Jhumpa Lahiri

Jhumpa Lahiri is a contemporary Indian-American (Bengali) author based in New York City. Her debut, Interpreter of Maladies, addresses sensitive dilemmas in the lives of Indian immigrants, exploring themes involving marital difficulties, miscarriages, and the disconnection between first and second generation immigrants in the US. A film adaptation of her novel, The Namesake, will be released in November 2007. She is a vice president of what important organization? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Construction of Hoover Dam Begins (1930)

Standing 726 ft (221 m) high and 1,244 ft (379 m) long, the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River between the US states of Nevada and Arizona is one of the world’s largest dams, impounding Lake Mead, the country’s largest reservoir. Upon its completion, it was the world’s largest electric power producing facility and the world’s largest concrete structure. In fact, some of the concrete is still curing today, and there is enough concrete in the dam to pave a two-lane highway from New York to where? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Zambia Unity Day

Because Zambia is composed of several different tribal groups, the founders of the country promoted the idea of national unity as a means to keep the young nation from falling apart. Zambia Unity Day was created to help foster solidarity between the diverse groups that make up the country. The slogan “One Zambia, One Nation” is used to signify the goal of the holiday. Remembrance speeches on Unity Day stress that people of varying backgrounds and political beliefs had come together to work for Zambian independence. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Satchel Paige (1906)

Reputed to have won 2,000 of the 2,500 games he pitched during his nearly 30-year career, Paige first made a name for himself playing in the Negro baseball leagues. In 1948, shortly after Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s race barrier, the 42-year-old Paige entered the major leagues. In his first season, he helped his team earn a World Series victory. In 1971, he became the first Negro leagues star to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Who called Paige the best pitcher he ever faced? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Jet Li

Jet Li is a Chinese martial artist and action star, one of the few actors from China who have achieved fame outside of Asia. When he was 8, Li’s mother sent him to train in wushu, an exhibition and a full-contact sport derived from traditional Chinese martial arts. He became an expert and won 15 gold medals in the Chinese championships, earning him fame and leading to a career as an action star. In 2004, Li suffered what injuries when the Indian Ocean tsunami hit the Maldives? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Nigerian Civil War Begins (1967)

Nigeria gained independence from Britain in 1960, and its first years of autonomy were characterized by severe conflict between its many ethnic groups. In 1967, the predominantly Igbo Eastern Region of Nigeria seceded amid fears that the rival Hausa tribe was gaining increasing power in Nigeria’s central government. Though the newly proclaimed Republic of Biafra made advances early in the war, it was no match for Nigeria’s forces. What medical organization was established as a result of the war? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Jan Hus Day

This day is celebrated in the Czech Republic to commemorate Jan Hus, an early 15th-century Czech priest and reformer who advocated the idea of a poor Church that limited itself to Biblical teachings and spiritual affairs. Hus was summoned to the ecclesiastical Council of Constance in 1414; when he refused to recant his teachings, Hus was excommunicated and burnt at the stake on July 6, 1415. Jan Hus Day is a national holiday in the Czech Republic. A wreath is placed on his monument in Old Town Square in Prague, and the national flag is flown at all public places. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Frida Kahlo (1907)

Kahlo, a Mexican artist noted for her self-portraits, taught herself to paint while recovering from a severe bus accident that crippled her as a teen and required her to undergo some 35 operations. Drawing on her personal experiences, her works often starkly portray pain and the harsh lives of women. Though once known only as the wife of famous Mexican artist Diego Rivera, she eventually eclipsed his fame. Of her 143 paintings, how many are self-portraits? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary