4to40.com

How was Tutankhamen’s tomb discovered?

In November 1922 an English archaeologist, Howard Carter, found in Egypt the tomb of a pharaoh that was filled with wonderful, exciting treasure. Newspapers were full of stories of golden thrones, beds and chariots, of jeweled caskets, even of flowers still preserved in the dry, airless tomb. Carter, who was working for Lord Carnarvon, had been busy in the royal …

Read More »

How was the first world map drawn?

The first world map was chiseled on a clay tablet in ancient Babylon in 6 BC. The Greeks in 4 BC had similar maps though they correctly believed that the earth was not flat, but a sphere. The first reasonably accurate world map was drawn by hand on paper by Gerardus Mercator, a Flemish geographer. His first world map was …

Read More »

How was coffee brought to Brazil?

Although coffee was drunk centuries ago in Ethiopia it did not come to Europe until the seventeenth century. Soon ‘coffee houses’ were to be seen in every city, the first in London being opened in 1652. These coffee houses became fashionable places where people met, and the famous Lloyd’s insurance association started in one in about 1688. Until the end …

Read More »

How to create the MJ diamond?

Strange though it may sound, people around the world are ‘immortalizing’ loved ones by turning their ashes into diamonds. It is seen as a beautiful way to remember deceased parents, spouses, lovers, stillborn babies and even pets. The most famous among those who will rock on forever as priceless gems is likely to be the late pop star Michael Jackson. …

Read More »