Word: monomania
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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Columbus' belief that he could sail to India across the Atlantic grew to be a monomania that he could persuade no one to share: the King of Portugal gave him some encouragement, but no help; when he came to Spain he was an exhausted beggar, in his late 40's. Said he: "I must beg my bread because Kings will not accept the Empires that I offer them." When Ferdinand and Isabella finally fitted out his little fleet of three boats, the crews had to be made up of criminals and riffraff: no one else would join...