The Jardin des Plantes, the main botanical garden in France, is situated on the left bank of the river Seine and is home to the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, France’s museum of natural history, as well as an elaborate rose garden, numerous hothouses, an aquarium, and a zoo. Founded during the French Revolution, the museum [...]
Often remembered as a tyrant who played the fiddle while watching Rome burn, Nero was the fifth and last Roman Emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Though few surviving sources treat him favorably, some portray him as a competent emperor who was popular with the Roman people. In 68 CE, a military coup drove Nero into [...]
In the 17th century, Port Royal was the capital of Jamaica and a popular place for pirates to bring and spend their treasure, earning the city a seedy reputation. On June 7, 1692, a devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit the city, causing two-thirds of it to sink into the Caribbean Sea. Between 1,000 and [...]
The Battle of Normandy during WWII was fought between the German forces occupying Western Europe and invading Allied forces. It remains the largest amphibious landing in history, with more than 156,000 troops crossing the English Channel during the initial invasion. The battle continued for more than 2 months and concluded with the liberation of Paris. [...]