Therenis a war that lasted three years (1739-1741) that is known as then“War of Jenkins’s Ear.”
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nNevernheard of it? You may have heard of the countries involved: Englandnand Spain.
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nHowndid a war get such a weird name?
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nWell,nfirst of all, you must understand that England and Spain fought quitena few wars. They fought over religious differences, piracy andndominance of the oceans, and competition for new lands. They foughtnbecause of shifting alliances with other nations and plotting betweennvarious kings and queens. n
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nBasically,nany old excuse would do!
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Innthis case, they fought because a master mariner named Robert Jenkinsnwalked into England’s Parliament and complained that he had been attackednby Spanish pirates. Exhibit 1 was his own disfigured head, andnExhibit 2 was the ear that had been been cut off—and that he hadnpickled!
Innthis case, they fought because a master mariner named Robert Jenkinsnwalked into England’s Parliament and complained that he had been attackednby Spanish pirates. Exhibit 1 was his own disfigured head, andnExhibit 2 was the ear that had been been cut off—and that he hadnpickled!n
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nStrangelynenough, his complaint came SEVEN YEARS after the attack, which was onnthis date in 1731!
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Whynthe delay before reporting the atrocity? Nobody is sure. Why had Jenkins been carrying around his pickled ear all these years? Again,nno one knows. Nevertheless, England declared war on Spain and foughtnfor years—supposedly over an ear!
Whynthe delay before reporting the atrocity? Nobody is sure. Why had Jenkins been carrying around his pickled ear all these years? Again,nno one knows. Nevertheless, England declared war on Spain and foughtnfor years—supposedly over an ear!n
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nLearnnmore about this war at How Stuff Works.
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nDidnyou know…?
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nTwonother famous loss-of-ear incidents include the time that boxer Mike Tysonnbit off part of Evander Holyfield’s ear during a bout, and the timenthat Vincent van Gogh cut off part of his own ear (or, somenhistorians theorize, his friend Paul Gauguin, another famous painter,ncut off the ear in a fight).
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nTrustnme, nobody is going to attack your ear—these incidents RARELYnhappen. But people accidentally hurt their ears or hearing all the time! You can take care of your ears by following these tips:
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- Don’tn put things into your ear canal. Even poking around with cotton swabsn can harm your ears. If you think you have too much earwax, dirt, orn anything else in your ear, ask for appropriate help—a parent, an doctor, a nurse.
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- Don’tn listen to loud music—especially with earphones/earbuds.
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n Dryn your ears with a towel, and shake out water, after swimming. If youn get swimmer’s ear—an itchy or painful infection—seek medical attention.
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Wearn a hat, or put sunscreen on the top of your ears, when you are outdoorsn in bright sunlight. Wear a hat or ear muffs when you are outdoors inn very cold weather.n
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nWearn earplugs or noise-canceling headphones if you have to be somewheren very noisy.
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nWhenn flying, yawn frequently as the plane takes off or lands. Or chew gumn during ascent and descent.
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Learnnhow our ears worknat the Children’sUniversity of Manchesternwebsite.
Learnnhow our ears worknat the Children’sUniversity of Manchesternwebsite.n
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nGary G. Matthews has an illustratednpage that allows us to see what happens inside our ears as we hearndifferent sounds. (Click “Play with sound.”)
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nIfnyou like to learn through cute-but-a-bit-corny videos, check outnStudy Jams‘s offeringnon ears.
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nAlso,nPlan Ahead:
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nNextnTuesday is One Day Without Shoes. Take a peek at this motivating video to see what the day is all about. n
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nAlsonon this date:
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n(A.K.A.)nFinnish Language Day
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nIndependencenDay in Georgia
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