Definition: (noun) A person who is an inspiration to others.
Synonyms: notable, guiding light, leading light, notability.
Usage: He is considered a luminary in his field, due to the groundbreaking research he has published.
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Source: The Free Dictionary
During World War II, the Japanese occupied the island of Guadalcanal in the South Pacific. Hoping to prevent the Japanese from using this position to threaten supply routes between the US, Australia, and New Zealand, the Allies launched their first large-scale invasion of a Japanese-held island. After six months of bitter fighting on the ground, at sea, and in the air, the Allies captured the island. Why is the victory considered a strategically significant turning point in the war? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Colombia, known as New Granada in the early part of the 19th century, was then ruled by Spain. Simón Bolívar, the leader of the independence movement in South America, began a military campaign to liberate Colombia in 1817. He achieved a major victory at the Battle of Boyacá on August 7, 1819, when he surprised the Spanish forces crossing a bridge and routed them. Colombians celebrate this national holiday with parades and festivals throughout the country. Ceremonies take place at the cemeteries where the fallen soldiers of the battle are buried. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Leakey was a British anthropologist and archaeologist whose work helped establish the course of human evolution in Africa. The son of missionaries, Leakey grew up among the Kikuyu people of Kenya. After attending university in the UK, he returned to E Africa, where he and his wife discovered the first known remains of Homo habilis, an extinct species of hominin widely regarded as the earliest member of the human genus. Who are “Leakey’s Angels,” and what have they gone on to accomplish? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Ulan Bator, or Ulaanbaator, is the capital of the Republic of Mongolia. Founded in 1649 as a monastery town, today it is the junction point of the country’s major roads and caravan routes; it lies on the Trans-Siberian RR, linking Russia with Beijing. The city is home to a library of ancient Mongolian, Chinese, and Tibetan manuscripts. The 1904 British expedition to Tibet prompted the Dalai Lama to leave Lhasa for Ulan Bator, where he remained for 4 years. In whose honor was Ulaanbaator named? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) A gold coin of the Byzantine Empire; widely circulated in Europe in the Middle Ages.
Synonyms: solidus.
Usage: The gold coin I found on my archaeology dig turned out to be an authentic bezant.
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Source: The Free Dictionary
In the 1880s, inventor Thomas Edison sought to promote direct current (DC) power distribution by convincing the public that the alternating current (AC) electricity backed by rival George Westinghouse was dangerous. To that end, his partners developed an AC-powered electric chair, which was adopted by the state of New York as an official execution device. In 1889, murderer William Kemmler was sentenced to be the first person to be executed via electric chair. What happened during the execution? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The patron saint and namesake of El Salvador—El Salvador del Mundo (the Savior of the World)—is honored with a national festival. Festival proceedings commence the week of the saint’s day, on August 6. The main events of the festival are a religious procession, a large fair, various sporting events and a riotous party featuring street floats and dancers. The religious ceremony features an old wooden image of Christ that is lowered inside a wooden shell; it emerges from the shell appareled in gleaming white robes, a symbolic representation of Christ’s transfiguration. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Warhol, one of the most influential artists of the late 20th century, was the leading exponent of the pop art movement. Seeking to minimize the role of his own hand in his work, Warhol began mass-producing silkscreen paintings with the help of assistants at his studio, dubbed “the Factory.” His works, which are both popular and controversial, feature commonplace objects, such as dollar bills, soup cans, and soft-drink bottles, as well as celebrities like Marilyn Monroe. Who shot him in 1968? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, a Christian denomination, is best known for its teaching that Saturday, the seventh day of the week, is the Sabbath and that the second advent of Jesus is imminent. Born out of the Millerite Movement of the 1840s, the church was part of the wave of revivalism known as the Second Great Awakening. The core set of theological beliefs held by the church are expressed in its 28 Fundamentals, which states what about death? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary