The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy

The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.

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Metric System

Metric System is in General Things.

Distance Metric System

Distances Greater Than a Metre

Gigametre

Gigametre. One thousand million metres. Abbreviation Gm.

Kilometre

Kilometre. One thousand metres. Abbreviation Km.

Mercury ...

is, on average, 0.39 AUs from the Sun.

has a diameter of 2440 Kms; around one third of the Earth.

has an eccentic orbit with the closest distance to the Sun being 47 million kilometers, and the farthest distance being 70 million kilometers.

has a year of 88 days.

spins on its axis every 59 days.

is tilted at 2 degrees.

formed around 4.5 Billion years ago.

Venus

is, on average, 0.67 AUs from the Sun.

has a diameter of 12.104 Kms; 95% of that of Earth.

has a year of 225 Days.

has a tilt of 3 degrees.

Is known as both the Morning Star and the Evening Star since it is brightest from the Earth at both sunrise and sunset.

Megametre

Megametre. One million metres. Abbreviation Mm.

Metre

Metre. The standard unit of distance in the Metric System.

Mass Metric System

Gram

Gram. The standard unit of distance in the Metric System. Abbreviated as g.

Masses Greater Than a Gram

Exagram

Exagram. One million million million grams.

Gigagram

Gigagram. One thousand million grams.

Kilogram

Kilogram. One thousand grams.

Megagram

Megagram. One million grams.

Petagram

Memoires of Jacques du Clercq

This is a translation of the 'Memoires of Jacques du Clercq', published in 1823 in two volumes, edited by Frederic, Baron de Reissenberg. In his introduction Reissenberg writes: 'Jacques du Clercq tells us that he was born in 1424, and that he was a licentiate in law and a counsellor to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in the castellany of Douai, Lille, and Orchies. It appears that he established his residence at Arras. In 1446, he married the daughter of Baldwin de la Lacherie, a gentleman who lived in Lille. We read in the fifth book of his Memoirs that his father, also named Jacques du Clercq, had married a lady of the Le Camelin family, from Compiègne. His ancestors, always attached to the counts of Flanders, had constantly served them, whether in their councils or in their armies.' The Memoires cover a period of nineteen years beginning in in 1448, ending in in 1467. It appears that the author had intended to extend the Memoirs beyond that date; no doubt illness or death prevented him from carrying out this plan. As Reissenberg writes the 'merit of this work lies in the simplicity of its narrative, in its tone of good faith, and in a certain air of frankness which naturally wins the reader’s confidence.' Du Clercq ranges from events of national and international importance, including events of the Wars of the Roses in England, to simple, everyday local events such as marriages, robberies, murders, trials and deaths, including that of his own father in Book 5; one of his last entries.

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Petagram. One thousand million million grams.

Teragram

Teragram. One million million grams.

Yottagram

Yottagram. One million million million million grams.

Zettagram

Zettagram. One thousand million million million grams. It is abbreviated as Zgs, or, possibly g21.

Non-Metric Units

Non-Metric Distances

Astronomical Unit Length

Astronomical Unit Length. 149,597,870,700 metres ie 150 Gigametres. The average distance from the Earth to the Sun.

Light Year

Light Year. The distance travelled by light in one year. 9.46×1012 km.

The Milky Way Galaxy is one of many galaxies that form the Universe, each of which, on average, contains one hundred million stars. NASA has estimated there are 200 billion galaxies with the total number of stars being between 1019 and 1024 stars.

The Milky Way contains between 100 and 400 billion stars, and around the same number of planets. The Solar System is located 27,000 light-years from the centre of the Milky Way ie 255,420,000,000,000,000 Km.