About 20th Century History

The Last Survivors of China's Foot-binding

2009-11-19T18:27:29Z

For centuries in China, it was common for young girls to have their feet bound, with their toes pulled under the base of the foot. This binding would deform the girls' feet, resulting in feet so petite that they were hardly larger than a child's. The other result of foot-binding made women hardly able, or completely unable, to walk.

Although foot-binding was banned in 1912, the long-held practice lingered in many areas. When the Communists came to power in China in 1949, foot-binding finally ended. The history of this practice is fascinating. Were girls' feet bound purely for erotic reasons? If it prevented women from working, why would peasants also bind their children's feet? For more information on "Lotus Flower" feet and the few remaining survivors of the practice, see this interesting article in The Wall Street Journal.

The Last Survivors of China's Foot-binding originally appeared on About.com 20th Century History on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 18:27:29.

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90-Year-Old Former SS Member Charged With Murder

2009-11-19T14:38:46Z

After police raided his home in Duisburg, Germany, a man known as Adolf Storms was arrested and charged with 58 counts of murder. It is believed that Storms is a former member of the fifth SS Tank Division "Viking" and helped hatch a plan on March 28, 1945 to kill Jewish laborers at the end of World War II. Carrying out their plan, Storms and other SS took 57 Jewish inmates into the woods outside of Deutsch Schuetzen, Austria and shot them. He is also accused of killing another Jewish prisoner during a death march. For more information about Storms, read this AFP article.

90-Year-Old Former SS Member Charged With Murder originally appeared on About.com 20th Century History on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 14:38:46.

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UN Tribunal Overturns Rwandan Genocide Ruling

2009-11-18T13:47:37Z

On Monday, November 16, 2009, a United Nations appeals court overturned the ruling against Protais Zigiranyirazo (also known as "Z"), the brother-in-law of ex-Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana. In 2008, Zigiranyirazo had been found guilty of genocide and extermination and had been sentenced to 22 years in prison for his participation in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The appeals court decided to overturn the ruling of the lower court because they found serious errors in the original trial which seriously impeded justice.

Shortly after the announcement that the ruling had been overturned, Zigiranyirazo was set free.

UN Tribunal Overturns Rwandan Genocide Ruling originally appeared on About.com 20th Century History on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 13:47:37.

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Charles Manson Turns 75

2009-11-15T11:55:08Z

On November 12, 2009, convicted serial killer Charles Manson turned 75 years old. Manson, who once headed the "Manson Family," still mesmerizes people. His new supporters believe he has insight into the environment.

As Manson sits in the state prison in Corcoran, California he espouses his beliefs on ATWA (an acronym for air, trees, water, animals). Manson believes that the government is covering up how bad pollution has really gotten. For more about Manson and his new followers, see this CNN article (this page also includes a few recent pictures of Manson).

Charles Manson Turns 75 originally appeared on About.com 20th Century History on Sunday, November 15th, 2009 at 11:55:08.

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Hitler's House for Sale

2009-11-11T22:38:32Z

Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889 in a room on the first floor of the building at Salzburger Vorstadt 15 in Braunau-am-Inn, Austria. At the time, Hitler's parents rented a room upstairs in the building. During the Nazi era, Martin Bormann declared the building a national monument.

The building is now being put up for sale for an estimated $3.3 million (£2 million). Town officials are worried that neo-Nazis might buy the property and turn it into a shrine to Hitler. Although the town officials would like to buy the property, they currently lack the funds to meet the asking price.

For more information about Hitler's birthplace, read this Mail Online article.

Hitler's House for Sale originally appeared on About.com 20th Century History on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 22:38:32.

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Beer From the Hindenburg for Sale

2009-11-11T22:07:56Z

After the Hindenburg burst into flame on May 6, 1937, one of the firefighters who was helping clean up the area after the disaster noticed six bottles of Lowenbrau beer and a pitcher that had survived the disaster. He then buried his treasure and went back for it later.

Now one of these bottles of beer and the pitcher are going up for auction this Saturday. If the bottle of beer reaches its expected $8,337 (�5,000) sell price, then it will become the most expensive ever purchased.

Beer From the Hindenburg for Sale originally appeared on About.com 20th Century History on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 22:07:56.

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U.N. Creates Nelson Mandela Day

2009-11-11T21:50:39Z

The United Nations has declared that July 18 will be known as "Nelson Mandela International Day." The U.N. chose to honor Mandela because of his work toward freedom around the world. July 18 was chosen because it is Mandela's birthday.

U.N. Creates Nelson Mandela Day originally appeared on About.com 20th Century History on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 21:50:39.

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Slinky Toy Hits Shelves

2009-11-10T22:51:48Z

The first Slinky toys were sold in 1945 at Gimbel's Department Store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. And since then, stairs have never been left alone.

Slinky Toy Hits Shelves originally appeared on About.com 20th Century History on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 at 22:51:48.

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The First Peanuts Cartoon Strip

2009-11-05T13:35:41Z

We all love Snoopy and sympathize with Charlie Brown. Yet when did the Peanuts cartoon strip first appear? Which characters were in the very first four panels?

The First Peanuts Cartoon Strip originally appeared on About.com 20th Century History on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 13:35:41.

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When Does the Past Become History?

2009-11-04T23:23:33Z

A recent BBC History Magazine survey asked readers, "When do events in the past become history?" The survey received 1,897 votes. The most popular answer, with 31 percent of the vote, was that the past becomes history a second ago. The next most popular answer also considered the past turning to history quite quickly, with 28 percent of the voters responding that the past turns to history within ten years. Answers that ranged from 20 to 50 years ago each received one to six percent of the vote. A few (4 percent) believed that events were only history if they occurred before that individual was born.

When do you think past events become history?

When Does the Past Become History? originally appeared on About.com 20th Century History on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 23:23:33.

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