Tag: politics

Who, What, When, Where, Why and How: 26 February—Answers

Who

Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash. [Image Wikipedia]

Johnny Cash’s music explored sorrow, moral dilemmas, and redemption, featuring a deep bass-baritone voice and the Tennessee Three’s distinctive sound.  His free prison concerts and all-black stage attire solidified his iconic status.

What

US Army in Hawaii

From Here to Eternity, US theatrical release poster for the 1951 film. [Image Wikipedia]

James Jones’s debut novel, From Here to Eternity, is set in Hawaii in 1941 and follows the lives of US Army infantry company members. The novel, loosely based on Jones’s experiences, won the National Book Award and was adapted into a successful film.

When

1919

Grand Canyon National Park poster (1938).
[Image Wikipedia]

Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona features the Grand Canyon, a natural wonder of the Colorado River.  The park, spanning over 1.2 million acres, welcomes millions of visitors annually.

Where

Mediterranean Sea

Elba. [Image Wikipedia]

Elba is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, known for its natural beauty and historical significance as Napoleon’s first exile site. It is the largest island in the Tuscan Archipelago and part of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park.

Elba, shown here in the Tyrrhenian Sea part of the Mediterranean Sea. [Image Wikipedia]

Why 

Portugal wished to control the Congo Basin

Map showing the Congo River drainage basin.
[Image Wikipedia]

The Berlin Conference of 1884–1885, organised by Otto von Bismarck, regulated European colonisation and trade in Africa. The conference concluded with the signing of the General Act of Berlin. The Berlin Conference, initiated by Portugal and supported by Britain, brought together 14 nations to establish a joint policy for Africa.

Western Lowland Gorilla, an endangered species, in the the Congo River basin. [Image Wikipedia]

How

Novelist


Victor Hugo in 1829, lithograph by Achille Devéria in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. [Image Wikipedia]

Victor Hugo was a French Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, and politician. His most famous works include novels like The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables, as well as poetry collections like Les Contemplations and La Légende des siècles.

Portrait of Victor Hugo, deputy of the Second Republic in 1848, gallery of the representatives of the people of the French National Assembly, Paris. [Image Wikipedia]

Blessed Be This Noble Land—Answer

Flag of Botswana
[Image from Wikipedia]
  1. Bechuanaland
  2. Rain

The title of this post Blessed Be This Noble Land is the national anthem of Botswana.

Coat of Arms of Botswana.
[Image from Wikipedia]

The motto Pula, which means rain and also blessing, is the name of Botswana’s currency.

On the 21 February 1966 the Earl of Longford, the British Colonial Secretary, announced that Bechuanaland, a British protectorate, would gain independence on 30th September 1966, subsequently being renamed Botswana.

This landlocked country in Southern Africa is bordered by Namibia (including the Caprivi Strip) to the west and north, Zambia and Zimbabwe to the northeast, and South Africa to the southeast and south. Botswana’s borders feature a minor section along the Zambezi River with Zambia, while its boundary along the Chobe River with Namibia was settled in a 1999 International Court of Justice ruling favoring Botswana. Despite remaining one of the least densely populated nations globally, with over 2.4 million people inhabiting an area similar in size to France, Botswana, named after its dominant Tswana ethnic group, has transitioned from being one of the world’s poorest and least-developed states to a peaceful and increasingly prosperous democratic state. Approximately 70 percent of its flat, topographically consistent territory forms part of the Kalahari Desert.

Blessed Be This Noble Land

Coat of Arms of Botswana.
[Image from Wikipedia]

The British Colonial Secretary, announced on 21 February 1966 that a British protectorate would gain independence later in the year and be renamed Botswana.

  1. What was the name of the British protectorate?
    • Barotseland
    • Bechuanaland
    • Nyasaland
  2. Botswana has a one word motto Pula, what does it mean in English?
    • Lion
    • Rain
    • Self

The answers will be posted later today.

Brief Encounter—Answer

45 minutes

President Francisco Madero. 37th President of Mexico.
[Image from Wikipedia]

Pedro Lascuráin’s 45-minute presidency, unlike other brief period in office, was entirely intentional. Lascuráin played a crucial role in the Mexican Revolution, which involved the transfer of power from President Francisco Madero to dictator Victoriano Huerta. Here’s how it unfolded.

Pedro Lascuráin. 38th President of Mexico.
[Image from Wikipedia]

As the minister of foreign affairs, Lascuráin held the third position—after the president and vice president—in the line of succession to the presidency. However, Huerta exploited this position to his advantage. He orchestrated a fake battle to create unrest and persuade Madero and his vice president to resign. Tragically, they were later murdered while attempting to flee Mexico. Lascuráin ascended to the presidency, but his tenure was marked by only one significant act: appointing Huerta as a member of his cabinet. Subsequently, he promptly resigned, paving the way for the next in line, his new cabinet minister, Victoriano Huerta.

Victoriano Huerta. 39th President of Mexico.
[Image from Wikipedia]

Nine Days—Answer


B. Mary I

The Execution of Lady Jane Grey (1833). National Gallery, London
[Image from Wikipedia]

Lady Jane Grey, also known as Lady Jane Dudley, was proclaimed queen of England and reigned from 10 to 19 July 1553. Known for her beauty and intelligence, she reluctantly allowed herself to be crowned at the age of 15 due to the machinations of unscrupulous politicians. Her subsequent execution at the age of 16 by Mary Tudor evoked widespread sympathy and compassion.

Hay-Pauncefote Treaties—Answer

C. Panama Canal 

Panama Canal U.S. cartoon depicting Theodore Roosevelt, New York Times, 1903.
[Image via Wikipedia]

The Hay-Pauncefote Treaties were two significant agreements between the United States and the United Kingdom, signed in the early 20th century, that facilitated the construction of the Panama Canal. These treaties addressed the control and management of the canal, which was a pivotal development in global maritime trade.

First Hay-Pauncefote Treaty (1900)

The first treaty was signed on 5 February 1900 by U.S. Secretary of State John Hay and British Ambassador to the United States, Lord Julian Pauncefote. This treaty aimed to supersede the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty of 1850, which had stipulated that neither country would have exclusive control over a canal across Central America. However, the U.S. Senate rejected this treaty due to concerns over restrictions on American control and fortification of the canal.

Second Hay-Pauncefote Treaty (1901)

The second treaty, successfully signed on 18 November 1901, resolved these issues by giving the United States the exclusive right to construct, operate, and fortify the Panama Canal. It stipulated that the canal should be open to the vessels of all nations on equal terms and without discrimination, whilst assuring that the canal would be neutral and available for peaceful use by all.

The Hay-Pauncefote Treaties marked a significant turning point in U.S.-British relations and set the stage for the construction of the Panama Canal, which greatly enhanced global maritime commerce by providing a quicker route between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Hay-Pauncefote Treaties

John Milton Hay
[Image via Wikipedia]
Caricature of Sir Julian Pauncefote KCMG CB[
Image via Wikipedia]

The (first) Hay-Pauncefote Treaty, signed on February 5, 1900, between the United States and the United Kingdom, pertained to which of these waterways?

A. Northwest Passage

B. St Lawrence River

C. Panama Canal

The answer will follow later today