Statue of Liberty Is Dedicated (1886)

The Statue of Liberty, originally known as Liberty Enlightening the World, was proposed by French historian Édouard Laboulaye in 1865 to commemorate the alliance of France with the American colonies during the American Revolution. Designed by French sculptor F. A. Bartholdi, the statue is 152 ft (46 m) high and is possibly the tallest metal statue ever made. It was shipped to New York in 1885, assembled, and dedicated in 1886. What New York tradition originated during the dedication? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Czechoslovak Independence Day

The Republic of Czechoslovakia was founded on October 28, 1918, when the National Committee in Prague proclaimed independence from the Austrian Hapsburg emperors and took over the administration of an independent Czechoslovak state. Independence Day was widely celebrated in Czechoslovakia until the Communists seized power there in 1948, but the day continued to be recognized in the US with special banquets, addresses, religious services, and cultural programs. Communities with large Czech or Slovak populations may also mark the occasion. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Tokugawa Yoshinobu (1837)

Tokugawa was the 15th and last shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. The Tokugawa family held the shogunate and controlled Japan from 1603 to 1867. Beginning at the time of Yoshinobu’s birth, there were numerous peasant uprisings and samurai unrest. Undermined by increasing foreign incursions, the Tokugawa were overthrown by an attack of provincial forces from Choshu, Satsuma, and Tosa, who restored the Meiji emperor to power. Yoshinobu resigned in 1867. How did he spend his retirement? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Dry Quicksand

Considered a mythic substance until recently, dry quicksand is loose sand that behaves like ordinary quicksand but contains no water and operates in a different manner. Though accounts of whole caravans being swallowed up by the substance have been discounted as folklore, researchers have demonstrated that aerating fine sand reduces its bulk density and creates a dry quicksand that could envelop an entire vehicle. How did fear of dry quicksand affect the planning of the Apollo moon missions? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Italian Public Administrator Enrico Mattei Dies in Plane Crash (1962)

After World War II, Mattei was given the task of dismantling the Italian Petroleum Agency, a Fascist state enterprise. Instead, Mattei enlarged and reorganized it into the Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi (ENI), or National Fuel Trust. Under his direction, ENI developed large deposits of natural gas in Italy and negotiated important oil concessions in the Middle East. Mattei became a powerful figure in Italy before he died in a plane crash in 1962. What conspiracy theories exist about his death? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Sylvia Plath (1932)

American poet Sylvia Plath excelled as a writer from an early age and published her first poem at eight. She attempted suicide while in college but underwent electroshock treatment and seemingly recovered from her breakdown. In 1956, she wed poet Ted Hughes, whom she met while attending Cambridge on a Fulbright grant. Shortly after they separated in 1962, Plath committed suicide. Her literary reputation grew rapidly after her death, and she became the first poet to win what prize posthumously? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Liver-Eating Johnson

John “Liver-Eating” Johnson was a so-called “mountain man” of the 19th-century American West. After fighting in the Mexican-American War, the hunter and trapper traveled west to Wyoming, where he became a legend. According to some accounts, Johnson’s Native American wife was killed by members of the Crow tribe in 1847. He spent the next 20 years exacting his revenge, earning his nickname by supposedly cutting out and eating the liver of each man he killed. Did he ever make peace with the Crow? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary