This is Beirut - History

Napoleon’s Diamond Brooch to Shine at Sotheby’s Geneva Auction

This is Beirut, 07/11 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Jewelry Auction Napoleon History Switzerland Culture

Spectacular diamonds valued at tens of millions of dollars will go under the hammer in Geneva next week, alongside a brooch seized from Napoleon as he fled the Battle of Waterloo. The unique brooch laden with old mine-cut diamonds, which has been valued at $150,000 to $250,000, will be the star piece at Sotheby's annual Royal & Noble Jewels sale ...

Juan Carlos Breaks His Silence in Reconciliation, the Memoirs of a Fallen King

This is Beirut, 05/11 19:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Royals Juan Carlos Memoirs History Spain Culture

Mixing historic anecdotes and regret over his own scandals, Spain's exiled king Juan Carlos I seeks to reconcile himself with his family and nation in newly published memoirs that offer dramatic reminiscences from one of the last surviving players of 20th-century history. From holding Franco's hand on the dictator's deathbed to helping defuse a ...

UK King to Be First to Pray With Pope in Five Centuries

This is Beirut, 22/10 12:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Pope Francis United Kingdom King Charles III Vatican History

King Charles III leaves for a state visit to the Vatican Wednesday, where he will meet Pope Leo XIV and make history as the first head of the Church of England to pray publicly with the pontiff since the schism between the churches 500 years ago. The visit comes at a delicate time for the British king following new revelations about his brother, ...

Calais Exhibits Possible Remains of Lady Emma Hamilton, Legendary Lover of Horatio Nelson

This is Beirut, 20/09 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

History Lady Hamilton Admiral Nelson Britain France Culture

Remains that could belong to Lady Emma Hamilton, the legendary lover of British naval hero Horatio Nelson who defeated French forces at the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar, went on display at a French church on Friday after a year-long investigation. It is not 100 percent certain that the remains are those of Lady Hamilton, who died in poverty in the ...

France Launches Appeal to Acquire Proust’s ‘Madeleine’ Writings

This is Beirut, 17/09 18:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Literature Auction Proust France History Culture

France's National Library launched a public appeal for donations on Wednesday to acquire hundreds of unpublished documents belonging to Marcel Proust, including some showing how the famed writer settled on one of his most famous lines. Some of the roughly 900 documents were put up for show by the auction house Sotheby's on Wednesday morning and ...

Viking Ships Make Final High-risk Voyage to New Oslo Home

This is Beirut, 11/09 10:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Vikings History Museum Last Trip Norway Culture

Three 1,200-year-old Viking ships that have stood the test of time are embarking on their final and possibly riskiest journey to their new forever home in Norway. The first to relocate is the Oseberg, which on Wednesday slowly made its way from its current location in the old Viking Ship Museum, arriving intact with a newly built addition that ...

Eiffel Tower Pays Tribute to Forgotten Women of Science

This is Beirut, 06/09 14:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Women History Eiffel Monument Paris Culture

Gustave Eiffel, who designed France's world-famous monument, had the names of 72 scholars inscribed on the base of the tower in golden letters. All of them men. More than 130 years later, Paris authorities are seeking to right a historic wrong by adding the names of 72 illustrious women. "The aim is to highlight the historical contribution of ...

The Nanjing Massacre Through Film: 'Dead to Rights' and China’s Lingering Trauma

This is Beirut, 30/08 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Film China Japan Massacre History Culture

The film Dead to Rights, which recounts the Nanjing Massacre of 1937-38, takes viewers through the atrocities committed by the Japanese army in China. Released just before the 80th anniversary of China's victory over Japan, the film has become a powerful focal point of national remembrance, attracting large crowds to its filming set, now a tourist ...

France Returns Colonial-Era Human Remains to Madagascar

This is Beirut, 26/08 16:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Museum History Diplomacy France Madagascar Culture

France on Tuesday returned three colonial-era skulls to Madagascar, including one believed to be a Malagasy king beheaded by French troops during a 19th-century massacre. The skull presumed to be that of King Toera and two others from the Sakalava ethnic group were handed over at a ceremony at the French culture ministry. French troops beheaded ...

Historic Swedish Church Being Moved as Giant Mine Casts Growing Shadow

This is Beirut, 15/08 18:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Church Preservation Mining Sweden History Culture

A historic red wooden church considered one of Sweden's most beautiful buildings is to be moved from its longtime home in the Arctic town of Kiruna next week as part of a campaign to expand Europe's biggest underground mine. Kiruna Kyrka, a Swedish Lutheran church, dates from 1912. The 672 tonne, 40 metre (131 feet) high building will be moved ...

Heritage and Cool Comfort: Paris’ Underground Catacombs Treasure

This is Beirut, 13/08 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Paris Catacombs Heritage History Heat Wave Culture

The moment visitors step inside the Paris Catacombs, the hundred or so people who had been waiting outside in the shade of the trees put away their caps, sunglasses, and hand fans, swapping them for sweaters and jackets in hopes of escaping the oppressive summer heat. Those dressed too lightly wrap their arms around themselves for warmth. Beatriz ...

China’s Gen Z Women Embrace Centuries-Old Script

This is Beirut, 11/08 14:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Women China History Culture

At a studio in central China's Hunan province, a teacher grips an ink brush, gently writing characters of a secret script created by women centuries ago and now being embraced by a new generation. Nushu, meaning "women's script", emerged around 400 years ago. Barred from attending school, the women secretly learned Chinese ...

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