The Second Ibrox Disaster (1971)

On several occasions in the 1960s, spectators at Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland, were killed or injured while trying to exit through the stairway closest to the nearby subway station, raising questions about safety. Tragically, 66 people were crushed to death in the staircase in early 1971. The crush is believed to have been triggered when, after a late goal by the home team, thousands of fans attempted to leave at the same time—and someone fell. What claimed 25 lives at Ibrox in 1902? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Cape Town Minstrels’ Carnival

The Annual Minstrels’ Carnival in Cape Town, South Africa, was inspired by the animated singing and dancing of African-American musicians and singers of the United States. Bands are organized during the year, money is raised to purchase the materials needed for their costumes, and on Second New Year (January 2), and the week or so that follows, the bands take over the city, displaying their costumes and performing their music in the streets. This roisterous carnival is offset by string bands, the members of which are decorously dressed and parade with great dignity. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (1873)

Born into a devout Catholic family, Thérèse entered the convent at Lisieux at age 15. Plagued by depression and guilt, she was prompted by her prioress to write an account of her spiritual development. It describes her “Little Way,” an absolute, childlike surrender to God. After her death at 24, the book was published as Story of a Soul, and her grave became a pilgrimage site. Though its national church does not recognize her as such, Catholics consider her a patron saint of what country? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Eruption Columns

Visually similar to nuclear mushroom clouds, eruption columns are massive plumes of hot ash produced during explosive volcanic eruptions. In extreme cases, eruption columns may rise over 25 miles (40 km), penetrating the stratosphere and causing short-term climate change, like the drop in global temperature that followed the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo. It is believed that the largest eruptions can cause up to several degrees of global cooling and may be responsible for what phenomena? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Times Square Ball Drops for the First Time (1908)

In 1904, The New York Times moved its headquarters to what is now known as Times Square. That December, it held a New Year’s Eve celebration that proved to be quite popular. A few years later, the newspaper created an illuminated time ball—then a well-known dockside device by which sailors set their ships’ clocks—that would fall at midnight. The annual ball-drop outlived both the newspaper’s address on the square and the use of time balls in general. What was Times Square’s original name? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Jerome David “J. D.” Salinger (1919)

Salinger published his first and only novel, The Catcher in the Rye, in 1951. An immediate success, it generated a cult-like dedication among readers. Though he also released a handful of short story collections, Salinger ceased publishing after 1963 and spent the rest of his life as a recluse in Cornish, New Hampshire. After his death in 2010, rumors swirled that he had left behind a number of finished works. According to one of Salinger’s neighbors, how many novels did he complete? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy

Fabricated or induced illness (FII), originally and more commonly known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy, involves a caregiver feigning or inducing an illness in another person, usually to gain control over the victim as well as to elicit attention or sympathy from others. The caregiver is usually a parent, guardian, or spouse, and the victim is usually a vulnerable child or adult. Is FII listed as a recognized mental disorder in the American Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary