Monday, December 20, 2004
The Pope, Vatican city
Pope, in Latin, papa, from the Greek pappas, meaning “father,” an ecclesiastical title expressing affection and respect and, since the 8th century, recognized in the West as belonging exclusively to the bishop of Rome, head of the Roman Catholic church. During the 4th and 5th centuries bishops were sometimes called pope. The title is still accorded the Coptic patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt. Priests of the Orthodox churches may also be called pappa, reflecting the sense of the original Greek word.
John Paul II was born Karol Wojtyła on May 18, 1920, in Wadowice, Poland
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Eiffel Tower, Paris
Eiffel Tower, wrought-iron tower in Paris, a landmark and an early example of wrought-iron construction on a gigantic scale. It was designed and built by the French civil engineer Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel for the Paris World's Fair of 1889. The tower, without its modern broadcasting antennas, is 300 m (984 ft) high. The lower section consists of four immense arched legs set on masonry piers. The legs curve inward until they unite in a single tapered tower. Platforms, each with an observation deck, are at three levels; on the first is also a restaurant. The tower, constructed of about 6300 metric tons (about 7000 tons) of iron, has stairs and elevators.
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