Lingua Ignota

Lingua Ignota, Latin for “unknown language,” is considered one of the first constructed languages, meaning that it was devised by an individual and did not evolve naturally within a culture. The 12th century abbess Saint Hildegard developed the 23-letter language, describing it in a two-manuscript work containing a 1,011 word glossary. She defines her words in hierarchical order, listing the terms for God and angels before words for humans. What is the language’s relationship to Latin? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Boris Godunov Becomes Czar of Russia (1598)

A favorite of Ivan the Terrible, Godunov helped organize Ivan’s administrative system. After Ivan’s death, Boris became virtual ruler of Russia, ostensibly as regent for Ivan’s son Feodor I, who was married to Boris’s sister. Boris was widely believed to have ordered the murder of Feodor’s younger brother and heir, Dmitri, to secure succession for himself. Upon Feodor’s death, a ruling class assembly chose Boris as czar. What happened to Boris’ son and successor, Feodor II? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Cambodia Victory Day

This national holiday is also called Victory over Genocide Day and Nation Day. It marks the day in 1979 that Vietnamese troops entered Cambodia and began an assault that ended the bloody regime of the Khmer Rouge. It is estimated that as many as two million Cambodians were killed during the nearly four years that Pol Pot of the Khmer Rouge ruled the country. Victory Day is celebrated with patriotic speeches by government officials, remembrance services for the victims, as well as cultural displays of the era. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Saint Marie-Bernarde Soubirous (1844)

Soubirous was a French peasant girl who claimed to see the Virgin Mary in apparitions at a grotto near Lourdes, her home, in 1858. The authorities, skeptical of her visions, subjected her to severe examinations. After years of scrutiny, she was allowed to enter the convent of Notre-Dame de Nevers, where she remained in seclusion until her death at 35. The grotto at Lourdes is now a pilgrimage site, and its waters are reputed to have healing powers. How many pilgrims visit Lourdes each year? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Iroquois Confederacy

The Iroquois Confederacy is a North American confederacy of indigenous peoples founded by the prophet Deganawidah and his disciple Hiawatha around 1570. In the early 17th c, it inhabited New York State from the Hudson River north to the St Lawrence River and west to the Genesee River. Once their confederacy, complete with a constitution known as the Gayanashagowa, ceased infighting, the Iroquois rapidly became the one of the strongest forces in N America. What are wampum and how are they used? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Maria Montessori Opens Her First School (1907)

Montessori was an educator and the first woman to receive a medical degree in Italy. While working in a clinic for mentally disabled children, she developed a method of teaching that involves immersing children in an environment filled with “learning games” that naturally motivate learning and allow them to develop at their own pace. She opened her first children’s school in 1907 and spent the next 40 years traveling and promoting her method. How many times was she nominated for the Nobel Prize? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary