In the 1830s, South Carolina residents, frustrated by agricultural tariffs, broached the possibility of secession. Tariff reform appeased them for some time, but following the election of President Abraham Lincoln in 1860, South Carolina seceded from the Union. The state’s governor immediately demanded all federal property within the state, including Fort Sumter. The firing on Sumter by Confederate batteries in 1861 precipitated the Civil War. When was the US flag raised over Fort Sumter again? Discuss
Branch Wesley Rickey (1881)
Rickey was an American baseball executive. In 1919, he devised baseball’s farm system of using minor-league teams to train major-league players. In 1945, after he took over the Brooklyn Dodgers, he defied convention and broke a long-standing race barrier by hiring Jackie Robinson, the first black player in the major leagues. A deeply religious man, the “Mahatma”—as Rickey was popularly known—never played, attended, or managed games on Sundays. What protective gear did he introduce to baseball? Discuss
Jim Ignatowski
Ranked 32nd on TV Guide‘s list of the “50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time,” Jim Ignatowski was a character played by Christopher Lloyd in the 1970s television series Taxi. A burned-out product of 1960s counterculture, Ignatowski lived in a world of his own, often exhibiting “spaced-out” behavior as a result of his extensive drug use. However, Lloyd was able to add much humanity to what could have been a one-dimensional role. What did Ignatowski do when he inherited $3 million? Discuss
A Christmas Carol Is Published (1843)
English novelist Charles Dickens wrote many books and stories about Christmas. His first, the beloved A Christmas Carol, was written in just weeks, reputedly to meet the expenses of his wife’s fifth pregnancy. An instant success, it has since been adapted countless times for theater and film. The last name of the story’s protagonist, Ebenezer Scrooge, has even entered the English lexicon as a word meaning a mean-spirited, miserly person. What allegedly inspired Dickens to write the story? Discuss
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev (1906)
Brezhnev joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) in 1931 and steadily rose through the ranks, eventually becoming general secretary of the CPSU (1964-1982) and president of the USSR (1977-1982). A protégé of Nikita Khrushchev, he took power after helping engineer Khrushchev’s ouster. Brezhnev’s regime was later criticized for its corruption and failed economic policies, but the global influence of the USSR increased dramatically during his tenure, thanks in part to what doctrine? Discuss
Knitting Revival
The invention of the knitting machine revolutionized the production of knitwear, relegating the art of hand knitting to the realm of non-essential craft. However, it has since become a social activity, and many of today’s knitters hold knitting parties and blog about their craft. Knitting is currently experiencing a revival; and between 2002 and 2004, the number of 25- to 35-year-old female knitters in the US reportedly increased 150%. What is one of the earliest known examples of knitting? Discuss
Saturn's Moon Epimetheus Is Discovered (1966)
Epimetheus, a nonspherical body measuring about 89 mi (144 km) by 67 mi (108 km) by 61 mi (98 km), is one of Saturn’s 48 confirmed natural satellites. It was discovered in 1966 and photographed in 1980 by the Voyager 1 probe. Epimetheus and another moon, Janus, are co-orbital, meaning that they share nearly the same orbit. About every fourth year, the lower, faster satellite overtakes the other and is boosted into the higher orbit. After what mythological figure is Epimetheus named? Discuss
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb (1886)
Cobb was one of the greatest offensive players and perhaps the fiercest competitor in baseball history. During his 24-year career as an outfielder for the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Athletics, he set records that would stand for decades, including 892 stolen bases—a feat partly attributed to the brutality with which he used his cleats. Cobb provoked controversy on and off the field but was the first player elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1936. Which of his records remain unbroken? Discuss
The First Opium War
Often seen as the beginning of European imperial hegemony over China, the First Opium War was fought between the British East India Company and the Qing Dynasty from 1839 to 1842. Widespread opium addiction had led to a Chinese ban on imports of the drug in 1729, and the British aimed to reverse this policy. Easily overpowered, China agreed to the Treaty of Nanjing, which fixed tariffs on British goods, opened several Chinese ports to British merchants, and ceded what island to Queen Victoria? Discuss
Sir Humphry Davy (1778)
Davy was an English chemist and one of the greatest exponents of the scientific method. His discovery of the anesthetic effect of nitrous oxide was a major contribution to surgery. He did early research on voltaic cells and batteries, tanning, electrolysis, and mineral analysis, and was the first to systematically apply chemical principles to farming. His research on mine explosions and his invention of the safety lamp brought him great prestige. Davy also proved that diamond is a form of what? Discuss