Month: August 2017

First Issue of Sports Illustrated Is Published (1954)

The first issue of Sports Illustrated—featuring Milwaukee Braves star Eddie Mathews at bat—was published in 1954. The brainchild of Henry Luce, the founder of Time magazine, it became one of the most influential sports magazines in America. Though Sports Illustrated originally covered a wide range of sports, including hunting and yachting, today it focuses on major sports, such as football and baseball. When was the annual swimsuit issue first published? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Daimonji Okuribi

In Japan, the belief that the souls of the dead return to earth during the Obon Festival gave rise to the custom of lighting great bonfires to guide the souls back to heaven after their yearly visit. This custom is known as Daimonji Okuribi, the Great Bonfire Event. In the city of Kyoto, an enormous flammable structure, built in the shape of the Chinese character dai, meaning “big,” is set on fire on the hill in back of the Zenrinji Temple. The character is 530 feet tall and 510 feet wide, providing a spectacular display for city residents. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Thomas Edward Lawrence (1888)

Lawrence was a British adventurer, soldier, and scholar popularly known as Lawrence of Arabia. He learned Arabic while on an archaeological expedition in Mesopotamia, then served in intelligence for the British army in Egypt during WWI. After conceiving a plan to support an Arab rebellion against the Ottoman Empire—a German ally—he joined the Arab forces and became a leader in the revolt, but he failed to achieve the formation of an independent Arab state. What did he later do under false names? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Supermassive Black Holes

A supermassive black hole is a black hole containing the mass of between a hundred thousand and tens of billions of Suns. Scientists believe that most, if not all, galaxies, including the Milky Way, contain supermassive black holes at their galactic centers. They also cite a link between the mass of the supermassive black hole in the center of a galaxy and the morphology, or structure, of the galaxy itself. Where is the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole thought to be located? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

6000-Year-Old Knee Joints Suggest Osteoarthritis Isn’t Just Wear and Tear

American doctors have been noticing an increase in osteoarthritis of the knee. They have suspected two driving forces: more old people and more people who are overweight. A study published in this week’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

King Macbeth Is Killed (1057)

Macbeth was originally a governor and military commander under Scottish King Duncan I, whose ancestors had seized power from the ancestors of Macbeth’s wife. Macbeth ascended to the throne by killing Duncan in battle in 1040 and ruled Scotland for the next 18 years. In 1057, Macbeth was mortally wounded at the Battle of Lumphanan by Duncan’s son Malcolm. Malcolm was crowned king the following year. Is Shakespeare’s famous tragedy about Macbeth historically accurate? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary