US President Grover Cleveland Gets Married in the White House (1886)

Though President Cleveland entered the White House a notorious bachelor—having allegedly fathered a child out of wedlock—he did not remain single for long. Having become the executor of his deceased law partner’s estate a decade earlier, Cleveland had supervised the upbringing of his partner’s daughter, Frances. She visited him in the White House in 1885, and the two were married in the Blue Room a year later, making him the only president to be married there. He was how many years her senior? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Black Music Month

Black Music Month is observed in June each year in the United States. Created by music executives Kenny Gable and Ed Wright as a way to celebrate and promote black music, the special designation has been proclaimed each year since 1979 by the President. At the White House in Washington, D.C., a concert and reception is held each year that features various genres of African-American music, including R&B, jazz, blues, and hip hop. Throughout the country, public and private organizations host numerous educational programs and cultural festivals recognizing the achievements of black musicians. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Nika Riots

Nearly half of Constantinople was destroyed and some 30,000 people were killed in the Nika riots of 532 CE. Chariot racing was quite popular at the time, and rivalries between the fans of competing teams often became mingled with political or religious disputes, sometimes leading to riots. The Nika riots began when spectators at a chariot racing event, angered by the emperor’s refusal to pardon two rioters accused of murder, started attacking his palace. How was the rebellion finally suppressed? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Court Martial of Benedict Arnold Begins (1779)

When Arnold was court-martialed in 1779, it was not for the treason that would later make his name synonymous with betrayal. The charges involved fiscal irregularities and were relatively minor. Though he was largely exonerated, the trial sullied his reputation. Despite having distinguished himself in various American military campaigns—he was wounded more than once—Arnold was subsequently passed over for promotion. Embittered, he hatched what plot to aid the British in the American Revolution? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Brigham Young’s Birthday

Often referred to as “the American Moses,” Brigham Young led thousands of his religious followers across 1,000 miles of wilderness from their Illinois settlement to find refuge in what is now Salt Lake City, Utah. He became the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, whose members are also known as Mormons. The anniversary of Young’s birth on June 1, 1801, is observed by Mormon churches worldwide, as is July 24, the date on which he arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

James Hadley Billington (1929)

Billington is a US scholar and the 13th Librarian of Congress. He earned his PhD in 1953 as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, taught at Harvard and Princeton, and published several significant books on Russia. He served as director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars from 1973 to 1987, when he became Librarian of Congress. There, he has fostered cooperation between libraries worldwide and encouraged the use of digital media. He has been decorated by what countries? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Ultimate Fate of the Universe

A number of theories have been proposed regarding the ultimate fate of the universe. Some, like the Big Crunch and the Big Rip, suggest the universe will come to an end, while others conclude that it will exist for an infinite period of time. Most cosmologists agree that the universe’s average density, the rate at which it expands, and the physical properties of the mass and energy in the universe will determine its ultimate fate. What is the difference between an open universe and a closed one? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary