| BY J. Robert Parks | The Turing test and the Turing machine are often mentioned in the history of computers and technology. Alan Turing, the inventor behind those ideas and many others, is less well known, however. This week marks the seventieth anniversary of his death at the young age of 41, when Turing, … Read more
| By J. Robert Parks | Ludwig van Beethoven’s final Ninth Symphony is one of the most famous works of classical music. Its fourth movement in particular, which includes the stirring choral arrangement of Friedrich von Schiller’s “Ode to Joy,” has become a hallmark of movies, commercials, and even ringtones. The symphony was first performed … Read more
| By J. Robert Parks | The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, better known as NATO was founded seventy-five years ago this week, on April 4, 1949. A response to both World War II and the growing Cold War, the organization was designed to bind Europe and the United States closer together and to provide a … Read more
| By J. Robert Parks | Many of the great archaeological finds are made through careful planning, as researchers and archaeologists determine where they are likely to find something and then explore and dig until they do. Other finds, however, happen through sheer happenstance. Such was the case with one of the greatest archaeological discoveries … Read more
| By J. Robert Parks | Although George Washington may be known as the father of his country, Simón Bolívar is known as the liberator of his continent—South America, in his case. It was 200 years ago this week, on February 10, 1824, that Bolívar became Peru’s ruler after liberating it from Spanish colonial control. … Read more
| By J. Robert Parks | Nelson Mandela was one of the most important figures of the twentieth century. As one of the leaders of the African National Congress (ANC), he pushed for an end to the racist system of apartheid in South Africa. Then, as a political prisoner for 27 years, he continued to … Read more
| By J Robert Parks | The history of Europe has been marked by devastating wars; some fought over religion, while some fought over nationalism. That history culminated in World War II, when the continent was embroiled in almost six years of warfare that left more than 50 million dead and many countries lying in … Read more
| By J. Robert Parks | A red phone sits on a desk, surrounded by people arguing over what to do. Suddenly, one of them picks up the handset and, without dialing (because there’s nothing to dial), suddenly starts talking: “This is the president!” This scene, or something like it, is a staple of movies … Read more
| By J. Robert Parks | The Meiji Restoration, one of the pivotal periods in Japanese history, began in 1868 with the overthrow of the Tokugawa shogunate and the re-establishment of imperial rule. The new emperor, Mutsuhito, was only 16 years old when he came to power, so he initially ruled in conjunction with advisors … Read more
| By J. Robert Parks | The alliance of Britain and the United States with the Soviet Union during World War II was always one of convenience—the three Allied powers had a common enemy in Nazi Germany. So it wasn’t a surprise when that alliance quickly turned tense after the war. Although the United States … Read more