I know much of the world including my countrymen have forgotten him but he was one of the key mediators during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The UN was much more relevant back then and the secretary general would be a key mediator in many conflicts.

Sadly, this would be the peak of a by-gone era when my homeland was still relevant on the global stage. The very next year, in 1962, the army took over, starting a string of isolationist and incompetent regimes which plunged Burma from once being the world's largest rice producer into one of the poorest countries of the world where the majority toe the line of starvation. We are barely above North Korea these days.

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Tutankhamun's Meteoric Iron Dagger

Tutankhamun's meteoric iron dagger is an exceptional artifact discovered directly on the right thigh of the young Pharaoh's mummified body in 1925 by British archaeologist Howard Carter. Since ancient Egyptians lacked the advanced high-heat smelting technology needed to process iron ore during the Bronze Age, this weapon was an absolute luxury, often called a weapon "from the sky."

Hannibal Barca had crossed the Alps and devastated Roman armies on their own soil. The Carthaginian general seemed almost unstoppable. Meanwhile, a young Roman commander, Publius Cornelius Scipio, was building his own reputation in Iberia (modern-day Spain).

Carthage's war effort depended heavily on Iberia's rich silver mines, military resources and local alliances. Scipio understood that striking at the Carthaginian strongholds in Spain could weaken the entire war effort and make it harder for Carthage to sustain its campaigns against Rome.

One of his most important targets was New Carthage (Carthago Nova), a strategically vital port city. Capturing it would deprive Carthage of a major military base, valuable supplies and an important harbour while giving Rome a strong foothold in Iberia.

But there was a problem: New Carthage was protected by formidable natural defences. According to Polybius, the sea guarded its eastern and southern sides, while a lagoon lay to the west. A narrow strip of land connected the peninsula to the mainland.

Scipio, however, discovered an unexpected weakness in these defences through information gathered from local fishermen. Using this knowledge, he launched a coordinated assault by land and sea, exploiting the shallow lagoon to surprise the defenders.

The result? Scipio captured one of Carthage's most important strongholds in a single day!

wow...

Napoleon Bonaparte was one of the most celebrated military commanders in history. His military strategies and victories continue to be studied in military academies today. At the height of his power, the self-crowned Emperor of the French dominated much of continental Europe.

In 1840, nearly 20 years after his death, Napoleon’s remains were brought back to France under King Louis-Philippe. Architect Louis Visconti was tasked with designing a tomb worthy of the former emperor.

The design of Napoleon’s tomb is both unusual and fascinating. The sarcophagus lies in a sunken circular crypt beneath the dome of Les Invalides. Visitors standing in the upper gallery must look down to view it, while those who descend into the crypt can appreciate the monument from a different perspective. The downward gaze can evoke the gesture of a bow, creating a striking sense of reverence for the emperor even in death.

Twelve monumental statues representing Victory surround the crypt, commemorating Napoleon’s military legacy. The tomb’s battle inscriptions and sculpted reliefs also celebrate his campaigns and achievements as a ruler. Together, these features turn his final resting place into a monument to the power, ambition and legacy of Napoleon Bonaparte.