By: Zara Hovasapyan

The world’s oldest shoe (5,500 years old!) was discovered in Armenia. The shoe was very well preserved like a “sort of a Pompeii moment without burning.” In 79 AD, Pompeii was partially buried and preserved after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Pompeii, one of Italy’s prime tourist attractions, is near the city of Naples. The world’s best pizza can be tasted in Naples, where pizza was invented. Pizza first arrived to the United States from an influx of Italian immigrants coming to the United States in the 19th century. Immigration to the United States became commonplace and thus emerged the notion of a “melting pot.” Canada prefers the term “cultural mosaic” to describe its integrative system. Though a commonwealth of the United Kingdom, Canada, namely Eastern Canada, is influenced greatly by French Culture. French colonialism reached a cultural peak when they imposed their rule in Africa. Ethiopia, one of the few Christian countries in Africa, falls under the umbrella of Oriental Orthodoxy. There are six Oriental Orthodox churches. The Armenian Apostolic Church is one of the six. Frequently, the Armenian Apostolic Church is mistakenly believed to be part of Eastern Orthodox. The Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches broke apart in 1054 in an event known as the Great Schism. The Catholic Church was centered in Rome and the Eastern Orthodox Church established itself in Constantinople. Many Armenians lived in Constantinople and other parts of modern-day Turkey. Historically, Eastern Turkey has been Western Armenia. After the horrific events of the early 20th century (the Armenian Genocide), the surviving Armenians found a safer home across the world. South America welcomed Armenians in countries like Uruguay and Argentina. The tango originated in Argentina and Uruguay. The tango is one of the dances in Dancing with the Stars. So far, two half-Armenians have participated. Olympians like Shawn Johnson and Apollo Anton Ono have won the competition. This summer, the 2012 Olympics is hosted by London, England. At the 2008 Olympics, Armenia brought home 6 bronze medals—let’s hope for a bigger victory this year! The End.