, taking part in a number of battles, including the liberation of the camp where he had been held.
After being wounded in a battle, he met legendary Soviet war hero Marshal Zhukov, who gave him a letter of transit to the U.S. embassy in Moscow, from where he made his way home to Michigan.
When he eventually arrived at the embassy and said he was Joe Beyrle, at first they did not believe him. His dog tags had been found on a dead German soldier and he was presumed to have been killed. Joe’s parents had even held a memorial service for him.
Joe later returned to Russia on several occasions to tell his story – a tale that still has relevance today, believes exhibition organizer Greg Guroff, president of the Foundation for International Arts and Education.
"This has become a big topic," Guroff said. "Many people are interested in the story, and its symbolism of Soviet-American cooperation during World War II. It has attracted a great deal of interest from senior government officials."
Guroff pointed out that in the U.S., surveys had shown that many people under 40 believed the U.S. fought against Russia in WWII.
"In Russia, they think that Americans did almost nothing in the war, and are not aware that during WWII 15 million Americans were directly engaged in the fighting," he went on.
"This is an attempt not to forget what happened then," he added. "Veterans are dying off. The Cold War has left a sad mark on our perceptions of each other."
The "A hero of two nations" exhibition will open on February 18, 2010 in St. Petersburg. In May, it will move to Moscow, and then onto Kursk and Novosibirsk. It will then open in the U.S.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Beyrle

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Vanished Persian Army Said Found in Desert

In History on November 12, 2009 by Craig Shaw

Bones, jewelry and weapons found in Egyptian desert may be the remains of Cambyses’ army that vanished 2,500 years ago.

The remains of a mighty Persian army said to have drowned in the sands of the western Egyptian desert 2,500 years ago might have been finally located, solving one of archaeology’s biggest outstanding mysteries, according to Italian researchers.Bronze weapons, a silver bracelet, an earring and hundreds of human bones found in the vast desolate wilderness of the Sahara desert have raised hopes of finally finding the lost army of Persian King Cambyses II. The 50,000 warriors were said to be buried by a cataclysmic sandstorm in 525 B.C.
"We have found the first archaeological evidence of a story reported by the Greek historian Herodotus," Dario Del Bufalo, a member of the expedition from the University of Lecce, told Discovery News.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33791672…ience-science/

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Lost Stone Circle Discovered just a Mile from Stonehenge

In History, News on October 11, 2009 by Craig Shaw

An exciting new find on the west bank of the River Avon, has been dubbed "Bluestonehenge" after the color of the 25 Welsh stones of which it was once made. Excavations by the Stonehenge Riverside Project, which is made up of a consortium of university teams and directed by Mike Parker Pearson from the University of Sheffield, revealed the new stone circle is 10m (33 ft) in diameter and surrounded by a henge — a ditch with an external bank.
Although the stones at the site of the new discovery were removed thousands of years ago, the sizes of the holes in which they stood indicate that this was a circle of bluestones, brought from the Preseli mountains of Wales, 150 miles away. These standing stones marked the end of the Avenue that leads from the River Avon to Stonehenge, a 1.75-mile long (2.8km) processional route constructed at the end of the Stone Age.
The outer henge around the stones was built around 2400 BC, but arrowheads found in the stone circle indicate that the stones were put up as much as 500 years earlier — they were dragged from Wales to Wiltshire 5,000 years ago.

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Ancient Urban Network Mapped in Amazon Forests

In History on August 29, 2008 by Craig Shaw

 

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Vast swathes of "pristine" Amazon rain forest may actually have been sophisticated urban landscapes prior to the arrival of European colonists, anthropologists say.

Ancient Urban Network Mapped in Amazon Forests
Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT