Month: April 2016

Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat, King of Jerusalem (1192)

Conrad of Montferrat was a northern Italian nobleman and one of the major participants in the Third Crusade. In 1189, he joined Guy of Lusignan at the siege of Akko, but a year later he sought to displace Guy as king of Jerusalem. To establish a claim to the crown, he married Isabella, daughter of Amalric I. In 1192, Conrad was acknowledged as king, but a few days later he was assassinated, and the royal title passed to the two later husbands of his widow. Who killed him? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

James Monroe (1758)

Monroe was the fifth president of the US. After serving in the American Revolution, he was elected to the Senate, where he opposed the administration of George Washington. He nevertheless became Washington’s minister to France and later helped to negotiate the Louisiana Purchase. With Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, he developed the principles of US foreign policy later called the Monroe Doctrine. Monroe served two terms as president, presiding in a period that became known as what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Rhyta

Rhyta are ancient, hornlike drinking vessels that often feature a wide mouth and a pierced, pointed bottom. This design allows a rhyton to function as both a scoop for liquids contained in a larger storage vessel and, when the hole at its base is unstoppered, as a pouring device. Rhyta are often shaped like animal heads or horns and can be simple ceramic constructions or ornate showpieces decorated with precious metals and stones. What animal was frequently depicted on the rhyta of Minoan Crete? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Sierra Leone Granted Independence from the UK (1961)

The capital of Sierra Leone, Freetown, was founded on the coast of West Africa by British abolitionists in 1787 as a haven for freed and runaway slaves. It became a British colony in 1808, and the region became a British protectorate in 1896. It achieved independence in 1961 and became a republic 10 years later, but with independence came a series of military coups. An 11-year civil war marked by horrific atrocities further devastated the country and ended in 2002. What has occurred since then? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Mary Wollstonecraft (1759)

Wollstonecraft was an English author who turned to writing while teaching and working as a governess and as a translator for a London publisher. She was an early proponent of educational equality between men and women, and her most important book, A Vindication of the Rights of Women, is widely regarded as the founding document of modern feminism. In 1797, she married the philosopher William Godwin. She died days after the birth of their daughter, who went on to become what famous writer? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary