Burial

The oldest known symbolic burial site was found in a cave, south of the modern day city of Nazareth, where a nine-year old child was found buried with their legs bent and a deer antler cradled in their arms. The site was dated to circa 92,000 BC making it about 95,000 years old.

In ancient Egypt, when merchants left the country on business trips they carried small stone models of themselves. If they died while abroad, these figures were sent back to Egypt for proxy burial.

Egyptian mummies were wrapped in about 2000 yards of bandages.

Nesperennub, a temple priest, an important advisor to the Pharaoh Sheshonq and a member of a leading family in the city of Thebes was buried in 800 BC with a winged scarab dung beetle on his chest to guard his journey into the afterlife. He also had large rings on each hand and amulets, including an eye of Horus were wrapped within his bandages. Embalmers would have spent 70 days preparing his body, removing his internal organs and brain and replacing his eyes with glass ones to allow him to see after death.

The ancient Chinese had a custom of burying the dead with pottery images of people, animals, and  possessions dear to them in life.

A Spartan only got his name on his tombstone if he died in battle.

After his crucifixion, Jesus Christ’s body was wrapped up in strips of linen together with 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes and with spices. Looking in from the outside it must have looked like a cocoon and would have retained the shape of a body, even though Jesus’ body was no longer there. This is the reason for Peter and John seeing the tomb and only upon entering did they believe in the resurrection of Jesus.

Wall mosaic of entombment of Jesus near Stone of anointing at Church of the Holy Sepulchre. By AntanO 

Ship burials were common among Germanic peoples, particularly by Viking Age Norsemen. If the ship used to carry the dead or their goods was very small, it was called a boat grave.

Until the 16th century rich bodies were buried inside churches in England and paupers outside.

In Shakespeare's day, the dead were only buried 2-3 feet underground without a coffin. After a few days the smell of the decaying body filled the church which led to the expression "stinking rich."

In the 1500s lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom; "holding a wake."

In England, the Acts of Burial in Woollen, passed from 1666 onwards, were designed to boost the home wool industry by enforcing the use of woolen shrouds and grave-clothes. Contravention of the Acts invoked a £5 fine. Despite the attempted enforcement of woolen garments, there was a common belief that linen, the shroud of Christ, was the only proper burial material.

Hannah Beswick was so afraid of being buried alive that she paid her physician to be kept above ground and be provisionally checked for signs of life after her passing. Following her death in 1758, Beswick's body was embalmed and kept above ground, to be periodically checked for signs of life. She was finally buried 110 years after her death, being declared "irrevocably and unmistakably dead."

In the 18th century, the French navy buried their dead in the ship’s hold.

Samuel Baldwin of Lymington was buried at sea. The ceremony was performed at the deceased’s own request to disappoint his wife, who in frequent squabbles had declared her intention to dance on the grave.

The phrase "to turn in one's grave" meaning for a dead person to demonstrate horror at what had just happened or been proposed by someone living was originated by William Thackeray in his 1848-50 novel Pendennis. He wrote: "'Enough to make poor Mr Pendennis turn in his grave' said Mrs Wapshot."

General Stonewall Jackson had two separate burial sites - one for his amputated left arm (Fredericksburg, Virginia) and one for the rest of his body (Lexington, Virginia). Jackson’s left arm was shattered during the Battle of Chancellorsville by friendly fire and was amputated the next day. He died a week later on May 10, 1863.

General Jackson seven days before he was wounded at the Battle of Chancellorsville

Arlington National Cemetery was established on June 15, 1864 when 200 acres around Arlington Mansion (formerly owned by Confederate General Robert E. Lee) were officially set aside as a military cemetery by US Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton.

Gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery are marked by U.S. flags each Memorial Day.

General Robert E. Lee's coffin was a bit short for him. As a result he was buried barefoot.

In 1884 Dr. William Price attempted to cremate the body of his infant son, Jesus Christ Price, setting a legal precedent for cremation in the United Kingdom.

In 1915 a 30-year-old South Carolinian named Essie Dunbar was found alive after her sister ran late to her funeral, then demanded she see her sister one more time. When they dug her out, the woman sat up and smiled, she went on to live for 47 more years.

The only president buried in Washington, DC proper, Woodrow Wilson, was laid to rest in the National Cathedral.

In 1937, frenchman Angelo Hays was involved in a motorcycle accident and was declared dead. He was buried three days later in the village of St. Quentin de Chalais. Two days after the funeral an insurance investigation exhumed him and found Hays in a coma. He made a complete recovery.  In the 1970s he went on tour with a coffin he'd invented complete with upholstery, a food locker, chemical toilet, library, and radio transmitter.

Seventy-three-year-old psychology professor James Bedford became on January 12, 1967 the first person to be cryonically frozen with intent of future resuscitation.  He remains preserved at the Alcor Life Extension Foundation. In the cryonics community, the anniversary of his cryopreservation is celebrated as "Bedford Day".

As of 2018 most of the early cryonics companies that froze dead bodies for future revival had gone out of business, and their stored corpses have been thawed and disposed of.

Planetary scientist Eugene Shoemaker is the only human in history to have their ashes buried on the Moon.

In Britain cremation overtook burial in 1868 as the most popular means of disposal.

Japan has one of the highest cremation rates in the world with the country reporting a cremation rate of 99.97%.

The difference between a casket and a coffin lies in the design. Coffins are tapered at the head and foot and are wide at the shoulders. Caskets are rectangular in shape.

Taphephobia is the fear of being buried alive.

It is totally legal be to buried at sea in the USA. You basically wrap the body in a sheet with some weights, at least three miles from shore and throw it off the boat. The Navy even has a program to assist veterans of the armed services.

NASA does not have an official protocol for what to do with an astronaut's body if one were to die in space.

On the Island of Svalbard in Norway it is illegal to die. If you're about to pass away they fly you back to main land Norway to die there. This is because of the permafrost on the ground which causes the bodies to be unable to be buried safely.

Deceased Tibetan Buddhists are given a “sky burial” in which the body is folded in half, walked to the burial site on someone’s back, and then dismembered and fed to vultures. There is no wood for a cremation, and the ground is too hard to dig due to the high altitude they live in.

Only burial grounds adjacent to churches are ‘graveyards’.  Burial grounds not adjacent to churches are merely ‘cemeteries’ and are not deemed ‘holy ground’.

Sources Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia © 1998 The Learning Company, Inc, History World.

Burglar Alarm

Ancient Japanese temples and castles had thief proof "Nightingale" floors that chirped when walked on.

Augustus Pope was awarded a patent for the “development of an electromagnetic alarm” in 1853. He then sold his patent for US$1500 to Edwin Holmes, a manufacturer of ladies’ hoop skirts in Boston Massachusetts who was a far better publicist. Holmes installed the first burglar alarm on February 21, 1858.

By 1877, Holmes had established the first network of alarms monitored by a central station in New York and sent his son, Edwin Thomas Holmes, to copy this system in Boston.

Edwin Thomas Holmes' workshop was used by Alexander Graham Bell as the young Bell pursued his invention of the telephone. Thomas Holmes was the first person to have a home telephone.

The late Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain's body was found in his Seattle home by an electrician sent to install a burglar alarm. He was believed to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound three days earlier.

Only 1 per cent of car alarms go off because of an attempted theft.

Burger King

The first Burger King opened in Miami, Florida on December 4, 1954. James McLamore and David Edgerton founded the fast food restaurant chain selling burgers and milkshakes for 18 cents each.

When Burger King introduced the Whopper hamburger in 1957, it cost only 37 cents.

The Whopper sandwich, Burger King's signature product

The Whopper Jr was created by accident in 1963 by the manager of the first Burger King restaurant in Puerto Rico. The molds for the standard Whopper buns didn't arrive so he used a much smaller local bun. The result was such a success that BK adopted it worldwide and called it the Whopper Jr.

When Burger King decided to expand their franchise to Australia, they found out that there was already a food chain there called “Burger King”. This forced them to choose a different name and "Hungry Jack's" is what they came up with.

    1955–1968 Burger King logo

                                                     
On April Fool's Day 1998, Burger King published an advertisement for "Left-Handed Whopper". The condiments of this whopper were supposed to be rotated 180 degrees, as to avoid spilling out toppings from the right side of the burger. It was said to be the "ultimate 'Have-it-your-way' for lefties"

The company has changed ownership five times and had more than twenty CEOs.

Burger King is banned from operating within 20 miles of Mattoon, Illinois due to a lawsuit by the owners of a family restaurant named "Burger King".  It has the rights to use its name throughout the rest of the United States.

Burger King uses approximately 1/2 million pounds of bacon every month in its restaurants

60% of the fat and 31% of the calories in Burger King's Chicken Sandwich come from the mayonnaise alone.

Burger

Romans may have invented the burger. A recipe from the ancient Roman cookbook, Apicius, thought to have been compiled in the 1st century AD, details a dish called ‘Isicia Omentata'. It was made with minced meat, pepper, wine, pine nuts and a rich fish-based sauce called garum.

Ground beef was developed by Mongolian and Turkic tribes known as Tartars who shred low-quality beef from Asian cattle to make it more edible and digestible.

The Tartars introduced the delicacy to their German trading partners from the port of Hamburg in the 13th century. The Germans flavoured it with regional spices such as onions and either ate it raw or fry the meat. It is becoming a standard meal for poorer classes and in Hamburg its acquired the name "Hamburg steak.”  Before that, ‘Hamburg steak’ was a term used for salt beef.

Calling ground beef a 'burger’ dates from the invention of mechanical meat grinders in the 1860s.

The first recorded sighting of the word 'cheeseburger' was on a 1928 menu for the Los Angeles restaurant O'Dell's. It listed a cheeseburger smothered with chili all for the price of 25 cents.

The world’s first lab-grown burger was eaten in London on August 5, 2013. Scientists took cells from a cow and turned them into strips of muscle that they combined to make a patty. Upon tasting the burger, Austrian food researcher Ms Ruetzler said: "It's close to meat, but it's not that juicy." The project is estimated to have cost £215,000.

The previous most expensive burger was the FleurBurger 5000 made of Kobe beef with foie gras and black truffles, served with a bottle of Chateau Pétrus 1990 for $5,000 at Fleur de Lys in Las Vegas.

The world record for eating a 9lb Big Daddy Cheeseburger is 27min 0sec by Sonya Thomas. Sonya Thomas also holds the record for eating seven 3/4lb ‘Thickburgers’ in 10 minutes.

A Burger King "Quad Stacker" cheeseburger, containing four patties and bacon

The world's biggest burger was served in Las Vegas, Nevada and called the Quadruple Bypass Burger. It was also noted down by the Guinness World Records as the world's most calorific burger.

The biggest cheeseburger ever made weighed 2,014 pounds. A Minnesota casino cooked it in 2012, and then gave it away to its guests for free.

As a result of a blending process that takes place after slaughter, the meat in an average single fast-food burger contains meat from 55 different cows.

Fifty billion burgers a year are eaten in the USA, which works out at an average of three a week for the average person (including all ages).

Over nine billion burgers are served at fast food outlets in the US every year.

Sources Daily Express, BBC

John Bunyan

John Bunyan was born around November 28, 1628 at Harrowden, one mile east of Elstow near Bedford His father was a tinker (A person who makes and mends pots and kettles). Bunyan followed his father into the tinkering business. Actually the exact date of Bunyan’s birth is not known, but he was baptized on November 30, 1628 in Elstow.

Bunyan went to his village school where he only learnt to read and write. He knew thoroughly only one book-the King James Bible.

In 1644 Bunyan was conscripted into the Parliamentary army during the Civil War. The Cromwellian soldier was garrisoned in Newport Pagnell and didn't engage in battle. He was exposed to the views of many radical Christians in the roundhead ranks.  He returned home in 1646 but stored in his imagination military scenes and adventures which he would later use to such telling effect in his books.

Bunyan married his first wife in 1649 (her name is unknown). Her sole dowry was two books on Christianity which awakened his interest in religion. "We came together as poor as poor might be," Bunyan wrote, "not having so much household-stuff as a dish or spoon betwixt us both."  She died in 1656.

In appearance, Bunyan was tall, ruddy face, sparkling eyes and a mustache.

An artist's rendition of John Bunyan

Originally a High Anglican, who led a footloose and fancy free life, Bunyan’s heart was first touched whilst playing tipcat, when he heard a voice saying “Wilt thou leave thy sins and go to Heaven or have thy sins and go to Hell?” Later he noticed four old women sitting at a door in the sun talking about new birth, the work of God on their hearts and of their own righteousness as too defiled to do them good. They spoke with “such pleasantness of Scripture language” Bunyan’s heart began to shake.

Bunyan's Christian wife introduced him to two religious works, Bayley’s Practice of Piety and Dent’s Plain Man’s Pathway to Heaven, which he duly read. He describes his conversion thus: “One day as I was travelling into the country, musing on the wickedness of my heart and considering the enmity that was in me to God, the Scripture came to mind, “He hath made peace, through the blood of the Cross”. I saw that the justice of God and my sinful soul could embrace and kiss each other. I was ready to swoon, not with grief and trouble, but with joy and peace.”

Bunyan gained a popular reputation in the villages around Bedford as an eloquent and powerful speaker, but following the 1660 restoration of the monarchy, he was a number of Non-conformist preachers who were arrested. Bunyan was seized by the authorities for preaching outside a Parish Church whilst being unlicensed to preach. He spent the next 13 years in prison.

Bunyan married his second wife, Elizabeth in 1659 just before his arrest. His second wife cared for his four small children including a blind daughter, Mary, whom he especially loved.

Bunyan was appointed pastor by his congregation in 1671 despite still being in jail. He was released for a time, enabling him to take up his position as pastor but after a clamp down by the king on Non-conformism Bunyan was sent back to prison. He refused all offers of freedom as he was unable to agree to the prerequisite that he won’t preach again.

During his lengthy imprisonment Bunyan helped to support his family from prison by making long-tagged shoelaces, which he sold to hawkers.

Bunyan in prison

The county gaol where Bunyan was imprisoned between 1660 -72 was later the home of John Howard, the great prison reformer.

Bunyan wrote over 60 published works, including books, tracts and even children's poetry. Most of them were written in his last years.  Had he not spent 13 years in Bedford Prison it is unlikely Bunyan would ever have been anything but an effective and successful preacher. Prison gave him time to think, to read and to write. He read and re-read the Bible, the Prayer Book, Foxes Book of Martyrs and George Herbert's Devotional Poems.

The Pilgrim's Progress, an allegory based on Bunyan's own spiritual life was published in two parts in 1678 and 1684. The first part of it was written during Bunyan's second spell in jail.for preaching without a licence in 1675.

First edition cover

In his last years under the nickname "Bishop Bedford" Bunyan organised the Non Conformist churches between Bedford and London.

Bunyan won increasing fame in his last years as a preacher and writer and was preaching sometimes to over 1,000 people even on cold winter mornings.

Bunyan is best identified as a Particular Baptist of an open sort—one who is Calvinistic in theology, congregational in polity, and adhering to believer's baptism though not requiring immersion for church membership.

Bunyan died on August 31, 1688 in London while on a journey from Reading to settle an argument between a father and son. He was caught in a drenching rain storm and a violent fever seized him. He was buried at Bunhill, (Finsbury), London. 

Pilgrim's Progress has been translated in over 200 languages and for the next 150 years after its publication Bunyan's books, like the Bible, were found in every English home. 

Battle of Bunker Hill

The Battle of Bunker Hill was one of the first engagements between the Colonists and British during the American War of Independence. The battle was fought on June 17, 1775 outside of Boston. The Colonists inflicted heavy casualties on British forces before losing the battle.

The Battle of Bunker Hill, by Howard Pyle, 1897

Before the fighting began Col. William Prescott told his men, “Don’t fire till you see the whites of their eyes.”

Thousands of people watched the Battle of Bunker Hill take place. People in the Boston area sat on rooftops, in trees, on church steeples, and in the rigging of ships in the harbor to watch the American revolutionaries battle the British.

Salem Poor, a slave who purchased his freedom, is credited with mortally wounding British Lieutenant Colonel James Abercrombie during the battle. Poor's valor and gallantry at the Battle of Bunker Hill prompted 14 officers, including Colonel William Prescott, to cite him for heroism.

The Colonists lost the Battle of Bunker Hill when they ran out of gunpowder and had to retreat. The American Revolutionary War ended in 1781, with the British surrender after the siege of Yorktown, Virginia.

Bunker

The term "bunker" in its military sense was first recorded in English in 1939, initially referring to German fortifications. 

Schindler-Bunker, a Swiss mini-bunker from WWII Flickr

The walls of some World War II artillery bunkers were up to 3.5 meters (11 feet) thick to withstand heavy bombardment.

Winston Churchill’s secret bunker was in Neasden. It was so horrible he only went there once.

Hitler's "Wolf's Lair" (Wolfsschanze) on the Eastern Front consisted of numerous interconnected trench bunkers.

The man who designed Saddam Hussein's bunker was the grandson of the woman who designed Adolf Hitler's bunker.

During the Cold War, the Diefenbunker in Canada could house 565 people for a month as part of the government's continuity plan.

Fearing invasion during the Cold War, Albania’s leader Enver Hoxha forced his country to build 750.000 bunkers in a process called "bunkerization. Today, many of those bunkers have been converted into a variety of uses, like turning them into pizzerias, espresso bars and makeshift bars.

Bunkers in Albania By Marc Morell

The Bunk'Art in Albania, originally built for the dictator, is now a museum and art cente

The huge underground secret bunker located at Mt. Weather, VA, intended to house the Government in case of a nuclear war, was disclosed to the public when TWA Flight 514 slammed into the mountain close to the entrance of the base in 1974.

Nuclear bunkers are designed to cope with both the initial blast wave and the subsequent underpressure that lasts for several seconds after the shock wave passes4.

Bunker doors must be at least as strong as the walls to provide adequate protection.

The "Gravel Gertie" bunker at the Pantex plant in Texas was specifically built to contain radioactive materials during nuclear warhead assembly/

The Sonnenberg bunker in Switzerland was formerly the world's largest public fallout shelter, 

Some Swiss bunkers have been converted into tourist attractions, housing hotels and museums.

A former top-secret bunker in Latvia now serves as a museum displaying Soviet memorabilia.

Bungee jumping

Bungee jumping started as the coming-of-age ceremony in a small village on South Pentecost Island in Vanuatu The youths jumped from the top of a 30 meter high tree to demonstrate their courage. They tied jungle vines around their ankles so that they would not hit the ground.

Inspired by the antics of the Oxford University Dangerous Sports Club, the first commercial bungee jumping set-up was opened on Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown, New Zealand on November 12, 1988. A group of 28 people — copying Vanuatu natives who ritualistically jumped from wooden platforms with vines tied to their ankles — took the plunge on the bungee jump's opening day.

At the age of 96 years and 222 days, South African Mohr Keet achieved the record for the oldest bungee jumper. The plunging pensioner jumped off the 216 meters (708 feet) high Bloukrans Bridge in South Africa on April 10, 2010. Keet was a retired farmer who said he decided to bungee jump because he wanted to "feel alive." 

Bungee jumper Ron Jones successfully dunked a doughnut into a cup of coffee at the bottom of a 198 foot jump in 2013.

The current world record for the most bungee jumps in 24 hours is held by New Zealander Mike Heard. He achieved this record n October 10-11 2021 by completing 941 jumps from the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

The highest bungee jump with hands is 59.33 metres (194 ft 7 in), achieved by Beau Retallick at Kobaebashi Bridge, in Itsukimura, Kumamoto, Japan, on July 4, 2015. Retallick is a veteran bungee jumper with over 2,000 jumps to his name. He has jumped from some of the most iconic landmarks in the world, including the Eiffel Tower and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The jump from Kobaebashi Bridge was Retallick's most challenging yet. The bridge is located in a remote area of Japan, and the weather conditions on the day of the jump were not ideal. However, Retallick was determined to break the record, and he successfully completed the jump.

Bungee jumper Simon Berry from Sheffield, England broke the world record for the highest biscuit dunk on October 15, 2016. Berry bungee jumped 73.41 meters (240 ft 10 in)  before successfully dunking a chocolate hobnob into a mug of tea, bettering the previous record of 60.553 meters (198 ft 8 in) .

At 370.25 meters (1214 feet 8 inches) the bungee jump at the Balinghe Bridge in Huangguoshu, Guizhou, China, is the world’s highest commercial bungee jump faculty. This breathtaking jump offers an adrenaline-pumping experience for thrill-seekers from around the world.

Bungalow

Bungalow is a Hindustani word. Meaning "from Bengal," it recalls the region in the Indian subcontinent, where this type of building was common.

During the British rule, Europeans living in the interior of India, used to reside in such one-story houses which, generally, were surrounded by a veranda. On their return home, they introduced the bungalow there, and by retaining its indigenous name, acknowledged its original site.

The Manale Tea Bungalow, one of the oldest bungalows in Kerala, India. Gnan.prabhakar

Britain’s first bungalow, a single-storey prefabricated home, was completed in 1869 and occupied in Westgate-On Sea, Kent.

The American version of the bungalow appeared around the turn of the 20th century, first built in southern California. It was the dominant architectural style in the United States between 1905 and 1930.

Bungalows became popular in part due to companies like Sears offering pre-fabricated kits that could be ordered from catalogs.

The Chicago bungalow, popular between 1910 and 1940, is unique in that its gables are parallel to the street rather than perpendicular.

The bungalow was the first architectural trend in the U.S. to spread from west to east, contrary to most architectural styles.

In Australia, the Federation Bungalow style became popular from 1891 onwards, followed by the California bungalow style from 1908 to the 1930s.

Bungalows are found all over the world, including the USA, Australia, and parts of the former British Empire like Malaysia, Thailand, and the Caribbean.

In the UK, bungalows make up only about 2% of the existing housing stock. In 2009, just 300 bungalows were built in the country.

Source Europress Encyclopedia

Bun

A bun is a small, typically round bread roll or sweet bread, often eaten on its own or used to hold sandwich fillings.

There are two main types of buns: savory and sweet. Savory buns, like hamburger buns or hot dog buns, are perfect for a quick and easy meal. Sweet buns, on the other hand, are like little desserts. Cinnamon buns and brioche buns are popular examples of sweet buns, often filled with sugary goodness and spices.

Queen Elizabeth I in 1592 decreed that hot cross buns could no longer be sold on any day except for Good Friday, Christmas or for burials because they were too special to be eaten on any other day. To get around this, people baked the buns in their own kitchens — although if they were caught the illegal buns were given to the poor.

The Chelsea bun is a square currant bun made in Chelsea, London, as early as the 17th century, recognizable by two very distinct characteristics. It is made from a coil of sweet dough with the currants between the coils, and its edges are white and fluffy where it has been separated from its neighbor on the baking tray.

The Bath bun is a sweet bun containing sultanas and candied peel, with blobs of crunchy melted sugar on top. The invention of the Bath bun is often attributed to Dr. William Oliver in the mid 18th-century. According to popular accounts, Dr. Oliver first created the Bath bun for his patients at The Royal Hospital. The rich, sweet flavor of these buns proved to be very popular among his patients.

Further evidence of the Bath bun's existence in the early 19th century comes from Jane Austen. In a letter written January 3-5, 1801, she mentioned "disordering her stomach with Bath buns."

There's an average of 178 sesame seeds on a Big Mac bun.

Bullfighting

INTRODUCTION

Bullfighting, a spectacle as old as time itself, is a controversial tradition that pits a brave matador against a powerful bull in a ritualized dance of skill and danger. Originating in Spain, this spectacle has spread to other countries like Portugal, France, and parts of Latin America.

At the heart of bullfighting is the matador, a skilled performer who uses a cape to guide the bull through a series of passes, showcasing their bravery and control. The bull, bred specifically for fighting, is a formidable opponent, known for its strength and aggression.

The bullfight is divided into three phases. First, the bull enters the ring, and picadors on horseback use lances to weaken it. Next, banderilleros place colorful sticks with barbs into the bull's shoulders. Finally, in the climactic moment, the matador attempts to kill the bull with a single, precise sword thrust.

For some, bullfighting is a beautiful and artistic spectacle, a testament to human courage and the power of tradition. But for others, it is a cruel and inhumane practice that causes unnecessary suffering to the animals involved. Animal rights activists have long campaigned to ban bullfighting, and their efforts have been successful in some regions.

In Portugal, however, a different approach to bullfighting has taken hold. There, the bulls are not killed in the ring, but are instead led out and slaughtered later. This practice, while still controversial, is seen as a more humane alternative to the traditional Spanish style.

HISTORY

A form of bullfighting was practiced on Crete as long as 6,000 years ago.

Early Spaniards realized around 300 BC wild bulls could be incited to charge people. This was used for military purposes against the invading armies from Carthage.

Successive rulers of other nations tried in vain to ban the sport because of the danger. Spain and Portugal eventually became the center of bullfighting.  

In 1914, Juan Belmonte revolutionized bullfighting with his daring capework, practiced extremely close to the bull. Most other bullfighters soon began to copy Belmonte's dangerous but exciting style.

Pablo Picasso, like many Spaniards, was captivated by the Bullfight. The artist liked to attend bullfights at Nimes and the sport, was often featured in his art.

The Canary Islands was the first Spanish autonomous community to ban bullfighting, in 1991, while the Catalonia region did so in 2012.

FUN BULLFIGHTING FACTS

An excellent book about bullfighting is Ernest Hemingway's Death in the Afternoon.

Every bullring in Spain has a monument to Alexander Fleming whose discovery of penicillin is saving countless toreadors from dying of gangrene after being gored by bulls.

Traditionally in a bulfight, three matadors alternately face and kill six bulls over roughly two-and-a-half hours

The red capes used to taunt bulls in bullfights are the same shade of red as the bull's blood. That way the spectator can't tell it is covered with the bull's blood by the end of the fight. 

The matador uses their cape to manoeuvre the bull into position before stabbing it between the shoulder blades and through the heart with a sword.

The bulls used for Spanish bullfighting can fight only once; after a bull has fought, it retains the memories and its behavior changes.

Sources Daily Mail, Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia © 1998 The Learning Company, Inc.

Bullet

Think of a bullet like a tiny, metal missile. It's designed to be shot out of a gun with a bang and a whiz. Made mostly of lead, it's a key part of ammunition, the stuff that makes guns go boom. Bullets come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, depending on the gun and what you want to do with it.

Sometimes people call a bullet a "cartridge," but that's not quite right. A cartridge is the whole package: the bullet, the case it sits in, the gunpowder that makes it go, and the primer that ignites the gunpowder. So, a bullet is just one part of the cartridge.

Bullets have a lot of jobs. People use them for hunting animals, shooting targets for fun, protecting themselves, and even in wars. How a bullet works depends on its shape, how it's made, and what it's made of. Some bullets are hollow inside to make them expand when they hit something, while others are covered in metal to make them go through things.

There are different kinds of bullets for different jobs. For example, hollow-point bullets are good for stopping things quickly, while full metal jacket bullets are better for going through things. Soft-point bullets are a bit in between, good for both stopping things and going through them.

Soldiers operated on without anesthetic used to bite bullets to help with the pain. From this comes the phrase "bite the bullet", meaning "To have to do something very unpleasant."

Pixiebay

At the age of 20 Winston Churchill escaped death by seconds. When in Cuba as a military observer a bullet smashed into the seat he had left a few moments before.

If you  were to fire a bullet from a Lee Enfield .303 rifle — the standard rifle of British military up to the mid-Fifties — directly up into the air, it would take about 55 seconds for it to land.

There is a bullet called "The Flower Shell" that can be shot into the ground by a 12 gauge shotgun to plant flowers.

The parents of Chinese dissident Lin Zhao only learnt their daughter was executed in 1968 after a Communist Party official asked them to pay the five-cent fee for the bullet used to kill her.

Rubber bullets were invented by the British Ministry of Defence for use against rioters in the Troubles in Northern Ireland. They were first used there in 1970.

The 1985 Russian World War II movie Come and See used real bullets rather than blanks. The bullets sometimes passed just above the heads of actors, making their terrified looks genuine.

The intended use of rubber bullets is to fire at the ground so that the round bounces up and hits the target on the legs, causing pain but not injury.

The 9×19mm Parabellum is a rimless, tapered firearms cartridge. Its name comes from the Latin phrase "Si vis pacem, para bellum", which means "If you desire peace, prepare for war."

Bulletproof glass can be manufactured to be bulletproof one way, but allow you to shoot through it the other way.

Bulldog

A Bulldog, often referred to as the English or British Bulldog, is a medium-sized dog breed known for its distinctive physical features and friendly, laid-back temperament.

Bulldogs are easily recognized by their unique appearance. They typically stand between 12 to 15 inches tall at the shoulder, with males weighing up to 50 pounds and females around 40 pounds. 

Their bodies are muscular and compact, with a wide stance that adds to their sturdy look. One of the most notable features of a Bulldog is its large head, short muzzle, and prominent lower jaw, often resulting in an underbite. 

They have loose, wrinkled skin, particularly around their face and shoulders, adding to their characteristic expression. 

Their short, fine coats come in a variety of colors, including tan, white, reddish-brown, brindle, and piebald.

Bulldogs are renowned for their gentle and friendly disposition. They are typically calm and kind, with a steady and courageous demeanor. These dogs are well-suited for families, as they tend to be great with children and other pets. 

Despite their somewhat tough appearance, Bulldogs are generally low-energy dogs, content with moderate exercise and a slower pace. While they are often relaxed, even lazy, they can also be playful and entertaining when engaged.

The Bulldog was possibly descended from the Molossus, a Mastiff which the Phoenicians brought to Britain in the sixth century BC. 

Selective breeding in the 1800s produced a dog with the physical characteristics required for fighting and baiting bulls. It did the latter by clenching its jaws on the bull's muzzle and hanging on. 

The wrinkles on a bulldog's face were bred to keep blood out of their eyes while they were bull baiting.

The bulldog lost its original purpose when animal-baiting was made illegal in 1835, but enthusiasts bred out its more ferocious characteristics to preserve it as a domestic animal.

The concept of the plucky "British bulldog breed" features in the work of Charles Kingsley in the mid-19C and was increasingly applied to British men rather than their dogs. In the Second World War, Winston Churchill’s appearance and determination virtually personified the bulldog.

Emily Bronte had a bulldog called Keeper who was so beloved that Emily rose from her sickbed to feed him the night she died. At her funeral Keeper followed her coffin and it remained  miserable for the rest of its life.

The Bulldog was officially recognized as a breed by the British Kennel Club in 1873.

General Custer owned a white bulldog called Turk.

In 1889 Handsome Dan, a bulldog, became Yale University's mascot, the first animal to hold such a position in American sports.

The original Handsome Dan

Thanks to their stubby frame and bulbous head, French bulldogs can’t swim.

After years of inbreeding by kennel clubs, modern bulldogs' noses are so squashed they can barely breathe, and their average life expectancy is six years.

Bulldogs can’t easily keep cool and many have hip, eye or skin problems. But because they have a high tolerance to pain, owners often don’t realise their pets are suffering.

Only once has a bulldog won Crufts’ Best In Show – in 1952. Its name was Norways Chuckles.

Source Mail On Sunday

Bull Terrier

The Bull Terrier is a powerful breed of short-haired dog, with a short, usually white, coat, small eyes, and pointed ears in a severely chiselled head.

American Bull Terrier Flickr

Very powerfully built,  the Bull Terrier grows to about 40 cm/16 in tall.

The Bull Terrier was probably bred soon after 1835, when bull-baiting was banned, from the bulldog and a strain of terriers including the now extinct white English terrier. The purpose was to provide a dog more agile than the bulldog, better equipped for the sport of fighting other dogs in pits.

General George Patton owned a White Bull terrier called William the Conqueror, or Willy who went everywhere with Patton, including combat areas.

The bull terrier is the only registered breed to have triangle shaped eyes.

The Bull Terrier mix Nipper was the model for the painting His Master's Voice.

His Master's Voice (1898) by Francis Barraud

Spuds MacKenzie was a well-known bull terrier that worked as the mascot of Bud Light in the 1980s. Despite being marketed as a man’s dog, in reality, the  party hound was a female named Honey Tree Evil Eye, or “Evie” for short. Between 1987 and 1988, Bud Light sales increased by 20 percent.

Sources History World, Mentalfloss.com

Battle of the Bulge

The Battle of the Bulge was a pivotal engagement during World War II, lasting from December 16, 1944, to January 25, 1945. It was the last major German offensive on the Western Front and is widely regarded as one of the most critical battles of the war.

Wikipedia

The battle began as a surprise attack by German forces through the densely forested Ardennes region, spanning eastern Belgium, Luxembourg, and northeastern France. Hitler's objective was to split the British and American Allied forces, cross the Meuse River, and capture the key supply port of Antwerp. The Germans hoped that this victory would force the Allies into negotiations, allowing them to concentrate their efforts on the Eastern Front against the advancing Soviet forces.

The initial German assault involved around 200,000 troops and 1,000 tanks, catching the American forces off guard. The Germans succeeded in creating a bulge in the Allied front lines, which gave the battle its name. Several key events and locations became focal points during the battle. The town of Bastogne was heroically defended by the 101st Airborne Division, despite being surrounded by German forces. Units from the VIII Corps delayed the German advance at St. Vith, while American forces halted the Germans at Elsenborn Ridge.

Despite the initial success of the German offensive, the tide of the battle turned due to several factors. The Allies mounted a strong resistance, with reinforcements arriving, particularly from General Patton's Third Army. Supply shortages and the return of Allied air power hindered the German advance. As weather conditions improved, Allied air support increased, further hampering the German effort. By early January, the Allies launched a counteroffensive from the north and south of the bulge, forcing the Germans to retreat.

During the Battle of the Bulge, German troops who could speak English were air-dropped behind Allied lines while wearing American uniforms to cause confusion for the Allies.

At an Allied checkpoint during the Battle of the Bulge, US General Omar Bradley was detained as a possible spy when he correctly identified Springfield as the capital of Illinois. The American military police officer who questioned him mistakenly believed the capital was Chicago.

During The Battle of the Bulge, clear weather was desperately needed for an Allied advance. General Patton asked a chaplain to compose a suitable prayer. The chaplain complied, and the ensuing prayer was handed out to the troops. The weather cleared, and Patton awarded the chaplain a bronze star on the spot.

The Battle of the Bulge was significant for several reasons. It was the largest battle ever fought by the U.S. Army, involving more than 600,000 American soldiers. Casualties were heavy on both sides, with the Americans losing over 75,000 men, while the Germans suffered between 80,000 to 100,000 casualties. This battle marked the end of Germany's ability to launch a major offensive in the West, severely depleting its armored forces and experienced units. Following their defeat, Nazi forces were forced into retreat, leading to the Allied invasion of Germany and the eventual end of World War II in Europe.

Foxholes dug by American soldiers during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II still exist in the French woods to this day.

Bulgaria

The world’s oldest gold treasure, dating back more than 6,000 years, was discovered in the Varna Necropolis in Bulgaria.

Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, was founded 7000 years ago. This makes it the second oldest city in Europe.

Sofia's Church of St George was built by Romans in the 4th century.

Bulgaria was founded on August 9, 681 as a Khanate on the south bank of the Danube after defeating the Byzantine armies of Emperor Constantine IV.

 

Bulgaria is the oldest country in Europe that hasn't changed its name since it was first established.

The Bulgarians were the first to use Cyrillic script, which is also the alphabet currently used in Russia. Cyrillic is derived from the Greek uncial script, augmented by letters from the older Glagolitic alphabet, which was devised by St. Cyril and Methodius in the 850s and introduced to the world by the First Bulgarian Empire in 886 AD. Over 300 million people use the Cyrillic script today.

The Battle of Kleidion took place on July 29, 1014, between the Byzantine Empire and the Bulgarian Empire. The result was a decisive Byzantine victory. After winning the Battle of Kleidion, the Byzantine Emperor Basil II took an estimated 14,000-15,000 prisoners; he sorted them into groups of a 100, then blinded 99 men in each one and left a single man in each with one eye so that he could lead the others home.

Basil II 's treatment of the prisoners reportedly caused Tsar Samuil of Bulgaria to die of a heart attack less than three months later, on October 6, 1014.

Vasil Levski, the national hero of Bulgaria, was executed in Sofia on February 18, 1873 by Ottoman authorities for his efforts to establish an independent Bulgarian republic.

Levski

The 1876 April Uprising was  a key point in modern Bulgarian history. It lead to the Russo-Turkish War and the liberation of Bulgaria from domination as an independent part of the Ottoman Empire. The independence of Bulgaria was proclaimed in 1908. 

The first computer in the world was created by a Bulgarian. In the period 1937 – 1942, John Atanasoff, a scientist of Bulgarian descent, together with Clifford Berry, an American inventor working for the University of Iowa, designed and developed the first electronic digital computing device.

Bulgaria did not join the German invasion of the Soviet Union that began in June 1941 nor did it declare war on the Soviet Union. Bulgaria eventually ended up at war with everyone in 1944 by accident. Bulgaria declared war on Germany due to Soviet pressure, not knowing that the Soviets, tired of waiting, declared war on Bulgaria the same day. By the next day Bulgaria was at war with the USSR, US, UK and Germany all at the same time.

The 1944 Bulgarian coup d'état, also known as the 9 September coup d'état, was a coup that overthrew the government of Kingdom of Bulgaria carried out on the eve of September 9, 1944. The coup was led by the Fatherland Front, a coalition of communist, socialist, and agrarian parties, with the support of the Soviet Union.

The coup resulted in the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of a communist-led government. The new government declared war on Germany and its allies, and the Red Army entered Bulgaria to help the new government consolidate its power.

In 1946, a referendum was held in Bulgaria, and the monarchy was abolished by popular vote. A new constitution was adopted, creating the People's Republic of Bulgaria, a single-party socialist state. Bulgaria remained a member of the Soviet-led Eastern Bloc until 1989.

Communist partisans entering Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

In December 1989 the ruling Communist Party allowed multi-party elections, which subsequently led to Bulgaria's transition into a democracy and a market-based economy.

Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, also known as Simeon II, was the last Tsar of Bulgaria. He was only six years old when he ascended to the throne in 1943, after the death of his father. He was exiled in 1946 after the Soviet-backed Fatherland Front government abolished the monarchy and established a republic. He remained in exile for many years, living in Spain and Egypt.

Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the last Tsar of Bulgaria between 1943 and 1946 when he was a child, was sworn in as Prime Minister of Bulgaria on July 24, 2001. He was one of the first monarchs in history to regain political power through a democratic election to a different office.

By Nadya Reid - Flickr: Simeon II of Bulgaria, Wikipedia Commons

Bulgarians express approval by shaking their heads rather than nodding.

 
The famous Bulgarian rose oil is used for making some of the world’s most popular and expensive perfumes. One gram rose oil is produced out of 1000 rose blossoms.

Sofia is the only big city in Europe that lies just 15 minutes away from an imposing mountain – Vitosha. Cherni Vrah (Black Peak – 2290 m) is its highest peak.

 
Bulgaria is one of the countries in the world suffering from negative population growth. From having 9 million inhabitants in 1988, Bulgaria now has 6,385,500 (2023 estimate).

The Bulgarian army has never lost a single flag in battle.

St George is the patron saint of Bulgaria. Bulgarians celebrate St George’s Day on May 6th when it is traditional to roast a whole lamb.

 
Every year on March 1st, Bulgarians exchange martenitsas. Essentially, these are small pieces of adornment made of red and white thread that symbolizes good health and happiness.

A popular dish is shopska salata - onion, tomatoes, cucumbers, raw or roasted peppers, cheese and parsley.

The nation's favourite drink is a fruit brandy, Rakia.

Bulgarian yogurt has a unique taste because the bacteria used to make it, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, is only found naturally in Bulgarian air.

Sources Daily Mail, Mydestination.com