Sir William Henry Perkin (1838)

At the age of 15, Perkin entered the Royal College of Chemistry in London. It was there, just a few years later, that he discovered the first synthetic dye. Since antiquity, purple garments had been a mark of royalty, as natural purple dyes had to be extracted from mollusks or insects and were thus quite expensive. The lab-created dye made Perkin a wealthy man. In 1906, the chemist was knighted. At the time of his discovery, he had had been trying to create a synthetic version of what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Splendid Isolation

Splendid Isolation is the name given to the foreign policy pursued by Britain during the late 19th century, a policy characterized by a reluctance to enter into permanent European alliances or commitments with other powers and by an increase in the importance placed on British colonies, protectorates, and dependencies overseas. Still, there is much debate among historians regarding whether or not the policy was intentional. What marked the end of Britain’s so-called Splendid Isolation? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Spanish Flu Pandemic Begins (1918)

One of the most devastating pandemics in human history, the Spanish flu was first observed at Fort Riley, Kansas, which was home to some of the tens of thousands of soldiers waiting to be deployed to Europe for combat in World War I. It came to be known as the Spanish flu after spreading to Spain, but its reach was global. Estimates vary, but at least 20 million people died from the pandemic. What was the only sizable, inhabited place in the world that had no documented outbreak? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Moshoeshoe’s Day

Moshoeshoe (c. 1790-1870) was a leader in South Africa who organized a group of tribes to fight the Zulu warlord Shaka. He called his followers the Basotho people, and although they succeeded in fending off the Zulu, they were drawn into war with Europeans who started settling their territory. In 1966, the Basotho nation became the independent kingdom of Lesotho within the British Commonwealth. The Basotho people honor their founder on this day with a wreath-laying ceremony in the capital city of Maseru, along with sporting events and traditional music and dancing. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Douglas Adams (1952)

Best known as the creator of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which began as a BBC radio series in 1978 and was thereafter adapted for a series of bestselling novels, a TV series, a record album, a computer game, and several stage productions, Douglas Adams was a talented writer and musician. Though his career was cut short by a fatal heart attack, he left behind a creative legacy that includes the “answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything.” What is it? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Murderball

Originally called murderball, wheelchair rugby, or quad rugby, as it’s called in the US, is a sport that combines elements of wheelchair basketball, ice hockey, and handball. Played on an indoor hardwood court, it is a contact sport, and physical contact between wheelchairs is an integral part of the game. The sport was created in 1977 by five Canadian wheelchair athletes who designed it for quadriplegic players with a wide range of functional ability levels. How are points scored in quad rugby? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Is century-old Florida flamingo mystery finally solved? Scientists say yes

One sunny spring day in 2012, Tony Pernas, a botanist for the Big Cypress National Preserve, volunteered his boat to take colleagues on a scouting trip to chase down a rumored flock of rare flamingos spotted in a remote Everglades lake. Despite their … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary