Sir Francis Drake Circumnavigates the Globe (1580)

In 1577, Drake set out with five ships to raid Spanish holdings on the Pacific coast of the New World. He abandoned two ships in South America, and, with the remaining three, navigated the Straits of Magellan, becoming the first Englishman to make the passage. After one ship was destroyed and another returned to England, Drake continued alone. He crossed the Pacific, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and arrived at Plymouth with an abundance of treasure that he had mostly acquired where? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Galway Oyster Festival

In Galway, Ireland, the opening of the oyster season is celebrated with parties, music, and an oyster-opening competition. A young woman chosen to preside over the activities as the Pearl presents the first oyster to the mayor, who traditionally stands on Clarenbridge Pier in his scarlet robes waiting to open and taste it. Banquets are held in the evening and local pubs serve oysters by the bucketful, washed down by beer. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Saint Francis of Assisi (1181)

The patron saint of animals, Saint Francis of Assisi was an Italian monk canonized as a saint in 1228. Born into a wealthy family, he was a soldier and prisoner of war before he experienced a conversion in his early 20s. He sold his property, gave the money to the church, and began a life of poverty and devoutness. He soon attracted followers and became the founder of the Franciscan order of friars. Catholics believe that Saint Francis was the first person to exhibit stigmata, which are what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Cerebral Cortex

The vertebrate brain’s cerebrum is covered by an outer layer, or cortex, that is largely responsible for higher brain functions, including sensation, voluntary muscle movement, thought, reasoning, and memory. It is composed of unmyelinated fibers that—in preserved brains—are grey in color, hence the name “grey matter.” Each region of the cerebral cortex is highly differentiated and sends and receives information specific to its function. How thick is the cerebral cortex in humans? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Ultima Online Released by Origin Systems (1997)

Ultima Online (UO) is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMPORG) credited with popularizing the genre. Though there were games prior to UO that allowed hundreds of people to play at the same time, this MMPORG introduced simultaneous play by thousands of players worldwide through various servers called “shards.” More than 1 million paid accounts have been created since the game launched in 1997. In July 2003, at the peak of its popularity, UO had how many subscribers? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Marshall Islands Lutok Kobban Alele

The inhabitants of the Marshall Islands have long kept a tradition centered on the alele, a soft-sided basket handmade from the native pandanus plant. “Lutok Kobban Alele” is a weeklong festival that honors the basket as a national symbol and celebrates Marshallese culture in general, concluding with an official ceremony on Manit Day, a public holiday observed on the last Friday of September. Activities take place in the capital city of Majuro and include performances by Marshallese singers and dancers, feasts, traditional storytelling, and demonstrations of basket weaving and cooking. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Thomas Hunt Morgan (1866)

Morgan was an American zoologist noted for his ingenious demonstration of the physical basis of heredity and the importance of the gene. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1933. Initially skeptical of Gregor Mendel’s research and Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection, Morgan performed rigorous experiments demonstrating that genes were discrete chromosomal units of heredity. Much of his research was done by observing Drosophila melanogaster, which is what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Congenital Heart Defects

A congenital heart defect (CHD) is a flaw in the structure of the heart and great vessels of a newborn. Most CHDs either obstruct blood flow to the heart or nearby vessels or cause blood to flow through the heart in an abnormal pattern. Though such defects occur in less than 1% of the population, they are the leading cause of birth defect-related deaths. There are 8 defects that comprise the bulk of all CHDs, with ventricular septal defects presenting most commonly. What is the septum? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary