Yongle Emperor (1360)

Born Zhu Di, the Yongle Emperor was the favorite son of the founder of China’s Ming dynasty. He spent his youth developing a military career but was passed over for the throne. He rebelled and seized the throne from his nephew in 1402. As emperor, he greatly extended China’s scope and influence. He moved the capital to Beijing, built the Forbidden City, and sponsored the compilation of an immense encyclopedia of Chinese culture and history. What was the Porcelain Tower of Nanjing? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Potsdam Conference

Held in Potsdam, Germany, from July 17 to August 2, 1945, the Potsdam Conference was a meeting between the three principal Allies in World War II—the US, UK, and USSR. Although the summit was largely devoted to establishing post-war order after the surrender of Nazi Germany, the Allies also used it to issue a statement outlining terms for Japan’s surrender and threatening “prompt and utter destruction” if Japan failed to comply. Who represented the UK along with Winston Churchill? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

General Mills Introduces Cheerios as CheeriOats (1941)

General Mills introduced its oat-based, ready-to-eat cold cereal as CheeriOats but, in 1946, changed its name to Cheerios because of a trademark dispute with Quaker Oats. Today, it comes in nearly a dozen different flavors and is marketed to children as well as adults. It has used several different characters in its advertising over the years, including Charlie Brown from Peanuts. Why did the US Food and Drug Administration call Cheerios an “unapproved new drug” in 2009? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Beltane

Beltane is the Celtic name for the first day of May, which divided the ancient Celtic year in half. It was believed that each day began with the setting of the sun the night before, so Beltane was celebrated by lighting bonfires to honor the sun god. Contact with the fire was symbolic of contact with the life-giving sun. The day is still observed in parts of Ireland, the Scottish Highlands, Wales, Brittany, and the Isle of Man, with most of the celebrations revolving around fire and reflecting ancient fertility rites. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Joseph Heller (1923)

As a bombardier with the US Air Force during World War II, American writer Joseph Heller flew 60 combat missions. He drew on his wartime experiences when writing his darkly humorous novel Catch-22 (1961), a satiric commentary on the absurdity of war and bureaucracy. One of the most significant works of postwar protest literature, it was a huge critical success. What did Heller famously reply when asked why he had not written anything else as good as Catch-22? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Quinceañera

The Quinceañera is, in many Spanish-speaking regions of the Americas, the celebration of a young woman’s fifteenth birthday and marks the transition from childhood to adulthood. In this latter respect, the Quinceañera is similar to the “sweet sixteen” or debutante ball of the English-speaking world. Observed differently in different countries, Quinceañera festivities range from modest religious ceremonies to lavish, wedding-style celebrations. What is the origin of the tradition? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary