WSC Social Studies Breaking World Records (this does not include the time capsule part)

Library of Alexandria

A library located in Alexandria, Egypt, established in the 3rd century BC. It was considered a shrine of muses and had over half a million documents from countries conquered by the Persian empire.

The House of Wisdom

Also known as "Khizanat-al-Hikma" or "Storehouse of Wisdom," it was a library established in 600 AD in Damascus and later moved to Baghdad. It attracted scholars from all over the world and played a significant role in educating the Arab world.

What Stopped Mongol Hordes From Conquering Europe

The Mongol horde, led by Genghis Khan's son Ogodei, conquered Hungary but turned back due to damp weather and food shortages. After Ogodei's death, the Mongols were split and never reunified.

Tripitaka Koreana

The largest collection of Buddhist texts in the world, located in Haeinsa Temple. It was destroyed during a Mongol invasion but later remade. The woodblocks on which the texts were printed were preserved for over 750 years and declared a National Treasure of South Korea and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

What caused the first alleged destruction of the Library of Alexandria

The fire that spread from the ship harbor in Alexandria to the Library of Alexandria, destroying it along with many ancient texts.

Hypatia

A female philosopher and the daughter of the last attested member of the Library of Alexandria who was murdered on the street due to the conflict between Jews, Christians, and Pagans in the absence of a ruler.

Moslem Caliph Omar

A Muslim leader who ordered the destruction of the Library of Alexandria in the belief that it was unnecessary as the Quran already existed. He used the texts as fuel for his bathhouses in the city.

Theophilus

A patriarch who decided to convert the Temple of Serapis into a Christian Church, leading to the destruction of 10% of the documents in the Library of Alexandria.