Japonism in the 19th Century Europe — If you are a fan of Vincent Van Gogh, you may have noticed strange elements that exist in his paintings. Hidden in corners of his paintings are certain “oriental” elements that seem out of place with what the audience would expect from a 19th-century European painter’s painting. In his most…

How a Russian Invader Became the Khan of Mongolia — In 1911, after 300 long years under the rule of the Qing Dynasty of China, Mongolia declared itself independent under the leadership of Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, who was a Tibetan Buddhist monk. However, in 1920, China reoccupied Mongolia and dethroned Khutuktu from the seat of the Khan. In 1921, in the…

Prince Yi U — When Japan annexed Korea in 1910, many of Korea’s ex-royals were given noble titles by the Japanese imperial government to ease the anger of the Korean people. Although from the outside it seemed like these royals were treated exceptionally by Japan, many of them lived tragic lives. One of the…

The History of the Smallest Country in the World — Vatican City is officially the smallest country in the world. Situated in the middle of Rome as an enclave, it is only about 20% of the size of Central Park in Manhattan, New York City. Its population is about 1,000, only made up of the Pope, Bishops, and Clergies that…

Why Banana Flavoring Tastes Nothing Like an Actual Banana — Have you ever had a banana-flavored candy or drink and wondered why the flavor tasted nothing like an actual banana? Well, what if I told you that it actually does taste like an actual banana? The fact is, the banana flavor that most are familiar with closely resembles that of…

The Incredible Story of Zhu Yuanzhang, the Hongwu Emperor — In China’s more than 4000 years long history there has been only one case where a peasant rose to the rank in society higher than everyone else; emperor. Zhu Yuanzhang was a peasant who experience extreme poverty during 14th century China, who later became the founder and the emperor of…

Theagenes of Thasos might have a case for the greatest MMA fighter of all time — When we think of the greater mixed martial artists, we think of world-renowned UFC fighters such as Conor Mcgregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Francis Nganou. These fighters rarely ever lose a fight in the Octagon and are near masters in various martial arts and fighting techniques, making them the most formidable…

How did Hitler and the Nazi party win the election of 1932? — It was the federal election of 1932, where Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist Party, also known as the Nazi Party, won 37.3% of seats in the German parliament, becoming the largest party by seat count in the nation. The fact that a political party with such extreme ideological goals…

Personal opinions based on historical facts 1. Subotai When people discuss history’s greatest generals of all time, a name that is not usually discussed is Subotai. However, Subotai has the feats to trump all, if not most of his competitions. Subotai was a Mongolian general, who fought alongside Genghis Khan and Ogedei…