Archives for February 2019

Facts About the Night Witches: Soviet 588th Night Bomber Regiment

February 9, 2019 By admin Leave a Comment

The Night Witches regiment at an airfield in 1942.

Night witches is an English translation word for Nachthexen, which is German nickname from World War II for the female military aviators who belonged to 588th Night Bomber Regiment. This 588th Night Bomber Regiment came to be known as the 46th Taman Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment. The 46th Taman Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment was a part of the Soviet Air Forces. The regiment was founded by Marina Raskova and commanded by Yevdokia Bershanskaya.

This regiment flew harassment bombing, as well as, precision bombing missions against the German military. These bombing raids went on regularly from 1942 up until the war ended.
When it was at its largest sizes, the Night Witches regiments would have forty two-person crews.
The Night Witches Aviators managed to fly more than 23, 000 sorties, and they were said to have dropped, over 3,000 tons of bombs.
This female unit was one of the most-decorated of all women units in the Soviet Air Force. Each woman pilot flew over 800 missions by the time World War II came to an end.
23 of these female pilots were awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union title.
30 of the Night Witches members died in combat during World War II.
The kind of planes that this female regiment would fly in were made out of wood and canvas. These planes were called the Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes and they were the most produced of all biplanes in aviation history.
These biplanes were mainly constructed only for aircraft training and crop dusting. However, they were used in combat in World II, and they carried up to six bombs at a time.
This made these planes excellent for multiple night time bombing missions.
The Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes were very slow and obsolete. Despite this, the female aviators were able to use them in a daring way, by making use of their exceptional maneuverability.
These biplanes also had the upper advantage of having a maximum speed that was far lower than that of the stall speed of German air-crafts; Messerschmitt Bf 109 and the Focke-Wulf Fw 190.The German pilots would find it very hard to shoot these female aviators down while in flight.
An attack technique that was used by the squadron of these Russian female pilots was that they would take their biplanes and power-off the engine close to the target.
They would then glide to the bomb release point.
The German soldiers were afraid of these aviators. The wind noise that these air-crafts made when gliding with no engine thrust at night time made them look like witches on broom sticks.
Thus the Germans gave these aviators the title ‘Night Witches’.

The Night Witches saw a lot of air combat and were an important part of the Soviet Air Forces. Their presence was very strong from a feminine aspect and they were a very important part of World War II air defense as a result.

Badshahi Mosque Facts

February 8, 2019 By admin Leave a Comment

Badshahi Mosque(Masjid) in Lahore, Pakistan is one of the best examples of Mughal architecture anywhere in the Indian subcontinent. Begun in 1671 under the orders of Emperor Aurangzeb (the sixth Mughal Emperor) it has had a checkered history but, following a complete restoration between 1939 and 1960, it is now a major tourist attraction as well as a center of Muslim worship and prayer.

Front view image of the Badshahi mosque.
Author: Ali Imran / (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Some facts about Badshahi Mosque:

Northeastern minaret of Badshahi mosque from the inside.
Author / (CC BY-SA 3.0)

The construction of Badshahi Masjid started in 1671 and completed in 1673.
It was originally built to house a sacred relic, namely a strand of the Holy Prophet’s hair.
For more than 300 years (until 1986) it was the largest mosque in the World. It is still believed to be the fifth largest in the World.
The design is based on that of the Jama Mosque in Delhi that was built by Aurangzeb’s father, Shah Jahan.
The architecture incorporates Indian, Central Asian, Persian and Islamic elements.
The main Prayer Hall is more than 2100 square meters in size, and the courtyard occupies nearly 26,000 square meters.
The walls were built using small bricks assembled with lime mortar, then faced with red sandstone.
The main Prayer Hall is decorated with stucco tracery, frescoes, and inlaid marble.
The Mosque was built on a 6-meter high plinth to prevent flooding by the nearby Ravi River. The main entrance (from the east) is therefore approached by a flight of 22 three-sided steps.
The Mosque is symmetrical. The closeness of the river meant that it was not possible to build a northern gateway, so there is therefore no southern gateway either.
The main Prayer Hall is divided into seven sections by arches. Three of these chambers are surmounted by domes that are clad in white marble.
The four minarets at the corners of the Mosque are 54 metres high.
Badshahi Mosque suffered damage during the Sikh Empire of the early 18th century. An earthquake in 1840 destroyed the turrets at the tops of the minarets which were then used during the Sikh Civil War as gun emplacements to bombard the nearby Lahore Fort.
Repairs to the Mosque began in 1852, but the real restoration work took place in the 20th century, at a cost of around five million rupees.

Badshahi Mosque in the 1880’s
PD-old-100

Badshahi Masjid is a place of peace and tranquillity. It is well worth a visit not only as a wonderful example of Mughal architecture but as somewhere to offer prayer and be quiet for a time.

Facts about William Makepeace Thackeray: Author of the Novel ‘Vanity Fair’

February 8, 2019 By admin 2 Comments

William Makepeace Thackeray is the author of many 19th Century satirical works including the popular novel Vanity Fair. Mr. Thackeray lived until the age of 52, from 1811 – 1863 primarily in England. This wonderful novelist and poet began his early career in journalism and, while highly educated, attending prestigious schools like Cambridge, Mr. Thackeray did not confer an actual degree. In his adult life, William was the recipient of a large inheritance and used the money to launch two newspapers: The National Standard and The Constitutional.

Here are a few facts about William Makepeace Thackeray:

William Makepeace Thackeray was born in Calcutta, India and later lived his life in England.
Mr. Thackeray was a free spirit and had many life experiences that he drew upon for his literature.
William was an illustrator and also studied law and fine arts.
The novel Vanity Fair is based on satire and English society from his personal experiences.
William was escalated to a credible novelist after finishing Vanity Fair at the age of 37.
Mr. Thackeray was a gambler and is rumored to have lost some of his inheritance to the habit.
William deeply loved his wife. She fell mentally ill after their third child was born.
William Makepeace Thackeray studied caricature art in Paris.
Mr. Thackeray worked in London for Fraser’s Magazine and Punch.
William Makepeace Thackeray was born July 18, 1811 and passed away on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1863 after suffering a stroke.

William Makepeace Thackeray is one of the most influential authors of our time. While difficult to list his many fine works of literature, he is best known for The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Vanity Fair, Pendennis, The Newcomers and The History of Henry Esmond. Paralleling his writing career, Mr. Thackeray also ran for parliament but did not have any success. At the end of his life he accepted a brief editor position with Cornhill Magazine. William Makepeace Thackeray is buried in Kensal Green, in an area of London, England and memorialized at Westminster Abbey.

Facts About Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge: Famous German Chemist

February 8, 2019 By admin Leave a Comment

Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge was born on 8th February 1794.
He got his doctorate degree from the University of Berlin.
He taught at the University of Breslau till 1831 after which he started working in a chemical company.
Runge was an analytical chemist by profession.
He’s mostly know for discovering and separating caffeine from coffee beans . He did this in 1819.
He’s also known for discovering the pupil dilating effect of belladonna plant’s extract.
Runge also wrote two books describing the use of paper chromatography to separate chemicals.
Runge is also credited with discovering the first coal tar dye.
In addition to this he also devised a way to extract sugar from beet juice.
Runge was also one of the first scientists to isolate quinine, a drug used to treat diseases like malaria and babesiosis.
In 1852 Runge was fired from the company he worked in, by a disgruntled boss.
Runge died in extreme poverty at the age of 73 on March 25th 1867.

Facts About Ching Shih: The Famous Female Pirate

February 7, 2019 By admin Leave a Comment

An 18th century engraving portraying Ching Shih in battle.

Ching Shih was a powerful female pirate that dominated the China Sea during the early 19th century. This female pirate from China is a rare historical figure because she is one of the few women in history to lead a pirate crew that was the size of a kingdom. According to historical accounts, Ching Shih lead a force of up to 40,000 pirates operated 300 junks( A Chinese sailing ship). Ching Shih was feared, revered, respected and hated by thousands of people who lived in the regions situated along the China Sea.

No written records exist on Ching Shih’s childhood. While historians have figured out that she was born in the Guangdong province in 1775 they do not have any information about her mother, father or economic condition.
Ching Shih was working as a sex worker in a brothel inside of a city named Canton. The year was 1801 when Ching was first introduced into the world of piracy. She was going about her daily routine of offering sex for sale when a ruthless pirate named Zheng Yi raided Canton. Shih was captured with other women and she caught the attention of Zheng Yi.
Zheng Yi apparently liked Ching more so than the other females because he selected her to be his wife.
Ching Shih’s name was given to her after she married Zheng Yi. No one knows her original name. Apparently, she never told anyone this information. Ching Shih means “widow of Zheng”.
After the couple were married, Ching Shih participated in Zheng Yi’s activities. She learned about the daily routines and habits of piracy from her husband. She was also exposed to the different situations that usually accompany the life of an outlaw.
Zheng Yi used his reputation and power to consolidate the pirates in Canton into a formidable alliance. Zheng Yi ruled them and they were known as the Red Flag Fleet.
In 1807 Zheng Yi died while in Vietnam. Ching Shih did not want to lose any of the power that she had with her husband. After his death she immediately began to set up control over the Red Flag Fleet.
Ching Shih formed relationships with her rivals to recognize her position as the next ruler of the pirate alliance. She called upon members of Zheng Yi’s family who were powerful pirate lords. Cheng Pao-yand and Cheng Ch’i was Zheng Yi’s nephew and cousin and their influence was necessary for keeping the pirates under control for Ching. Most of the captains who served under Ching and her husband continued to remain loyal to her.
Ching Shih realized that she needed someone to handle the daily routine of governing the pirates and she chose a man by the name of Chang Pao.
Chang Pao was Zheng Yi’s adopted son and his sex slave. Apparently, Zheng Yi was a bisexual man and captured young Chang Pao when he was 15 years old. Zheng Yi then adopted him and he became a recognized authority figure among the pirates. None of this mattered to Ching Shih because she ended up marrying Chang Poa because the other pirates respected him as a leader.
Ching Shih had a son with Chang Pao right before he died. No one knows how Chang Pao lost his life.
While Chang Pao was alive he issued a set of pirate codes for his large crew to follow. The codes were strictly enforced.
The codes that were given by Chang Pao required the pirates to strictly follow the orders given by Ching Shih and her superiors. Pirates who made up their own orders or who did not obey Ching Shih were beheaded. The second rule stated that no one could steal from the funds or villages that supported the large pirate fleet. The last code required all treasure taken in raids to be inspected and then placed into the public coffers. The original seizer of the treasure was given 20% of loot that was taken.
People who did not follow these rules could be beaten, whipped or killed.
Ching Shih used terror tactics in order to control the China sea. People who opposed her were either badly beaten or killed.
The British Empire operated in this part of the world at the time and they would often report Ching Shih as a Terror of South China.
China’s natvies could not defeat Ching Shih. Neither could the British or Portuguese fleets that operated in that region. She was so powerful that they had no choice but to give amnesty to all pirates in Southern China.
The Qing Dynasty was ruling China during the time of Ching Shih’s reign. A government official named Zhang Bai decided on amnesty but he wanted Ching Shih, Chang Pao and the pirates to bow before the rulers of China. The pirates refused. Ching Shih and Chang Pao found a way to satisfy this requirement by getting the blessing of the government to marry. They had to do this because Chang Pao was still considered Ching Shin’s son before they got married.
Chang Pao and Ching Shih both retired from piracy after this event took place. Chang Pao and Ching Shih were two very rich individuals and Chang took a government’s position before he suddenly died at the age of 36.
After Chang Pao’s, Ching Shih opened up a gambling house with her son. She worked this place until she died in 1844 at the age of 69.
Ching Shih’s life has been romanticized in books, films and video games.
The History of Piracy by Philip Gosse is the original manuscript that outlines the life of Ching Shih.
A graphic novel called Afterlife portrays a character based off of Ching Shih as a female warrior that battles demons in the afterlife.
Mistress Ching in the Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End is based off of Ching Shih.
The TV series,Red Flag is based on the life of Ching Shih.

When Ching Shih retired from piracy in 1810 she was never defeated in battle. For close to nine years she dominated the world of piracy in Southern China. This would not have been an easy feat for any person to do. After all she commanded a vast army of pirates and they followed her closely. While China and the western powers had found a way to make her complacent, they could not end her legacy. Her fame and notoriety still lives on in modern times.

Facts About Saudi Aramco: The Most Valueable Company in the World

February 7, 2019 By admin Leave a Comment

Saudi Aramco logo

Saudi Aramco is the world’s largest oil producer.
It is based in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
It is an internationally known company that markets all over the world while also distributing locally.
Saudi Aramco supplies more than ten percent of the world’s global demand for oil.
As a company, Saudi Aramco owns a fleet of oil tankers and works with other countries like China, Japan, South Korea, and the U.S., to refine, market, and distribute oil.
Saudi Aramco owns the world’s largest oil field named Ghawar Field and Shaybah Field. It has the largest amount of crude oil reserves with more than two hundred and sixty billion barrels and also boasts the largest amount of daily oil production.
Saudi Aramco is the world’s most valuable company as its value has been estimated at approximately 1.2 trillion US dollars.
Fifty six thousand employees work at Saudi Aramco and it experienced a revenue of over 465 billion dollars in 2012.

Since 1932 when oil was first discovered in Bahrain and then in 1938 when the kingdom’s first commercial oil field was discovered in Dhahran, Saudi Aramco has made it’s presence known in the oil community.