Now that we've gotten the controls and how to play the game out of the way, it's time to remember everything from memory for all the homework assignments!
Apple - Cambridge, 1687
Born on Christmas Day, 1642, Isaac Newton went on to become of the world's greatest scientists. Newton was uninterested in school until he attended Cambridge University, but his studies there were interrupted by London's Great Black Plague of 1665. In two short years back at his family farm in Woolsthorpe, Newton invented calculus, made major discoveries in optics, and formulated his famous theory of gravitation after observing a falling apple.
Newton's "Three Laws of Motion" revolutionized both physics and astronomy. He also discovered the spectrum of white light and invented the first refracting telescope. Although London's Royal Academy of Science made him a full fledged member at the young age of 30, Newton actually waited many years before publishing his discoveries in two landmark books, "The Principia" and "Optiks." In the 20th century, Einstein's theories have prevailed in atomic sizes and extreme speeds, but Newtonian physics is still used to safely navigate rockets to the moon, Mars and beyond.
Shield - Orleans, 1429
The idea that a mere 17-year-old could inspire hardened soldiers to win battle after battle during France and England's "Hundred Years War" is amazing. That Joan of Arc was an illiterate, 15th century farm girl makes it only more astounding. Driven to change her world by visions and voices of 3 saints, Joan led French troops against the English in an attempt to expel them from her country. Armed with the sword of Saint Catherine and clad in custom-made armor, Joan led an army of 4,000 men to a decisive victory, lifting the siege of the city of Orleans.
Joan's soldiers routed the enemy repeatedly and eventually took back enough land to allow the Dauphin to be crowned King Charles VII of France in the cathedral of Rheims. Before the "Maid of Orleans" could complete her task, however, she fell into the hands of the English. Tried and convicted of heresy, Joan -- still true to her purpose -- was martyred in 1431. Later cleared of the charges, Joan of Arc was made a saint by the Catholic Church in 1920.
Notebook - Florence, 1505
One of the most versatile geniuses in history, Leonardo da Vinci took his name from the village of Vinci, where he was born on April 15th, 1452. He lived during a period of artistic and intellectual reawakening called the Renaissance, which followed the 1000 year slumber known as the Middle Ages. A talented child, Leonardo apprenticed as a painter in Florence and later worked in Milan and Rome. He was employed by a series of wealthy patrons, and his interests extended far beyond painting.
Leonardo was also a sculptor, architect, engineer, musician, scientist and inventor -- a perfect example of a "Renaissance Man." His famous notebooks used backward handwriting for security purposes and were full of ideas that would not be realized for almost 500 years. His sketches include hang gliders, helicopters, parachutes, tanks, machine guns submarines, and diving gear. Leonardo's fresco of "The Last Supper" and his portrait of "Mona Lisa," also known as "La Gioconda," rank among the most famous pictures ever painted.
Sheet Music - Vienna, 1824
Arguably the greatest composer who ever lived, Ludwig von Beethoven spent most of his life in the Austrian music capital of Vienna. Born in 1770, Ludwig gave his first piano concert at the age eight. Soon recognized as a master pianist, he is said to have met Wolfgang Mozart in 1787. His talents turned toward composing, however, when the ear problems he had suffered from for years worsened and he became totally deaf. It is perhaps because of this handicap that he became such an original composer. Able only to imagine the music he created, Beethoven dared to ignore musical convention.
Although he lived in the palace of his royal patron and was admired the world over, Beethoven was said to have a bad temper, nasty habits, and a mean tongue. This perhaps explains why he never married. He completed his first symphony in 1800, beginning a cycle which reached its peak with the presentation of his masterpiece, the Ninth Symphony, in 1824. When he passed away in 1827, he had published approximately 200 works.
Declaration of Independence - Philadephila, 1776
Thomas Jefferson was born in Virginia in 1743. After studying law, he became a leader in the Virginia House of Burgesses. In his famous paper, "A Summary View Of The Rights Of British America," he insisted that colonial ties with England were voluntary. What he lacked as a public speaker was certainly made up for by his powerful writing. For this reason, Jefferson was chosen to write the Declaration of Independence, the document that give birth to the United States on July 4, 1776.
Heartbroken over the untimely passing of his young wife, Martha, in 1824, Jefferson never married again. In his political career he served as Governor of Virginia, the first Secretary of State, the second Vice President, and the third President of the United States. Retiring to the home he had designed, the beloved Monticello, he later became the founder of the University of Virginia. A scientist, farmer, architect and statesman, Jefferson's personal library became the nucleus of the U.S. Library of Congress.
First Floor Complete
Now that you've returned all the items on the first floor, you can enter the door to the left by pressing Up.
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