New York Draft Riots (1863)

The New York Draft Riots, in which more than 100 civilians were killed, were the largest civil insurrection in US history after the Civil War. The rioters were mainly working-class men who were angry because, for a $300 fee, the wealthy could buy their way out of the Civil War draft. The rioters burned draft headquarters and other buildings. Mobs also attacked African Americans, whom they blamed for the war. The riots are portrayed in an alternate-history novel co-written by what politician? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Apollonian Games

Apollo was an ancient Greek god, but his fame had spread to Rome where he was adopted as a healing god during a plague in the fifth century BCE. The Romans first held the Ludi Apollinares, or Apollonian Games, in 212 BCE. Originally the Games took place on July 13; they turned into an eight-day event due to the event’s success. An ox with gilded horns was sacrificed to Apollo, and everyone feasted. Of the eight days, two were devoted to games and races in the Circus Maximus, a huge outdoor arena, and the other six were devoted to plays in the theaters and market fairs. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Julius Caesar (100 BCE)

Caesar, a Roman general and statesman, formed the First Triumvirate with Pompey and Marcus Licinius Crassus. He later precipitated the Roman Civil War, defeating Pompey and becoming dictator for life. His dictatorial powers, however, inspired great resentment. He was in the midst of launching a series of political and social reforms when he was assassinated on the Ides of March by conspirators led by Cassius and Brutus. His commentaries on what wars are considered classic military documents? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Tight Accommodations: Capsule Hotels

If a bed and a TV are all you need, try a capsule hotel. Developed in Japan in the 1970s, capsule hotels offer accommodations in modular blocks roughly 6.5 x 3.25 x 4 ft (2 x 1 x 1.25 m) in size. Capsules are typically stacked 2 units high, and luggage is usually stored in a separate locker. Used primarily by men, the hotels are frequented for their convenience and low price, often by those who missed a train or want to sleep off a night of drinking. How much do capsules cost for a night’s stay? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

French National Assembly Adopts Civil Constitution of the Clergy (1790)

The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was an act passed during the French Revolution that subordinated the Roman Catholic Church to the state. Under the act, citizens would elect clergymen and the state would pay their wages. When the National Assembly ordered the clergy to take an oath supporting the Civil Constitution, many refused. The resulting schism within the French church caused many Catholics to turn against the Revolution. What effect did the constitution have on monastic orders? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Orange Day

Sometimes referred to simply as The Twelfth, this is the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne. In 1668, James II, who was Roman Catholic, was deposed and his throne was given to William of Orange, a Protestant. The Protestants won a decisive victory and formed the Orange Order, committed to maintaining the link with Protestant England. As Irishmen left Ireland and England for the New World, lodges of Orangemen were formed in Canada and the United States, where Orange Day is still observed by Protestant Irish. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Milton Berle (1908)

Berle was an American comedian and the first major US television star. He began acting in vaudeville at age 10 and went on to perform in more than 50 silent films, on radio, and as a nightclub comedian. His great success, however, was as the host of NBC’s Texaco Star Theater, which earned him the nickname “Mr. Television.” He contributed significantly to the medium’s growing popularity, and many are said to have bought TV sets just to watch “Uncle Miltie.” How did he get that nickname? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Balbals

Occasionally erected as monuments to enemies killed in battle, balbals are a type of kurgan obelisk—an anthropomorphic stone image made in Central Asia and Eastern Europe from the Copper Age through the Middle Ages. Though they vary in design, balbals commonly depict a person holding a bowl in his upraised right hand or show a warrior holding weapons, usually in the left hand. In 1998, how many anthropomorphic stelae were discovered and excavated in Turkey? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary