First Successful Escape from an Aircraft Using the Ejection Seat (1942)

Ejection seats are used in aircraft to quickly propel occupants out in an emergency. Today, they are fired by an explosive charge, but the first ejection seats were powered by compressed air. One of the first aircrafts to be fitted with such a system was the German Heinkel He 280 prototype jet fighter. While testing the He 280 during WWII, pilot Helmut Schenk became the first person to use an ejection seat to make an emergency escape from an aircraft. What went wrong during his test flight? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Death of George Fox

George Fox (1624-1691) was the founder of the Society of Friends, or Quakers, which he organized in 1650 to protest the overly formal religion of his time. Fox believed that creeds and scriptures were unimportant in religion; all that really counted was the divine light of Christ as it manifested itself in all people. Church was merely a gathering of friends who were guided by the Inner Light and who were thus able to provide guidance for each other. Quakers all over the world observe the anniversary of their founder’s death in their meetinghouses. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Antoinette Bourignon (1616)

Bourignon was a Flemish Christian mystic. After spending a short time in a convent and as head of an orphanage, she gathered a fanatical following at Amsterdam, believing herself divinely directed to restore the pure spirit of the Gospel. Moving from place to place, she took her printing press with her and disseminated her teachings. Her mystical ideas found particular favor in Scotland, where Bourignianism was declared a heresy. Why did Bourignon flee her home in 1636? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Cortisol

Often referred to as the “stress hormone” because of its involvement in the body’s stress response, cortisol is the principal steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex. It increases blood pressure and blood sugar levels and can act as an immunosuppressant. Hydrocortisone, or synthetic cortisol, is used to treat a number of conditions, including inflammation, allergies, collagen diseases, and adrenocortical insufficiency. In humans, cortisol levels peak at what time of day? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Dr. James Bedford Becomes First Person to Undergo Cryopreservation (1967)

The field of cryonics involves techniques in which cold is applied for a variety of therapeutic goals, including brief local anesthesia, destruction of superficial skin lesions, and preservation of cells, tissue, and organs—or the entire body—in the hope that healing and resuscitation may be possible in the future. In 1967, Bedford became the first person to have his entire body frozen in perpetuity. Since then, hundreds have undergone the procedure. What celebrities have been frozen? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Edmund Burke (1729)

Burke was a British parliamentarian, orator, and political philosopher. Essays he published in the late 1750s gained the attention of Denis Diderot and Immanuel Kant, and he was hired to edit a yearly survey of world affairs. In his many and diverse writings, he left a monumental construction of British political thought that had a profound and long-term influence in England, America, and France. Burke held contrasting opinions on the American and French revolutions. Which did he support? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Vaudeville

Before the dawn of movies, vaudeville shows packed US theaters. Following the format of beer hall variety shows, each vaudeville performance had 10–15 unrelated acts that could include anything from acrobats to opera singers. Vaudeville emerged in the early 1880s as former circus performer Tony Pastor cleaned up variety shows. He banned the sale of liquor and eliminated the cruder acts, and his success prompted other managers to do the same. What did Pastor give to vaudeville show attendees? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary