Tag: History Essays
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Amerigo Vespucci and the Columbian exchange
Amerigo Vespucci, the man who gave Americans their name, was born in Florence in 1454. Educated in a cultured family that exposed him to classical literature, astronomy, mathematics, and geography, he eventually entered the service of Lorenzo de’ Medici, working in banking and commerce. In the early 1490s, Medici sent him to Seville as a…
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Slovakia: History, healthcare, and politics
The present-day territory of Slovakia has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Celtic tribes settled it first, most notably the Boii, who left behind artifacts such as the famous “Biatec” coins. Germanic tribes later moved through the area; then, the Romans incorporated the southern part of Slovakia into their empire, particularly along the Danube frontier. Early…
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Albania: Tradition and resilience in the Western Balkans
Albania is a small country of 2.5 million people, well worth visiting, known for its striking natural landscapes, rugged mountains dominating much of the interior, and coast offering some of the most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean. In the north, the Albanian Alps attract hikers and travelers seeking dramatic scenery, while traditional village life in…
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Marco Polo: A medical perspective
Marco Polo’s journey from Venice to the court of Kublai Khan and back spanned roughly 24 years, from 1271 to 1295. In his account, Il Milione (also known as The Travels of Marco Polo), he documents many aspects of life and medicine in his time. Leaving Venice at seventeen, he visited the arid deserts of…
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Slovenia: A young, independent country
The maps of the world are ever-changing as small principalities grow into mighty empires, which, in their turn, decline and break apart. The Slovenians, ever since their arrival from the Eastern European plains, have been part of several permutations and combinations, eventually belonging to the Habsburg Empire, which itself began as a small territory at…
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Serbia: History, war, and medicine
The territory of present-day Serbia has been inhabited since prehistoric times, most notably by the Vinča culture (c. 5700–4500 BCE), one of Europe’s earliest advanced societies. This sophisticated civilization produced early forms of proto-writing and advanced ceramic artistry as well as early medical awareness, including trepanation to treat trauma or neurological conditions. The region later…
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Malta: History and medicine
Humans have populated the Malta archipelago since at least 2400 BC, leaving behind temples that appear to have served as centers of religion and healing. The Phoenicians colonized the archipelago around 700 BC and ruled it until they were conquered in 218 BC by the Romans. In AD 60, according to the Acts of the Apostles, St.…
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Crimea: Past and present
Crimea, on the Black Sea, has been successively inhabited by Cimmerians, Scythians, and Greeks. Around the sixth century BCE, colonists from Greece established important settlements in Crimea, such as Chersonesus (near modern Sevastopol) and Pantikapaion (modern Kerch). The Greek influence during the classical period is reflected in plays such as Euripides’ Iphigenia at Tauris, the…
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On clubfoot, orthopedics, art, and history
Avi OhryTel Aviv, Israel A clubfoot,1 or congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV), is a birth defect in which the foot is inverted. If untreated, children with TEV often walk on their ankles, or on the sides of their feet. The condition occurs about one in every 1,000 live births. Recently, I watched an excellent French film,…