Month: August 2015

Nat Turner’s Slave Rebellion Begins (1831)

Turner, born into slavery and sold three times as a child, led a slave uprising in Virginia that resulted in the deaths of about 55 white people. A deeply religious man, he experienced visions he interpreted as divine in nature and which convinced him that his mission in life was to lead slaves out of bondage. He and many of his followers were caught and hanged, and many more blacks were killed in retaliation. What celestial event did Turner interpret as a sign to begin preparing for rebellion? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Great American Duck Race

This uniquely American event started in 1980 in Deming, New Mexico. Up to 80 live ducks race for cash prizes in an eight-lane chute. There are races that include politicians’ heats and a media heat. Other features include a parade, dances, hot-air balloons, an arts and crafts exhibit, a pageant of people dressed like ducks, and a duck contest in which ducks are dressed like people. Race participants come from several states; spectators now number about 20,000, almost double the population of Deming. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

William “Count” Basie (1904)

Basie was an American jazz pianist and composer who became one of the premier swing bandleaders of his time. After working in dance halls and vaudeville in New York City, Basie moved to Kansas City, a major jazz center, where he formed his own band. Under his leadership, they broadcast from the Reno Club in Kansas City, where a radio announcer dubbed him “Count.” According to one story, the band came up with what signature song while improvising to fill time on the radio show? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Papyrus of the Nile Delta

Papyrus was an early form of paper made from the pith of the papyrus plant, a wetland sedge that once flourished in the Nile Delta. Though its earliest use has been traced to Ancient Egypt, it was also widely used throughout the Mediterranean region, inland parts of Europe, and southwest Asia. Making a sheet of papyrus involves a complex process of layering the inner piths of the stems, then hammering, drying, and polishing them. What unlikely article of clothing was made from papyrus? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Republic of Senegal Declares Its Independence (1960)

First colonized by the Portuguese, Senegal became part of French West Africa in 1895. In 1946, it became an overseas territory of France, and its inhabitants were made French citizens. In 1958, Senegal became an autonomous republic within the French Community. The next year, Senegal joined the Mali Federation, which became independent in June 1960. Two months later, Senegal withdrew from the federation, becoming an independent state. What small nation does Senegal almost entirely surround? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Chilseog

Chilseog is the Korean version of the Seven Sisters Festival, based on a Chinese legend about two stars known as the Herdsman and the Spinning Maiden. The Herdsman star, located in the Aquila constellation, and the Spinning Maiden star, Vega in the Lyra constellation, are in love but can only meet once a year—on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, when crows and magpies form a bridge across the heavenly river, as the Milky Way is called. On this night it is customary for young Korean women to pray for celestial assistance in sewing and to honor the stars by penning verse about them. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

H.P. Lovecraft (1890)

A master of Gothic horror, fantasy, and science fiction, Howard Phillips Lovecraft was an American writer particularly noted for his many nightmarish short stories, most of which originally appeared in Weird Tales and other pulp magazines. Some of his best-known tales are part of the Cthulhu Mythos series, in which he invents an entire mythology of earthly origins, gods, and hideous otherworldly creatures. Many of Lovecraft’s stories mention the Necronomicon, which is what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Great Boston Fire of 1872

The Great Boston Fire of 1872 was Boston’s largest urban fire and remains one of the most costly fire-related property losses in American history, causing $73.5 million in damages. Numerous factors contributed to the fire, not the least of which was the lax enforcement of Boston’s building regulations which, coupled with the practice of over-insuring buildings, left no real incentive to build fire-safe structures. How many years did it take to rebuild the burnt district? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary