India
This river valley was home to one of the world’s earliest civilizations, known for its planned cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.
Indus River Valley
This city, where Muhammad made his Night Journey, is considered holy in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Jerusalem
This massive fortification, built and rebuilt over centuries, was meant to defend China from northern invasions.
The Great Wall of China
He’s furry, four-legged, and shares his name with Batman’s butler. He’s also the cat who rules Mr. Polebaum’s apartment.
Alfred
This person served as Nobles sixth Head of School
Bob Henderson
This empire, founded by Babur in 1526, blended Persian, Indian, and Islamic traditions and ruled much of India until the British arrival.
Mughal Empire
This Ottoman ruler, nicknamed “the Magnificent,” expanded the empire’s territory, reformed its laws, and ruled during its golden age.
Suleiman
This dynasty, established in 1368, restored Chinese rule after the Mongols, expanded the Great Wall, and sponsored Zheng He’s voyages.
Ming Dynasty
The same year Obama was elected president, Mr. Polebaum graduated from Nobles.
2008
Only three years after the Battle of Gettysburg, this was the year that Nobles was founded
1866
This emperor, known as “the Great,” expanded the Mughal Empire, practiced religious tolerance, and abolished the jizya tax on non-Muslims.
Akbar
This movement, led by figures like Theodor Herzl, emerged in Europe in response to rising anti-Semitism and called for a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
Zionism
This 19th-century war, sparked by British trade in narcotics, ended with the Treaty of Nanjing and opened China to foreign spheres of influence.
The First Opium War
Known for its snowy winters and strong modern language programs, this college was where Mr. Polebaum spent four years.
Middlebury College
Moving to Dedham marked a turning point for the school, yet this Head of School ensured a smooth transition to greener pastures.
Charles Wiggins
In 1857, Indian soldiers rose up against British rule in this event, sparked in part by resentment toward cultural and religious disrespect.
Sepoy Revolt
This 1916 agreement between Britain and France secretly planned to divide much of the Ottoman Empire’s land after World War I.
Sykes-Picot
This 1900 uprising, led by a secret society, aimed to expel foreign powers and Christian missionaries from China.
The Boxer Rebellion
Before becoming a teacher, Mr. Polebaum worked for a Massachusetts congressman who later ran for U.S. Senate in 2020 and is the grandson of a former U.S. Attorney General.
Joe Kennedy III
From fields to classrooms to trails along the Charles, Nobles covers this exact amount of Dedham ground.
173 Acres
This movement, launched in the early 20th century in response to the Bengal partition, encouraged Indians to boycott British goods and instead produce and wear their own cloth.
The Swadeshi Movement
In 1915–1916, Britain promised support for Arab independence in letters exchanged with this Sharif of Mecca — a promise that clashed with the later Sykes–Picot Agreement.
Hussein bin Ali
This revolutionary, known as the “father of modern China,” promoted the “Three Principles of the People”: nationalism, democracy, and livelihood.
Sun Yat Sen
Back in his own sophomore year at Nobles, Mr. Polebaum earned Cs from these two current faculty members. And yet he still turned out ok!
Ms. Robertson and Dr. Craft
In 1922, Nobles left Boston for Dedham, moving into the estate of this industrialist family
The Nickersons