Psychedelic Psychotherapy

The use of psychedelic agents in Western psychotherapy began in the 1950s, after Sandoz Laboratories, the manufacturer of LSD, began distributing it to researchers. Concern over the unauthorized use of psychedelics by the general public, however, led to widespread bans in the 1960s. Since then, the study of psychedelic psychotherapy has been limited. In recent years, investigators have studied the possibility of treating post-traumatic stress disorder with the drug MDMA, commonly known as what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

First FIFA World Cup Kicks Off (1930)

Soccer, or association football, as it is known throughout much of the world, has been an Olympic sport since 1900. In 1930, FIFA—soccer’s international governing body—decided to stage its own tournament, the World Cup. Reigning Olympic champion Uruguay was chosen as host and went on to win the inaugural event. Today the tournament is one of the most prestigious sporting events in the world, but then it was a challenge just to get teams to participate. What else did not go as planned? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Night Watch

La Retraite aux Flambeaux, or the Night Watch, is a half-holiday in France that is celebrated on the eve of Bastille Day. The lights in Paris are darkened in remembrance of the day in 1789 when the Bastille fell. Colorful processions of soldiers, patriotic bands, and people bearing torches and Chinese lanterns march through the streets, followed by crowds of spectators. The procession usually ends at the home of a prominent citizen, who offers the torch- and lantern-bearers something to drink. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor (1608)

When Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III ascended the throne, the Thirty Years’ War had been raging for 20 years. After his accession, the war took a disastrous turn. Though he prohibited religious freedom in his own domains, he compromised with Europe’s Protestant powers and agreed to the Peace of Westphalia. The treaty ended 30 years of religious strife in central Europe but greatly reduced the central power of the Holy Roman Empire. Despite the war, Ferdinand made time to pursue what pastime? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Dead Malls

Dead malls are shopping centers with high vacancy rates or low consumer traffic. Due to changes in the department store industry, many formerly popular malls have been left without an “anchor” store, causing other retailers to fail. Since newer “big box” chains typically prefer to occupy their own free-standing buildings, malls’ anchor store spaces are being left vacant, and the malls then slowly “die.” What can be done with dead mall sites? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Bisbee Deportation (1917)

In June 1917, miners in Bisbee, Arizona, engaged in a strike to improve wages and working conditions. On July 12, 2,000 vigilantes organized by the county sheriff illegally deported more than 1,000 of the striking union workers and others, including Americans and immigrants from Mexico and elsewhere. They were brought to a baseball field, loaded onto a cattle train, and taken 16 hours through the desert. They were finally dropped off in Hermanas, New Mexico. What happened to them next? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary