Uganda National Heroes Day

Uganda National Heroes Day honors all those who sacrificed themselves to better the lives of the Ugandan people. Unfortunately, the holiday is one of the most divisive days in the Ugandan year. What constitutes a hero, and who specifically should be honored, are matters of debate in the country. Many of the heroes officially recognized by the government are fallen soldiers who died during Uganda’s civil war in the 1980s. Some citizens have argued for remembering less controversial heroes, such as the Ugandan doctor who detected a deadly Ebola outbreak before it spread. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Les Paul (1915)

Paul began playing country music at 14, later switched to jazz, and started his own trio in 1936. Considered one of the finest jazz guitarists, he was famous for his amazing versatility. Dissatisfied with the sound of available instruments, Paul invented a solid-body electric guitar in 1941 that was marketed by Gibson and became extremely important in the development of rock music. Several versions of his prized guitars are still manufactured. What else did he invent? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Human Botfly

Also known as the torsalo, the human botfly is the only botfly known to attack humans. Its lifecycle begins when a female torsalo captures a mosquito and deposits her eggs on its body. The mosquito then conveys the eggs to a human host, where they burrow beneath the host’s skin and develop. After 8 weeks, the creatures drop out to pupate in the soil. While rare, wound infections can occur if the larvae are killed without being fully removed from the skin. The species is native to what region? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

US Postal Service’s First and Only Delivery of “Missile Mail” (1959)

In 1959, the US Navy assisted the US Post Office Department—predecessor of today’s US Postal Service—in its search for a faster form of mail transportation. The USPS tried its first and only delivery of “missile mail” when a Navy submarine fired a guided cruise missile containing 3,000 pieces of mail off the Florida coast. Twenty-two minutes later, the missile landed at a naval station in Mayport, Florida. What bold claims did the postmaster general make about missile mail at the time? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Lena Baker (1901)

Baker was an African-American maid who was executed for murder by the State of Georgia in 1945 for killing her employer, Ernest Knight. The only woman ever executed by electrocution in Georgia, Baker was fully pardoned 60 years after her death. At her trial, she claimed that Knight had imprisoned her and threatened to shoot her if she attempted to leave, so she had taken his gun and shot him in self defense. Her trial was presided over by Judge William “Two Gun” Worrill and lasted how long? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Praetorian Guard

Initially used for the protection of Roman generals, the Praetorian Guard became the emperor’s personal guard during the rule of Augustus, first leader of the Roman Empire. Upon his death in 14 CE, however, the Guard began to use its military strength to enforce its own political agenda. Soon, it moved into Rome, where it assassinated emperors, bullied its own prefects, and fought vicious street battles against Roman citizens. Which emperor finally succeeded in fully disbanding the Guard? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Could You Endure the World’s Longest Nonstop Flight? Find Out Who’s King of the Long Haul

As long flights go, Singapore Airlines’ epic almost-19-hour, 9,534-mile journey from Newark to Singapore was once the standard-bearer against which all others were measured. But the all-business-class Flight 21 was scrubbed in 2013, some nine years after its … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary