Month: October 2015

French King Louis XIII Crowned in Rheims (1610)

At the age of nine, Louis XIII succeeded his father, Henry IV, under the regency of his mother, Marie de’ Medici. Even after Louis was declared of age in 1614, his mother arranged his marriage to Anne of Austria in 1615 and continued to govern until 1617. Resentful of her power, Louis exiled her, but the two were reconciled by her principal adviser Cardinal Richelieu, whom Louis later named chief minister. Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu are among the central characters of what novel? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Sweetest Day

More than 40 years ago, a man from Cleveland came up with the idea of showing the city’s orphans and shut-ins that they hadn’t been forgotten by distributing small gifts to them on a Saturday in October. The celebration of what came to be called Sweetest Day soon spread to Detroit and other American cities. Although it is still supposed to be an occasion to remember others with a kind act, a word of encouragement, or a long-overdue letter, local merchants in cities where Sweetest Day is observed usually get together and promote the day as a time to purchase gifts. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Rita Hayworth (1918)

Margarita Cansino began her show business career as a child, dancing flamenco with her well-known father, Eduardo. After taking acting lessons, changing her last name to Hayworth, and dying her hair its trademark red, she began her acting career. Her appearance in a series of musicals made her a star, and her role in Gilda confirmed her status as a Hollywood sex symbol, making her one of the most popular wartime pinups. Hayworth’s picture is rumored to have been placed on what weapon? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

Atatürk, or “Father Turk,” began his career in the service of the Ottoman military, but he soon became the Empire’s greatest opponent and went on to lead the Turkish War of Independence. In the early 1920s, Atatürk led a military and political campaign that resulted in the Treaty of Lausanne and the founding of the Turkish republic. In 1923, Atatürk was elected the Republic’s first president. He then set out on an energetic program of Westernization. How did he reform the Turkish language? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Cardiff Giant “Uncovered” in New York (1869)

One of the most famous hoaxes in American history, the Cardiff Giant was a gypsum statue passed off as a petrified prehistoric man. It was the creation of businessman George Hull, who had the figure sculpted, artificially weathered, buried, and dug up. After charging fascinated onlookers to view the figure, Hull sold the giant, which was so popular that P.T. Barnum even had an unauthorized copy of it made. What much-repeated aphorism was coined in reference to those paying to see Barnum’s giant? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Noah Webster (1758)

Webster was an American lexicographer. After serving in the American Revolution, he published The Elementary Spelling Book, or “Blue-Backed Speller,” which helped standardize American spelling and sold some 100 million copies. In 1807, he began work on his landmark American Dictionary of the English Language, which included definitions of 70,000 words—of which 12,000 had never appeared in a dictionary before. How many languages did he learn while compiling the dictionary? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Pankration

Pankration, as practiced in the ancient world, combined the techniques of boxing and wrestling in a no holds barred fighting sport. According to Greek mythology, the sport was created by Hercules and Theseus. It was introduced into the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BCE, and a similar form of the sport, called mixed martial arts, is still practiced today. Pankration was not simply a sport; it formed the basis of combat training for Greek soldiers. In what ways did it resemble Asian martial arts? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary