Thomas Edison Patents the Phonograph (1878)

Though his formal schooling was limited to just three months of instruction before he was ten years old, Edison was one of the most prolific inventors of his time. His work in improving telegraph technology—particularly his discovery of a method for recording telegraph messages—led Edison to suspect he could do similar things with sound. Within months, the first working model of his phonograph was ready. Why, according to Edison, was he “taken aback” when his invention worked on the first try? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Amy Tan (1952)

Born in Oakland, California, to Chinese immigrants, Tan is an award-winning author whose novels focus on the lives of Asian-Americans and the complexities of intergenerational relationships, particularly those of mothers and daughters. Her best-selling novel The Joy Luck Club was based on the tragic experiences of her mother, who had years earlier fled an abusive marriage, though it meant leaving her three daughters behind in Shanghai. When did Tan finally meet her half-sisters? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Rabindranath Tagore

Tagore was a Bengali poet, philosopher, artist, writer, and composer whose works reshaped Bengali literature and music in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His writings, which often exhibit rhythmic lyricism, colloquial language, and philosophical contemplation, received worldwide acclaim, and he became Asia’s first Nobel laureate in 1913, when he received the Nobel Prize for Literature. Knighted by the British government in 1915, Tagore resigned the honor 4 years later in protest of what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Where Is Zealandia? Geologists Say They Have Discovered Eighth Continent

You know the seven continents. Meet the eighth. A new study published in the March/April 2017 issue of The Geological Society of America’s Journal argues that a mostly submerged landmass in the southwest Pacific should be classified as a continent, pointing to … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Race Car Driver Dale Earnhardt Dies in Daytona 500 Crash (2001)

Earnhardt was a seven-time champion and one of NASCAR’s most successful drivers when he was killed at the 2001 Daytona 500 race. In the final lap, his car veered abruptly down the track and made contact with two others before hitting a concrete retaining wall head-on at about 160 mph (258 km/h). He was killed instantly. In the wake of the tragedy, NASCAR launched an intensive safety campaign and the Florida Legislature passed the Earnhardt Family Protection Act changing what laws? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Saidai-ji Eyo Hadaka Matsuri

Hadaka Matsuri means, literally, “naked festival”. The young men who participate are naked except for traditional white loincloths known as fundoshi. Sometimes the participants in Hadaka Matsuri immerse themselves in a river beforehand to purify themselves. Occasionally several semi-naked young men will carry a mikoshi, or portable shrine, in the form of a horse, rice bale, or sake barrel into the river with them. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Yoko Ono (1933)

Ono is a Japanese artist, musician, author, and peace activist best known for her marriage to John Lennon of the Beatles. She was raised in Japan and the US, where she started exploring conceptual and performance art. A member of the Fluxus movement, Ono developed a reputation as an avant-garde filmmaker, conceptual artist, performance artist, and experimental musician. Her 1964 Cut Piece, a commentary on identity, gender issues, suffering, and loneliness, invited the audience to do what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary