Raoul Wallenberg (1912)

In 1944, as Nazi troops rounded up hundreds of thousands of Jews in Hungary, Wallenberg—a Swedish citizen who had previously worked for a company run by a Hungarian Jew—asked to be posted there as a diplomat. Once there, he worked relentlessly to save tens of thousands of Jews by sheltering them on Swedish property and distributing counterfeit Swedish passports. He was arrested by the Soviets in 1945, and his death while in their custody is shrouded in mystery. What might have happened to him? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Christo and Jeanne-Claude are a husband-and-wife team famous for creating large-scale environmental art installations around the world. Fabric is an integral part of their art, as it is often used to veil buildings, bridges, monuments, and natural features like trees and coastlines. Their works include the wrapping of Berlin’s Reichstag building, the Pont Neuf bridge in Paris, and, recently, The Gates in New York City’s Central Park. How did they fund the $21 million New York project? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The National Basketball Association Is Founded (1949)

Prior to 1949, there were two main rival basketball organizations in the US—the National Basketball League, which had been founded in 1937, and the Basketball Association of America, which had been founded nearly a decade later. They merged to form the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1949 and racially integrated the following year. In 1995, the NBA expanded to include two Canadian teams, and in 1996, a women’s league was founded. What rule, instituted in 1954, encouraged more shooting? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Shravana Putrada Ekadashi

The Hindu Ekadashi, or 11th-day fast, known as Putrada Ekadashi is observed primarily by parents who want to produce a son. A fast is observed, Vishnu is worshipped and meditated upon, and the Brahmans are fed and presented with robes and money. Fasting and piety on this day are believed to ensure the conception of a boy, especially for those who sleep in the same room where Vishnu has been worshipped. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Elisha Graves Otis (1811)

By 1852, Otis had already devised several inventions, including a safety brake for trains. While setting up a factory that year, he developed an automatic safety device to prevent heavy machinery from falling if a rope broke while the machinery was being hoisted. The first fail-safe, fall-safe passenger elevator quickly followed. It made possible the construction of skyscrapers, greatly altering the landscape of modern cities. What daring publicity stunt helped launch sales of Otis’s elevators? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Zoroaster

Zoroastrianism is a dualistic religion founded by Iranian prophet and religious poet Zoroaster, who lived between 628 and 551 BCE. At the age of 30, Zoroaster had his first vision and began teaching that Ahura Mazda was the highest god and alone was worthy of worship—a concept that rejected the polytheism practiced in Iran at the time. His attempts to proselytize initially failed, but after he converted King Vishtaspa, the religion rapidly spread. What are the main tenets of Zoroastrianism? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Astronomers May Have Found an Exomoon, and Hubble Is Going to Check

The first evidence for an exomoon — a moon orbiting a planet orbiting a distant star — may have been spotted in data from the Kepler space telescope. But surprisingly, exomoons in general may be rare, at least around planets close to their stars. Alex Teachey and … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Henry Hudson Discovers Hudson Bay (1610)

After several failed attempts to find a northeast passage to Asia, Hudson, a veteran sea captain, sailed west and began probing N America to find a way through it by ship. In 1610, he discovered Hudson Bay but lingered too long and became trapped there by winter ice. When the weather warmed, Hudson wanted to continue exploring, but his starved and diseased crew refused. They mutinied and set Hudson, his son, and a few others adrift in a small boat without food or water. What happened to them? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary