Lucy Christiana, Lady Duff Gordon (1863)

A leading British fashion designer of the Edwardian era, Gordon made less restrictive clothing for women that she sold in her own “Lucile, Ltd.” shops in London, Paris, Chicago, and New York. To promote her wares, she organized tea times when models would parade around in her designs, a precursor of the modern fashion show. Gordon was a passenger on the Titanic and survived its sinking by boarding Lifeboat 1 with her husband. What did the tabloids allege about their escape from the ship? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Crystal Gazing

Also called crystal gazing, scrying is the magical practice of divining the past, present, or future by gazing into a usually reflective, translucent, or luminescent medium, such as crystal, mirror, water, or fire. The Cup of Jamshid, described in Persian mythology as a magical cup containing an elixir of immortality, is said to have revealed to the observer all the layers of the universe. Mirrors, meanwhile, have been said to reveal what to young women who gaze into them in a darkened room? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Armagh Rail Disaster (1889)

In 1889, a Sunday school train excursion in Armagh, Ireland, turned tragic when the train stalled while climbing a steep hill. The crew decoupled the cars, intending to climb the hill with the first few cars and then pull the remaining cars separately, but the back section had insufficient brakes and rolled down into an oncoming train. At least 78 people were killed in the crash, including many children. What had the crew put behind the wheels to prevent the train cars from rolling backwards? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Arthur Fellig, AKA Weegee (1899)

A New York City-based photojournalist, Fellig distinguished himself with his stark and often grisly black-and-white images. His nickname, Weegee, a phonetic pronunciation of Ouija, was derived from his seemingly clairvoyant knowledge of where crimes and emergencies were taking place and his habit of frequently beating authorities to the scenes. In reality, there was nothing supernatural about this—he simply possessed a police radio and made good use of it. What did he keep in his car’s trunk? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Pysanka

These traditional Ukrainian Easter eggs derive their name from the verb pysaty—meaning “to write”—since intricate designs are “written” on the eggshells with a wax resist before they are dipped in various dyes. Though they are now associated with Easter, pysanky were an integral part of spring rituals prior to the advent of Christianity. Among the many superstitions about pysanky that still persist is the belief that as long as eggs are decorated in this way the world will not face what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Le Mans Disaster (1955)

The legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race was created in 1923, when cars’ top speeds hovered around 60 mph (97 km/h). Thirty years later, top speeds had more than tripled, with little change to the course. In the 1955 race, a narrow pass near the pit stop caused racer Pierre Levegh to hit another car from behind while traveling at about 150 mph (240 km/h). Levegh’s Mercedes went airborne, and parts flew into the stands, killing Levegh and more than 80 spectators. Why did the race continue? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary