2024 is, the UN has proclaimed, the international year of the camelid. That may seem odd to Americans, whose, if having encountered them at all, most common close encounter with a camel was likely paying a few dollars to ride on one at a country fair. Still, camels have a fascinating history, even some here in the United States, and are still vitally important in many parts of the world.
In 1906, a famed explorer saw something on the horizon that would lead an expedition of men to search for a magnificent land they hoped would be full of new and undiscovered treasures for science.
One famous dolphin lived near the shores of New Zealand in the late 1800s, and swam alongside hundreds of ships, becoming a beloved figure to locals and foreigners alike, and described as ”the best known fish in the world.”
It was relatively common in the middle ages for Kings, royals, and various other titled men to die in combat, and they were at least usually expected to fight personally. Despite the dangers of medieval combat and the expectations of nobility, however, many at the highest levels of aristocracy died in less than noble mundane accidents, and even in embarrassing circumstances.
During a forgotten battle in a forgotten war, one particular act of bravery deserves to be remembered.
Today S.O.S. is recognized by almost everybody, all over the world. And its meaning has gone beyond the code from which it was created.
The history of the creation and artistry of the famed Imperial Eggs, along with the fortunes of the House of Fabergé, are deeply intertwined with a period of Russian history, potent symbols of the rapidly industrializing country, it’s successes, and its faults.