Assyriology is the study of ancient Mesopotamia, the land defined by the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, two roughly parallel rivers flowing from the northwest to the southeast in what is today eastern Turkey’s Taurus Mountains, the source for both rivers, and Syria and Iraq. The length of the Tigris River is about 1,150 miles, and the length of the Euphrates River is about 1,700 miles, and their mouth is their confluence in southern Iraq, where they form the Shatt al-Arab River, a 125 mile river that drains into the Persian Gulf.
Jazira is a name used to identify Upper Mesopotamia, from Baghdad and north to the rivers’ sources.
Mesopotamian mathematics and science was based on a sexagesimal (base 60) numeral system. This is the source of the 60-minute hour, the 24-hour day, and the 360-degree circle.
Side note: The Red cedar is fast becoming an invasive species here in Kansas, threatening the native grasslands. It was originally held in check by fire, but in the last century the fast-growing tree has become a major threat to the prairie ecosystem.
In play: Mesopotamia was probably the origin of the date palm tree, cultivated for its edible sweet fruit. The area was once home to over 18 million date palms, but war, pests, and disease have reduced that number to less than four million trees.
Several of the books of Patrick O’Brian’s acclaimed sea adventure novels take place during the War of 1812. Because O’Brian had more stories to tell than would fit within the actual years of the war (similar to the TV series MASH, set during the Korean War), the chronology of the books does not exactly match up with history, with several years being a good bit longer than in reality.
California’s Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert is home to one of the largest concentrations of date palm trees in the world. The valley stretches from Palm Springs to the Salton Sea, and farmers there work hard to produce some 35 million pounds of dates annually, representing 95 percent of the US crop.
ETA: at the Salton Sea, date palm trees are readily seen along the southwestern shoreline, near Kane Spring and Salton City CA.
The Big Bang theory originated in Belgium. Georges Lemaître, a Belgian priest, theorized the idea in which a lot of our current understanding of the origins of the universe works off today.
The Principality of Liechtenstein borders Switzerland to its south and west and Austria to its north and east. With an area of 62 square miles, it is the fourth-smallest country in Europe, behind Vatican City, Monaco, and San Marino.
I was nominated to be a Kentucky Colonel by a friend who was born there (although I have some family ties, going 'way back). He did so on condition that he nominate me with a jokey version of my name; I agreed and am now proud to be a KC.
In play:
The flag of Liechtenstein is almost identical to that of Haiti, except that it shows a golden crown in the canton and not a national coat of arms on a white field in the middle.
Alemannic German is a group of German dialects, spoken by roughly 10 milllion people. It is the form of German which is spoken in Liechtenstein, and is the primary form used in Switzerland. Alemannic is also spoken in portions of Germany, Austria, Italy, and France, as well as by some Amish communities in the United States, particularly in Indiana.
Hicksville, Ohio, in Defiance County, is home to an Amish community of one congregation in size. It was founded in 1914, and so is one of the oldest Amish communities in Ohio – perhaps the 3rd or 4th oldest.
Comment – I’ve been to Hicksville, on a business trip (at the hospital there). It was a nice visit.
The Amish originated in Switzerland after splitting from Mennonite Swiss Brethren in 1692. The leader of the group was Jakob Amman; his followers have since been called Amish. The first Amish arrived in Pennsylvania in the 1730s, seeking religious freedom from persecution in Europe.
Liechtenstein is the only country I have walked across. It is about 6 miles from the Swiss border in Vaduz to Austria on the main road to Feldkirch. Will Glahe made the country famous Will Glahé - Lichtensteiner Polka - YouTube
I’ve visited Liechtenstein, and have been to Vaduz. That was on the same road trip where I also visited San Marino and the Vatican. I also visited Monaco on that same Europe trip.
Vatican City, Monaco, San Marino, and Liechtenstein are four of the six smallest countries in the world. They are the four smallest countries in Europe.
The other two smallest countries are Nauru and Tuvalu, which are island countries in the Pacific.
The Triple Crown of Motorsport is an unofficial achievement in auto racing, and is defined as winning three of the most prestigious races in motorsports at least once in one’s career. The three races which make up the Triple Crown are generally agreed to be:
Indianapolis 500
24 Hours of Le Mans
Monaco Grand Prix
British driver Graham Hill is the only racer to date to have achieved this feat.