Erich Maria Remarque (1898)

Drafted into the German army at age 18, Remarque served in World War I and was wounded several times. From his experience of trench warfare, he drew a grimly realistic picture of the horror of battle in his first novel and masterpiece, All Quiet on the Western Front. It was an immediate international success, and Remarque went on to write several other novels. All Quiet on the Western Front was later burned by the Nazis, who guillotined which of his family members in 1943? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Lilith

Likely derived from the Assyrian storm demon Lilitu, Lilith is a female demon of Jewish mythology. In rabbinic literature, she is acknowledged as either Adam’s first wife or the mother of his demonic offspring after he separated from Eve outside of Eden. Talmudic sources describe Lilith as a nocturnal creature with many evil attributes, while Jewish folklore paints her as the incarnation of sensual lust and a vampire-like child-killer. What item is said to protect newborn boys from Lilith? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

These 550-Million-Year-Old Footprints Could Be The Oldest Ever Discovered

Scientists think they have discovered the 550-million-year-old footprints of a small bug-like animal in the Yangtze Gorges area of China. This critter was roaming the planet millions of years before the first mammals, the first dinosaurs, and even the … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

SpaceShipOne Completes First Privately Funded Human Spaceflight (2004)

Unlike its privately funded predecessors, SpaceShipOne was actually manned, by a pilot and two passengers, when it flew to the edge of space in 2004. Developed by aerospace engineer Burt Rutan and funded by billionaire Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, the suborbital space plane won the $10 million Ansari X Prize for launching three people—or their weight equivalent—into space twice within two weeks in a privately developed, reusable spacecraft. Where is SpaceShipOne currently on display? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

National Aboriginal Day

Long before a national holiday was established, this day of the year had been observed by Canada’s Inuit, Métis, and First Nations peoples as a celebration of Aboriginal heritage. In 1996, the Canadian government made June 21 an official holiday, including all citizens in the observance. Celebrations take place throughout Canada, and are organized by the regional offices of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and Canadian Heritage. Some festivities are modest celebrations; others exhibit a stronger focus on culture and tradition by holding canoe races, powwows, and awareness events. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Jean-Paul Sartre (1905)

Sartre was a French philosopher, playwright, and novelist who became the foremost exponent of existentialism in the 20th century. His first novel, Nausea, was one of many works depicting man as a lonely being burdened with a terrifying freedom. He served in World War II, was taken prisoner, escaped, and was involved in the French resistance, during which he wrote multiple works. In 1964, he became the first person to voluntarily decline the Nobel Prize in Literature. Why did he refuse it? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Bucket Argument

In addition to establishing the foundations of classical mechanics and introducing his law of universal gravitation, Isaac Newton’s 1687 text The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy explored his rotating bucket argument, which has been studied by scientists for centuries. In it, he opposed the dominant view of motion—devised by Rene Descartes—that space is actually the extension of matter. How did Newton use a hypothetical bucket to try to make his point? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Climate change killed the aliens, and it might kill us too, new simulation suggests

Did climate change already kill all the aliens we’ve been searching for? According to astrophysicist Adam Frank, it’s certainly a possibility — and whether humans are doomed to the same fate may already be out of our hands. Frank, a professor of physics and … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary