What was the impact that Ennio Morricone have in terms of movie soundtracks?
His music helped set the standard for how Westerns were scored and perceived by the public. In particular, two key tracks from "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" (the opening theme and "The Ecstasy of Gold") have remained seared into the popular zeitgeist.
What was the catalyst for the War of the Spanish Succession?
The extinction of the Habsburg lineage in Spain and the death of King Charles II in particular in 1700.
Why did Stephen Douglas originally propose the Kansas-Nebraska Act, before it became a lightning-rod of controversy when it came to the slavery question?
Douglas originally wanted to use the law to build a transcontinental railroad. He accepted the provision that nullified the Missouri Compromise because he believed in popular sovereignty.