The annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival has been held since 1963. Harbin is the capital of Heilongjiang province, in northeastern China. It is nicknamed “Ice City” and aptly so for winter January temperatures that average minus 18 degrees Celsius, under the influence of the cold winter wind from Siberia.. Read More
The sinking of the RMS Titanic caused the deaths of 1,517 of its 2,229 passengers and crew (official numbers vary slightly) in one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. The 712 survivors were taken aboard the RMS Carpathia. Few disasters have had such resonance and far-reaching effects on the fabric of society as the sinking of the Titanic.. Read More
Queen Elizabeth II has been on the throne for 60 years. 60 YEARS!!! It’s called a Diamond Jubilee and called for a good old British celebration. Food, drink, street parties, a 1,000 ships strong armada on the Thames, special horse races, an extra day off work and some rain made it the perfect British party. Hip Hip. Hurray. Read More
Astronomers and people around the world have trained their telescopes on the skies to watch Venus pass in front of the Sun, a once-in-a-lifetime event that will not be seen for another 105 years. The transit of Venus began shortly after 6pm on Tuesday (8am today AEST) in cloud-free areas of North America, Central America and the northern part of South America, and was visible, with magnification, as a tiny black dot on the solar surface. Read More