Astăzi s-a născut Alfred Nobel (1833)

Nobel was a Swedish chemist and engineer who invented dynamite, the smokeless powder Ballistite, and an explosive gelatin more powerful than dynamite.
Nobel a fost un chimist suedez şi inginer care a inventat dinamita, pulbere fără fum Ballistite, precum şi o gelatină explozivă mai puternică decât dinamita.
In his last will, he left his enormous fortune for the endowment of the Nobel Prizes, which recognize outstanding achievements in the fields of science, literature, economics, and the promotion of peace.
În ultimul său testament, el a lăsat averea sa enormă fondând Premii Nobel, care recunoaşte realizările deosebite în domeniul ştiinţei, literaturei, economiei, precum şi în promovarea păcii.

Dunes

Dunes are mounds of wind-blown sand that form in arid regions and along coasts, areas where there is plenty of sand, strong winds, low rainfall, and some vegetation or obstructions to trap the sand.
Dunele sunt coline de nisip formate de vânt care formează în regiunile aride şi de-a lungul coastelor, zonele unde este mult nisip, vânturi puternice, precipitaţii reduse, și ceva vegetaţie sau alte obstacole care opresc nisipul.
The shape of a dune — crescent, linear, star, dome, or parabolic, to name a few — is dictated by the prevailing wind pattern.
Formele unei dune – semicerc, lineară, stea, boltă, sau parabolică, doar câteva – este dictată de tipul vântului predominant.
Dunes that are not stabilized by vegetation often migrate, driven by the wind, and may cause damage as they move.
Duneșe care nu sunt prinse de vegetatie de multe ori migrează, conduse de vânt, şi pot provoca pagube în timpul mişcării sale.

What are some techniques for halting their migration?
Sand threatens buildings and crops in Africa, the Middle East and China.
Drenching sand dunes with oil stops their migration, but this approach is highly destructive to the dunes habitat and uses a finite resource.
Sand fences might also work, but researchers are still analyzing optimum fence designs.

about Boredom (despre plictiseală)

Boredom is a condition that has been described by psychologists as arising not from a lack of things to do but from an inability to latch on mentally to a specific activity.
Plictiseala este o stare care a fost descrisă de psihologi ca una care nu rezultă dintr-o lipsă de lucruri de făcut, dar dintr-o incapacitate de a pricepe mental o activitate specifică.
Often viewed as a trivial nuisance to be escaped by sleeping, or participating in a new activity, it has been linked to a range of psychological, educational, and social problems.
Adesea percepută ca o pacoste banală de care poți să scapi dormind, sau participând la o activitate nouă, ea a fost legată de o serie de probleme psihologice, educaţionale şi sociale.
The first recorded use of the word boredom is in Dickens’s Bleak House, written in 1852.
Prima folosire înregistrată a cuvântului boredom este în carea lui Dickens “Casa Umbrelor”, scrisă în 1852.

Astăzi s-a născut: Stephen King (1947)

King is a popular American author of horror stories and one of the best-selling writers worldwide.
King este un autor popular american de povestiri de groază şi unul dintre cei mai bine vânduți scriitori din întreaga lume.
His work bears the mark of the 19th-century Gothic tradition, often revealing their macabre and horrific potential.
Opera sa poartă marca tradiției gotice a secolului al 19-lea, dese ori dezvăluind potenţialul lor macabru şi oribil.
He is noted for his cinematic style, and several of his novels and stories have been made into successful movies, including The Shining, Stand by Me, and The Shawshank Redemption.
El este recunoscut pentru stilul său cinematografic, şi mai multe dintre romanele şi povestirile sale au stat la baza filmelor de succes, inclusiv Strălucirea, Prietenii, şi Închisoarea Îngerilor.

What pen names has King used?
In the past, Stephen King has written under the pen names Richard Bachman and (once) John Swithen.

Astăzi 9/11 Terrorist Attacks (2001)

On September 11, 2001, 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger airplanes.
La 11 septembrie 2001, 19 terorişti Al-Qaida au deturnat patru avioane comerciale de pasageri.
They crashed two of the planes into the Twin Towers in NYC and flew a third into the Pentagon building in Virginia.
Ei au prăbuşit două avioane în turnurile gemene din New York şi au direcționat pe al treilea spre clădirea Pentagonului din Virginia.
Passengers on the fourth flight attempted to retake control of the aircraft, but it crashed in a Pennsylvania field.
Pasagerii celui de al patrulea avion au încercat să reia controlul aeronavei, dar el s-a prăbuşit într-un câmp din Pennsylvania.
The devastating terrorist attacks of 9/11 were responsible for 2,974 confirmed casualties and an unknown number of injuries.
Devastatoare atacuri teroriste din 9/11 au fost responsabile pentru 2974 de victime confirmate şi un număr necunoscut de răniți.

Astăzi s-a născut King Richard I of England (1157)

Richard the Lionheart reigned from 1189 to 1199.
Richard Inimă de Leu a domnit de la 1189 până-n 1199.
He rose to the throne following Henry II’s death and set out on the Third Crusade shortly after his coronation.
El s-a ridicat pe tron după moartea lui Henry II şi a pornit cea de a treia cruciadă la scurt timp după încoronarea sa.
Unable to capture the strongly fortified city of Jerusalem, Richard negotiated a treaty with Saladin that allowed Christian pilgrims access to its holy sites.
Incapabil să cucerească oraşul puternic fortificat Ierusalim, Richard a negociat un tratat cu Saladin, care a permis accesul pelerinilor creştini la locurile sfinte.

Question: How much time did Richard spend in England during his entire reign?
Some writers have criticised Richard for spending only six months of his reign in England and siphoning the kingdom’s resources to support his Crusade.

Astăzi s-a născut Queen Elizabeth I of England (1533)

Queen Elizabeth, last Tudor monarch, came to the throne during a turbulent period in the nation’s history.
Regina Elisabeta, ultimul monarh al casei Tudor, a venit la tron în timpul unei perioade de turbulențe din istoria naţiunii.
Although she has been described as vain, miserly, and fickle, she was remarkably successful as queen.
Cu toate că ea a fost descrisă ca orgolioasă, zgârcită, şi capricioasă, ea a avut succes excepţional ca regina.
During her reign, England pursued a policy of expansionism in commerce and geographical exploration, defeating the Spanish Armada and colonizing North America.
În timpul domniei sale, Anglia a urmat o politică de expansiune în comerţ şi de exploarări geografice, învingând Armada spaniolă şi colonizând America de Nord.

Question: Literature and the arts flourished during the period as well. Which US state is named after Elizabeth?
Elizabeth was honored with a colony in the Americas being named after her.
Virginia was named for Elizabeth because she was often referred to as the ‘Virgin Queen”.
While this is because she never married, it remains unclear whether she was literally a virgin.

Today Great Fire of London Ends (1666)

This massive fire was one of the biggest calamities in London’s history.
Acest incendiu masiv a fost una dintre cele mai mari calamităţi din istoria Londrei.
It destroyed 13,200 houses, 87 churches, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and countless other buildings over four days, leaving 70,000 residents homeless.
El a distrus 13200 case, 87 biserici, Catedrala Sfantul Paul, şi nenumărate alte clădiri în peste patru zile, lăsând 70000 locuitori fără adăpost.
Though the death toll is traditionally thought to have been relatively low, recent research suggests it may have been higher, since the deaths of poor and middle-class people were not recorded at the time.
Deşi numărul morților se crede, tradiţional, că au fost relativ mic, cercetările recente sugerează că ar putea fi mai ridicate, deoarece decesele săracilor şi reprezentanților clasei mijlocii, nu au fost înregistrate la momentul respectiv.



Question: What is thought to have started the fire?
The fire started at the bakery of Thomas Farriner (or Farynor) in Pudding Lane shortly after midnight on Sunday, 2 September, and spread rapidly.
The use of the major firefighting technique of the time was critically delayed due to the indecisiveness of the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Thomas Bloodworth.