GEOGRAPHY

January 9 1960 – Construction Of The Aswan Dam in Egypt Begins

January 9 1960 – Construction Of The Aswan Dam in Egypt Begins4 (80%) 1 vote The construction of the Aswan High Dam across the River Nile in Egypt began on January 9, 1960, with the removal of about 20 tons of granite by the detonation of dynamite. The dam came to play an important role in curbing the flood and drought cycles of the River Nile that have been a feature of Egyptian life for many centuries. The Aswan High Dam is located on the Nile just about north of the international border between Egypt and Sudan. Prior to the construction of the High Dam, the dam at Aswan was […]

January 18 1997 – Norwegian Adventurer Børge Ousland Completes The First Solo Crossing of Antarctica

January 18 1997 – Norwegian Adventurer Børge Ousland Completes The First Solo Crossing of AntarcticaRate this post On January 18, 1997, Norwegian adventurer and polar explorer Børge Ousland completed the first solo crossing of Antarctica battling his way through the extremely harsh terrain on foot and on skis for 64 days. The explorer was the very first to make this arduous journey alone – unaided by a team or by other companions. On November 15, 1996, Ousland set out with three other adventurers – each wanting to make it alone and set the record. While British explorer, Sir Ranulph Twistleton-Wykeham-Fiennes dropped out of the mission sometime in December, having been […]

February 16 2005 – The Kyoto Protocol Becomes Binding

February 16 2005 – The Kyoto Protocol Becomes BindingRate this post World map of countries who singed kyoto Protocol In a bid to bring the world’s industrialized nations under one umbrella to slow global warming, the Kyoto Protocol was signed by 83 nations near the end of 1997. Officially part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the environmental treaty came into effect officially on February 16, 2005 when Russia ratified the agreement. The years since have seen a number of twists and turns in the saga to minimize human effects on Mother Nature. As early as the middle of the 20th century, scientists began to study […]

February 22 1909 – The Great White Fleet Returns from a Journey Around the World

February 22 1909 – The Great White Fleet Returns from a Journey Around the World4 (80%) 1 vote In the early years of the 20th century, Teddy Roosevelt, the President of the United States and former Assistant Secretary of the Navy, sought to raise the military profile of his nation. Near the end of his time in office, he had an idea: send US ships out on a worldwide expedition. Following 14-months at sea with stops on every continent but Antarctica, the Great White Fleet — so named for its trademark “peacetime white” paint scheme — arrived at Hampton Roads, Virginia on February 22, 1909. A little more than ten […]