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n– 1792
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nAnhuge blue diamond was one of the many jewels owned by French KingnLouis XIV and his wife, Marie Antoinette. But on this date in 1792,nwhile the king and his family were trapped in the palace during thenbeginning of the French Revolution (not long before they lost theirnheads), a group of thieves broke into the Royal Storehouse and stolenthe Crown Jewels, including the French Blue. n
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nLater,nwhen things calmed down, some of these jewels were recovered, but thenFrench Blue never was.
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nHowever,nalmost exactly twenty years after the theft, a blue diamond wasnrecorded as being in the possession of a diamond merchant in London.nIn 1839 a diamond of the same size, color, and shape appeared in thenpublished catalog of a gem collector named Henry Philip Hope. ThisnHope Diamond was long thought to have been cut from the FrenchnBlue—and in 2005 evidence was published that, indeed, this theorynis true. n
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nLearnnmore about diamonds from Science Kids.
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nCannyou discover from this earlier post what makes the HopenDiamond blue?
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nAlsonon this date:
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nAnniversary of the recording of the first Beatle’s single
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nPatriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance (U.S.)
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nThisnday commemorates the tragic deaths and injury and loss that mostnAmericans know as 9-11.
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