From these rough beginnings Mr Marcus sought to make the firm an American symbol of luxury living.

ECONOMIST: Stanley Marcus

From these humble beginnings, however, a gastronomic awakening is taking place.

BBC: Beyond the vines in Australia��s Barossa Valley

It is these organizations that have grown from modest beginnings to reach wide swaths of the population with new opportunities, and these unsung heroes who will continue to work to improve the quality of life for their fellow Afghans long after the cameras and war reporters are gone.

FORBES: 11 Years After 9/11: Looking Ahead At The Youth Of Afghanistan

Although the income earned is shared between the families who still live and work on the grounds, the modern creature comforts at these resorts are a world away from the humble back-breaking beginnings of the early kibbutz.

BBC: Kick back on a kibbutz

These items cover more than 23 years of fashion, from the early beginnings of the label to the present.

FORBES: The Full Collection From The Maison Martin Margiela And H&M Collaboration

Similarly, the Arab Spring seems to have been triggered by another series of radical changes in society, from technology and iPhones to food shortages to the beginnings of the rise of a middle class in these societies, that have coalesced into widespread revolt and dissatisfaction with ruling governments.

FORBES: The Arab Spring -- Energy And The Road To Democracy?

Listening to these unlikely swirls of sound is almost like the beginnings of some exotic new language, rising like steam from a swamp.

NPR: Frisell's Floratone Creates an Exotic New Language