// Vintage Auctions Online

The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople serves as the Archbishop of Constantinople and as spiritual leader and chief spokesperson for the Eastern Orthodox Churches. The current Patriarch, Bartholomew I, has been particularly active internationally, working to rebuild the Orthodox Churches of the former Eastern Bloc following the fall of Communism, and also continuing reconciliation dialogues with [...]

In 1508, Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The work was completed in 1512 and features over 300 biblical figures and nine episodes from the Book of Genesis. Below these scenes are the statuesque figures of prophets and sibyls, with episodes from the Old Testament in the spandrels. [...]

The “Rumble in the Jungle” pitted Muhammad Ali against heavyweight champion George Foreman in Zaire, Africa. The match is remembered for the sweltering heat and for Ali’s incredible performance in regaining the heavyweight title. Ali, surrounded by spellbound fans, used a strategy later dubbed the “rope-a-dope” technique to tire Foreman before winning in the eighth [...]

After Britain and the US withdrew their financial pledges to help Egypt build the Aswan High Dam, Egyptian President Gamal Abdal Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal, angering both Britain and France, which had direct financial stakes in the canal. A joint invasion of Egypt ensued, but the US forced a settlement stipulating the withdrawal of [...]