Lewis Lapham

“Kill the Foreigners!” was the motto of China’s red-sashed Boxers, as they were dismissively known in the west. Members of the Righteous Fists of Harmony opposed imperialism and Christianity and took up arms to drive out their representatives. An eight-nation alliance that included the U.S., Germany and Japan invaded China and, after a quick victory, divided up Beijing.

With the Allies intensifying their bombing campaign in Germany and the Soviets marching on Berlin, Hitler’s charismatic rants could no longer keep the Nazi inner circle mesmerized. Most now fled the bunker -- “a rare case of the sinking ship leaving the rat,” observed Professor Ian Kershaw.

Constantly dumped by women, young Thomas Day decided to create the perfect wife. He adopted two pre-teen girls from the Foundling Hospital and proceeded to raise them to his liking.

Many experts in the west advise parents that a baby who gets picked up too quickly when it cries will be “spoiled.” The infant also needs to learn to sleep on its own in a separate room and eat on schedule.

In the middle of the 19th century, with the whaling industry in decline, small, bony menhaden leapt into prominence.

In great splendor, King Edward sent his 15-year-old daughter, Joan, as bride to the son of King Alfonso XI of Castile. Four armed ships set off from England, carrying attendants, belongings and bodyguards, but the princess never made it.

In 1947, the U.S. Constitution went on a country-wide tour aboard the “Freedom Train.” Enthusiastic crowds greeted it at 300 stops in all 48 states, but the trip was not without controversy.

Prostitution was a thriving occupation in 18th-century London. Most of those who traded their charms for cash succumbed to disease, violence or incarceration. The rest usually wound up in the workhouse.

The blue-footed booby, red-legged cormorant and the Humboldt penguin are among the 150 species of birds that live on the Peruvian islands of the Ballestas.

The U.S. government cracked down on the importing of sexy pictures in 1842, adding obscene books in 1857. As a result, Congress jump-started the domestic porn industry.

When Pope John XII was elected in 955, he didn’t give up his secular interests. He drank, invoked pagan gods when gambling and loved the ladies.

Western democracy prides itself on the ability to adapt to changing times.