Buddha

Prince Gautama Siddhartha (563BC- 483BC) known to us as Buddha (meaning the enlightened one) was born in Lumbini, south west Nepal at the foot of the mountains. Buddhists celebrate his birth on April 8th each year.

LIFE

Prince Guatama's father was chief of the Shakya clan, a wise and illustrious ruler of territory corresponding to Oudh and the adjoining district of South Nepal.

Legend has it that Guatama's mother, Matamaya, dreamed shortly before her son's birth of a beautiful white elephant, which entered her womb. She died soon after her son was born and Guatama wasa reared in the greatest luxury by his father and aunt.

During the birth celebrations, a seer announced that this baby would either become a great king or a great holy man. His father, wishing for Gautama to be a warrior and ruler rather than a religious philosopher, shielded his son from religious teachings or knowledge of human suffering. However, Gautama apparently showed an early inclination to meditation and reflection, displeasing his father. In his own discourses, the Buddha recalled that he meditated and entered his first trance while still a boy.

Gautama was reported to have excelled as a young prince at all sports, competent in martial arts such as chariot combat, wrestling, and archery, and later easily hiking miles each day and camping in the wilderness.

Once Gautama reached the age of 16, his father arranged a marriage to his beautiful cousin, Princess Yasodhora, who was the same age. She bore him a son, Rahula. Although his father ensured that Gautama was provided with everything he could want or need, Gautama was constantly troubled and internally dissatisfied.

The married Buddha hankered after more than the routine, domesticity and luxury he was enjoying. He was spiritually unsatisfied. At the age of 29, Gautama was escorted by his attendant Channa on four subsequent visits outside of the palace. There, he came across the "four sights": an old crippled man, a diseased man, a decaying corpse, and finally a monk with a begging bowl. This prompted the question "What is the cause of suffering?" and was the start of his journey towards enlightenment.

Guatama left his family, and spent six years living a life of austerity. Realising that he was now overindulging in asceticism he received his enlightenment as he sat in a lotus position under a Bo tree. Guatama entered the state of nirvana or nothingness and acquired four truths or eight ways that arrive at Nirvana.

The Bo tree was near Buddh Gaya. A descendant of the Bo tree is preserved today.

After his enlightenment Guatama travelled round North India preaching his message.

Guatama proceeded to preach a sermon at Benares to five fellow ascetics in a park. His sermon "turning of the Wheel of the Law" gave birth to Buddhism. by turning the wheel he meant preach Buddhism without ceasing. This sermon is held in similar reverence by Buddhists as the Sermon on the Mount is by Christians.

Below is a statue of the Buddha, preaching his first sermon at Sarnath. circa 475,

By พระมหาเทวประภาส วชิรญาณเมธี (ผู้ถ่าย-ปล่อยสัญญาอนุญาตภาพให้นำไปใช้ได้เพื่อการศึกษาโดยอยู่ภา่ยใต้ 

A wealthy admirer subsidised the building of a monastery at Savatthi (Sanskrit, Sravasti) which became the Buddha's main residence and the centre of his teaching efforts. Other monasteries sprang up in the major cities along the Ganges.

In 510 he returned home and converted his father and family.

The Buddha, to whom many miracles were attributed, considered the "miracle of instruction" to be the greatest because it would not be taken for a mere magic trick.

His physical characteristics are described in one of the central texts of the traditional Pali canon, the Digha Nikaya. The Buddha, it says, had an elongated, lengthy body with long appendices (long arms with a span equal to body length, long fingers, long hands, elongated face, protruding and well-formed nose).
His closely curled hair was fine and dark.
His eyes were wide, and "very blue".
His body was light-colored and golden, with a pinkish color under the nails.

After his enlightenment Buddha decreed out of personal humility that no one would make an image of him or paint him. However one artist seeing him deep in contemplation on banks of Ganges at Benares got round it by painting his reflection in the Ganges. Hence many representations of the youthful Buddha have folds in the garments known as the ripple effect.

Ānanda became the Buddha's attendant, on condition that he would never receive any material benefit from the position. Most of the texts of the early Buddhist Sutta-Piṭaka are attributed to his recollection of the Buddha's teachings during the First Buddhist Council. For that reason, Ānanda is known as the Treasurer of the Dhamm

The Buddha's long career as teacher and leader was not entirely trouble-free. Rival religious groups, especially the followers of Jainism, reportedly attacked his teachings and even the Buddha himself. Devadatta, the Buddha's cousin and disciple, sought revenge after being thwarted in his ambition to inherit leadership of the sangha (monastic community), first engineering assassination attempts, then creating a short-lived schism in the sangha.

After six years fasting in the desert he was little more than skin and bone. After that he ate one fairly substantial meal a day of curry and rice and a few spoonsful of gruel for supper.

At the age of 80, he ate his last meal, which, according to different translations, was either tainted pork or a mushroom delicacy which he had received as an offering from a blacksmith.

Gautama Buddha realised that his end was fast approaching. He told his disciple Ananda to prepare a bed between two Sal trees in Kushinagar. Just before his passing, a 120 year-old mendicant monk named Subhadra, walked by, but was turned away by Ananda. Buddha overheard this and called the Brahmin to his side. He was admitted to the Sangha (Buddhist order) and immediately after, Gautama passed away.
                     
The Buddha died in Kusinagara, Nepal, as a result of food poisoning. He declined to give any specific instructions regarding the future organization and propagation of his creed, insisting that he had already taught them what was necessary for salvation. His last words were “All things must pass away. Strive for your own salvation with diligence.".

Parts of Buddha's body were buried under mounds called "stopas" in various parts of India. The rest was cremated and ashes housed in eight urns so they could be divided among his disciples.

Despite many efforts, the dates of the Buddha's birth and death remain uncertain. The various Buddhist sources agree that the Buddha lived for 80 years, but they disagree on the precise dates. Modern Theravada countries place his birth in 623 BC, and his death in 543  BC, but these dates are rejected by most Western and Indian historians.

LEGACY

His influence was confined to a small area of NE India for two centuries until King Asoka made it the Indian state religion.

Buddha left no written (or recorded) record of his philosophy. The only complete canon of the Buddhist scriptures is that of the Sinhalese (Sri Lanka) Buddhists in Pali

A fable about an event in Buddha's life explains the use of the 12 animals after which the Chinese years are named. Buddha had extended an invitation to all living creatures but only 12 of them answered his call. They were the dog, dragon, horse, monkey, ox, pig, rat, rabbit, rooster, sheep, snake and tiger. As a reward Buddha commemorated their visit by naming a year after each of them. The sequence of the years was determined by a cross-country race between these very animals and is the order in which they reached the finish.

In the temple of the Sacred Tooth in Sri Lanka is a piece of bone worshipped by Buddhists who believe it to be one of Buddhist's teeth.

Tumble dolls were first made by the Chinese in the image of Buddha with weighted buttons to illustrate that Buddha could not fall.

Spring Temple Buddha is one of the tallest statues in the world. It was completed in 2002 and stands 128 m (420 ft) tall. The statue is located in the Zhaocun township of Lushan County, Henan, China. Beneath the statue is a Buddhist monastery.

Spring Temple Buddha, By Zgpdszz - Wikipedia

Richard Wagner attempted all his life to write "Die Sieger" (The Victors) based on the life of Buddha but never succeeded.

A sacred garden and shrine was established in Lumbini by the Nepalese government in 1970.

In 1996 his exact birthplace was discovered. It is a stone buried on a platform of bricks under the Mayadevi temple.

A Buddha statue was placed in a median in Oakland, California in 1999 to deter illegal dumping, Following its installation, Oakland police stated that criminal activity in the area, including drug-dealing, dumping, graffiti and prostitution, had dropped by 82% as of 2014.

Budapest

Budapest is the capital city of Hungary. It's beautifully situated on the Danube River, with the hilly Buda side on the west and the flatter Pest side on the east. This unique geography contributes to the city's charm and distinctive character.

                                                                     HISTORY

The city's story begins with Celtic settlements, which later evolved into the Roman town of Aquincum. As the capital of Lower Pannonia, Aquincum flourished, leaving behind impressive ruins still visible today.

Hungarians arrived in the region around the 9th century, establishing their own settlements. However, a devastating blow came in the 13th century when the Mongols invaded, causing widespread destruction.

From the ashes of the Mongol invasion, Buda emerged as a significant center. Its strategic location on the Danube River contributed to its growth. Meanwhile, on the opposite bank, Pest developed as a commercial hub.

Buda during the Middle Ages, woodcut from the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493)

The 16th century marked a period of Ottoman rule, which left a lasting impact on the city's architecture and culture. After the Ottomans were expelled in the late 17th century, both Buda and Pest experienced a renaissance.

In 1873, Buda and Pest, along with Óbuda, united to form the city of Budapest. This merger marked a pivotal moment, as the city rapidly expanded and developed into a major European metropolis.

The 20th century brought significant challenges, including World Wars, the rise of communism, and the subsequent transition to democracy. Despite these trials, Budapest has emerged as a vibrant and cosmopolitan city.

BUDAPEST FUN FACTS

The city has an estimated population of 1,752,286 over a land area of about 525 square kilometres (203 square miles)

The historic Buda Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has been the home of Hungarian kings since the 13th century. It now houses the Hungarian National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum.

Beneath the Buda Castle lies a complex system of caves and tunnels, known as the Labyrinth of Buda Castle. It has been used for various purposes over the centuries, including a hospital and a wine cellar.

The Széchenyi Chain Bridge, completed in 1849, was the first permanent bridge to connect Buda and Pest. It is one of Budapest's most iconic landmarks and was a marvel of engineering at the time.

The Dohány Street Synagogue is the largest synagogue in Europe and the second largest in the world. Built between 1854 and 1859, it can accommodate 3,000 worshippers.

Budapest has a rich café culture with many historic cafés. Café Gerbeaud, established in 1858, is one of the most famous and luxurious, known for its opulent interior and delicious pastries.

The Great Market Hall (Nagyvásárcsarnok), built in 1897, is the largest and oldest indoor market in Budapest. It is renowned for its architectural beauty and wide variety of goods.

The Hungarian Parliament Building is the third largest parliament building in the world. Completed in 1904, it has 691 rooms, 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) of stairs, and 40 million bricks were used in its construction.

Jorge Franganillo from Barcelona, Spain - Budapest: Hungarian Parliament

It has the oldest underground subway train system in Europe. The line opened in 1896 in the year when Hungary celebrated its 1000th anniversary, hence the name Millennium Underground.

Budapest is often called the "City of Spas" because it has more thermal water springs than any other capital city in the world. The Széchenyi Thermal Bath, built in 1913, is one of the largest spa complexes in Europe.

Budapest has its own Statue of Liberty, located on Gellért Hill. It was erected in 1947 to commemorate the liberation of Hungary by Soviet forces during World War II.

The city's famous "ruin pubs" are bars set up in abandoned buildings, stores, or lots. The first and most famous is Szimpla Kert, which opened in 2002 in the Jewish Quarter.

Budapest, declares lomtalanítás or "get-rid-of-junk" days where residents pile mountains of trash in the streets. Scavengers, scrappers, and collectors sift through the piles before sanitation workers clean it all up.

Buckle

A buckle is a fastening mechanism commonly used to secure two ends of a belt, strap, or band. It typically consists of a frame with a hinged pin (also called a prong or tongue) that fits into holes or slots on the strap to secure it in place. Buckles are widely used in various applications, including clothing, accessories, and safety equipment. 

Bicycle belt buckle Flickr

The Ancient Egyptians used cloth ties and broaches or buckles to hold their clothes together.

In ancient Greece both men and women wore the chiton, a draped garment that was sewn up one side and fastened at the shoulder by a clasp or buckle. The woman's garment fell to the ankles; the man's usually reached only to the knees. The chiton was made of wool, cotton, linen, or silk.

Roman soldiers often wore ornate buckles as status symbols. 

Buckles were prominent in medieval fashion, with elaborate designs often used to showcase wealth and social standing.  

Post medieval buckle

In the 18th century, rich Europeans decorated their shoes with gold and silver buckles and real or imitation gemstones.

Colonial American women's dress shoes copied those in France and England and were made of brocade and had a French heel and usually a buckle; to protect the shoe, an overshoe, called a patten, often of the same material, was worn.

The shoestring (string and shoe holes) was first invented in England in 1790 . Before shoestrings, shoes were commonly fastened with buckles.

Thomas Jefferson dressed in shoes with bright buckles.

Texas is famous for its oversized and ornate belt buckles, often showcasing state pride or personal interests.

Buckingham Palace

Mulberry Garden was once the center of prostitution in London, England. Today, it is the site of Buckingham Palace.

The palace was built in 1705 as the town house of the Duke of Buckingham. It was originally known as Buckingham House.

Buckingham House, c. 1710

King George III brought Buckingham House as a gift for his newly wed wife, Queen Charlotte for £28,000 (about £2 million or $2.65 today). It became their private family residence, leaving St James Palace to be the official royal residence.

When Buckingham House was bought by George III for Queen Charlotte, it became known as “The Queen’s House.”

Queen Victoria was the first monarch to live at Buckingham Palace. She moved there on July 13, 1837.

The picture below depicts the Marble Arch, which served as the ceremonial entrance to the Palace precincts

The palace c. 1837, depicting the Marble Arch

Edward Jones, known as “the boy Jones”, broke into the palace three times between 1838 and 1841. After his first break-in, at the age of 14, he was captured by the police in nearby St James’s St with Queen Victoria’s underwear stuffed down his trousers.

The biggest room in Buckingham Palace is the ballroom (120ft long, 59ft wide, 44ft high) which was opened in 1856 with a ball to mark the end of the Crimean War.

When the ballroom was opened in 1856, it was the largest room in London.

Prince Albert added the balcony at the front of Buckingham Palace.

After meeting King George V at Buckingham Palace, Gandhi was asked if he felt under-dressed in his dhoti and shawl. Gandhi simply replied, “The King had on enough for both of us.”

Buckingham Palace opened to the public for the first time on August 7, 1993. 4,314 people paid the £8 entrance fee on its opening day.

Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms, including 19 state rooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms.

Buckingham Palace. By Diliff - Wikipedia Commons

There are 1,514 doors and 760 windows in the palace. The windows are cleaned every six weeks.

Buckingham Palace has 40 acres of gardens, including a lake, tennis court and helicopter landing pad.

The postcode for the Palace is SW1A 1AA.

Source Daily Express

Bucharest

Bucharest, the capital and largest city of Romania, is known for its rich history, vibrant culture, and architectural contrasts. 

The area around Bucharest has been inhabited since ancient times, with evidence of settlements dating back to the Neolithic period.

The Palace of Parliament, located in Bucharest, was originally a citadel built by Vlad the Impaler to stop the advance of the Ottoman invasion in the 14th century.

Bucharest was designated in 1659 the capital of the princes of Wallachia by Prince Gheorghe Ghica.

The population of Bucharest doubled between 1798 and 1831. The census of 1798 counted just over 30,000 inhabitants, while 33 years later to reach 60,587 people.

Omnibus horses started in Bucharest in 1840. They were among the first cities in Europe that had such means of transport.

When Wallachia and Moldavia united on January 24, 1862 to form the Principality of Romania, Bucharest became the new nation's capital city.

Bucharest Telephone Palace (see below) was built between 1929-1934. The architect was inspired by the American skyscrapers and it was the tallest building in Bucharest up till 1970.

As capital of an Axis country and a major transit point for Axis troops en route to the Eastern Front, Bucharest suffered heavy damage during World War II due to Allied bombings.

When a German officer was murdered on January 20, 1941 in Bucharest, it sparked a rebellion and pogrom by the Iron Guard, killing 125 Jews and 30 soldiers.

Calea Victoriei ("Victory Avenue") in 1940

After the Romanian Revolution in 1989 many orphanages were shut down forcing thousands of neglected orphans to live in the sewers of Bucharest. Many of those orphans still live in the sewers today, some have even raised their children there.

Bucharest’s surface transit network, run by Regia Autonoma de Transport Bucuresti, is one of the largest in Europe.

Bucharest is twinned with nine cities around the world. They include Atlanta, Beijing, Budapest and Hanover.

The Museum of the Romanian Peasant was declared the European Museum of the Year in 1996.

The Palace of Parliament is a multi-purpose building containing both chambers of the Romanian Parliament. It ranks as the biggest office building in Europe and second-largest in the world, after the U.S. Pentagon.

The Palace of Parliament is so massive that even though it already contains both lower and upper houses of parliament, three museums, and an international conference centre, 70% of the building is still empty. The heating and electrical bill alone amounts to $6 million a year.

The Palace of the Parliament 

As per the 2021 census, 1,716,961 inhabitants lived within the city limits.

Source Bucharestadvisors.com

James Buchanan

James Buchanan, the 15th President of the United States, was born in a log cabin in Cove Gap, Pennsylvania in Franklin County, on April 23, 1791.

His parents both of Ulster Scots descent were James Buchanan, Sr. (1761–1821), a businessman, merchant, and farmer, and Elizabeth Speer, an educated woman (1767–1833).

Buchanan is the only US president to have military experience without having been an officer. He was a private in the Pennsylvania militia in 1814.

A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 17th United States secretary of state and had served in the Senate and House of Representatives before becoming president.

Buchanan helped draft the Ostend Manifesto, which laid down the framework for the U.S. to purchase Cuba from Spain.

He was a major contender for his party's presidential nomination throughout the 1840s and 1850s and was finally nominated in 1856. He defeated Republican John C. Frémont and Know-Nothing Millard Fillmore to win the 1856 election.

James Buchanan (1791-1868) was the only unmarried president of the United States. His orphaned niece, Harriet Lane, served as White House hostess.

Buchanan was engaged for a time to a certain Anne Colman. However, in 1819, after a fight between the pair, she called off the engagement. Anne Colman died later that year in what some have said was a suicide.

While his biographers argue that Buchanan was asexual or celibate, several writers have put forth arguments that he was homosexual or bisexual. A source of this interest has been the relationship Buchanan had with his close friend William Rufus King (who became Vice President under Franklin Pierce). Andrew Jackson nicknamed the two Miss Nancy and Aunt Fancy.

Both the largest and the smallest dogs to live in the White House were during the tenure of President James Buchanan. The dogs in question were a Newfoundland named Lara and a tiny toy terrier named Punch.

James Buchanan owned a pair of bald eagles given to him by a friend who lived in San Francisco.

President James Buchanan got the nickname "Ten-Cent Jimmy" after he claimed that 10¢ a day was a fair wage for manual laborers.

James Buchanan (1859) by George Healy as seen in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC

Buchanan was certainly a good host. When England's Prince of Wales came to visit in the fall of 1860, so many guests came with him, it's said the president slept in the hallway.

James Buchanan was morally opposed to slavery, but believed it was protected by the constitution, and so  he consistently bought slaves with his own money in Washington, D.C., and then set them free in Pennsylvania.

Buchanan caught a cold in May 1868, which quickly worsened due to his advanced age. He died on June 1, 1868, from respiratory failure at the age of 77 at his home at Wheatland and was interred in Woodward Hill Cemetery in Lancaster.

Source Greatfacts.com

Bubble Gum

Bubble gum is a type of chewing gum designed specifically for blowing bubbles. It is typically composed of a combination of gum base, sweeteners, flavorings, and softeners. The gum base provides the chewable texture, while sweeteners like sugar or artificial alternatives add sweetness. Flavorings give bubble gum its distinct taste, which is often fruity or minty. Softeners, such as glycerin or vegetable oil, help maintain the gum's pliability and prevent it from becoming too hard.

Blibber-Blubber, a failed attempt at bubble gum, was invented in 1906 but was deemed too sticky to sell.

American businessman Walter Diemer was working as an accountant for the Fleer Chewing Gum Co. when he accidentally invented bubble gum on August 15, 1928. He had been experimenting during his spare time with recipes for a chewing gum base.

Walter Diemer called his invention Double Bubble.

The reason the gum is pink is it is the only color that Diemer had to hand.

Diemer's bubble gum was so successful that it sold over a million and a half dollars worth in the first year.

The largest bubblegum bubble ever blown was 23 inches in diameter. The record was set July 19, 1994 by Susan Montgomery Williams of Fresno, California on The Regis And Kathie Lee Show.

The largest hands-free bubble gum bubble blown is 50.8 cm (20 in) in diameter. It was blown by Chad Fell of Double Springs, Alabama, USA on April 24, 2004. Fell used three pieces of Dubble Bubble gum to achieve the feat. He said that the secret to his success was to blow the bubble slowly and to keep it wet. Fell's record was certified by Guinness World Records.

Chad Fell http://www.officiallyamazing.tv/Amazing-Records

Bubble gum contains rubber.

In taste tests, children tend to prefer strawberry and blue raspberry flavors, rejecting more complex flavors as they say these make them want to swallow the gum rather than continue chewing.

Bubble (physics)

In its most common usage, a bubble is a globule of one substance in another, usually a gas within a liquid. For example, the bubbles you see in boiling water or in carbonated drinks are air or gas trapped in liquid form. These bubbles form when gas is trapped and then rises to the surface due to buoyancy.

The beautiful rainbow colors you see in bubbles are caused by light reflecting off the thin film of water. It acts like a tiny prism, separating white light into its component colors.

While water is a key ingredient, plain water wouldn't make good bubbles. Soap weakens the surface tension of water, allowing it to stretch and form a bubble.

Soap Bubble By Brocken Inaglory. Wikipedia

Bubbles actually don't fly, they float! The air inside and the thin film are very lightweight, and they ride on currents of denser air molecules. Colder air makes bubbles last longer because warm air from your breath is lighter and makes them rise faster.

Bubbles aren't just for the surface! Marine life like dolphins and whales use bubbles for communication and even hunting, trapping sound waves and prey.

A bubble made of all the water on Earth would have a volume of 332,500,000 cubic miles and be about 860 miles in diameter.

Soap bubbles blown into air below 5 degrees Fahrenheit will freeze when they touch a surface.

The bubbles on the surface of a bubble bath thermally insulate the water, keeping the bath warm for a longer period of time.

If you put some methane into soapy water and make bubbles with it, you can light the bubbles on fire.

The record for the largest soap bubble tornado goes to Gary Pearlman, Blaise Ryndes and Dustin Skye with a creation measuring 51.50 cm (20.27 in) achieved on May 7, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. 

BTS

BTS is a South Korean boy band - a K-pop group, BTS debuted on June 12, 2013; by 2017, they had entered the global music market, leading the Korean Wave into the US, and becoming the first Korean ensemble to receive a Gold certification from the RIAA for the single "Mic Drop."

Between 2018 and 2020, they became the fastest group since the Beatles to land four #1 albums on the US Billboard chart! This included Love Yourself: Answer (2018), which marked a historical moment as the first Korean album certified Platinum in the US.

Their global impact grew with "Dynamite" (2020), the first song by an all-South Korean act to top both the Billboard Hot 100 charts This Grammy-nominated single solidified their status as "Princes of Pop."

BTS' influence extends far beyond music. They've been recognized by Time Magazine on multiple occasions, including being named among the "25 Most Influential People on the Internet" (2017-2019) and the "100 Most Influential People in the World" (2019). Their contributions to Korean culture were acknowledged in 2018 when they became the youngest recipients of the Order of Cultural Merit.

BTS at the White House in 2022 (left to right): V, Jungkook, Jimin, RM, Jin, J-Hope, and Suga

In June 2022, BTS announced a temporary break from group activities to allow members to fulfill their mandatory military service in South Korea. Jin, the eldest member, began his service in December 2022, with the other members following suit in 2023. 

Did you know BTS wasn't always called BTS? They debuted in 2013 as Bangtan Sonyeondan, which translates to "Bulletproof Boy Scouts" or "Bangtan Boys" in English. They later adopted the acronym BTS  for a more international appeal.

RM, formerly known as Rap Monster, was the first member scouted by Big Hit Entertainment in 2010. He was an underground rapper at the time and is now the leader of the group.

BTS is the first K-pop group to address the United Nations. In 2021, they spoke about the importance of youth and self-love at the 76th UN General Assembly.

While all the members can sing, only RM, Suga, and J-Hope are considered the main rappers. Jin, Jimin, V, and Jungkook are the vocalists, but they all contribute to the group's music through rapping or singing depending on the song.

BTS's fandom is famously called ARMY, which stands for "Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth." It signifies the strong bond between the group and their fans.

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant was born in Philadelphia on August 23, 1978. He is the youngest of three children and only son of former NBA player and coach Joe Bryant and Pamela Cox Bryant.

His father, Joe Bryant, averaged 8.7 points per game in 606 career games in the NBA.

Kobe Bryant was given his name after his parents saw Kobe Beef on a menu at a restaurant.

Bryant at the free-throw line, 2005

Bryant started playing basketball when he was aged three, and the Lakers were his favorite team when he was growing up.

From ages 6-13, Bryant lived in Italy, where his father continued his basketball career. While living in Reggio, he played both soccer and basketball in Italy.

After his family moved back to the United States, he played high school basketball at Lower Merion High School in Philadelphia before being selected 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1996 NBA Draft. Charlotte then traded Bryant's signing rights to the Los Angeles Lakers for center Vlade Divac

Bryant made his debut at 18 years, 2 months and 11 days old, becoming the youngest player ever to appear in an NBA game (November 3, 1996). A month later Jermaine O'Neal took his record when he made his debut at 18 years, 53 days.

As a shooting guard, Bryant played his entire 20-year career in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bryant helped the Los Angeles Lakers win three straight NBA Championships from 2000 to 2002 and two more in 2009 and 2010. He was named NBA's Most Valuable Player in 2008 and selected to the All-NBA First Team 11 times from 2002 to 2013.

Michael Jordan says Kobe Bryant is the only player to ever have approached him in work ethic, waking up at 430 in the morning to practice before his required practice with his team.

After beginning his 20th season with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2015–16, Kobe Bryant set an NBA record for the most seasons with the same team,

Kobe Bryant's grandmother only went to see him play one game throughout his entire professional career. During that one game against the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2006, he scored a career high 81 points, the second most points scored in a single game in league history behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962.

Bryant retired on April 13, 2016 after scoring 60 points in a Lakers win against the Utah Jazz.

His movie Dear Basketball won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film at the 2018 Academy Awards.

Bryant with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2015 By Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA

Bryant was the first person to win an Olympic Medal (he won Gold twice for playing in the US Men's basketball team in 2008 and 2012) and an Oscar.

Bryant's self-given nickname, Black Mamba, was inspired by the code name for Una Thurman's deadly assassin in the action films Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Kill Bill Vol. 2.

He married Mexican-American Vanessa Bryant at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point, California on April 18, 2001. They had met on the set of Snoop Dogg's "Tha Eastsida" video, where she was working as a model.

He and Vanessa had four daughters named Natalia, Gianna, Bianka and Capri.

Kobe Bryant died at 41 on January 26, 2020 in a helicopter crash. The helicopter went down near Calabasas, about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, in foggy conditions. His 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others were also killed.

Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts get their name because they were grown around Brussels, Belgium as early as the 13th century.

The ancient Chinese recommended sprouts as a treatment for bowel problems.

The earliest recorded reference in English to Brussels sprouts dates back only to 1796.

Eliza Acton's Modern Cookery for Private Families, published in London in 1845 was the first basic cookbook written for the housewife. It included the first recipe for Brussels Sprouts.

The first recipe for Brussels sprouts advertised buttering them and serving them on toast.

The world record for the most sprouts eaten is 33 in one minute. The record was set by Irish trucker Wayne Sherlock on December 18, 2019 at The Crown Inn pub in Finglehsam, in Kent, England. He ate them one at a time using a toothpick.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge reportedly ate Brussels sprouts on their honeymoon in the Seychelles – the vegetable is supposedly an aid to fertility because it is so high in folic acid.

49-year-old Stuart Kettell rolled a Brussels sprout to the top of Mount Snowdon using only his nose, to raise money for Macmillan Cancer support. It took him four days, completing the feat on August 2, 2014.

Brussels sprouts used to taste until more breeders in the 90s started to cross-pollinate different varieties in order to remove the chemicals that caused the bitterness. The result of their work increased the popularity of the vegetable.

The total annual production of Brussels sprouts in the USA is almost 70 million pounds, and almost all of the production happens in California.

Broccoli, cabbage, and brussels sprouts all contain a little bit of cyanide—eating them primes your liver to deal better with other poisons.

They are a member of the same vegetable family as broccoli, kale, cauliflower and cabbage.

The tip of a potato peeler is designed to dig out sprouts.

Source Befreeforme.com

Brussels

Brussels is the capital city of Belgium and the administrative center of the European Union (EU). It is known for its historic architecture, cultural institutions, vibrant culinary scene, and international significance.

Brussels has been a location for settlement since prehistory but it became a noteworthy settlement after Saint Gery built a chapel on the banks of the Senne River in 695, now called Place Saint Gery.

The city of Brussels was officially founded in 979 by Charles, Duke of Low Lotharingia, who set down Brussels’ first city charter.

Since its days of tapestry-making in the 14th century, Brussels has always been renowned for its dexterity at creating textiles to wow the world. Like its tapestries, the quality of Brussels lace was only fit for aristocrats and royalty and commanded the highest prices on the market in the 16th century.

Brussels became a city in 1312, and was declared capital of the Spanish Netherlands in 1530 and of Belgium in 1830.

Brussel sprouts are called Brussels sprouts because they were discovered in Brussels.

The first railway in continental Europe opened between Brussels and Mechelen in 1835.

Work began on the covering of the Senne on February 13, 1867, burying the polluted main waterway in Brussels to allow urban renewal in the centre of the city. The series of boulevards created by the project – Hainaut Boulevard (now Maurice Lemonnier Boulevard), Central Boulevard (now Boulevard Anspach), North Boulevard (now Adolphe Max Boulevard), and Senne Boulevard (now Émile Jacqmain Boulevard) – were progressively opened to traffic from 1871 to 1873. The work is one of the defining events in the history of Brussels.

Construction of the covering and tunnels

Brussels was occupied by the Germans from May 17, 1940 until September 3, 1944 during World War II. The German Nazis, on the eve of their retreat, set fire to the Palais de Justice. As a result, the building's cupola, which dominated the whole city, collapsed. Much of the building was heavily damaged but it was repaired by 1947.

German cavalry parade past the Royal Palace in Brussels shortly after the invasion, May 1940

The world’s deepest swimming hole is located in Brussels. Nemo 33 is a submerged structure with platforms at various levels that plummet down 108 feet. It holds 2,500,000 liters of non-chlorinated spring water that stays 86 degrees. Divers often use this facility to train, and there are even simulated underwater caves.

The world’s largest selling point of chocolate is the Brussels National Airport.

Belgium has a rich tradition of comic book creation, and Brussels reflects that. You'll find murals dedicated to iconic characters like Tintin and Lucky Luke adorning the city walls.

Brussels is one of the most international cities in the world. As of 2023, 37.5% of the population is made up of foreigners, not including those who have taken Belgian citizenship.

In following with its status as the Capital of Europe (the seat of the European Union), Brussels is the location for 40,000 EU employees, 4,000 NATO employees and hosts about 300 permanent representations: lobby groups, embassies and press corporations.

Source Brussels.info/facts.com

Brunette

Brunette literally means "little brown-haired girl" or "young brown-haired woman", but, in modern English usage, it has lost the diminutive meaning and usually refers to any brown or black-haired girl or woman, or the associated hair color. It is the feminine form of brun, the word for dark-haired men.

Brunette is the most common hair color: Around 79% to 88% of the world's population has brown hair. This ranges from very light ash brown to almost black.

Brunette shades vary geographically: Light brown hair is more frequent in Northern Europe, while dark brown hair dominates in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and South Asia.

The pigment melanin is what gives hair its color. Brunettes have a higher amount of a specific type of melanin called eumelanin, compared to blondes.

During the Renaissance blonde hair became so much de rigueur in Venice that a brunette was not to be seen except among the working classes.

Venetian women spent hours dyeing and burnishing their hair until they achieved the harsh metallic glitter that was considered a necessity.

Anita Loos, the author of the novel and play Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, wrote a sequel entitled But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes.

In Western popular culture, a common stereotype is that brunettes are stable, serious, smart and sophisticated. Brunettes were described as independent and self-sufficient by 67 percent of the men, in a British study, and as intelligent by 81 percent.

Lady Gaga is a natural brunette; she reportedly bleached her hair blonde because she was once mistaken for Amy Winehouse.

Brunettes have fewer hairs on their head than their blonde and redheaded counterparts.

While blondes might go gray faster, the silver strands tend to be more noticeable against brown hair, though it takes longer for all the hair to turn gray.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel

Isambard Kingdom Brunel was a renowned British engineer famous for his groundbreaking work in the fields of civil engineering and transportation during the 19th century. 

Isambard Kingdom Brunel was the only son of the French engineer and inventor Sir Marc Isambard Brunel (1769-1849). His father settled in Britain and married Sophia Kingdom, an English woman whom he had known in France in earlier days.

He was born on April 9, 1806 in Britan Street, Portsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire, where his father was working on block-making machinery.

Brunel was sent to France at the age of 14 to study mathematics and science at the at the College of Caen in Normandy and the Lycée Henri-Quatre in Paris. Two years later he returned to England to work with his father.

At the age of 20 Brunel was appointed resident engineer under his father's direction when work on the Thames Tunnel at Rotherhithe began. He held the post for over two years, when a sudden inundation almost drowned him and brought the work to a standstill. Work recommenced in 1835 and was finally finished in 1843.

The Wapping to Rotherhithe tunnel was the world’s first underwater walkway. By the end of its first year of operation, a million people had passed through.

He once staged a dinner party in the Thames Tunnel at Rotherhithe for businessmen in 1827 wearing full evening dress.

During his recuperation, Brunel submitted designs for a competition to build a bridge across the Avon Gorge at Bristol. His graceful suspension design, with a record-breaking main span of 192 m (630 ft) eventually won the competition, and work began on the piers. Lack of money, however, meant that the Clifton Suspension Bridge was not finally completed until 1864, after Brunel's death.

Brunel was an innovative and hardworking engineer. He customarily worked an 18-hour day, sleeping at the office, rising at 4am.

He employed a huge number of subcontractors, and treated them all in a high-handed and sometimes brutal manner. People whom Brunel considered incompetent received abusive letters.

Brunel was only five foot tall. Because of his small size he always wore a reinforced top hat to make himself look taller.

Brunel married Mary Horsley on July 5, 1836. Their son, Henri Marc Brunel, also enjoyed some success as a civil engineer.

In the long slog to hack and blast the celebrated Box Tunnel through two miles of solid rock between Bath and Swindon, 100 men were killed.

Brunel had a conjuring trick where he made a half-sovereign coin vanish into his mouth and emerge from his ear. In 1843, while performing it for the amusement of his children, Brunel accidentally swallowed a coin which became lodged in his windpipe. A special pair of forceps failed to remove it as did a machine to shake it loose devised by Brunel himself. After several weeks of coughing himself sick, Brunel designed a hinged table to which he was strapped, face down, and upended until his head was pointing towards the floor. The press issued daily reports on the progress of the coin, and eventually it was jerked free. When the historian Thomas Babington Macaulay read the good news, he ran along the street yelling, “It’s out! It’s out!” and nobody asked him what he was talking about.

Brunel worked on the improvement of large guns and designed a floating armoured barge used for the attack on Kronshtadt in 1854 during the Crimean War.

He was responsible for building more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of railway in the West Country, the Midlands, South Wales, and Ireland. Brunel constructed two railway lines in Italy and was an adviser on the construction of the Victorian lines in Australia and the Eastern Bengal Railway in India.

Brunel had one big failure — an atmospheric railway with trains running on a vacuum tube from Exeter, which closed after troubled trials.

Brunel’s 236 ft steamship Great Western left Bristol on her maiden voyage to New York on April 8, 1838, halving the journey time to 15 days.

Brunel made outstanding contributions to marine engineering with his three ships, the Great Western, Great Britain (1843), and Great Eastern (originally called Leviathan; 1858), each the largest in the world at its date of launching.

The Great Western, a wooden paddle vessel, was the first steamship to provide regular transatlantic service. It confounded critics who asserted that such a vessel would never be able to carry sufficient coal to make the crossing.

The Great Western's maiden departure from Bristol in 1838.

During the Great Western’s maiden voyage to America, Brunel issued instructions from his sickbed after falling off a ladder.

The SS Great Britain was launched on July 19, 1843. It was the first ocean-going craft with an iron hull and screw propeller.

Launch of Great Britain at Bristol, July 1843.

When launched, the Great Britain was by far the largest vessel afloat. She was the longest passenger ship in the world until 1854.

Great Britain was the first iron steamer to cross the Atlantic, She did so for the first time in 1845, in the time of 14 days.

The Great Eastern was propelled by both paddles and screw and was the first ship to utilize a double iron hull.

The huge and costly effort of launching the Great Eastern sideways into the Thames in January 1858, and the preparation for its first sea trials the following September, caused Brunel to suffer a stroke. His habit of smoking over 40 cigars a day probably contributed to his stroke.

The photo below shows Isambard Kingdom Brunel Standing Before the Launching Chains of the Great Eastern is a photograph taken by Robert Howlett in November 1857. It shows Brunel posing in front of a large drum of chain used to restrain the ship while it was lowered down the launching ramp. Brunel's trousers and boots are muddy from the shipbuilding yard and he is smoking one of his customary cigars. It is considered one of the most famous photographs of the nineteenth century and, possibly, of all time.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel by the launching chains of the SS Great Eastern

Brunel died ten days later on September 15, 1859 and is buried, like his father, at Kensal Green Cemetery in London.

He came second to Sir Winston Churchill in the BBC’s 1999 poll to find the Greatest ever Briton.