Subject: ‘Weapons’

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USS Nautilus

Posted in America, Historical articles, History, Ships, Technology, Weapons on Friday, 29 April 2016

This edited article about the USS Nautilus first appeared in Look and Learn issue number 584 published on 24 March 1973.

USS Nautilus, picture, image, illustration

USS Nautilus

In 1870 Jules Verne wrote about a mighty submarine that could cruise thousands of leagues under the sea. He called it the Nautilus.

On January 21st, 1954, at a Connecticut shipyard the dream of Jules Verne came true. As Mrs Eisenhower smashed a bottle of champagne against the dark green hull of the Nautilus, the world’s first atom-powered submarine slid into the water.

Nautilus is 300 feet long, displaces 3,000 tons and cost £10 ½ million to build. Her atomic power can carry her round the world without refuelling.

And her speed is in excess of 20 knots.

When the cheers of the launching ceremony died away Nautilus went to work. Soon she was breaking records and in 1957 came a voyage of exploration as exciting as any that man has known.

The brief of her captain, Commander William Anderson, was to explore beneath the ice packs of the North Pole. The rasp of the diving alarm sounded and for the first time Nautilus edged under the ice.

Somewhere in the ship a juke-box was playing. Off-duty members of the crew relaxed in their almost luxurious quarters.

In the mess another group were eating dinner. Meanwhile in the control room, Commander Anderson wondered what they would find below the ice.

It wasn’t long before the answers to questions that had been puzzling scientists for many years began to arrive. By means of a sonar machine scientists on board were able to form a very good picture of what the ice overhead was like.

A sonar machine is a device that picks up sound and so enables the navigator to detect the presence of any objects outside his ship. This he does by listening for the echo made by an object in the path of a beam of sound.

First they found that it was a huge, ever-moving mass of varying thickness. It was made up of floes ranging from a few feet to ten or twelve feet but not often more.

The North Pole ice-pack is interspersed here and there with small lakes, little more than cracks in the surface.

After cruising for some time beneath the surface Commander Anderson decided to attempt to bring Nautilus to the surface in one of these cracks.

It was, as he put it, rather like “threading a needle.”

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The best pictures from educational trade cards, 114

Posted in Best pictures, Educational card, Famous crimes, Historical articles, History, Invasions, Leisure, Religion, Sport, War, Weapons on Thursday, 26 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows Abd-ar-Rahman III proclaiming the Caliphate of Cordoba.

Cordoba, picture, image, illustration

Abd-ar-Rahman III Proclaims the Caliphate of Cordoba

The second picture shows a game of tennis.

 tennis, picture, image, illustration

A game of tennis

The third picture shows Turkish Bashi-bazouks mutilating Greek corpses.

war, picture, image, illustration

Turkish Bashi-bazouks mutilating Greek corpses, Akrotiri, Crete, Greco-Turkish War, 7 March 1897

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.

The best pictures from educational trade cards, 102

Posted in Best pictures, Disasters, Discoveries, Educational card, Exploration, Historical articles, History, Politics, Royalty, War, Weapons on Thursday, 26 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows the suicide of King Zhou of Shang.

King Zhou, picture, image, illustration

The suicide of King Zhou of Shang

The second picture shows Captain Cook meeting with Maori chiefs in New Zealand, 1769.

Captain Cook, picture, image, illustration

Captain Cook meeting with Maori chiefs in New Zealand, 1769

The third picture shows the sacking of a town in the Middle Ages.

town, picture, image, illustration

Sacking of a town in the Middle Ages

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.

The best pictures from educational trade cards, 97

Posted in America, Ancient History, Animals, Best pictures, Bible, Bravery, Customs, Educational card, Famous battles, Flags, Geography, Geology, Heroes and Heroines, Historical articles, History, Minerals, Myth, Religion, Saints, Sea, Ships, Travel, War, Weapons on Thursday, 26 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows Jason making a sacrifice to the Gods to aid the Argo in its voyage.

Argo, picture, image, illustration

Sacrifice to the Gods to aid the Argo in its voyage

The second picture shows gold prospectors in Alaska.

Gold prospectors, picture, image, illustration

Gold prospectors, Alaska

The third picture shows St James the Great, patron saint of Spain.

St James the Great, picture, image, illustration

St James the Great, patron saint of Spain

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.

The best pictures from educational trade cards, 91

Posted in America, Animals, Architecture, Arts and Crafts, Best pictures, Famous landmarks, Farming, Fashion, Historical articles, History, Weapons, Wildlife on Thursday, 26 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows buffalo hunting in North America.

hunt, picture, image, illustration

Hunting buffalo in North America

The second picture shows the Pailou arch in Peking.

Peking, picture, image, illustration

Pailou arch in Peking

The third picture shows Panama Hats being made.

Panama Hats, picture, image, illustration

Panama Hats Being Made

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.

The best pictures from educational trade cards, 89

Posted in Animals, Art, Artist, Best pictures, Boats, Educational card, Famous artists, Historical articles, History, Industry, Invasions, Religion, Sea, Ships, War, Weapons, Wildlife on Thursday, 26 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows Raphael working on his portrait of Pope Leo X with Cardinals Giulio de’ Medici and Luigi de’ Rossi.

Raphael, picture, image, illustration

Raphael working on his portrait of Pope Leo X with Cardinals Giulio de' Medici and Luigi de' Rossi

The second picture shows William the Conquerer falling onto the sand of Pevensey Bay in 1066.

Normans, picture, image, illustration

The conquest of England by the Normans, with William the Conquerer, having fallen onto the sand of Pevensey Bay, at which he exclaimed, 'By the splendour of God, I have taken seisin of England! – I hold its earth in my hands!'.

The third picture shows whaling off the coast of South America.

Whaling, picture, image, illustration

Whaling off the coast of South America

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.

The best pictures from educational trade cards, 87

Posted in Architecture, Best pictures, Castles, Children, Customs, Educational card, Famous battles, Heroes and Heroines, Historical articles, History, Royalty, War, Weapons on Wednesday, 25 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows Richard the Lionheart mortally wounded before the Castle of Chalus-Chabrol.

Richard the Lionheart, picture, image, illustration

Richard the Lionheart mortally wounded before the Castle of Chalus-Chabrol

The second picture shows the Feasting hall in the house of Harald Fairhair, King of Norway.

Harald Fairhair, picture, image, illustration

Feasting hall in the house of Harald Fairhair, King of Norway

The third picture shows Russian children skating.

skaters, picture, image, illustration

Russian children skating

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.

The best pictures from educational trade cards, 81

Posted in Architecture, Art, Artist, Arts and Crafts, Best pictures, Communications, Customs, Famous artists, Famous battles, Famous landmarks, Historical articles, History, Invasions, Religion, War, Weapons on Wednesday, 25 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows Leonardo da Vinci as a student of Andrea del Verrocchio.

Leonardo, picture, image, illustration

Leonardo da Vinci as a student of Andrea del Verrocchio

The second picture shows the Siege of Paris by the Normans in the 9th Century.

Siege of Paris, picture, image, illustration

Siege of Paris by the Normans, 9th Century

The third picture shows the Call to prayer at Gallipoli.

muezzin, picture, image, illustration

Call to prayer, Gallipoli

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.

The best pictures from educational trade cards, 80

Posted in Best pictures, Educational card, Famous crimes, Famous news stories, Heroes and Heroines, Historical articles, History, Leisure, Literature, News, Politics, Religion, Science, Weapons on Wednesday, 25 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows Don Quixote.

Don Quixote, picture, image, illustration

Don Quixote

The second picture shows the Armenian Massacres, 1894-1896.

Armenian Massacres, picture, image, illustration

Armenian Massacres, 1894-1896

The third picture shows a novel illustration of the physics of Lightning.

Lightning, picture, image, illustration

Lightning

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.

The best pictures from educational trade cards, 75

Posted in Africa, Ancient History, Architecture, Best pictures, Bravery, Educational card, Famous battles, Famous landmarks, Heroes and Heroines, Historical articles, History, Law, Music, Mystery, Myth, Politics, Religion, Superstition, War, Weapons on Wednesday, 25 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows Cardinal Richelieu sending Francois de Montmorency-Bouteville and the Comte de Chapelles to be executed for defying his ban on duelling, in 1627.

Cardinal Richelieu, picture, image, illustration

Cardinal Richelieu sending Francois de Montmorency-Bouteville and the Comte de Chapelles to be executed for defying his ban on duelling, 1627

The second picture shows Orpheus in Egypt.

Orpheus, picture, image, illustration

Orpheus in Egypt

The third picture shows the death of Lord Talbot and his son.

Talbot and son, picture, image, illustration

The Death of Lord Talbot and his Son

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.