Tag Archives: Greece

First filming of war

The first war to be filmed was the Battle of Volo in Thessaly, Greece in April 1897. This war between Turkey and Greece was filmed by the British war correspondent and cinematographer, Frederick Villiers (UK), but never publically broadcast. The earliest footage of war that still exists was filmed on12 November 1899 by John Bennett (UK) during England’s campaign at Orange River, South Africa during the Boer War (1899-1902).

First horse race

Horsemanship was an important part of the Hittite culture of Anatolia, Turkey dating from 1400 BC. The 33rd ancient Olympic Games of 648 BC in Greece featured horse racing. The earliest horse race recorded in England was one held in about AD 210 at Netherby, Cumbria, among Arabians brought to Britain by Lucius Septimius Severus (AD 146—211), Emperor of Rome. Information from Archives (e.g. 1983). Submitted for use in Scholastic’s Modern Marvels.

First modern Olympic Games

Conceived by the French academic and sports enthusiast Pierre de Fredi, Baron de Coubertin (1863­-1937), the modern Olympic Games were inaugurated in Athens, Greece, the birthplace of Olympic sport, on 6 April 1896. The first-ever modern Games were a modest affair by today’s standards, with just 241 participants representing 14 different countries and competing in 43 events.

First Olympic Games

The earliest celebration of the ancient Olympic Games of which there is a certain record is that of July 776 BC, when Coroibos , a cook from Elis, won the foot race, though their origin dates from perhaps as early as c. 1370 BC. The ancient Games were terminated by an order issued in AD393 by the Roman Emperor Theodosius I. Information from Archives (e.g. 1998). Submitted for use in Scholastic’s Modern Marvels.

First permanent theatre

The outdoor Theatre of Dionysius was the world’s oldest theatre, having been built in Ancient Athens in approximately 500 BC. With an estimated capacity of up to 17,000 people, the theatre was “in the round”, with stone rows built up a slope overlooking the stage. As well as putting on tragedies and comedies, the theatre was also used to host drama competitions in which the audience could vote on their favourite play – an ancient forerunner of today’s American Idol and Dancing With The Stars!

First use of steganography

Dating back to the 5th century BC, steganography is one of the oldest methods of concealing secret information. According to the classical author Herodotus, it was first used by the tyrant Histiaeus, who shaved the head of a servant before tattooing a message on the poor man’s scalp. When the hair had grown back, the servant was sent to deliver his message – a warning of impending attack by the presumably slow-moving Persian army – which was revealed when the servant’s head was once more Continue reading →

Largest battle at sea

The greatest of ancient naval battles in recorded history was the Battle of Salamis, which took place in the straits at Salamis, between the island of Salamis and the port city of Piraeus, (the city-port of Athens), Greece in September 480 BC. There were an estimated 800 vessels in the defeated Persian fleet and 370 in the victorious fleet of the Athenians and their allies, with a possible involvement of 200,000 men. The Greeks sank about 300 Persian vessels and lost about 40 themselves. The Continue reading →

Largest bougatsa

The largest puff pastry was a bougatsa weighing 182.2 kg (401 lbs 11 oz) and was achieved by the Serres Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Serres, Greece, on 1 June 2008. The dimensions of bougatsa: 19.97 m (65 ft 6 in) x 58.5 cm (1 ft 11 in) x 2 cm (0.78 in)

Largest cheese (goat’s milk)

The largest goat’s cheese weighed 939 kg (2,070 lb) and was made by Ioannis Stathoris Ltd. (Greece) at Ierissos, Halkidiki, Greece, on 29 December 2010. The ingredients used were: Milk – 5861 kg (12,921 lb) Culture (yoghurt) – 12 kg (26.46 lb) Salt – 140 kg (288 lb) Water – 1000 kg (2,204 lb)