The Skating Minister

The Reverend Robert Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch is an oil painting better known as The Skating Minister. Completed in the 1790s, the work was practically unknown until 1949, but it is now one of Scotland’s most famous paintings. Although it is traditionally attributed to Scottish portrait painter Sir Henry Raeburn, some have argued that the painting was actually made by French artist Henri-Pierre Danloux. What evidence do they cite to support these claims? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Grand Teton National Park Established (1929)

Before US President Calvin Coolidge signed a bill creating Grand Teton National Park, the National Park Service and homesteaders around Jackson Hole, Wyoming, fought for decades about the best way to preserve the landscape there. Much of the steep Teton Range lies within the boundaries of the park. Its peaks rise above deep valleys, called “holes” by the first white trappers and traders in the area. It has been suggested that early French trappers named the Teton Range after what body part? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Battaglia delle Arance (Battle of the Oranges)

The highlight of the annual pre-Lent carnival—held every year for generations in Ivrea, Italy—is the massive orange-throwing battle that involves thousands of combatants in the town’s streets and squares. The battle evokes key insurrections that the townspeople launched against undesirable leaders. On the Sunday before Lent, the battle is pitted between throwers on foot, who represent the townspeople, and others on decorated horse-drawn wagons, who represent the tyrants’ officers. The fight rages all over town, continuing through the Tuesday before Lent. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Christopher Marlowe (1564)

A shoemaker’s son, Marlowe attended Cambridge University and then became an actor and dramatist in London. His plays, such as Dr. Faustus and The Jew of Malta, often center on a heroic personality ruined by his own ambition. Most critics hold that the poetic beauty of his language elevates his plays’ violence to high art, and many believe that he influenced Shakespeare’s work. At 29, he was stabbed to death in a tavern brawl, possibly due to his involvement in what covert activity? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Scorpions

There are approximately 1,300 known species of scorpion, and they are all venomous. Scorpions have two types of venom: a translucent, weaker venom used to stun and an opaque, more potent venom used to kill heavier threats. Although their venom is optimized to affect other arthropods and is relatively harmless to humans, a few species have venom potent enough to be lethal. What scientific fact challenges the ancient belief that scorpions sting themselves to death when surrounded by fire? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Samuel Colt Issued Patent for His Revolving Gun (1836)

Colt did not invent the revolver, but his design was the first practical, working version of one, and he developed assembly-line techniques that drove down manufacturing costs. Even so, securing funding for his novel production system proved difficult, and his fledgling company struggled and eventually folded. He then turned to work on underwater mines and telegraph lines. In 1847, Colt reestablished his gun manufacturing business after what famous lawman placed an order for 1,000 revolvers? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary