A Brief History On July 23, 1900, the icon of national “niceness” that is Canada turned a cold shoulder to immigrants, instituting a policy forbidding paupers and criminals from entering the country. While the US currently has emotional discussion about immigration into the country, illegal and legal alike, the fact is many countries have struggled with immigration policy. Digging Deeper Religion, ethnicity, skin color, and cultural considerations have often affected immigration policies or the lack of welcome on the part of the current inhabitants. While many countries have a positive view of immigrants, Pew Research indicates many have a negative…
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A Brief History On July 14, 1791, a buddy of Benjamin Franklin triggered a series of riots in England eponymously named “The Priestly Riots.” Digging Deeper English scientist and polymath, adept in the ways of chemistry, electricity, philosophy, theology, grammar, politics and education, he even invented carbonated water. His main crime in the eyes of English traditionalists was supporting the ongoing French Revolution, especially in regard to religion, with “reason” replacing much of the religious tenets of more mystical themes and his dissent against the Church of England. Not only did Priestly support the French Revolution, he had also been…
A Brief History On July 5, 1996, a sheep named Dolly was born, the product of a cloning experiment making her the first ever mammal to be cloned. Using an adult somatic cell from one sheep, an egg cell from another sheep, and the resulting embryo implanted in the womb of a third sheep saw baby Dolly carried to term. Digging Deeper This experiment proved that taking DNA from any cell in a mammal’s body other than a gamete could be used to form a clone of that mammal, the implied meaning that any mammal could be cloned, including humans.…
A Brief History On July 3, 1996, Prime Minister John Major of the United Kingdom made an announcement most Scots would find long overdue. Major announced that the Stone of Scone would be returned to Scotland after being held in England since 1296. Digging Deeper Not to be confused with the delicious breakfast pastry, the stone gets its name from Scone Abbey in Scone, Scotland, where the red sandstone block once resided. A sacred relic, the stone has been used in the coronation ceremonies of Scottish, English, and British monarchs. It has a cross carved on it and metal rings…
A Brief History On July 2, 1990, 1,426 faithful Muslims attending the annual pilgrimage to Mecca called the “Hajj,” were trampled and suffocated to death in a tunnel. Sadly, the Hajj is no stranger to such disasters, although not necessarily on this scale. Digging Deeper The incident happened as several people fell off a pedestrian bridge over a huge column of other faithful passing through the 550 meter long tunnel. When the crowd below had people land on them, a rush followed causing constriction of the crowd in the tunnel, resulting in trampling and suffocation. The tunnel, designed for only…