Nov/Dec 2024 - NGH Single Copy

HISTORY NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
THE TOMB OF ST. PETER
In the 1940s archaeologists at the Vatican found a monument matching an early description of Peter’s tomb. Bones found nearby, which some believe to be those of Peter, are now the focus of an intense scholarly debate. Other features in this issue include:
• The Real Emperor Nero – His cruelty to Christians won him eternal notoriety. But before his reign collapsed into chaos, the younger Nero had ruled with restraint, confronting the greed of the Senate and striving to improve life for everyday Romans.
• The Age of Castles – To beef up their defenses, Europe’s medieval kings vied to build ever more elaborate castles. But attackers were innovating too, and by the 1300s, not even the strongest structures could resist the advances of gunpowder.
• Curse of the Borgias – Reigning as Pope Alexander VI, Rodrigo Borgia ruthlessly appointed his children as cardinals and generals or married them off to nobility. Murder and intrigue followed in the Borgias’ wake, but when Alexander died in 1503, their power expired with him.
• Arriving at Ellis Island – Large numbers of immigrants coming to the United States in the early 1900s shaped modern America. Many first experienced American food and customer in the control center on New York’s Ellis Island, the gateway to a fresh start and a new life.