Though Captain James Cook was certainly not the first person to set foot on Christmas Island—the atoll had been visited by native Pacific Islanders in the past—it was uninhabited when he found it. Both the UK and US later laid claim to the atoll, and they vied for power there for the next 100 years or so, until it gained independence as part of the 33-island Republic of Kiribati and was renamed Kiritimati. Before it gained independence, the US and UK used the atoll as a testing ground for what? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Located only a few miles from Jerusalem, 
Carson was an American frontiersman, trapper, scout, Indian agent, and soldier. He ran away from home as a teen to join an expedition to the Southwest, embarking on a lifetime of adventure that earned him an almost mythical status in the annals of the American West. Much to his dismay, fictionalized versions of his daring exploits were published in a series of popular novels. He was haunted by the knowledge that a lady who had been kidnapped and killed had had such a book in her possession. Why? 
Better known as Cyrus the Great, Cyrus II was the founder of the Persian Empire under the Achaemenid dynasty. In around 550 BCE, Cyrus united the kingdoms of Media and Persia, forming the beginnings of an empire that would eventually spread from Egypt to the Indus River and become the largest state the world had yet seen. Because he respected the customs and religions of each part of his empire, Cyrus was often seen as a liberator rather than a conqueror. How does the Bible treat Cyrus? 
In the aftermath World War II, thousands of people in Europe and Asia were tried for war crimes. In Tokyo, US General Douglas MacArthur presided over the years-long trial of 28 high-ranking Japanese military and political leaders, all of whom were found guilty. Seven of them—including Hideki Tojo, the former prime minister of Japan—were sentenced to death. A month later, they were executed by hanging. At the execution, MacArthur defied the wishes of US President Harry S. Truman in what way? 
Arkwright was a British textile industrialist whose inventions marked an integral step in the Industrial Revolution. His first spinning machine was patented in 1769, and with further innovations he was able to mechanize much of the fabric-production process. The huge cotton mills he founded helped bring about the factory system. Though Arkwright’s patents were later disputed, his inventions nevertheless made him very wealthy. As a young man, Arkwright developed a dye for use in what product? 
Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare infection of the deeper layers of skin and subcutaneous tissue caused by what are commonly known as “flesh-eating bacteria.” One of the fastest-spreading infections known, it develops at trauma sites and destroys both skin and muscle. Since the bacteria react slowly to intravenous antibiotics, treatment is often immediately undertaken along with surgical intervention if the condition is even suspected. Who are a few well-known victims of the infection?