Compass
Picture this: You are in Aleppo, standing in front of what is left of your house. You are reeling with the loss of your mother, your father, your brother, or if the world is particularly cruel, more than one family member. An edgily dressed 19-year-old British boy on his gap year comes up to you and, instead of offering help, asks if he can take a picture with his expensive camera. You gawk in disbelief and struggle to comprehend why someone whose government was involved in the war is standing before you, asking for a piece of your dignity.
The Games of the I Olympiad were held from April 6 to April 15, 1896 in Athens, Greece, the first Olympic Games in modern times. The first Olympics, or "I Olympiad" also established the International Olympic Committee.
Young men once rode horses to carry mail from Missouri to California in the unprecedented time of only 10 days! This relay system along the Pony Express National Historic Trail crossing eight states was the most direct and practical means of east-west communications in 1860. From Missouri to California the Pony Express riders could deliver a letter faster than ever before.
Along with the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid, there may be no more instantly recognizable man-made structure than the Eiffel Tower, inaugurated on this date in 1889. The grand tower was built for the Universal Exhibition held that year in celebration of the French Revolution.
Lesser known and far less populated than the long distance trail in British Columbia, the East Coast Trail stretches for more than 300 kilometers from Cappahayden in the south to Cape
Tourists visiting the Taj Mahal are faced with a new kind of threat – a herd of monkeys that will scratch, bite and even kill.
The Georgian capital Tbilisi’s name derives from a word that means warm place. The word applies to both the glorious sulfur baths on which the city was founded, as well as the generosity and warmth of the Georgian people. A trip to the baths allows visitors a chance to luxuriate in the soothing hot waters, which are part of the centuries-old history of this Caucasus city.
Today on World Footprints we celebrate Canada’s Francophone roots in the Quebec region as we walk in the footsteps of history at the New France Festival in Quebec City. Plus, we’ll visit an Augustinian Monastery turned holistic spa and we’ll talk to an Old World wine merchant.
When The Slave Trade Act passed in Parliament on March 25, 1807, the United Kingdom effectively abolished the slave trade throughout the British Empire, but slavery continued.
Americans interested in visiting Europe may want to do so before 2021. According to a report, the European Union said any U.S. travelers coming to the European Schengen area will need another kind of visa for entrance.
When Buenos Aires became the capital of Argentina in 1880, the mayor, Torcuato de Alvear, decided to modernize the city in order to leave its Spanish colonial past behind. People of his generation and social class – the upper crust— venerated European powerhouses like England and France and looked down on the local criollo culture, the mix of Spanish and indigenous cultures.
On this day in history, the 23rd and last official Grand Master of the Knights Templar, Jacques de Molay and a few other Templars, were sent to their death after enduring years of torture and other humiliations. The Knights Templars were Crusades warrior monks. The Roman Church granted the Knights Templar with near autonomous power, answering to no one other than the Pope. But it was the Order's enormous power that eventually led their downfall. Over the years, the Order became extremely wealthy and at times acted as a bank throughout Europe. King Phillip IV of France became financially indebted to the Templars. On Friday, October 13, 1307 (the origin of the "Friday the 13th" bad luck date), Phillip, who because of his indebtedness to the Order, demanded the arrest of all Templars. They were tortured into false confessions of heresy and eventually forced to disband. However, Jacques de Molay [...]
