Clint Malarchuk’s Carotid Artery Slashed during Ice Hockey Game (1989)

Malarchuk is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League from 1981 to 1992. He is perhaps best known for sustaining a life-threatening injury during a 1989 game, when two players collided in front of his goal, and one of the players’ skate blades slashed Malarchuk’s internal carotid artery. Remarkably, Malarchuk was able to skate off the ice despite bleeding heavily. He survived because his team’s athletic trainer, a former army medic, did what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Marcel Marceau (1923)

Marceau was a French actor and mime who gained renown in 1947 with the creation of Bip, a sad, white-faced clown with a tall, battered hat—reminiscent of Charlie Chaplin’s Tramp. Noted for his eloquent, deceptively simple portrayals, he earned worldwide acclaim in the 1950s with his production of the “mimodrama” of Nikolai Gogol’s Overcoat. In 1978, he founded a school of mimodrama in Paris. How did Marceau’s miming help save children from the Nazis during World War II? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Boomerang

The boomerang is a sickle-shaped throwing stick used mainly by the Aborigines of Australia. Its arms are slightly curved, and when it is thrown, the boomerang generally follows an arc-shaped trajectory. Recreational boomerangs often travel along a circular path and return to the thrower, but other, larger versions do not return and are used in hunting and warfare. What famous king owned a collection of boomerangs more than 3,000 years ago? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Shields Up! How Earth’s Magnetic Field Saved Early Life from the Sun

There’s a new addition to the checklist of requirements for life: magnetic shields.
On Wednesday, a new study revealed a magnetic field is vital to protect life on a planet from the ravages of a star. A young Earth harboring the first fledgling forms of … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Bahá’í Calendar Begins (1844)

Founded in Iran in the mid-19th century by Baha’ Ullah, Bahá’í is a religion based on the unity of all faiths. Adherents pray daily, fast 19 days a year, and follow a strict ethical code. Because of the religion’s 19 initial disciples, the number 19 is considered sacred, and the Bahá’í calendar, which began in 1844, consists of 19 months of 19 days, with four additional “intercalary” days. Today is the first day of the 168th year of the Bahá’í Era. On what day does the Bahá’í week begin? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Shunbun-no-Hi

In Japan, where the Vernal Equinox is a national holiday, the entire week during which the equinox occurs is called Higan, which means “other shore.” The observance of Vernal Equinox Day began during the reign of 7th-century Prince Shotoku. It became a national holiday during the Meiji period. Visiting the family cemetery is popular on this day, and people tend to regard it as a happy event. Although no meat is served during the week, o-hagi, soft rice balls covered with sweetened bean paste, are popular. Shunbun-no-Hi is a day set aside to honor nature and to show respect for growing things. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary