Orange Day (Orangemen’s Day)

Sometimes referred to simply as The Twelfth, this is the anniversary of the Battle of Boyne. After James II, who was Roman Catholic, was deposed in 1668 by William of Orange, a Protestant, each side raised an army and clashed on the banks of the Boyne River. The Protestants won a decisive victory and formed the Orange Order, committed to maintaining the link with Protestant England. As Irishmen left Ireland and England for the New World, lodges of Orangemen were formed in Canada and the United States, where Orange Day is still observed by Protestant Irish. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Josiah Wedgwood (1730)

An English potter, Wedgwood greatly improved the quality of contemporary pottery, specializing in cream-colored earthenware made famous by his Wedgwood company. Because smallpox had permanently weakened one of his knees, he concentrated on designing pottery rather than making it. He built a factory town, called Etruria, in 1769, and his methods transformed pottery from a minor industry into one of enormous aesthetic appeal. He was also an active abolitionist. Who was his famous grandson? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Satyagraha

Satyagraha is the philosophy of passive resistance introduced by Mohandas Gandhi in South Africa in 1906 and successfully employed in the Indian independence movement. Satyagraha involves the refusal to submit to anything perceived as wrong, while adhering to the principle of nonviolence in order to maintain the tranquility of mind required for insight. Meaning “insistence on truth” in Sanskrit, Satyagraha played a significant role in what other civil rights movement across the globe? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Stonehenge Builders Used Pythagoras’ Theorem 2000 Years Before He Was Born

As one of the most famous landmarks in the United Kingdom, Stonehenge is a symbol of scientific achievement during an age when scientific understanding did not seem likely. Stonehenge, located in South West England, is a prehistoric monument with standing … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

UK Court Finds Gay News and Its Editor Guilty of Blasphemy (1977)

The June 3, 1976, issue of the British newspaper Gay News included James Kirkup’s poem “The Love that Dares to Speak Its Name,” which depicts Jesus as a homosexual. Mary Whitehouse—a media watchdog known for her “Clean Up TV” campaign—described the poem as a “blasphemous libel” and sought charges against Gay News and its publisher, Denis Lemon. On July 11, 1977, a jury found Lemon guilty, and his later appeal to the House of Lords was unsuccessful. What was Lemon’s sentence? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

World Population Day

World Population Day was established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme to focus public attention on the issue of population growth. Schools, businesses, and organizations around the world are urged to observe July 11 with speeches, programs, and activities that address population issues and encourage people to think of solutions to the health, social, and economic problems associated with population growth. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Elwyn Brooks “E. B.” White (1899)

After starting his writing career as a reporter, White settled in New York and became known for his impeccable prose style as a contributing editor of New Yorker magazine. Talented in diverse genres, he collaborated with James Thurber on satire, wrote the classic children’s books Stuart Little and Charlotte’s Web, and revised William Strunk Jr.’s grammar and composition text The Elements of Style, which became a definitive writing guide. How did White know Strunk? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Butterflyfish

Found mostly near the reefs of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, butterflyfish are named for their brightly colored and strikingly patterned bodies. Seen in shades of black, white, blue, red, orange, and yellow, many have eyespots on their flanks and dark bands across their eyes that resemble the patterns on butterfly wings, making them popular additions to aquaria. Because butterflyfish are easily spotted among reefs, some believe their conspicuous coloration serves what purpose? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary