The People’s Temple

The People’s Temple was a cult founded in 1955 by preacher Jim Jones. Though his congregation was known for helping the poor, Jones became the subject of criminal investigations and led 1,000 followers to Guyana in 1977, establishing the Jonestown commune there. In 1978, cult members killed US Representative Leo Ryan during an investigatory visit. The next day, 912 of Jones’s followers died in a mass murder-suicide that involved cyanide-laced punch. Did anyone survive? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Christopher Columbus Becomes the First European on Hispaniola (1492)

Soon after landing on the island now known as Hispaniola—home to the Dominican Republic and Haiti—Columbus returned to Spain with news of the New World, leaving behind a group of colonists. On his second expedition, he discovered that the colony had been destroyed, and he established another one. The new colony soon fell into a state of disorder, which he tried to quell with strict discipline. The colonists appear to have disliked Columbus’s tyrannical leadership. What did they do about it? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas’s Eve)

Very little is known about St. Nicholas‘s life, except that in the fourth century he was the bishop of Myra in what is now Turkey. On the eve of December 6 in the Netherlands, St. Nicholas, or Sinterklaas, rides into town on a white horse, dressed in his red bishop’s robes and preceded by “Black Peter,” a figure in Moorish costume who rewards the good children with candy and gifts. St. Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, and churches dedicated to him are often built so they can be seen off the coast as landmarks. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Walter Elias “Walt” Disney (1901)

Disney began his career as a cartoonist in 1920. By the time he died in 1966, he had built an entertainment empire. His enormously successful cartoons and films—both animated and live-action—employed groundbreaking technology and introduced now-famous characters such as Mickey Mouse. A skilled businessman as well as an innovator, Disney oversaw his company’s expansion into theme parks and mass merchandising. According to legend, what were the mysterious last two words Disney wrote? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Aztlán

Aztlán is the legendary ancestral home of the Nahua peoples, a major Mesoamerican group that includes the Aztec. According to Aztec legend, a southward migration from Aztlán—often described as a paradise—that began around 830 CE led to the founding of seven major city-states in central Mexico. Though scholars disagree about whether Aztlán has any real historical component, both Spanish conquistadors and modern archaeologists have attempted to identify its exact location. What are some options? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Led Zeppelin Officially Disbands (1980)

On September 25, 1980, Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham asphyxiated on his own vomit and died after a day of heavy drinking. Two months later, the remaining members of Led Zeppelin issued a press release stating that the band would not continue without Bonham. For decades, rumors of the band’s imminent reunion persisted, but the surviving members made only sporadic appearances to perform together. In 2007, they reunited for a single concert as Led Zeppelin. Who played drums in Bonham’s place? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary