The Air France Robbery

In the 1960s, Air France was used to transport American money exchanged in France back to the US. Once the currency reached New York’s JFK International Airport, it was locked in a secure strong room. In 1967, 23-year-old mobster Henry Hill orchestrated an audacious robbery of the Air France cargo terminal. Using a copy of the strong room key, Hill and his associates quietly stole $420,000. They raised no alarm and were never prosecuted for the crime. How did Hill procure the copied key? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, Assassinated (1170)

Becket was a brilliant administrator and diplomat who served as chancellor of England under Henry II. In a bid to reinforce royal control of the church, Henry appointed Becket archbishop of Canterbury in 1162. However, Becket embraced his duties devoutly and opposed royal interference in the church. This led him to be denounced as a traitor, whereupon he fled to France to live in exile. Upon his return in 1170, he once again drew the ire of the king and was murdered by whom soon after? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Fiesta of the Black St. Benito

This fiesta is celebrated by a number of locales in the state of Zulia, Venezuela, and is especially popular in Bobures. After early morning mass, the chimbángueles, or vassals of the saint, put St. Benito‘s statue on a litter and surround it with flowers. They then carry it through the streets while performing an unusual bouncing kind of dance, in which they continually move forward and backward to the accompaniment of seven drums. Throughout the long procession, St. Benito’s image is sprinkled with perfumes and presented with drinks of homemade whiskey. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

William Ewart Gladstone (1809)

Gladstone, a British statesman, served as prime minister four times between 1868 and 1894, a period in which he was the Liberal party’s dominant personality. A great orator and master of finance, he was deeply religious and brought a highly moralistic tone to politics. To many, he represented the best qualities of Victorian England, but he was also passionately disliked, most notably by Queen Victoria and his chief political rival, Benjamin Disraeli. What famous quips resulted from the rivalry? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Go

Go, a two player board game, originated in China before 2000 BCE, and its popularity has since spread worldwide. Players take turns placing game pieces, or stones, on the vacant intersections of a 19×19 grid. The objective is to control a larger territory than one’s opponent, and this is accomplished by surrounding, capturing, and removing the opposing player’s stones. The game ends when neither player can increase his territory or reduce his opponent’s. How is a player’s score calculated? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Endangered Species Act Established in US (1973)

Designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction and preserve the ecosystems they inhabit, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 prohibits harassing, harming, pursuing, hunting, shooting, wounding, killing, trapping, capturing, or collecting an “endangered” or “threatened” species and establishes penalties for doing so. A citizen suit clause allows citizens to sue others, even the government, to enforce the law. What species’ populations have increased since the act’s adoption? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary