Knights Templar Fact Thirteen

The Knights Templar fought in many battles defending the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1145 with the Second Crusade through the fall of Acre in 1291. Over that span over 20,000 Templars died. One contributing factor to their high fatalities was their reputation of being the first into battle and the last to leave. 


Knights Templar page

Viking Fact Thirteen

Erik the Red is credited with discovering and naming Greenland in 982 AD. Although it has a tundra climate he gave the misleading name to sell fellow Norsemen on settling there.


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American Civil War Fact Thirteen

The Union army had four different commanders during the war which was designated with the rank General-in-Chief. Winfield Scott was the General-in-Chief at the start of the war until he retired in October 1861. George B McClellan held the command from November 1861 until he was stripped of the title in March 1862. President Lincoln filled the role until Henry W Halleck was appointed General-in-Chief in July 1862. Hallack kept command until March 1864 when he was replaced by Ulysses Grant. Grant remained over the Union army until the end of the war.


American Civil War page

Ancient Egypt Fact Thirteen

Music was an important part of the Egyptian culture in both religious services and daily life. They could have had a mini orchestra with percussion, wind and string sections. The percussion included drums as well as bells, castanets, cymbals, tambourines and rattles. The sistrum was an important rattle used during religious gatherings. For wind they had an array of flutes plus oboes and trumpets. The most popular string instrument was the harp while they also had lutes and lyres.


Ancient Egypt page

Pirate Fact Thirteen

Corsairs were pirates that operated in the Mediterranean Sea mainly along the Barbary coast of north Africa in the 15th through the 18th centuries.The corsairs were unique because they had the backing of a larger organization or religious group. There were Muslim or Ottoman corsairs that had strongholds in Algiers, Tripoli and Tunis. The Knights of St John countered with a fleet of at least 45 ships based at the Island of Malta and they acted as Christian corsairs attacking Muslim ships and towns.


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St Anacletus Third Pope

St Anacletus was the third Bishop of Rome and thus the third Pope as he served from 76-88. He was born in Rome although his exact date of birth is unknown. Sometimes he was referred to as Cletus. He ordained 25 priests and divided Rome into 25 parishes. When he died he was buried next to Pope St Linus at St Peter's Basilica. The Feast of St Cletus is celebrated on April 26.

Ancient Seven Wonders of the World Fact Twelve

The Lighthouse of Alexandria was reported by Roman writer Pliny the Elder to have cost 800 talents to build. One talent was equal to about 928 ounces or 26,308 grams of silver. The modern value would be over $14 million U.S.


Ancient Seven Wonders page