Project Tiger Launched (1973)

Though trophy hunting of tigers is no longer the popular “sport” it once was, things like habitat loss, loss of prey, and poaching continue to threaten tiger populations. In the past century alone, tiger populations shrank by over 90%. In 1973, India launched a wildlife conservation movement called Project Tiger to protect tigers in specially designated reserves throughout India. What do the latest estimates indicate about the current tiger population in India? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Greek Cypriot National Day

This holiday marks the anniversary of the 1955 start of the Greek Cypriot liberation struggle against British colonial forces. The Turkish community, which preferred an alliance with Turkey, also took up arms, complicating the struggle. Greek Cypriot National Day is celebrated in South Cyprus, which is the Greek partitioned part of the island. Almost all public services and most private shops are closed. The holiday is often celebrated with parades in city streets, along with music, dancing and flag-waving. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

William Harvey (1578)

The personal doctor of kings James I and Charles I, Harvey was an English physician whom many credit with laying the foundation of modern medicine. Although his work was not fully substantiated until centuries later, he contributed greatly to the advance of comparative anatomy and embryology. Most importantly, he was the first to demonstrate the function of the heart and complete circulation of the blood, a feat that is especially remarkable because it was accomplished without the aid of what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The History of Opium Use

The medicinal properties of opium have been known for millennia, and by 4000 BCE, both Sumerian and European cultures were using it as a narcotic. Early in the 19th century, British merchants began smuggling opium into China, and by 1905, more than a quarter of China’s male population was addicted to the drug. The generous use of opium-derived morphine in treating wounded American Civil War soldiers also produced many addicts. How much morphine does one gram of poppy seeds contain? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary