History of the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp

The 1920 Olympic Games (also known as the VII Olympiad) closely followed the ending of World War I, being held from April 20 to September 12, 1920, in Antwerp, Belgium.  The war had been devastating, with massive destruction and monstrous loss of life, leaving many countries unable to participate in the Olympic Games. Still, the 1920 Olympics went on, seeing the first use of the iconic Olympic flag, the first time a representative athlete took the official Olympic oath, and the first time white doves (representing peace) were released. Fast Facts: 1920 Olympics Official Who Opened the Games:  King Albert I of BelgiumPerson Who Lit the Olympic Flame:  (This was not a tradition until the 1928 Olympic Games)Number of Athletes:  2,626 (65 women, 2,561 men)Number of Countries: 29Number of Events:  154 Missing Countries The world had seen much bloodshed from World War I, which made many wonder whether the wars aggressors should be invited to the Olympic Games. Ultimately, since the Olympic ideals stated that all countries should be allowed entrance into the Games, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Hungary were not forbidden to come, they were also not sent an invitation by the Organizing Committee. (These countries were again not invited to the 1924 Olympic Games) In addition, the newly formed Soviet Union decided not to attend. (Athletes from the Soviet Union did not reappear at the Olympics until 1952.) Unfinished Buildings Since the war had ravaged throughout Europe, funding and materials for the Games was difficult to acquire. When the athletes arrived in Antwerp, construction had not been completed. Besides the stadium being unfinished, the athletes were housed in cramped quarters and slept on folding cots. Extremely LowAttendance Though this year was the first that the official Olympic flag was flown, not many were there to see it. The number of spectators was so low—mainly because people could not afford tickets after the war—that Belgium lost over 600 million francs from hosting the Games. Amazing Stories On a more positive note, the 1920 Games was notable for the first appearance of Paavo Nurmi, one of the Flying Finns. Nurmi was a runner who ran like a mechanical man - body erect, always at an even pace. Nurmi even carried a stopwatch with him as he ran so that he could evenly pace himself. Nurmi returned to run in the 1924 and the 1928 Olympic Games winning, in total, seven gold medals. The Oldest Olympic Athlete Although we normally think of Olympic athletes as young and strapping, the oldest Olympic athlete of all time was 72 years old. Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn had already participated in two Olympic Games (1908 and 1912) and had won five medals (including three gold) before appearing at the 1920 Olympics.   At the 1920 Olympics, 72-year-old Swahn, sporting a long white beard, won a silver medal in the 100-meter, team, running deer double shots.

Abortion Essays - 691 Words

nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Before I say anything I would just like to say that I don’t think that men should have a say in this at all. I am pro-choice. This to me means that people should have the right to make decisions for themselves, like freedom, a right of the United States of America. I think people should be responsible for their own actions and what they do to themselves. If they have an abortion it’s their business and no one else’s. A woman should be able to get an abortion without having to be discriminated by people. I don’t think abortion is pretty but neither is heart surgery. I do think abortion is bad but I think it’s important that we can all have our own choices. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;I have looked at it†¦show more content†¦On the other hand, abortion destroys the lives of helpless, innocent children and illegal in many countries. Everyone is raised knowing the difference between right and wrong. Murder is wrong, so why isn’t abortion? People argue that it isn’t murder if the child is unborn, but since the fetus that is being destroyed is living, breathing, and moving, I think it is kind of like murder. It’s really sad that everyday, innocent, harmless fetuses that could soon be laughing children are being destroyed. The word â€Å"choice† shouldn’t be used in relation to abortions, since killing a pre-born child gives the child no choice at all. If you’re going to go out and have unprotected sex, then you should be willing to take responsibility for your actions and accept the consequences. I have picked pro-choice because although I don’t like abortion, I don’t think that we should get rid of it completely. I don’t like drinking but I don’t say let’s get rid of that. There’s lots of things we don’t like but that doesn’t mean they are bad or wrong. The best thing for this problem would be a compromise. Not a compromise to solve the problem but a compromise to satisfy people. Compromise means to give something up, to gain something great. Nothing ever goes exactly the way we want it. Maybe a compromise wouldn’t make things perfect but it would make things better and most importantly it will bring us on the same level of reasoning. My idea of a compromise is veryShow MoreRelatedAbortion : Abortion And Abortion998 Words   |  4 PagesAbortion Abortion is defined in several ways all of which stop a pregnancy. There are different ways of abortion, which are spontaneous abortion, surgical abortion, and medical abortion. Abortion has been arguable topic for decades. One can neither believe abortion to be good nor bad. The idea of individuality and human life is not quite the same. Idea of human life has come from conception; simultaneously on the other hand, fertilizer eggs used for in vitro fertilization are also human lives butRead MoreAbortion : Abortion And Abortion Essay921 Words   |  4 PagesPaper: Abortion Laws The topic of abortion is a widely debated and very heated topic in Texas. The Republican party’s platform supports family values and are completely against abortion under any circumstances, including abortifacients. The Democrat party’s platform supports the rights for women to make choices about their own bodies. They support abortifacients and a person’s right to have an abortion. There is also a large percentage of those that are in the middle in that they believe abortion shouldRead MoreAbortion, The, And Abortion998 Words   |  4 PagesIn the United States there are more than a billion abortions performed each year. Since the court case Roe vs Wade in 1973 more than 56 million babies have been murdered in the United States before they had the chance to take their first breath (Snyder, Michael). These statics along with many more show the huge injustice that is happening in the country I call home. Abortion is defined as the removal of an embryo or fetus from the uterus in order to end a pregnancy. It can include any of variousRead MoreAbortion : Abortion And Anti Abortion1624 Words   |  7 Pagesa very large controversy between the ideas about abortion and anti-abortion. Different religious views, beliefs, peoples many different customs and even people of different cultures all have their own preferences and ideas on the take of this political issue. Views against abortion can lead to as much of an impact as a violent/non violent riots outside of an abortion clinics, to something as simple article in the newspaper. The belief on abortion that leads to a lot of the controversy is that inRead MoreAbortion, The, And Abortion Essay1656 Words   |  7 Pages An abortion is when the pregnancy of a women is ended; it is called sometimes Termination of pregnancy. There are two types of abortion. The first type is the spontaneous abortion; it occurs within the first two months. What causes it is frequently unknown yet is probably the results of intra-uterine contamination, or limited attachment in the building unborn child to the interior coating walls in the womb (uterus). Such conditions this unborn child, if the idea advances further, mayRead MoreAbortion, The, And Abortion953 Words   |  4 Pagesdebates that is constantly talked about is abortion. When it comes to abortion, the laws vary depending on the state you live in. Whether people support or are against abortion, few actually know about the abortion process. Have you ever heard of suction aspiration or prostaglandin chemical abortion? Those are two of the various methods that are performed in the different trimesters of pregnancy. According to writer Steven Ertelt of Li feNews.com, Oklahoma’s abortion laws are restrictive compared to otherRead MoreAbortion : Abortion And Abortion1930 Words   |  8 PagesAbortion has been around for quite some time. Laws have been set allowing it and banning it during different periods of time. The procedures that can be done are all very different. There is a medical abortion involving drugs and there are surgical abortion involving a more invasive procedure. There are also different points of view on it. There are those who fully support the termination of a pregnancy and those who are completely against it. There are many factors to consider and very differentRead MoreAbortion And Abortion2038 Words   |  9 PagesMostly seen as a religious issue, abortions are anything but that. Biology and science are the only deciding factors when it comes down to it. Science is the only thing that can prove whether an unborn child is living; no religion can do that. Through modern science and technology, it has been proven and well documented that human life does in fact begin at conception. The scientific evidence also contradicted the court ruling in the Roe v. Wade case, where it was stated that the Court could notRead MoreAbortion : The Fight For Abortion1543 Words   |  7 PagesAlthough abortion was decriminalized in 1973, the fight for abortion rights did not end with Roe v. Wade. Just in the past three years, there have been systematic restrictions on abortion rights sweeping the country sate by state. In 2013, 22 states enacted 70 antiabortion measures, including pre-viability abortion bans, unnecessary doctor and clinic procedures, limits on medicated abortion, and bans on insurance coverage of abortion In 2011, 92 abortion restrictions were enacted, an in 2012, thatRead MoreAbortion : The Issue Of Abortion1212 Words   |  5 PagesThe topic of abortion has been an ongoing debate for many years. According to ProChoice.org, abortion was legal in in the days of the early settlers . At the time that the constitution was adopted abortions were legal. Abortions were openly advertised and performed before the first fetal movement (13-16 weeks from the start of a women’s last period). The concern for abortion started in the late 1800’s when immigrants were coming into the country in large numbers and the fear was that they would produce

Differences Between Greeks And The Mediterranean Sea

Greeks have been in America since about 1528. Greece is located at the southeast end of Europe on the Mediterranean Sea. The first recorded Greeks colonized in Florida, which is where about 77 thousand Greeks still inhabit today as well as a majority of the East Coast. Greeks believe in a simple four-step process to being healthy and if these four basic kinds of things are in order they will be healthy but if they are out of order, illness will occur. I chose to do my research on Greeks because I had heard of the popular â€Å"Mediterranean Diet† talked about for years. I have also seen movies about Greek culture, like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but did not know all the traditions of the Greeks. The four-step process of health maintenance†¦show more content†¦For example Epione is the goddess of the soothing of pain and Iaso is the goddess of recuperation from illness. As far as my research shows, most modern Greeks go to physicians to restore their health. There are also Greeks who use a new alternative form of medicine used today called Hellenistic pagans, these are people who pray to the Greek Gods to help them heal. They also use dietary management using foods that are easy to digest like soups to detoxify their bodies. Another way to restore health is to correct the four-step process if you are doing something wrong. To protect their health from the evil eye, Greeks wear garlic, amulets, or make a cross out of ash behind a child’s ear. The evil eye curse is when someone has envy for another, and this superstition has been around for many years and symptoms include headache, nausea and confusion. Greeks also knock wood to guard against misfortune. Many cultures also have rites, which are ceremonial acts. Birth rites in the Greek culture are very important, because family is important, so birth is celebrated. Gifts are given to pregnant women like little amulets to guard against evil eye or gold coins. Families also often honor traditional names in the family by bestowing the name on the baby. For the marriage rites the ceremony is spoken in Greek or English, but there are traditional parts that

In the Nursery and New Baby free essay sample

In the Nursery is about a mother comparing her 7 month old son to a plant or flower which shows her love and affection for him. In contrast, New Baby is about the poet adopting a child’s voice and expressing its anger and annoyance for their baby brother. This essay will compare the two poems’ use of language, poetic devices, perspective of speaker and structure. It will also include which poem I prefer and why. The use of language in the two poems is very different. New Baby uses simple, childish and exaggerated language. This is shown when Kay uses the sentence ‘not that I like him or anything’. An older person would find a more sophisticated way to say this, Kay uses these childish sentences throughout the poem . Using this language is effective as it makes it clear that it is the voice of a child but not a young one as Kay’s clever use of the word ‘devised’ tells us. We will write a custom essay sample on In the Nursery and New Baby or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page On the other hand, In the Nursery uses more sophisticated and positive language. Stevenson’s language in this poem is plant and flower based. This is made clear when she says that her sons’ eyes are ‘corollas’ and stating that his yawning is a flower blossoming. Both poems have used many poetic devices. In the Nursery has an extended metaphor which helps to compare the baby to a flower or plant. ‘Sleep drops off him like soil’ is the simile that Stevenson uses. It tells us that the baby is floppy and delicate. It is effective as it gives a clear image of this. Alternatively New Baby uses no similes or metaphors. It has lots of alliteration; ‘baby brother’ is one of the alliterations Kay uses. She also uses anthropomorphism in many of her stanzas. ‘The Rottweiler next door phoned up to complain’ is an example of this. It is effective as it helps to make it clear that it is a child speaking because children usually have a vivid imagination. In the Nursery, the perspective of speaker is first person and this is the mother of the baby boy. This is shown by the use of ‘I’ in the first sentence. It is made clear that the speaker is the boy’s mother as it is very affectionate and loving; ‘his cheeks against mine/in the first soft day in the garden’ show this. Alternatively, New Baby is also first person which is shown by the use of ‘I’ and the speaker is a child, which is made clear by simple use of language and a vivid imagination, ‘that the rats and mice wore headphones’ is an example of these. In New Baby, there are only 3 lines in a stanza; this is effective because it emphasizes the repetition. Each stanza is only one sentence, this reinforces that it is a child. Enjambment is used in the fourth stanza this is clever because the first three stanzas are light hearted in its tone, Kay uses enjambment when the poem gets sinister and more complicated, ’I think of sitting the cat on top of him’ shows that this poem isn’t just funny because the child wants to hurt his brother and is angry with his presence. In the Nursery has one stanza; this makes it easy to read. In the Nursery is only about one moment in time and has 6 clear ideas. To summarise, these two poems are very different in their language, poetic devices, perspective of speaker and structure, however they have one similarity: they are both about babies! The poem I prefer is In the Nursery for the reason that it is much happier, positive and more pleasant than New Baby. New Baby has a sad and sinister meaning to it, even though it’s funny.

Biography of Anna Comnena, the First Female Historian

Biography of Anna Comnena, the First Female Historian Byzantine Princess Anna Comnena (Dec. 1 or 2, 1083–1153) was the first woman known to personally record historical events as a historian.  She also was a political figure who attempted to influence royal succession in the Byzantine Empire. In addition to The Alexiad, her 15-volume history on her fathers reign and related events, she wrote on medicine and ran a hospital and is sometimes identified as a physician. Fast Facts: Anna Comnena Known For: First female historianAlso Known As: Anna Komnene, Anna Komnena, Anna of ByzantiumBorn: Dec. 1 or 2, 1083 in Constantinople, Byzantine EmpireParents: Emperor Alexius I Comnenus, Irene DucasDied: 1153 in Constantinople, Byzantine EmpirePublished Work: The AlexiadSpouse: Nicephorus Bryennius Early Life and Education Anna Comnena was born on Dec. 1 or 2, 1083, in Constantinople, which was then the capital city of the Byzantine Empire and later of the Latin and Ottoman empires and finally of Turkey. It has been called Istanbul since the early 20th century. Her mother was Irene Ducas and her father was the Emperor Alexius I Comnenus, who ruled from 1081 to 1118. She was the eldest of her fathers children, born in Constantinople just a few years after he took over the throne as emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire by seizing it from Nicephorus III. Anna seems to have been a favorite of her father. She was betrothed at a young age to Constantine Ducas, a cousin on her mothers side and a son of Michael VII, the predecessor to Nicephorus III, and Maria Alania. She was then placed under Maria Alanias care, a common practice of the time. The young Constantine was named a co-emperor and was expected to be heir to Alexius I, who at that time had no sons. When Annas brother John was born, Constantine no longer had a claim on the throne. He died before the marriage could take place. As with some other medieval Byzantine royal women, Comnena was well-educated. She studied the classics, philosophy, music, science, and mathematics. Her studies included astronomy and medicine, topics about which she wrote later in her life.  As a royal daughter, she also studied military strategy, history, and geography. Although she credits her parents with being supportive of her education, her contemporary, Georgias Tornikes, said at her funeral that shed had to study ancient poetry- including The Odyssey- surreptitiously, as her parents disapproved of her reading about polytheism. Marriage In 1097 at the age of 14, Comnena married Nicephorus Bryennius, who was also a historian.  They had four children together in their 40 years of marriage. Bryennius had some claim to the throne as a statesman and general, and Comnena joined her mother, the Empress Irene, in a vain attempt to persuade her father to disinherit her brother, John, and replace him in the line of succession with Bryennius. Alexius appointed Comnena to head a 10,000-bed hospital and orphanage in Constantinople. She taught medicine there and at other hospitals and developed expertise on gout, an illness from which her father suffered. Later, when her father was dying, Comnena used her medical knowledge to choose from among the possible treatments for him. He died despite her efforts in 1118, and her brother John became emperor, John II Comnenus. Succession Plots After her brother was on the throne, Comnena and her mother plotted to overthrow him and to replace him with Annas husband, but Bryennius apparently refused to take part in the plot. Their plans were discovered and thwarted, Anna and her husband had to leave the court, and Anna lost her estates. When Comnenas husband died in 1137, she and her mother were sent to live in the convent of Kecharitomene, which Irene had founded.  The convent was devoted to learning, and there, at age 55, Comnena began serious work on the book for which she will long be remembered. The Alexiad A historical account of her fathers life and reign that her late husband had begun, The Alexiad totaled 15 volumes when it was completed and was written in Greek rather than in Latin, the spoken language of her place and time. In addition to recounting her fathers accomplishments, the book became a valuable source to later historians as a pro-Byzantine account of the early Crusades. While the book was written to praise Alexius accomplishments, Annas place at court for most of the period it covered made it more than that. She had been privy to details that were unusually accurate for histories of the time period. She wrote about the military, religious, and political aspects of history and was skeptical of the value of the Latin churchs First Crusade, which occurred during her fathers reign. She also wrote of her isolation at the convent and of her disgust with her husbands unwillingness to carry through with the plot that would have put him on the throne, noting that perhaps their genders should have been reversed. Legacy In addition to recounting her fathers reign, the book describes religious and intellectual activities within the empire and reflects the Byzantine  concept  of the imperial office. It also is a valuable account of the early Crusades, including character sketches of the First Crusades leaders and of others with whom Anna had direct contact. Comnena also wrote in The Alexiad about medicine and astronomy, demonstrating her considerable knowledge of science. She included references to the accomplishments of a number of women, including her influential grandmother Anna Dalassena. The Alexiad  was first translated into English in 1928 by another pioneering woman, Elizabeth Dawes, a  British classical scholar and the first woman to receive a doctorate in literature from the University of London. Sources Anna Comnena: Byzantine Princess. Encyclopedia Britannica.Anna Comnena: Byzantine Historian of the First Crusade. Women in World History Curriculum.

Practice in Using the Present Perfect in English

Practice in Using the Present Perfect in English Once you understand how to form the past tense of regular verbs, you shouldnt find it difficult to use verbs in the present perfect. All youll need to add is an auxiliary verb (also known as a helping verb)has or have. Using Has and Have With Past Participles Coupled with the auxiliary verb has  or have, a past participle can serve as the main verb in a sentence. Compare these two sentences: Carla worked here for five years.Carla has worked here for five years. The first sentence is in the past tense: Carla once worked here but no longer does. The second sentence carries a different meaning: Carla still works here. We use has or have with a past participle to describe an action that started in the past and is (or may be) still going on. This construction is called the present perfect. The past participle form of a regular verb is identical to the past form: it always ends in -ed: Olga has promised to help me.Max and Olga have finished the race.We have tried to do our best. The auxiliary verbhas or havechanges to agree with its subject (see Correcting Errors in Subject-Verb Agreement), but the past participle itself does not change: Carla has worked here for five years.Carla and Fred have worked here for five years. Use the past tense to show a completed action. Use the present perfect (has or have plus the past participle) to show an action begun in the past but continuing up to the present. Exercise: Forming the Past Tense and the Present-Perfect Complete the second sentence in each set with the correct form of the verb in parentheses. Use either the past tense or the present perfect tense (has or have plus the past participle). The first sentence in each pair will help you decide which tense is needed in the second sentence. Mr. Baggins lives in the house next door. He (live) there for the past eight years.We are still raising money for the scholarship drive. So far we (raise) over $2,000.I have gained five pounds since I started my diet. At the same time, I (gain) a craving for Milky Way bars.I watched the Jon Stewart show last night. Then I (watch) David Lettermans program.I have called you several times this week. You (call) me once last spring.Jenny frequently uses the new word processor. Kyle not (use*) it once.Several years ago I stayed two weeks on a farm. I (stay) in the city ever since.Addie shouted in my ear. I turned and (shout) right back.Lu ordered one book from the club last year. He not (order*) anything since.I have never tried to raise chickens. Once I (try) to raise hogs. * The negatives not and never often go between the auxiliary verb and the past participle in the present-perfect tense. Answers has livedhave raisedhave gainedwatchedcalledhas not usedhave stayedshoutedhas not orderedtried

Social Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Social Psychology - Essay Example Although we as humans, are taught to learn and think for ourselves various factors exist, which tend to influence our independent thinking and coerce us to follow the more socially acceptable norms. This paper discusses the various popular experiments conducted during that era, and deduces, based on the observations, whether human beings are naturally built to submit to authority and comply with the rules laid down for them, or is it a case of exception rather than the norm. Finally, it concludes that human beings do have a tendency to be intrinsically motivated to conform to authority and to obey authority. Conformity refers to the transformation in behaviour or attitudes of people triggered by the need / desire to pursue the beliefs or standards set by others. It entails following the group ideologies, by totally ignoring or disregarding personal opinions. Obedience on the other hand, merely implies obeying the instructions / orders. These two concepts can be studied or explained i n a better manner by way of various experiments carried out by researchers such as Asch, Milgram, Zimbardo and the likes (Andersen, Taylor, 2007). According to a study conducted by Asch, (1951): a group of individuals were involved in an experiment to study the issues related to ‘conformity’ and the manner in which individuals behave / react in a given situation. The basic objective of the experiment was to observe the reactions of the participants and substantiate the hypotheses developed by the researchers with regard to ‘conformity’. However, for the purpose of this experiment the participants were mislead into believing that they were being involved in a study on ‘visual perception’ and kept the true purpose of the experiment, a secret. They were seated in a room along with a few stooges (i.e. individuals who were part of the team of the researchers conducting the experiment) who were made to pose as participants. The participants were show n lines on a screen and were asked to point out which one out of the three was of the same length as the target line. However, their responses were manipulated by the three stooges, who deliberately made mistakes by providing wrong answers. The purpose behind such an experiment was to measure the number of times the participants were influenced in their decisions / answers, by the responses of the stooges (Andersen, Taylor, 2007; Weiten, 2008). The method used by Asch seems quite artificial in its approach as it lacks validity. This is because the participants are required to conform when a correct answer actually exists. Disagreements do occur in everyday lives when there are hardly any right or wrong answers hence this approach seems highly illogical and invalid. Furthermore the results derived from the same may not be consistent in the long run, which is evident from the subsequent experiments conducted by British researchers Perrin and Spencer (Cox, 2002). It is also argued that Asch’s experiments were conducted at a time when the nation was exposed to an external environment which generated high levels of