Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

This mammoth yearly rally of 250,000 or so motorcyclists is held in Sturgis, South Dakota. There are races, merrymaking, band music, and usually some misbehavior, including arrests for drunken driving. Motorcycle drag racing runs eight days, and other official events include bike shows, a swap meet, monster truck races, Tough Man and Tough Woman Contests (the titles determined by fights in which biting and kicking, but not much else, is forbidden), and a fireworks show. The rally also includes unofficial events, especially weddings; 100 or more couples get married there every year. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac (1902)

Dirac was an influential English mathematician and theoretical physicist. In 1928, he published a version of quantum mechanics taking into account the theory of relativity. His theory predicted an antiparticle to the electron, and, in 1932, the positron was discovered. That year, Dirac was appointed to the same University of Cambridge chair once held by Isaac Newton. Likely autistic, Dirac was known for his precise nature and literal view of the world. How did he once introduce his wife? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Dulce De Leche

Dulce de leche, Spanish for “milk candy,” is a syrup prepared by slowly heating milk and sugar to create a product similar to caramel. Found as both a sauce and a caramel-like candy, it is used to flavor sweet foods such as cakes, cookies, ice cream, and flan. Though dulce de leche is especially popular in Latin American countries, many trace its origin to a similar French dish, confiture de lait, which is often served with what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Federal Emergency Declared at Love Canal in New York (1978)

In the 1940s and 50s, an abandoned canal in Niagara Falls, New York, became a dumping ground for chemical waste. It was later filled in, and after the land was given to the city of Niagara Falls by the chemical company, houses and an elementary school were built there. By the late 1970s, toxic chemicals had risen to the surface, and residents were found to have a high incidence of chromosome damage. A federal emergency was declared in 1978, and residents were evacuated. What happened to them? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Zambia Farmers Day

Farmers Day celebrates the country of Zambia‘s agricultural sector, praises their efforts in providing crops to feed the country, and gives them a day to relax from their labors. Governmental officials normally give speeches outlining the advances in the harvest of crops, particularly maize. But average citizens enjoy a variety of sporting events that are held on the Farmers Day weekend, including soccer championships. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Emil Nolde (1867)

Nolde was a German painter and printmaker. Fervently religious, he often painted supernatural imagery, such as demonic heads and mystic appearances. Impressed by the art he saw on a 1913 expedition to the East Indies, he began to paint brooding landscapes and colorful flowers. As a printmaker, he was noted for his crudely cut, stark black-and-white woodcuts. Though he was an early advocate of the Nazi party, the party condemned his art and forbade him to paint. What did he do instead? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Klezmer

Klezmer is a form of instrumental Jewish folk music that had its beginnings in the Middle Ages. Its name is a Yiddishized version of the Hebrew klei zemir, meaning “instruments of song,” that until the mid-20th century referred to the musicians rather than the music. Largely based on cantorial singing and the folk music of Eastern Europe, klezmer has a distinctive sound that is reminiscent of the human voice. Itinerant musicians from what ethnic group influenced the genre’s development? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Gertrude Ederle Becomes First Woman to Swim across the English Channel (1926)

Only five men had managed to swim across the 35-mile (56-km) English Channel by the time Ederle became the first woman to make the trip. On her second attempt, the 19-year-old Olympic medalist from America made the swim from France to England in 14 hours and 31 minutes—beating the male record-holder by two hours. Hours before Ederle reached England, the weather deteriorated. A supporter following her by boat called out and urged her to get out of the water. What was Ederle’s reply? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary