Charles Willson Peale (1741)

Peale was an American painter, inventor, and naturalist. After studying painting in London, he returned to America and became the country’s preeminent portrait painter. A captain in the militia during the American Revolution, he painted many portraits of military leaders. Later, he established a portrait gallery, founded the Peale Museum, and even formed the first scientific expedition in American history. Peale is probably best known for his portraits of which historical figure? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Champagne

The word “Champagne,” when capitalized, refers specifically to the white, sparkling wine made in the Champagne region of France. Generally, production begins with the fermentation of grapes with low sugar and high acid levels to produce a still wine, which is blended with other wines, a small amount of sugar and yeast, and stored. During the second fermentation, carbon dioxide is trapped in the bottle. How should Champagne be poured in order to preserve the bubbles? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Public Kinetoscope Parlor Opens in New York (1894)

The kinetoscope is an early motion picture exhibition device that creates the illusion of movement by conveying a filmstrip of sequential images over a light source with a high-speed shutter. The first public kinetoscope parlor was opened in New York City in 1894 and introduced the basic approach that would become the standard for all cinematic projection before the advent of video. The venue had 10 machines, each showing a different short movie. How much did it cost to view all 10 films? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Pan American Day

The International Union of American Republics (now called the Pan American Union)—general secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS)—designated April 14 as Pan American Day in 1930. Although each member country holds its own celebration, it is at the Pan American Union building in Washington, DC, that one of the largest observances takes place. Students from all over the Western Hemisphere travel to Washington where, against a backdrop of flags in the courtyard of the House of the Americas, they perform folk songs and dances. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Frank Serpico (1936)

Serpico is a retired New York City police officer who is most famous for being the first officer in US history to testify about widespread police corruption. Just months before he testified in 1971, he was shot in the face during a drug bust under suspicious circumstances, leading some to believe that corrupt officers had set him up. Shortly thereafter, Serpico, a film based on his life and starring Al Pacino, was released. When asked why he testified, what did Serpico respond? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Apgar Score

The Apgar Score is a system of evaluating a newborn’s physical condition, generally done at one and five minutes after birth, where a value from 0 to 2 is assigned to each of five criteria: heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, response to stimuli, and skin color. The values are summed up and the resulting score ranges from 0 to 10. Scores below 3 are generally regarded as critically low, with 4 to 7 fairly low, and over 7 generally normal. What does the acronym APGAR stand for? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (1919)

Named for the enclosed park where it took place, the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre occurred in India on April 13, 1919, when British troops under the command of General Reginald Dyer opened fire without warning on a crowd of roughly 10,000 Indians protesting the arrest of two Indian National Congress leaders. At least 379 demonstrators were killed and another 1,200 were wounded during the barrage, which is said to have lasted 10 minutes. Who was killed 21 years later in retribution for the massacre? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Songkran (Thailand)

Songkran is the traditional New Year in Thailand and a public holiday. The celebration actually lasts for three days in mid-April, and takes the form of religious ceremonies, as well as public festivities. Merit-making ceremonies are held at Buddhist temples, water is sprinkled on Buddhist images, and captive birds and fish are freed. Water splashing on the streets is also a part of the festivities, especially among young people. The celebration is held with special élan in Chiang Mai with beauty contests, parades, dancing, and, of course, water splashing. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary