Lumberjack World Championships

At the turn of the century, Hayward, Wisconsin, was one of the most active logging towns in the northern United States. Nowadays Hayward is known primarily as the site of the largest lumberjack competition in the country. Lumberjacks and logrollers from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, England, and the United States come to Hayward to compete in a variety of events. The three-day event takes place in the Lumberjack Bowl, a large bay of Lake Hayward that was once used as a holding pond for the North Wisconsin Lumber Company and is now used for the World Logrolling Championships. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Beatrix Potter (1866)

Potter was an English author and illustrator whose 23 children’s books, featuring her delicate drawings and watercolor paintings, are considered classics today. When she was 27, she sent an illustrated story to a sick boy whose mother, Potter’s former governess, encouraged her to publish it. This became her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Now one of the best-selling children’s books of all time, it was initially rejected by publishers. How did Potter respond to this setback? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Plumed Basilisk

Known in Costa Rica as the “Jesus Christ lizard” for its ability to run short distances across water using both its feet and tail for support, the plumed basilisk is a species of lizard native to Latin America, with a natural habitat that ranges from Mexico to Ecuador. An excellent swimmer, Basiliscus plumifrons can stay under water for up to 30 minutes. Plumed basilisks are omnivorous and eat insects, small mammals and lizards, fruits, and flowers. What predators prey on the lizard? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

These Amazing Wild Birds Understand When People Call Them to Help Hunt for Honey

For thousands of years, humans have trained animals to help them. Today, pigs locate truffles. Dogs sniff for drugs. Dolphins detect underwater mines. But working in partnership with an untrained wild animal is another thing altogether. It’s so rare … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Centennial Olympic Park Bombing (1996)

During the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, a bombing in Centennial Olympic Park killed one person and injured 111 others. Despite the attack, officials and athletes agreed that the games should continue. Security guard Richard Jewell was initially hailed as a hero for discovering the bomb and helping clear the area before it detonated, but he soon fell under suspicion and was vilified by various media outlets before finally being exonerated. Who was actually behind the bombing? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Cheyenne Frontier Days

What began in 1897 as an attempt to keep alive the sports and customs of the Old West has grown into a week-long festival that regularly attracts over 300,000 visitors. Cheyenne, Wyoming, was one of the wealthiest cattle-raising cities in the world in the 1880s, and now it celebrates its colorful history by staging one of the world’s largest outdoor rodeos. The festival also includes parades of covered wagons, stagecoaches and other old-time vehicles; ceremonial Native American dances; the crowning of a “Miss Frontier” queen; and pageants recreating events from Cheyenne’s past. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Ludovico Sforza (1452)

Sforza effectively ruled Milan from 1480, first as regent for his young nephew and later, after his nephew’s suspicious death, as duke. The patron of Leonardo da Vinci, he presided over the final and most productive period of the Milanese Renaissance but was captured and imprisoned while fighting to expel the French from Italy. Before his fall, he was one of the wealthiest and most powerful princes of Italy, spending immense sums to further the arts and sciences. What painting did he commission? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Homo Floresiensis

Since their discovery on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2003, small, hominid remains—labeled Homo floresiensis—have divided scientists into two camps. While some believe the remains are the bones of a modern human with a disorder that results in a smaller-than-average skull, others see them as evidence of a newly discovered species in the genus Homo that lived among modern humans and survived until as recently as 12,000 years ago. What arguments have been raised by both sides? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary