Friday, May 04, 2007

Today In History

Today's Birthday

Niccolo Machiavelli (1469)
Machiavelli was a Florentine author and statesman, and one of the outstanding figures of the Renaissance. He became acquainted with politics through his important diplomatic missions. His best-known work, The Prince (1532), describes the means by which a prince may gain and maintain power. The adjective "Machiavellian" has come to be a synonym for amoral cunning and for justification by power, but Machiavelli placed a number of restrictions on evil actions; what were they?MORE

This Day in History

Post-War Japanese Constitution Goes into Effect (1947)
The constitution of Japan was drawn up under the Allied occupation that followed World War II. It was intended to replace Japan's previous imperial system with a form of liberal democracy, which provides for a parliamentary system of government and guarantees certain fundamental rights. Under its terms, the right to wage war is renounced, and the Emperor of Japan exercises a purely ceremonial role. What, if any, amendments have been made to this constitution since its adoption.MORE

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