Sweet potato history casts doubt on early contact between Polynesia and the Americas

Evidence reported in the journal Current Biology on April 12 shows that sweet potatoes arose before there were any humans around to eat them. The findings also suggest that the sweet potato crossed the ocean from America to Polynesia without any help from … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Bombay Explosion (1944)

The SS Fort Stikine sailed from England in late February 1944 and made stops in Gibraltar, Egypt, and Pakistan before reaching Bombay, India, laden with a cargo of cotton bales, gold, explosives, and munitions. While the ship was berthed there, a fire broke out on board. Attempts to extinguish the fire failed, and a massive explosion soon tore the ship apart, sinking nearby vessels as well and igniting a massive blaze in the surrounding area. How many people were killed in the disaster? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Takayama Matsuri

Held twice a year in Japan, in the spring and the autumn, the Takayama Festival is famous for its elaborately decorated yatai (festival floats), which are adorned with beautiful fabrics, lacquered wood, and patterned metals. Twelve of these floats appear at the April festival, held at Takayama’s Hie Shrine, and 11 participate in the October festival. Some yatai feature performances of kabuki (puppet plays), often performed by mechanical marionettes. A highlight of the festival is the parade of gongs known as tokeigaku, which produce a unique kind of folk music. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891)

A member of the caste of Dalits—once known as Untouchables—Ambedkar obtained his education abroad. He returned to his native India and worked in law before entering politics. In 1947, he became the law minister of the government of India and was instrumental in framing the Indian constitution. In that capacity, he made great strides in fighting for the rights of Dalits, even criticizing Gandhi’s position on the caste system. How did the two Indian leaders differ in their approaches? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Lion-Baiting

Baiting is a blood sport that involves setting game dogs upon an often chained up animal for the purpose of subduing it by incapacitating or killing it. In 1610, during the reign of James I of England, the first recorded lion-baiting event was staged for the amusement of his court. The practice continued in the UK until the early 19th century, when public outrage brought the issue to the attention of parliament. What became of the one dog that survived the 1610 event? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Massive 205-million-year-old ichthyosaur fossil discovered, ‘one of the largest animals ever’

The massive jawbone of a 205-million-year-old ichthyosaur has been discovered in southwestern England, making it “one of the largest animals to ever live” — it was nearly the size of a blue whale. The findings, published in the journal PLOS, show that … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Chicago Flood (1992)

The source of the water pouring into the basements of buildings in the Chicago Loop area had not yet been identified when reports of live fish in the water began surfacing. This helped lead a reporter to the source of the flood—a leak in an old tunnel that ran underneath the Chicago River. It turned out that the leak had been discovered months earlier, but the city had failed to repair it in a timely fashion, allowing it to worsen and eventually inundate the area with how much river water? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary