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Signed by Canada, Mexico, and the US, NAFTA created the world's largest free-trade area. The agreement immediately lifted tariffs on the majority of goods produced by the signatory nations, and it called for the gradual elimination of most of the remaining barriers to cross-border investment and to the movement of goods and services among the three countries. Critics claim that NAFTA has led to job loss in the US due to the prevalence of maquiladoras, which are what? More...
1999 - The Euro becomes the official currency in 11 countries
While the Euro was already valid for bank transfers, notes and coins were introduced on January 1, 2002.
1993 - Czechoslovakia is dissolved
The country was peacefully divided into the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.
1992 - Russia is formed
The formation of the Russian Federation followed the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
1958 - The European Economic Community is founded
The EEC was a predecessor of today's European Union (EU).
1912 - Republic of China is founded
It was succeeded by the People's Republic of China in 1949.
Historic Trivia pick - Nadjem
THE FIRST CAT WITH A NAME
It is widely believed that domestic cats evolved from the African wildcat, a tabby-like creature called Felis silvestris libyca, along the banks of the Nile River. The first farmers, desperate to defend their hard-won stores of grain from rats and mice, were doubtless overjoyed when these small, lithe predators took up residence near their granaries, looking for easy kills. They were so happy, in fact, that they perhaps went out of their way to attract them and to see to their comfort.
It wasn't long before those wild hunters became thoroughly domesticated, insinuating themselves not just into Egyptian homes, but into Egyptian culture as well. The cat goddess Bast became a popular cult figure, as did another, more sinister feline deity called Sekhmet. Felines in general were considered divine messengers, and killing one was taboo. Those who did so, even by accident, were often lynched on the spot by angry mobs. Pampered housecats wore earrings, nose rings, and expensive collars, and upon death they were often mummified and given lavish burials. Hundreds of thousands of cat mummies have been discovered all over Egypt.
And yet, though their pictures adorned everything from palace walls to scrolls to jewellery, very little was written or said about individual cats. Most, it is believed, didn't even have names. They were all referred to simply as mau, which literally means "he who mews".
That's what makes one particular cat, who lived and died during the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose III (1479-1425 BC), so unique. The feline in question was called Nadjem (meaning "dear one" or, perhaps, "star"). Nadjem was mentioned on the wall of the tomb of a low-level functionary named Puimre, who was interred outside the ancient city of Thebes.
There's little else to say about Nadjem, other than that Puimre must have loved him (or her) a great deal. Too bad he can never know the enormity of the boon he bestowed upon his pet. By choosing to preserve his cat's moniker for posterity, he made him (or her) the first feline in recorded history who we can call by name.
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Takes Effect
Signed by Canada, Mexico, and the US, NAFTA created the world's largest free-trade area. The agreement immediately lifted tariffs on the majority of goods produced by the signatory nations, and it called for the gradual elimination of most of the remaining barriers to cross-border investment and to the movement of goods and services among the three countries. Critics claim that NAFTA has led to job loss in the US due to the prevalence of maquiladoras, which are what? More...
1999 - The Euro becomes the official currency in 11 countries
While the Euro was already valid for bank transfers, notes and coins were introduced on January 1, 2002.
1993 - Czechoslovakia is dissolved
The country was peacefully divided into the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.
1992 - Russia is formed
The formation of the Russian Federation followed the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
1958 - The European Economic Community is founded
The EEC was a predecessor of today's European Union (EU).
1912 - Republic of China is founded
It was succeeded by the People's Republic of China in 1949.
Historic Trivia pick - NadjemTHE FIRST CAT WITH A NAME
It is widely believed that domestic cats evolved from the African wildcat, a tabby-like creature called Felis silvestris libyca, along the banks of the Nile River. The first farmers, desperate to defend their hard-won stores of grain from rats and mice, were doubtless overjoyed when these small, lithe predators took up residence near their granaries, looking for easy kills. They were so happy, in fact, that they perhaps went out of their way to attract them and to see to their comfort.
It wasn't long before those wild hunters became thoroughly domesticated, insinuating themselves not just into Egyptian homes, but into Egyptian culture as well. The cat goddess Bast became a popular cult figure, as did another, more sinister feline deity called Sekhmet. Felines in general were considered divine messengers, and killing one was taboo. Those who did so, even by accident, were often lynched on the spot by angry mobs. Pampered housecats wore earrings, nose rings, and expensive collars, and upon death they were often mummified and given lavish burials. Hundreds of thousands of cat mummies have been discovered all over Egypt.
And yet, though their pictures adorned everything from palace walls to scrolls to jewellery, very little was written or said about individual cats. Most, it is believed, didn't even have names. They were all referred to simply as mau, which literally means "he who mews".
That's what makes one particular cat, who lived and died during the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose III (1479-1425 BC), so unique. The feline in question was called Nadjem (meaning "dear one" or, perhaps, "star"). Nadjem was mentioned on the wall of the tomb of a low-level functionary named Puimre, who was interred outside the ancient city of Thebes.
There's little else to say about Nadjem, other than that Puimre must have loved him (or her) a great deal. Too bad he can never know the enormity of the boon he bestowed upon his pet. By choosing to preserve his cat's moniker for posterity, he made him (or her) the first feline in recorded history who we can call by name.
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61-BLUES
