The Reach Of The Mongolian Empire 

in 1279

The Mongolian Empire was the largest bordering land empire in the history of the world. Through the 13th and 14th centuries, the Empire stretched from Central and Eastern Europe, down to the Sea of Japan, northward into part of the Arctic, westward towards the Carpathian and Levant Mountains, into the mainland of Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and the Iranian Plateau. Emerging from the alliance between several nomadic tribes, Genghis Khan took leadership and ruthlessly took over a solid part of the world. Thankfully, after years of the Empire, a war over succession eventually led to its downfall. But before that, the Empire was an astounding nine million square miles.

 This year marks 13 years of the Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin Festival (VTPC) which was awarded USA Today’s best fall festival in the nation. This festival celebrates the sport of “chuckin” pumpkins, for distance, using a do-it-yourself constructed trebuchet, which is a gravity powered catapult. Festival founder Dave Jordan describes the event as a cross between a Soap box Derby (amateur building/engineering) and a shot put contest (throwing for distance). The event is a great opportunity for kids of all ages to build something with their hands and engage in some family friendly competition. The current record, set last year is 780 feet!