Bank Robber “Baby Face” Nelson Killed in FBI Shootout (1934)

Born Lester Gillis, George “Baby Face” Nelson began his life of crime in his early teens. After a series of auto thefts and bank robberies, Nelson joined the notorious Dillinger gang, which was being pursued by the FBI. Despite his innocent-sounding nickname—given for his youthful appearance and small stature—Nelson hated police and FBI agents and hunted them at every opportunity, a pastime that ultimately led to his undoing. How many times was Nelson shot in his final shootout with FBI agents? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Jimi Hendrix (1942)

One of the tragic figures of 1960s pop music, the left-handed Hendrix taught himself to play the guitar, which he held upside down. His appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and the success of the album Are You Experienced? lifted him to instant stardom. A year after his legendary performance at Woodstock in 1969, Hendrix died at age 27 of an apparently accidental barbiturate overdose. Hundreds of people attended his funeral, including which well-known musicians? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Shays’ Rebellion

Debt-ridden farmers, struck by the economic depression that followed the American Revolution, petitioned the Massachusetts state senate to halt foreclosure of mortgages on their property and imprisonment for debt. When the senate failed to undertake these reforms, armed rebels, led by Daniel Shays and other local leaders, forcibly closed a number of debtors’ courts. The rebellion, suppressed in 1787, less than a year after it began, prompted the fledgling US government to make what changes? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Public Streetcar Service Begins in New York City (1832)

The first streetcars, which were drawn by horses, were introduced in New York City. The first electric streetcar system for urban passenger service in the US was introduced about 50 years later in Cleveland. The use of streetcars expanded in the US until World War I. Since then, most have been replaced by buses, although many still remain in use, and new streetcar systems have been introduced in some cities. What is the difference between a streetcar and a trolley? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Pilgrim Thanksgiving Day

Thousands of visitors flock to Plymouth, Massachusetts, on Thanksgiving Day to watch the annual procession from Plymouth Rock to the First Parish Church. Each marcher represents one of the men, women, and children who survived the 1620 trip from England aboard the Mayflower to form the settlement known as Plimoth Plantation. The modern-day Plimoth Plantation is a living-history village that recreates Pilgrim life in 1627. Each November, Plimoth offers a variety of programs as well as period dining that features original Thanksgiving Day foods. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Charles M. Schulz (1922)

Schulz was the creator of the enormously popular syndicated comic strip Peanuts, which ran continuously from 1950 until 2000, when Schulz announced its end shortly before his death. The strip’s principal characters are Charlie Brown, a gentle, puzzled boy, usually failing, yet always persevering; Lucy, his bossy, know-it-all friend; Linus, a philosophical tyke with a security blanket; and Snoopy, a romantic, self-deluded beagle. Before Peanuts, Schulz worked for what magazine? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Bookbinding

The craft of bookbinding began simply, with the use of boards to protect parchment manuscripts. By the 2nd century, sheets of parchment were being folded and sewn together. During the Middle Ages, the practice of making fine bindings for these sewn volumes rose to great heights; books were rare and precious articles, and many were treated with exquisite gilded and jeweled bindings. What is the uncommon practice of binding books in human skin, a technique dating back to the 17th century, called? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary