Bulgaria Independence Day

On September 22, 1908, Prince Ferdinand (1861-1948) of Bulgaria declared the country’s independence from the Turkish Ottoman Empire, which had ruled since the 14th century. In 1944, the former Soviet Union invaded Bulgaria and imposed its communist system for nearly 50 years. Like many other eastern European countries, Bulgaria became an independent republic with a new constitution in 1991. In 1998, the Bulgarian Parliament reinstituted September 22 as Bulgarian Independence Day. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Anne of Cleves (1515)

Anne was the fourth queen consort of King Henry VIII of England. She was the sister of a powerful German Protestant leader and was considered a desirable match for Henry by English councilors, most notably Thomas Cromwell, who sought to ally England with Protestants in Germany. The marriage was agreed upon in 1539, and although Henry tried to break the contract after actually seeing his bride, they married in 1540. The marriage was never consummated, however, and they divorced after how long? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Huaorani

Known pejoratively as “Aucas,” meaning “naked ones” or “savages,” the Huaorani are an indigenous people of the Ecuadorian Oriente in the Amazon basin. With a population of approximately 2,000, the Huaorani speak Huao Terero, a language unrelated to any other known living language. Several Huaorani communities have rejected all contact with outsiders and move often to progressively more isolated areas. During the mid-20th c, what led them to become one of the most violent cultures ever known? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit Is Published (1937)

The Hobbit is a fantasy novel written by J.R.R. Tolkien, a professor of Anglo-Saxon and of English language and literature at Oxford University. Adapted from stories Tolkien told his kids, The Hobbit is recognized as a classic in children’s literature but also attracts adult readers. Its sequel, The Lord of the Rings, is one of the 20th century’s most popular and influential works of fantasy literature. What is the The Hobbit‘s full title? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

H. G. Wells (1866)

Wells was an English author whose early books exemplify the political and social beliefs of his time. Full of fantasy and fascinating pseudoscientific speculations, they include The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, and The War of the Worlds. Although he is probably best remembered for his works of science fiction, he was also an imaginative social thinker who worked for many progressive causes. What novels did he write after he abandoned science fiction? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Follow the Lady

Known by a number of names, including Follow the Lady and Follow the Bee, three-card monte is a confidence game in which victims, or marks, are tricked into betting that they can find a certain card, such as the queen of spades, among three face-down playing cards. After showing the target card, the dealer often uses sleight of hand before rearranging the cards quickly and giving the player an opportunity to select one of the three cards. What happens if the mark unexpectedly finds the queen? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary