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Charlemagne was king of the Franks (768-814) and emperor of the West (800-814). With the exception of the British Isles and parts of Italy and Spain, he united in one vast state almost all the Christian lands of Western Europe. After restoring Leo III to the papacy, he was crowned emperor in Rome on Christmas Day, 800 CE, finalising the split between the Byzantine and Roman epires and marking the revival of the empire that was the forerunner of the Holy Roman Empire. What language did he speak? More...
Historic Trivia - Tee Cee
THE CAT WHO PREDICTED SEIZURES
Were it not for their quirky, independent personalities, cats might be naturals for all sorts of jobs usually done by service dogs. Keenly observant and alert to the slightest changes in their surroundings, felines could make wonderful guardians. So far, however, they've firmly rejected any such callings.
All save for one.
The cat in question is named Tee Cee, and he has earned international fame for his uncanny ability to predict epileptic seizures - a skill he's used to ease the suffering of his grateful owner. Ironically, the English feline had endured quite a bit at the hands of a human, who stuffed Tee Cee and his littermates in a box and tossed it in a river. He was rescued and taken to an adoption centre, where he became the pet of Michael Edmonds, a Sheffield man who suffers from an extremely dangerous and unpredictable form of epilepsy. The disorder causes sudden, violent seizures that strike without warning. The problem is so serious that Edmonds can't leave home unescorted, for fear of having an attack at some unexpected time or place.
Edmonds' new cat provided almost providential help. Tee Cee took a great deal of interest in his new owner - particularly, it seemed, when he was about to seize. This was remarkable, because Edmonds displays no symptoms prior to attacks. Or at least, none detectable by humans. "We noticed that Tee Cee began staring at my stepfather prior to a seizure and then ran to my mother to let her know all is not well, acting as an early warning system", Edmonds's stepdaughter, Samantha Laidler, told the BBC. "Once assistance arrives, Tee Cee doesn't leave Michael's side until he regains consciousness, and his warnings have proved invaluable to the family".
The behaviour was so unexpected that it took a while for family members to make the connection between Tee Cee's staring sessions and Edmonds's epileptic fits. But nce the link was established, the fame of the former stray spread far and wide.
In 2006 he was nominated for a prestigious Rescue Cat of the Year Award - quite an accomplishment for a feline who was once, literally, thrown away as garbage.
Charlemagne Crowned Emperor
Charlemagne was king of the Franks (768-814) and emperor of the West (800-814). With the exception of the British Isles and parts of Italy and Spain, he united in one vast state almost all the Christian lands of Western Europe. After restoring Leo III to the papacy, he was crowned emperor in Rome on Christmas Day, 800 CE, finalising the split between the Byzantine and Roman epires and marking the revival of the empire that was the forerunner of the Holy Roman Empire. What language did he speak? More...
- 1989 - Romanian President Nicolae Ceaușescu and wife Elena were executed
The communist leader and his wife were deposed after a revolution. Their trial lasted for about an hour and then they were summarily executed by a firing squad. - 1979 - USSR invades Afghanistan
The airlift of Soviet troops into Afghanistan started a 9 year long war. The anti-Soviet insurgents, the mujahideen, received support from the United States and other western allies. - 1926 - Hirohito becomes the 124th emperor of Japan
Michinomiya Hirohito, known as Emporor Shōwa after his death, becomes the 124th emperor of Japan after the death of his father, Emperor Yoshihito. Hirohito was the Emperor of Japan for 62 years, making him the longest reigning Emperor of Japan. - 1809 - First abdominal surgery performed
American physician Ephraim McDowell became the first person in recorded history to successfully remove an ovarian tumor. He is known as the father of ovariotomy and abdominal surgery. The procedure took about 30 minutes and was performed without any anesthesia. - 1643 - Christmas Island discovered
Captain William Mynors on the East India Company ship Royal Mary did not stop at the Australian island, which owes its name to the date of its discovery by Europeans. It was not until 44 years later that the first Europeans stepped on the Island. Sparsely populated, the Indian Ocean island is rich in phosphate, which is mined from the guano – bird droppings.
Historic Trivia - Tee CeeTHE CAT WHO PREDICTED SEIZURES
Were it not for their quirky, independent personalities, cats might be naturals for all sorts of jobs usually done by service dogs. Keenly observant and alert to the slightest changes in their surroundings, felines could make wonderful guardians. So far, however, they've firmly rejected any such callings.
All save for one.
The cat in question is named Tee Cee, and he has earned international fame for his uncanny ability to predict epileptic seizures - a skill he's used to ease the suffering of his grateful owner. Ironically, the English feline had endured quite a bit at the hands of a human, who stuffed Tee Cee and his littermates in a box and tossed it in a river. He was rescued and taken to an adoption centre, where he became the pet of Michael Edmonds, a Sheffield man who suffers from an extremely dangerous and unpredictable form of epilepsy. The disorder causes sudden, violent seizures that strike without warning. The problem is so serious that Edmonds can't leave home unescorted, for fear of having an attack at some unexpected time or place.
Edmonds' new cat provided almost providential help. Tee Cee took a great deal of interest in his new owner - particularly, it seemed, when he was about to seize. This was remarkable, because Edmonds displays no symptoms prior to attacks. Or at least, none detectable by humans. "We noticed that Tee Cee began staring at my stepfather prior to a seizure and then ran to my mother to let her know all is not well, acting as an early warning system", Edmonds's stepdaughter, Samantha Laidler, told the BBC. "Once assistance arrives, Tee Cee doesn't leave Michael's side until he regains consciousness, and his warnings have proved invaluable to the family".
The behaviour was so unexpected that it took a while for family members to make the connection between Tee Cee's staring sessions and Edmonds's epileptic fits. But nce the link was established, the fame of the former stray spread far and wide.
In 2006 he was nominated for a prestigious Rescue Cat of the Year Award - quite an accomplishment for a feline who was once, literally, thrown away as garbage.
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61-BLUES
