A castle is a defensive structure associated with the Middle Ages, found in Europe and the Middle East. The precise meaning of "castle" is debated by scholars, but it is usually considered to be the "private fortified residence" of a lord or noble. Over the approximately 900 years that castles were built they took on a great many forms with many different features, although some, such as curtain walls and arrowslits, were commonplace. A European innovation, castles originated in the 9th and 10th centuries, after the fall of the Carolingian Empire resulted in its territory being divided among individual lords and princes. Early castles often exploited natural defences, and lacked features such as towers and arrowslits and relied on a central keep. In the late 12th and early 13th centuries, a scientific approach to castle defence emerged. This led to the proliferation of towers, with an emphasis on flanking fire. Although gunpowder was introduced to Europe in the 14th century, it did not significantly affect castle building until the 15th century, when artillery became powerful enough to break through stone walls. While castles continued to be built well into the 16th century, new techniques to deal with improved cannon fire made them uncomfortable and undesirable places to live. As a result, true castles went into decline and were replaced by artillery forts with no role in civil administration, and country houses that were indefensible.
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_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
303:
Roman Emperor Diocletian's first "Edict against the Christians" was published, beginning the Diocletianic Persecution, the last and most severe episode of the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diocletianic_Persecution
1803:
In their ruling in Marbury v. Madison, the U.S. Supreme Court established judicial review in the United States. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marbury_v._Madison
1822:
The first Swaminarayan temple, Swaminarayan Mandir in present-day Ahmedabad, India, was inaugurated. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shri_Swaminarayan_Mandir%2C_Ahmedabad
1875:
The steamship SS Gothenburg hit a section of the Great Barrier Reef at low tide and sank about 50 kilometres (31 mi) northwest of Holbourne Island, Queensland, Australia, with the loss of over 100 lives. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Gothenburg
1946:
Colonel Juan Perón, founder of the political movement that became known as Peronism, was elected to his first term as President of Argentina. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Per%C3%B3n
2006:
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared a state of emergency in an attempt to subdue a possible military coup. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_state_of_emergency_in_the_Philippines
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
incandescent (adj): 1. Emitting light as a result of being heated. 2. Shining very brightly. 3. Showing intense emotion, as of a performance etc http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/incandescent
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
The lot of critics is to be remembered by what they failed to understand. --George A. Moore http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_A._Moore